Phrase Origins: Household Words

I haven't heard the phrase "household words," but I have heard the phrase "household name." I know "household name" from the celebrity news that I hear saying how somebody was virtually unknown and then became a household name. This can be from any point in time when the person was not known to when the person was known. It can be said that "Ellen" is now a household name knowing that if you say you watch Ellen, it means you watch The Ellen Show and saying that you like Ellen's comedy means that you like Ellen DeGeneres's comedy.

If it weren't for this, I would think household words meant things like "stove," "oven," "couch," and "chair." However, being that I know the meaning of the phrase "household name," it seems that "household word" would mean a word that is commonly known in households. This could be any item that was previously unknown that is known, like futon, or any slang word that has become known, such as cool, which previously meant a temperature that was not warm or hot.

This is one of the rare times that I am correct in determining the meaning of a phrase. The phrase "household words" does refer to words in common use or words known by almost everyone. However, I do not know the origin of the phrase "household words."

Looking into that, it seems that William Shakespeare coined the phrase "household words." This happens in Henry V when Henry V gives his St. Crispin's Day speech.

However, even though Shakespeare liked the word "household" (using it at least 23 times throughout all of his plays), it did not become a popular word.

It was Charles Dickens that made the word "household" popular. This is because he published a magazine called Household Words .

While Dickens made the word "household" and the phrase "household words" popular beginning in 1850, the true origin of the phrase "household words" is from the 1598 play, Henry V by William Shakespeare.