Allusions Flashcards
Augean Stables
Hercules had to clean out the Augean Stables, which was a monumental task because it hadn’t been done in 30 years. Now Augean Stables refer to any very difficult cleanup, actual or figurative
Artful Dodger
Oliver Twist:The Artful Dodger, nickname of Charles Dickens’ character Jack Dawkins, was the head pickpocket in Fagin’s gang. Now any skillful crook is called an Artful dodger
bellig the cat
Piers Plowman- the fable tells of a mouse’s suggestion to put a bell around the neck of the cat so they could tell when the cat was in the vicinity. However, the question of who was to have the courage to bell the cat was difficult one because of the inherent danger. Now a person who bells the cat is the person who has courage to stick his neck out for his friends despite putting himself at risk
Big Brother is watching you
Orwell’s 1984 the novel warns that government could invade our privacy. Big Brother now refers to any government or ruler that tries to dictate, eavesdrop, or gather personal information on its citizens
Bligh
Mutiny on the Bounty- Captain Bligh was a tyrant. Now any person who is cruel, unreasonable, and tyrannical is a Captain Bligh
Brahmin
Oliver Holmes and his friends in nineteenth-century Boston formed a close literary, social, and political group and were prolific in their writings and criticisms. The members of this group were often referred to asa the Boston Brahmins (Hindi highest class). Now the term refers generally to any social prominent and intellectually refined individual
brave new world
Huxley used this term satirically to portray a regimented, technological world without a heart or soul. The term is often used sarcastically or ironically to depict “advances” in our society which may in fact lead humanity to ruin
Byronic
George Gordon, Lord Byron, was an English Romantic poet who was considered a bit of a rake in his day.. Now the term refers to any person who is like Byron himself or whose writing includes handsome, sad, brooding, and appealing characters like Byron’s
catch-22
Joseph Heller’s protagonist, Yossarian, tried to get out of dangerous jobs in the Air Corps by claiming insanity. However, the doctors told him anyone who wanted to avoid combat was sane, and if he really was crazy, he wouldn’t be sane enough to apply for a discharge. This is the circular “catch-2.” Now any situation where you lose no matter which decision you make is called a catch-22
Cheshire cat
The Cheshire cat in Lewis Carroll’s story grinned all the time and could disappear and reappear at will, leaving only its grin. Now people who grin with a puzzling smile are said to be grinning like a Cheshire cat
Damon and Pythias
Pythias was sentenced to death, but let out for a specified time for a parental visit if Damon took his place while Pythias was gone. Pythias got back just before they were to execute his friend, and they were both let go. Now any close friends are sometimes called Damon and Pythias
Dantesque
(after Dante)- Dante wrote with epic scope, vivid detail, and allegory. Now any writing resembling this is considered Dantesque
Dickensian
Charles Dickens wrote novels showing the poverty, injustices, and misery of Victorian England. New situations or writings about similar topics are sometimes called Dickensian
dog in the manger
in the fable a dog prevented an ox from eating the hay though he had no use for it himself. Anyone who tries to spoil something for someone else, even though it is of no use for himself, is now called a dog in the manger
Don Juan
El Burlador De Sevville and Don Juan–Gabriel Teller told about the life and loves of Don Juan, the chief character in his play. Today we refer to a man who is a playboy or philander as a Don Juan
Dorian Gray
The Picture of Dorian Gray–Oscar Wilde’s character, Dorian Gray, a handsome but corrupt man, wanted to stay young and handsome forever, but of course,could not. A Dorian Gray, today, is anyone who cligns to youth and is afriad of aging
Everyman
in the play, Everyman, represented every man or all men. The term is still used in this sense
Faulknerian
In his novels and short stories, William Faulkner’s characters seemed to driven by hidden forces beyond their control, and the plot included tragic violence set in the South. Any later work similar to his writings, characters, or setting is said to be Faulknerian
Faustian
Faust sold his soul to the Devil to gain power, youth, and wealth. In modern usage, a Faustian bargain is one in which a person sacrifices everything to obtain immediate gratification, but pays the price later on
for whom the bell tolls
Devotions–John Donne said “no man is an island” and that all people shared a common fate. He used the phrase: “Never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.” The expression continues to have a similar meaning in later works
Gatsby
Fitzgerald’s character, Jay Gatsby, was a crooked, but appealing, millionaire who deceived others about his past. A Gatsby is someone who gives in to his own fantasies and obsessions and presents ostentatious and lavish living
gilded age
Twain’s novel, The Gilded Age, deals with greed in post-Civil War America. The phrase has come to denote the post-Civil War era
heart of darkness
Conrad’s The Heart of Darkness–the phrase derives from the character Marlow’s searching through a dense jungle for another man. Heart of darkness now refers to the dark ride of the human soul
Holy Grail
the holy grail, object of knightly guests, was the lost cup that Jesus supposedly drank form at the Last Supper. In current usage, a search for the Holy Grail signifies any difficult or possibly unattainable goal
Homeric
Homer’s epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey, were mythological, heroic, and immense in scale. Today anything that is larger then life is referred to as Homeric
Horatio Alger
Alger’s stories deal with poor boys who became rich. Now anyone who makes good after being born into a life of poverty is referred to as Horatio Alger
Kafkaesque
Kafka’s writings, often surreal and bizarre, often presented characters thwarted by red tape and authoritarian bureaucracy. Now any literature or situation similar to this is called Kafkaesque
Spithead and Nore
an infamous mutiny concerning British sailors took place at these tow location. Any reference to Spithead and Nore alludes to mutiny
Lord Nelson
England’s most renowned naval hero. References to Nelson typically allude to heroism, particularly military heroism
Montaigne
a philosopher and essayist who believed man can find truth in the universe though he is a victim of customs, prejudices, and self-interest. Any allusion to Montaigne evokes his basic philosophy
quixotic
Miguel de Cervantes’s character, Don Quixote, steadfastly sough knightly glory, colliding with everyday reality. Today anyone who pursues idealized, impractical goals is called quixotic
Rube Goldberg
Cartoonist Rube Goldberg drew fanciful, complex machines that did simple things. Thus any procedure that makes a simple task seem complicated is compared to a Rube Goldberg contraption
Runyonesque
Damon Runyon wrote about the seamier side of New York, and his likable characters were gamblers and scoundrels. We now refer to any underworld person or even a personable or likable rogue as Runyonesque
Shangri-la
Hilton’s Lost Horizons portrayed a land of eternal youth and peace in his novel. Now Shangri-la has come to mean any idyllic place
shot heard round the world
Ralph Emerson’s “Concord Hymn” told of the first shot fired against the British in the Revolutionary War. Now a shot heard round the world refers to any dramatic statement or action that begins something important or greatly influences later events
silent spring
Carson’s Silent Spring was about the destruction of our environment by the use of herbicides and pesticides, referring to a silent spring without birds and other creatures. Now the words refer to any ecological calamity.
Socratic Method
Plato’s teacher, Socrates, used a question-and-answer method of teaching instead of lecturing. This method is now referred to as the Socratic method
Svengali
Trilby, George DuMaurier’s beautiful character, fell under the hypnotic spell of Svengali, a musician who was turning her into a singer. Today anyone who has (or tries to obtain) power over someone else through strength of personality is called a Svengali
tabula rasa
Latin “blank state”- The British philosopher John Locke talked bout a student’s mind as being a “tabula rasa.” He meant by this that the student’s mind was fresh and unsullied, ready to be inscribed with knowledge. This expression has the same meaning today
Trojan horse
In Virgil’s epic, the Greeks conquered Troy by filling a large, wooden horse with their soldiers and tricking the Trojans into letting it through the city gates. Today, any seemingly innocent maneuver that is designed to harm an adversary is called a Trojan horse
Tweedledum and Tweedledee
John Byrom used the terms Tweedledum and Tweedledee to satirize two competing schools of musicians, and Lewis Carroll used the names for his quarrelsome identical twins. They denote any two things that are hard to tell apart.
ugly American
In this novel, the protagonist, an American operative abroad, got his nickname because he was physically ugly. The phrase, however, has come to describe overbearing American policies or behavior in foreign countries.
utopia
Thomas More depicted an ideal society in this work. A utopia–the term literally means “nowhere” in Greek–is any perfect place, state of being, or government
Walter Mitty
James Thurber’s character, Walter Mitty, was a quiet, unassuming man who had daydreams of grandeur and heroic episodes. A person today who fantasizes about unrealistic, brave deeds is Mittylike, Mittyish, or a Walter Mitty
Willy Loman
Arthur Miller’s play had as its protagonist Willy Loman, a salesman whose life was crumbling about him and who eventually committed suicide. In present use, a willy Loman is any person who is working hard trying to earn a living, but is not being very successful and is therefore a pathetic figure
