Peek into the windows of my home (that sounds kind of creepy) on a Sunday afternoon and you can find me reading Shakespeare. Out loud. By myself. (Is that weird?) For me, that’s the best way to truly “get into” the plays and experience the prose.

It’s always fascinated me how many common expressions originated or are contained in Shakespeare’s works. The same can be said for Benjamin Franklin. Talk about a jack of all trades! He invented the odometer, the lightning rod and bifocals, just to name a few.

Here are some of my favorite sayings penned (or uttered) by these famous wordsmiths:

Shakespeare

• Neither a borrower nor a lender be.
• All the world’s a stage.
• Sweets to the sweet.
• The world’s mine oyster.
• To thine own self be true.
• Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.

Franklin

• A penny saved is a penny earned.
• A place for everything, everything in its place.
• Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today.
• The doors of wisdom are never shut.
• Remember that time is money.
• He that rises late must trot all day.

Hope you enjoyed this little “history lesson.” As Shakespeare said, “Parting is such sweet sorrow!”