Ever wonder about the origin of the phrase, “Green With Envy”?

Green is traditionally a color associated with illness, dating back to the Greeks. But it wasn’t until Shakespeare that the notion of being “Green With Envy” really started to take shape.

In Othello, Iago warns Othello “beware, my lord, of jealousy;/It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock/The meat it feeds on.”

[Inspired by a cat who plays with its prey]

In Anthony and Cleopatra,

“Lepidus, since Pompey’s feast, as Menas says, is troubled with the green sickness.”

[The green sickness, being envy]

In Merchant of Venice,

“How all the other passions fleet to air,

As doubtful thoughts, and rash-embraced despair,

And shuddering fear, and green-eyed jealousy!”

As writers, one of the greatest tools we have in our literary arsenal is the figure of speech. Of course, when overused or used incorrectly, it is also the most dangerous. Channel your inner Shakespeare by bucking convention and crafting your own figure of speech. If it resonates, you might inspire an entirely new way of thinking.

For my music lovers, check out Green Eyes by Erykah Badu

“My eyes are green

Cause I eat a lot of vegetables

It don’t have nothing to do with your new friend”