I love words. We all use them every day. They inspire hatred and love, tears and laughter. Try imagining a world without words -- written or spoken -- for one moment, and I'd be willing to bet you can't do it.

Now take a guess as to how many of the words we use in common, if not everyday conversation, were created by Shakespeare himself. You might be surprised.

Jeffrey McQuain and Stanley Malless, authors of a book entitled Coined by Shakespeare, state that of the 20,000 terms that the Bard dreamed up, about 1,500 have stayed with us today. You'd be amazed at the words we didn't have before Will picked up the pen. Did you know, for example, that he invented the word "alligator?" Or "bump", "dawn" and "lonely"?

It should come as no surprise, then, that Shakespeare's skill at penning insults is unmatched. Consider if you will the phrases, 'natural coward without instinct', 'dunghill groom' and 'piece of valiant dust', and you're bound to agree that these words will go farther toward leaving an opponent slack-jawed than the tried and true 'idiot', 'jerk' or '%#$!'.

His skills at punning and double-entendre are also remarkable. Consider Mercutio's line as he dies after Tybalt has stabbed him in Act III of Romeo and Juliet: 'Ask for me tomorrow, and you shall find me a grave man'.

Oft-complimented for elegant, beautiful language, he is also a master of witty and delightfully bawdy language, sure to prompt a smile from even the most curmudgeonly of listeners. According to Naughty Shakespeare by Michael Macrone, "bawdy" itself is bawdy word, meaning "lewd" or "lascivious". Shakespeare wanted to appeal to every man, not only the educated in Elizabeth's England. 'Slapstick' had its origin in the Commedia del'Arte, a theatrical style Shakespeare was familiar with and often used. Bawdy language goes hand in hand with physical comedy, and exists even today, in television, theatre and film. If we can use it, Shakespeare most certainly could and did.

Shakespeare's language is therefore a blessing for some "Bardophiles", and a source of headaches and confusion for others. Many viewers and readers alike complain of needing a glossary simply to understand the plays at all. It is true, developing an ear for Shakespeare's words can take some time, but the study of the words is a rewarding one.