Beggar Description, To
When words aren’t enough to capture the essence 🖋️
Definition:
- To beggar description: To be impossible to describe accurately because mere words are not enough. A classic phrase from the Bard himself, William Shakespeare. Imagine something so breathtaking it renders the poet’s pen powerless. Cleopatra’s beauty, for instance, was so extraordinary that Shakespeare famously wrote it “beggar’d all description” in Antony and Cleopatra, Act 2, Scene 2.
Related Terms:
- Beyond words
- Defy description
- Leaves one speechless
- Words fail me
- Ineffable
Synonyms:
- Indescribable
- Unspeakable
- Sublime
- Inexpressible
- Unutterable
Antonyms:
- Mundane
- Ordinary
- Describe-able
- Commonplace
Humorous Quote:
“Trying to describe the intoxicating aroma of a fresh pizza is like trying to describe the color purple to a fish.”
Witty Proverbs:
- “Action speaks louder than words.”
- “Words may show a man’s wit, but actions his meaning.”
Useful Literature, Books, and Films:
- Shakespeare’s “Antony and Cleopatra”: A tragedy brimming with passionate turns of phrase.
- “Lost in Translation” (2003): The film’s title itself says it all.
- “The Phantom Tollbooth” by Norton Juster: A whimsical adventure where words often fall short.
- “Call Me by Your Name” by André Aciman: An evocative narrative full of unspoken emotions.
Inspirational Thought-Provoking Farewell:
“Language may be the lens through which we see the world, but sometimes, the most beautiful things are those left unspoken.”
And now, let’s entertain and educate ourselves with some fun quizzes!
### Which phrase is the genuine idiom for being beyond words?
- [x] To beggar description
- [ ] To tangle tongues
- [ ] To wobble verbs
- [ ] To juggle adjectives
> **Explanation:** "To beggar description" is the bonafide Shakespearean idiom, implying something so extraordinary that it cannot be adequately described in mere words!
### Which of these is a real idiom indicating something is indescribable?
- [ ] Whispering in commas
- [x] Leaves one speechless
- [ ] Cloaked in similes
- [ ] Prancing verbs
> **Explanation:** "Leaves one speechless" is a real idiom used to suggest something that defies verbal explanation. The others are fanciful nonsense!
### True or False: 'To defy description' is an idiom.
- [x] True
- [ ] False
> **Explanation:** True! 'To defy description' is indeed an idiom that is used to describe something so remarkable it cannot be fully captured in words.
### Which Shakespeare play gave birth to the phrase 'beggar description, to'?
- [ ] Hamlet
- [x] Antony and Cleopatra
- [ ] Macbeth
- [ ] A Midsummer Night's Dream
> **Explanation:** The phrase originates from Shakespeare's *Antony and Cleopatra* where Cleopatra's beauty is described as beggaring all description.
### Fill in the blank: Something truly ________ could be said to beggar description.
- [x] sublime
- [ ] questionable
- [ ] mundane
- [ ] earthy
> **Explanation:** "Sublime" is the fitting choice to fill the blank; it captures the essence of something so grand it can't merely be expressed in words.
