Allusions and Vocab 11/20 Flashcards
Argus-eyed
omniscient, all-seeing; from Argus, the
100-eyed monster that Hera had guarding Io
Atlantean
strong like Atlas –who carried the globe
(world) on his shoulders
Babbit
a self-satisfied person concerned chiefly with business and middle-class ideals like material success; a member of the American working class;after George F. Babbitt, the main character in the novel Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis
Jacob
grandson of Abraham, son of Isaac and
Rebekah, brother of Esau, and the traditional ancestor of
Israelites. His name was changed to Israel, and his 12
sons became the 12 Tribes of Israel.
Job
who who suffers a great deal but remains faithful; tested by Satan; though he lost his family and belongings, he
remained patient and faithful
Jonah
one who brings bad luck; an OT prophet who
ran from God and sailed to sea. When a storm arose, he
admitted that he was the cause, and the sailors threw him
overboard, where he was swallowed by a large fish
Lethargy
abnormal drowsiness or inertia; from the
word Lethe, a river in Hades that caused drinkers to
forget their past
Lothario
used to describe a man whose chief interest is
seducing a woman; from the play The Fair Penitent by
Nicholas Rowe, the main character and the seducer
Machiavellian
characterized by expedience, deceit
and cunning; after Niccolo Machiavelli, a
philosopher known for his treaties and political
expediency; wrote “The Prince”
Malapropism
usually unintentional humorous
misuse of a word, Mrs. Malaprop was a character noted for her misuse of words in R. B. Sheridan’s comedy The Rivals
McCarthyism
modern witch hunt; after Joseph McCarthy (1908-57),
an American politician who as a US senator from WWI
publicly accused many citizens of subversion
Original Sin/The Fall
the idea that all men are
innately sinful as a result of Adam and Eve’s fall from
the state of innocence
Sisyphean
greedy and avaricious; from the shrewd and
greedy king of Corinth, Sisyphus, who was doomed
forever in Hades to roll uphill a heavy stone, which
always rolled down again.
Tartuffe
someone who is hypocritical;
central character in a comedy by Moliere produced in
1667;
Wagnerian
style of music: loud, dramatic, radical;
having to do with Wagner, his music, or his musical
styles or theories
