Meaning The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune The meaning of the phrase From Shakespeare's Hamlet, 1602. Woe is me What’s the origin of the phrase ‘The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune’? From Shakespeare’s Hamlet, 1602. Historical trend “slings and arrows of outrageous” in printed material over time Source: Google Books Ngrams (1800–2020). 180018201840186018801900192019401960198020002020slings and arrows of outrageous