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The meaning and origin of the expression: Green-eyed monster

Green-eyed monster

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What's the meaning of the phrase 'Green eyed monster'?

Jealousy.

What's the origin of the phrase 'Green eyed monster'?

Green is a colour associated with sickness, possibly because people's skin sometimes takes on a slightly yellow/green tinge when they are seriously ill. Green is also the colour of many unripe foods that cause stomach pains.

The meaning and origin of the phrase 'The green-eyed monster'The phrase 'green-eyed jealousy' was used by, and possibly coined by, Shakespeare to denote jealousy, in The Merchant of Venice, 1596:

Portia:
How all the other passions fleet to air,
As doubtful thoughts, and rash-embraced despair,
And shuddering fear, and green-eyed jealousy! O love,
Be moderate; allay thy ecstasy,
In measure rein thy joy; scant this excess.
I feel too much thy blessing: make it less,
For fear I surfeit.

We also use the expression 'green with envy' although this 19th phrase is just a variant of 'green-eyed monstar'.

In Othello, 1604, Shakespeare refers explicitly to the 'green-eyed monster' as jealousy.

Iago:
O, beware, my lord, of jealousy;
It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock
The meat it feeds on; that cuckold lives in bliss
Who, certain of his fate, loves not his wronger;
But, O, what damned minutes tells he o'er
Who dotes, yet doubts, suspects, yet strongly loves!

Gary Martin - the author of the phrases.org.uk website.

By Gary Martin

Gary Martin is a writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

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