2nd Semester Daily Sparks

Question 1

Pavlov’s Dog (Pavlovian)

Answer 1

Origin: Russian scientist who experimented with dogs; rang a bell for them to link the sound with food
Md: someone who has an immediate response to something without thinking

Question 2

Bedlam

Answer 2

Origin: historical
Md: to describe a chaotic place

Institution / mental facility in 1800’s that was very chaotic - stereotypical horror movie - Saint Mary’s of Bethlehem

Question 3

Kafkaesque

Answer 3

Origin: Frans Kafka, literary
Md: something surreal / anxiety producing, bizarre

Wrote The Metamorphosis, main character wakes up as cockroach, Russian

Question 4

Sour Grapes

Answer 4

Origin: literary, Aesop’s Fable
Md: to describe someone’s attitude who bitterly rationalizes a disappointment

“Fox and the Grapes”, fox trying to reach grapes on a vine above him, gives up and says were sour anyway

Question 5

Sold Down the River

Answer 5

Origin: Pre-Civil War, slaves
Md: betrayal or to be betrayed

Question 6

Nemesis

Answer 6

Origin: Greek god of revenge
Md: describe someone’s arch enemy or downfall

Question 7

Benedict Arnold

Answer 7

Origin: General during Revolutionary War
Md: a traitor

US General during Revo War who betrayed US and gave the British information

Question 8

Pyrrhic Victory

Answer 8

Origin: Greek mythology
Md: winning something at great consequence - might as well have lost

Pyrrhus was a general and fought against Romans and won but lost a lot of lives

Question 9

Henry VIII

Answer 9

Origin: British King
Md: someone who treats their lovers cruelly, brash

War with France during 1500’s, created Anglican Church to divorce his wife since Catholic Church didn’t allow divorce, 6 wives - 2 died, 2 beheaded, 2 survived

Question 10

Flash in the Pan

Answer 10

Origin: flint-lock rifles
Md: something / someone with great expectations but never meets them

One hit wonder, rifles contain certain gunpowder and if the bullet doesn’t come out it’s just a flash

Question 11

Over a Barrel

Answer 11

Origin: throwing barrels off boats to save people
Md: someone completely dependent on another

Life vest thrown out to people who fall off boats but used to throw barrels, dependent on others 100%

Question 12

To Hoist with One’s Own Petard

Answer 12

Origin: Middle Ages, Petard = bomb
Md: to be beaten at one’s own game

Petard was a bell shaped weapon where gunpowder wasn’t always packed right and could explode before it’s over the wall

Question 13

Shibboleth

Answer 13

Origin: Biblical
Md: catch phrase of slogan that a group might use

Hebrew - literally means “ear of corn”, used as password in Old Testament

Question 14

Methuselah

Answer 14

Origin: Biblical
Md: an old person / someone acting old

Methuselah loved longer than any other human - 997 years old

Question 15

The Face that Launched a Thousand Ships

Answer 15

Origin: mythological, literary from Christopher Marlowe
Md: describes someone very beautiful that their lover would do anything for

Helen of Troy captured by Paris and started Trojan War

Question 16

Holy Grail

Answer 16

Origin: Biblical, legendary
Md: quest for something you desire greatly

Some legends say it guarantees immortality

Question 17

Pollyanna

Answer 17

Origin: literary
Md: someone who is overly optimistic

Eleanor Porter wrote stories with Pollyanna who played the glad games

Question 18

Luddites

Answer 18

Origin: people who were lead by Ned Lud, 1800s
Md: someone against change, especially industrial

British laborer a against industrialization, led rebellions

Question 19

Pass the Buck

Answer 19

Origin: historical
Md: someone who passes off responsibility

Buck is the piece in poker that tells who is the next dealer - Harry Truman

Question 20

Murphy’s Law

Answer 20

Origin: 1940’s America
Md: if something can go wrong it will

Question 21

Coals to Newcastle

Answer 21

Origin: cultural British
Md: something that is useless or frugal

Newcastle is a coal mining town

Question 22

“All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way”

Answer 22

Origin: literary
Md: seeking uniqueness

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (opening line)

Question 23

Babylon

Answer 23

Origin: biblical
Md: to describe a city or place full of decadence but corrupt

One of the first great empires, historical great, decadent, corrupt
Jews exiled to here

Question 24

Phoenix Rising from the Ashes

Answer 24

Origin: mythological
Md: someone who bounces back from tough times

Phoenix’s for and burn up, but are reborn in their ashes

Question 25

Xanadu

Answer 25

Origin: historical and literary
Md: describe a magnificent or magical place

Capital city of Mongolia ruled by Kubla Khan who built a magnificent palace to live in

Question 26

Muckrakers

Answer 26

Origin: historical
Md: someone who tries to dig up dirt or expose corruption

Teddy Roosevelt criticized journalists who focused on unimportant things

Question 27

Gordian Knot

Answer 27

Origin: mythological
Md: an intricate problem; especially one insoluble in it’s own terms

Gordius is the name of a Greek King who made a complex knot out of a thick rope - whoever untied it rules Asia - Alexander the Great sliced it

Question 28

Ivory Tower

Answer 28

Origin: Alfred de Vigny
Md: an in reachable place, distant place out of touch with reality

Would lock himself up in a white or ivory tower to write, these towers often used in fairy tales (Repunzel)

Question 29

All that Glitters is not Gold

Answer 29

Origin: Aristotle’s Proverbs
Md: looks may be deceiving

If something looks like gold and glamorous it may not necessarily be

Question 30

Sound and Fury

Answer 30

Origin: Shakespeare - Macbeth
Md: a great tumultuous or passionate uproar that is actually meaningless

Macbeth sad about the death of his wife and said life is meaningless

Question 31

Crown of Thorns

Answer 31

Origin: Biblical
Md: sacrificial martyr symbolism

Originally intended for mockery

Question 32

Balm in Gilead

Answer 32

Origin: Biblical
Md: something to soothe a woe

A healing substance cultivated in Gilead

Question 33

“Cogito, ergo, sum”

Answer 33

Origin: Latin
Md: to understand life

I see, therefore I am
Descartes

Question 34

Lilliputian

Answer 34

Origin: Gulliver’s Travels
Md: describe someone who is small minded

Jonathan Swift
The little people when Gulliver’s is a giant - satirize the English gov (small minded / petty)

Question 35

It’s all Greek to Me

Answer 35

Origin: Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar
Md: confusion

Was first Latin and translated directly to “it is Greek, it can’t be read”
Shakespeare uses it in his play

Question 36

Darwinism

Answer 36

Origin: Charles Darwin
Md: survival of the fittest

Question 37

Veni, Vidi, Vici

Answer 37

Origin: Julius Caesar
Md: I came, I saw, I conquered

Said before crossing the Rubicon

Question 38

“There’s no joy in Mudville”

Answer 38

Origin: Casey at the Bat
Md: hard times

Casey strikes out and they lose

Question 39

David and Goliath

Answer 39

Origin: Biblical
Md: an underdog who takes out a large task

David the small boy takes out a giant with pebbles

Question 40

Florence Nightingale

Answer 40

Origin: 1854 Primean War
Md: very compassionate person

English nurse who lead 36 nurses to serve British hospitals

Question 41

An Epicurean Flair

Answer 41

Origin: Greek philosopher Epicurean
Md: describing something enjoying the pleasantries of life

Created carpe Diem; chill guy

Question 42

Oedipus Complex

Answer 42

Origin: Greek mythology; Freud
Md: describe odd over-affection for mom or strange hatred for dad

Greek tragedy written by Sophocles where he married his mother and kills his father, named for freud’s theory when unusual love for mother

Question 43

Euphemism

Answer 43

Allows you to say something indirectly, literally meaning not allusion

Question 44

Jacob and Esaw

Answer 44

Origin: biblical
Md: result of bad bargain / sibling rivalry

2 brothers and Esaw is older who gets inheritance, Jacob tricks blind dad by wearing due coat to get inheritance

Question 45

Sir Walter Scott

Answer 45

Origin: romantic writer
Md: literary enemy

Hated by mark twain called his work ridiculously hypnotizing

Question 46

Let Them Eat Cake

Answer 46

Origin: Marie Antoinette
Md: describes something of excess of throne

Known to say this during French extreme poverty and bread in short supply