Where does 'catch a cold' come from?
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How many new words in Shakespeare?
Estimates of the number of new words and phrases used in the complete work of William Shakespeare vary considerably. In 1942, leading Shakespeare scholar Alfred Hart, wrote that the Stratford playwright is "credited by the compilers of the Oxford English Dictionary with being the first user of about 3,200 words." That number is now considered an overestimate. But by how much? A British Council website from 2016 suggests 'more than two thousand' while the invaluable Online Shakespeare Biography goes with around 1200.
What is the 'be all and end all'? Where does it come from?
The 'be-all-and-end-all' is now used to refer to a decisive life-changing event. It is usually used in the negative e.g. Your exams are important but are not the be-all-and-all.