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AP English > Allusions & Literary Terms > Flashcards

Allusions & Literary Terms Flashcards

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Proverbs and Idioms flashcards
1
Q

Augean Stables

A

Any difficult cleanup, actual or figurative

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2
Q

Belling the cat

A

A person who bells the cat is a person who has courage to stick out his neck for his friends despite putting himself in risk.

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3
Q

Big brother is watching you

A

Refers to nah government or ruler, that tries to dictate, eavesdrop, or gather personal information of citizens

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4
Q

(Captain) Bligh

A

Any person is is cruel, unreasonable, and tyrannical

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5
Q

Brahmin

A

Refers to generally to any socially prominent and intellectually refined individual

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6
Q

Artful dodger

A

Any skillful crook

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7
Q

Brave new world

A

Often used sarcastically of ironically to depict “advances” in our society which may lead humanity to ruin.

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8
Q

Byronic

A

Any person who is like Byron himself (aromatic poet, considered a bit of a rake) or whose writing includes handsome, sad, brooding, and appealing characters like Byron’s

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9
Q

Catch-22

A

Any situation where you lose no matter which decision you make

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10
Q

Cheshire Cat

A

People who grin……………

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11
Q

Any close friends are sometimes called

A

Damon and Pythias

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12
Q

Any writing resembling an epic score, vivid detail, and allegory is considered

A

Dantesque

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13
Q

Charles dickens wrote novels showing the poverty, injustices, and misery of Victorian England. Now situations or writings about similar topics are sometimes called..

A

Dickensian

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14
Q

Anyone who tries to spoil something for someone else even though it has no use for himself is called…

A

A dog in the manger

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15
Q

Someone who is considered a playboy (smooth)

A

Don Juan

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16
Q

Anyone who clings to youth and is afraid of aging is called a…

A

Dorian gray

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17
Q

Represents every man or all men (from an old play)

A

Everyman

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18
Q

These characters seemed to be driven by hidden forces beyond their control, and plots included tragic violence set in the South.. Any work similar to these writings, characters, or setting is said to be ?

A

Faulknerian (William Faulkner)

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19
Q

One who sacrifices everything to obtain immediate gratification, but plays the price later on

A

Faustian

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20
Q

“No man is an island” and all people shared a common fate

A

For whom the bell tolls

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21
Q

Someone who gives into his own fantasies and obsessions and represents ostentatious and lavish living

A

Gatsby

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22
Q

Gilded age

A

Deals with greed in post-civil war America. Terms comes to denote post civil war era

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23
Q

Dark side of human soul

A

Heart of darkness

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24
Q

Holy grail

A

A search for the holy grail signifies any difficult or possibly unattainable goal

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25
Q

Anything that is larger than life refers to

A

Homeric

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26
Q

Anyone who makes good after being born in a life of poverty is referred to as

A

Horatio Alger

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27
Q

Kafkaesque

A

Kafkas writings, often surreal and bizzare, often presented characters thwarted by red tape and authoritarian bureaucracy. any literature or situation similar to this ..

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28
Q

Spithead and Nore

A

Any reference to them alludes to mutiny

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29
Q

Lord Nelson

A

England most renowned naval hero. References typically alluded to heroism–military heroism

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30
Q

Montaigne

A

Any allusions evokes his basic philosophy in which he believed that man can find truth in the universe though he is a victim of customs, prejudices, and self interests.

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31
Q

Refers to the last speech or function of a prominent person, usually politician, before retiring or leaving office. Stand for the final action of a person before the end of a career.

A

Last hurrah

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32
Q

Anything huge and monstrous

A

Leviathan

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33
Q

Something very tiny that can control something larger than itself

A

Lilliputian

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34
Q

Refers to anyone who is merciless, clever, and unethical to obtain goals particularly political.

A

Machiavellian

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35
Q

Any respected person who stands up for his ideals under pressure

A

Man for all seasons

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36
Q

Monstrous obsession

A

Moby dick

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37
Q

Physically small person

A

Munchkin

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38
Q

An uncultivated person who is really more worthy and sensible than some if his “civilized” counterparts

A

Noble savage

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39
Q

A child’s powerful erotic attachment to the parent of the opposite sex, creating rivalry with the parent of the same sex

A

Oedipus complex

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40
Q

Anyone bleak and oppressive, especially a political situation

A

Orwellian

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41
Q

Anyone who overcomes worldly problems is said to have

A

Pilgrims progress

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42
Q

Any strong but nonsexual affinity for another person

A

Platonic love

43
Q

A person who is independent, defiant of authority, and willing to make sacrifices for his belief

A

Promethean person

44
Q

Any story or situation where mentor takes on a pupil, remakes the person, then falls in love with the resulting creation is compared with

A

Pygmalion

45
Q

Name has come to denote any petty, incompetent person in a leadership position

A

Queeg

46
Q

Anyone who pursues idealized, impractical goals

A

Quixotic

47
Q

(Complex machines drew) Any procedure that makes a simple task seem complicated is compared to a

A

Rube Goldberg

48
Q

We refer to any underworld person or even a likable or personable rogue as..

A

Runyonsque

49
Q

Any idyllic place

A

Shangri-la

50
Q

Refers to any dramatic statement or action that begins something important or greatly influences later events

A

Shot heard round the world

51
Q

Refers to any ecological calamity

A

Silent spring

52
Q

Question and answer method instead of lecturing

A

Socratic method

53
Q

Anyone who has (or tries to obtain) power over someone else through strength of personality

A

Svengali

54
Q

Clean slate, students mind fresh and ready to be inscribed with knowledge (John Locke)

A

Tabula rasa

55
Q

Any seemingly innocent maneuver that is designed to harm adversary is called

A

A Trojan horse

56
Q

Two things that are hard to tell apart

A

Tweedledumb and tweedledee

57
Q

To describe overbearing American policies or behavior in foreign countries

A

Ugly American

58
Q

Any perfect place, state of being, or government

A

Utopia

59
Q

A person who fantasizes about unrealistic, brave deeds is a

A

Walter Mitty

60
Q

Any person who us working hard trying to earn a living, but is not being very successful and is therefore a pathetic figure

A

Willy loman

61
Q

If you have faith and do what god asks, he will bless you forever

A

Abraham and Isaac

62
Q

A person who is sent by god with a message for the people. Jesus had 12

A

Apostles, the twelve

63
Q

Any fierce confrontation resulting in mutual destruction

A

Armageddon

64
Q

In present day, the Mark of this man is refers to the stigma of anyone who has committed a crime or is an outcast by social standards

A

Cain (Cain and Abel)

65
Q

This place appeared in sermon on the mount and would be a shining example and model to others

A

City on a hill

66
Q

A person confronted with difficulties is compared to Daniel in the lions den and is encouraged to hold up in the face of adversity or persecution, as he did

A

Daniel in the lions den

67
Q

Anyone who confronts great odds is considered a..

A

David going against Goliath

68
Q

This child of now his beared the curse of servitude.. Can be used as an allusion of this

A

Ham

69
Q

A ________ is now a shameless and wicked woman

A

Jezebel (Elijah and Jezebel)

70
Q

This person and her foster father helped deliver the Jews from persecution by the king of Persia

A

Esther and he king of Persia

71
Q

This expression now refers to the flaw of an otherwise strong and admirable person

A

Feet of clay

72
Q

His phrase is used to represent any four men if ill repute or those who will being catastrophe or destruction

A

Four horseman of the apocalypse

73
Q

Anyone who does the right and courageous thing

A

A Good Samaritan

74
Q

Sometimes people refer to any arguement or Greedy family members being like

A

Esau and Jacob

75
Q

His followers founded Christianity

A

Jesus

76
Q

People talk of “patience of Job” alluding to the story of

A

Job

77
Q

This story shows god love for Jews and Gentiles

A

Jonah and the whale

78
Q

A kind husband of Mary, and father of Jesus

A

Joseph

79
Q

Succeeded moses and led Israel in the conquering of Canaan

A

Joshua and the battle of Jericho

80
Q

Known as a traitor. He betrayed Jesus to the authorities

A

Judas of Iscariot

81
Q

Someone who survives a disaster or rises again from appearance of defeat is often called a

A

Lazarus

82
Q

God destroyed sodom because of its wickedness. She looked back at the burning city and turned into salt.

A

Lot and his wife

83
Q

Important disciple of Jesus. Called “the rock” on which the church would be built. He is a saint of the Roman Catholic Church

A

Peter

84
Q

My young man who is wayward and is forgiven by his family after he changes his ways and returns home

A

Prodigal son

85
Q

Any hard-hearted, disloyal woman and a well built physically strong man

A

Delilah and Samson

86
Q

Any place deemed unwholesome is referred to as

A

Sodom and gamorrah

87
Q

People refer to the wisdom of _________ when referring to someone who is fair and astute (right in descisions)

A

Solomon (king)

88
Q

Now anyone who doubts or questions things which others believe

A

(Doubting) Thomas

89
Q

Considered the first Gentiles to a knowledge Jesus divinity

A

Wise men, three

90
Q

Great Greek philosopher who may rely upon the heart as well as common sense for direction

A

Aristotle

91
Q

Representative of the grandest of all time periods in the modern era in western civilizations.the arts and literature flourished during the Elizabethan era

A

Queen bess

92
Q

Represents a daring plot to wage war against a most formidable enemy. Despite failure to conquer Rome. Remembered for the success of using elephants against Rome

A

Hannibal

93
Q

Satan, devil, personified as the evil spirit in the bible

A

Belial

94
Q

Pequod

A

Name usually implies a foreshadowing of doom extermination, destruction, some kind of complete disaster suggested

95
Q

Latin from Jupiter. King of all gods, equivalent to Zues. Represents the all powerful controller of the universe.

A

Jove

96
Q

Excessive self love and interest in ones appearance or importance leads to disaster

A

Narcissus

97
Q

Swayed by things negative and sinful. Suggests a dark evil inclination

A

Ahab

98
Q

Liked to surprise people in the forest and cause them to panic

A

Pan

99
Q

Greek warrior, hero of Trojan war. Despite all attempts to make him invincible he fell victim to one oligarch vulnerability.

A

Achilles

100
Q

Everlasting repetition of a task becomes never ending as a punishment for wrong doing and deceptions

A

Sisyphus

101
Q

English philosopher – origin of all knowledge comes from the senses

A

John Locke

102
Q

German philosopher – knowledge is not derived from the senses – man should avoid the extremes

A

Immanuel Kant

103
Q

Angel of mercy

A

Gabriel

104
Q

These three control life– the notion does not allow free will

A

Fates

AP English (7 decks)

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