
YouTube / iTunes / Spotify / Radio Public / Pocket Casts / Google Podcasts / Breaker / Overcast
Listen to ArtisanEnglish.jp posts & lesson intros here.
Phrase: Beware the Ides of March
If your name happens to be Julius Caesar, I’m going to do some foreshadowing here and say that tomorrow is going to be a very bad day for you.
In fact, it will be the worst day of your life.
It will be the last day of your life, so “Beware the Ides of March”?
This is a famous phrase that comes from William Shakespeare’s play “Julius Caesar.”
Let’s dive deeper into the meaning and usage of “Beware the Ides of March.”
The phrase “Beware the Ides of March” is a warning.
‘Beware’ is the not-so-subtle clue here.
In Shakespeare’s play, a soothsayer (a person who predicts the future) tells Julius Caesar to “Beware the Ides of March.”
The Ides of March is March 15th in the Roman calendar.
On that day, Julius Caesar was killed by his so-called friends.
Today, “Beware the Ides of March” means to watch out for danger, especially on March 15th, but it can also be used to warn someone about trouble in general.
You can use “Beware the Ides of March” to talk about being careful when something risky is coming.
For example, if your friend has a big test on March 15th, you might jokingly say, “Beware the Ides of March!”
You can also use it if someone is facing a difficult situation.
If your coworker has an important meeting, you could joke, “Beware the Ides of March.”
Remember, “Beware the Ides of March” is often used in a fun or dramatic way.
People like to say it to sound mysterious or dramatic.
The phrase is not only about March 15th or Julius Caesar, but also about generally being careful when something bad might happen.
By the way, tomorrow is March 15th.
Flesch-Kincaid Readability Test
This post is understandable by someone with at least a 7th-grade education (age 12).
On the Flesch-Kincaid reading-ease test, this post scores 75.
The easier a passage is to read, the higher the score on a scale of 0 – 100.
