Appendix:Snowclones/to X or not to X

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English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Wikisource has original text related to this appendix:

Shakespeare - First Folio facsimile (1910)/The Tragedy of Hamlet/Act 3 Scene 1

William Shakespeare, c. 1600, Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 1.

Compare:

Original: To be, or not to be: that is the question
Modern: The question is: is it better to be alive or dead?^[1]

Phrase[edit]

to X or not to X

(snowclone) Indicates hesitation towards doing X.

Usage notes[edit]

Often followed by "that is the question", as in the original quote.

Statistics[edit]

Frequency: Very frequent (upward of 25 billion Google results)

External links[edit]

References[edit]

^ From No Fear Shakespeare.

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