Allusions Quiz 3 Review Flashcards
In Medias Res
Latin - Into the middle of things/Begins abruptly
Loaves and Fishes
Jesus and the Hungry crowd - Miraculous abundance in the face of seeming scarcity
Magnum Opus
Latin - Great work/Greatest work produced by writer, composer, or other artist.
Janus
Roman god of openings and doorways - Two faced, hypocritical.
A Chip on one’s shoulder
Young boys kick chips off shoulders - inclined to be resentful or looking for an excuse to fight.
Noble Savage
Jean-Jacques Rousseau French philosopher - A noble Savage is a person who has not been corrupted by society or civilization.
Burning Bush
Moses and God - Medium through which the voice of absolute authority speaks.
Narcissus/Narcissism
Narcissus/ Greek Mythology - Obsessive focus on oneself, particularly one’s physical appearance.
Scheherazade
King Shahriyar and Arabian nights - A person who is an excellent story teller, especially one who is able to keep an audience in suspense.
Skeleton in the Closet
Skeleton remains/Unpleasant or frightening to look at - Unpleasant or embarrassing things about a person he or she would like to keep hidden from others.
Fifteen minutes of Fame
Andy Warhol - When someone recieves a great deal of media attention for something fairly trivial.
Let the cat out of the bag / buy a pig in a poke
Farmers in medieval times - Secret’s being revealed/ buying something sight unseen.
Lot’s wife/pillar of salt
Sodom and Gomorrah - someone who unwisely chooses to look back and disobeys an explicit rule or command
Cassandra
Apollo and the gift of prophecy - Someone who predicts disasters or negative results.
Catch - 22
Joseph Heller - Absurd, No win situation
