Mortal Coil: Do You Know the Meaning of the Popular Idiom "Mortal Coil"? • 7ESL

Have you ever heard someone use the term ‘mortal coil’ in a conversation? If you have, you may have wondered what they were talking about. We are going to take a look at the meaning of this saying and how we can use it in our day to day conversations. We will also look at the history of the phrase and where it first came from.

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Mortal Coil

Mortal Coil Meaning

The phrase ‘mortal coil’ refers to the struggles and stresses that we face in our daily lives.

Origin of this helpful idiom

The term ‘mortal coil’ first found its origins in the play called Hamlet by William Shakespeare where it was used in the term ‘to shuffle off this mortal coil.’

“Mortal Coil” Examples

Examples in Statements

This is a statement made by a boss to his employee.

‘You have worked so hard and faced so many obstacles, you are certainly being challenged by this mortal coil‘.

Here is a statement being made by a journalist in a newspaper report.

‘The villagers have faced more than its fair share within this mortal coil.’

Conversation Examples

If you are curious to see how the saying ‘mortal coil’ can fit into a daily conversation, here are some examples to show how it would sound.

The first conversation is happening between a mother and son.

Person 1: “Mom, I can’t believe you are dying, I am so sad.”
Person 2: “Son, I have had my fair share on this earth, it is time for me to depart this mortal coil.”

This conversation is taking place between two friends.

Person 1: “You have had to endure a lot this year haven’t you.”
Person 2: “I really have, it has been one thing after another.”
Person 1: “How do you feel?”
Person 2: “To quote Shakespeare-I cannot wait to leave this mortal coil.”

Other Ways to Say the Phrase

There are plenty of other ways to explain the term ‘mortal coil.’

Here are some examples of other ways you might say the phrase.

Stresses and strains
Load of life

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Mortal Coil: Do You Know the Meaning of the Popular Idiom “Mortal Coil”?