Pure as the Driven Snow ❄️
Pure as the driven snow means to be morally pure and physically chaste. This beautiful simile dates back to Shakespeare’s time. In Hamlet (Act 3, Scene 1), the Bard himself blessed the phrase with his eloquent touch: “Be thou as chaste as ice, as pure as snow.” Over the years, the phrase has snowballed into a cliché, sparkling through literature and conversations alike.
Related Expressions and Synonyms:
- Lily-white: As white and unblemished like a lily, signifying purity.
- Squeaky Clean: As wholesome as a freshly scrubbed floor.
- Virtuous as a nun: Implies extreme moral goodness, like that of a nun.
- Spotless reputation: Having no blemishes on one’s character.
Antonyms:
- Black as sin: Completely immoral or evil.
- Tainted: Contaminated, morally or otherwise.
- Corrupt: Wicked, debased in character.
Humor-Filled Quotes:
- “She was as pure as the driven snow—before the plow came along.”
- “He had a reputation as pure as the driven snow, with a few muddy footprints.”
Proverbs and Related Expressions:
- “A good name is better than precious ointment.” – Ecclesiastes 7:1
- “Cleanliness is next to godliness.” – Proverbial saying often attributed to John Wesley, though its origins are much older.
- “Innocent until proven guilty.” – Legal principle signifying the purity of one’s actions until evidence shows otherwise.
Recommendations:
- Literature: Hamlet by William Shakespeare
- Book: Winter’s Tale by William Shakespeare
- Song: “Pure” by Lightning Seeds
- Movie: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs by Disney
- Poem: “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost
### Which of these is a Shakespearean idiom related to purity?
- [x] Pure as the driven snow
- [ ] Whiter than polar ice cream
- [ ] Chaste as a cinnamon bun
- [ ] Clean as a water balloon
> **Explanation:** "Pure as the driven snow" is indeed a Shakespearean idiom. The rest are silly but catchy fabrications.
### What does "squeaky clean" mean?
- [x] Extremely pure or clean
- [ ] Making noise when walking
- [ ] Covered in soap bubbles
- [ ] Squeezed until dry
> **Explanation:** "Squeaky clean" indicates something or someone that is very clean or virtuous, not just bubbly or noisy.
### True or False: Shakespeare invented "pure as the driven snow."
- [ ] True
- [x] False
> **Explanation:** While often attributed to Shakespeare, the phrase's exact invention is fuzzy. However, his usage in *Hamlet* certainly popularized it.
Ah, dear reader, may your heart be forever as pure as the driven snow, and your thoughts as clear as an unblemished winter morning.
With literary warmth, L. E. Literature
