something is rotten in the state of Denmark
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English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
A line spoken by Marcellus in William Shakespeare's Hamlet, Act I.
Pronunciation[edit]
Audio (AU) (file)
Phrase[edit]
something is rotten in the state of Denmark
- (idiomatic) Something is not right, seriously amiss, especially when leading to suspicion of motive.
- If the authorities knew about the problems and chose not to prevent them, then clearly something is rotten in the state of Denmark.
Alternative forms[edit]
Translations[edit]
Hamlet quotation, used in other contexts to mean "something is not right"