Appendix:Snowclones/to X or not to X

English

Etymology

Wikisource

• 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?

Phrase

to X or not to X

1. (snowclone) Indicates hesitation towards doing X.

Usage notes

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

Statistics

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

External links

• Discussion of this phrase at Snowclones.org
• Discussion of this phrase at Language Log