This sounds like a spoof article OnMilwaukee.com might write for April Fool's Day, but it's for reals, kids.

Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley declared Thursday to be "Talk Like Shakespeare Day" in honor of the great playwright's 445th birthday. Although Shakespeare's birthday is not known for sure, many scholars believe it was April 23, 1564.

Daley plans to use snippets of 16th century vernacular on Thursday -- from "prithee" to "fie!" -- and encouraged the rest of the country to join him in the folly. Shakespeare contributed 1,400 words and phrases to the English language, so there are plenty to choose from.

The Chicago Shakespeare Theater created a special Web site to honor the bard and to provide vocabulary for anyone whose college Shakespeare class memories are now a bit fuzzy. The site encourages visitors to contribute their finest "Shakespearience" or to message a modern phrase to "ShakespeareSays" on Twitter and the group will post what the expression would have sounded like 400-plus years ago.

As my friend Laura put it, "Methinks 'twill be more fun than 'Talk Like A Pirate Day.'" Personally, I'm not so sure, but I hate to come off as a big ol' canker blossom.