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Learn the meaning of bedfellow as a noun, and how it is often used in the phrase strange bedfellows to describe an unlikely alliance of people or things. See synonyms, examples, word history, and related articles.
nosweatshakespeare.com · famous · strange-bedfellows'Strange Bedfellows': Phrase Meaning & History ️
- Meaning of “Strange Bedfellows”
- Origin of “Strange Bedfellows”
- Evolution of The Idiom “Strange Bedfellows”
- Other Famous Uses of The Idiom “Strange Bedfellows”
“Strange bedfellows” is a phrase coined by Shakespeare. Its full context is “Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows.” It has come to mean finding oneself in a difficult situation forces one to associate with a condition or person (or persons) that they would not normally have anything to do with.
The phrase first appeared in The Tempest(Act 2, Scene 2). The King of Naples’ ship has been wrecked of a remote island and all the passengers and crew have been cast into the sea. The king’s jester, Trinculo, has been washed up on the island, where the weather is still stormy. Meanwhile, Caliban, one of the inhabitants of the island, the malformed ...
Shakespeare uses the phrase literally, in that Triculo is more or less literally crawling into bed with some strange, unknown, unusual thing. He usually shares accommodation and sleeping arrangements with the other servants of the king, such as Stephano, the butler, who has also been washed up on the island, and who will discover him under Caliban’...
“Religion makes strange bedfellows” – The Pale Horseman, historical novel by Bernard Cornwell “Tragedy makes for strange bedfellows” – Falling into Bed with a Duke, novel by Lorraine Heath “The reason politics makes strange bedfellows is because they all like the same bunk” – Los Angeles Times “Politics make strange bedfellows” – American essayist ...
Although strictly speaking bedfellows are persons who share a bed, like husband and wife, the term has been used figuratively since the late 1400s. This particular idiom may have been invented by Shakespeare in The Tempest (2:2), “Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows.”
Learn the meaning and origin of the phrase "strange bedfellows", which refers to a pair of people or things that are very different but connected in some way. See examples, synonyms, and related expressions.
Learn the origin and meaning of 10 phrases coined by Shakespeare, such as "green-eyed monster" and "wild goose chase". See how he used them in his plays and how they are used today.
Learn the meaning, origins, and usage of the idiom "strange bedfellows", which refers to an unlikely or unusual partnership between two people or groups. Find synonyms, antonyms, cultural insights, and practical exercises for this expression.
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You refer to two things or people as bedfellows when they have become associated or related in some way. See full entry for 'bedfellow' Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary .
