Green-eyed monster is an idiom that is hundreds of years old. We will examine the meaning of the idiom green-eyed monster, where it came from, and some examples of its use in sentences.
The idiom green-eyed monster is a synonym for jealousy. Green-eyed monster is an embodiment of the human emotion of jealousy. Jealousy is a destructive emotion, and may involve envy, anger, humiliation, or suspicion. The idiom green-eyed monster was coined by William Shakespeare in his play, Othello, in 1604: “O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock The meat it feeds on…” Note that the word green-eyed is an adjective used before a verb, and therefore, is hyphenated.
Examples
“Not only do they have a huge mutual respect – they never utter a bad word to one another – there’s absolutely no place in the relationship for the green-eyed monster,” adds our source. (The Sun)
However, in the early days of the band’s fame, their success sparked some of the green-eyed monster in Sir Mick. (The Daily Express)
Professor Garth Lipps believes that the colloquial ‘green-eyed monster’ might have played a role in several of these vicious attacks on women, but he laments the fact that men often do not have someone to talk to who can help them tame their emotions. (The Jamaica Gleaner)
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