Allusions Test 2 Semester 2 Origins Flashcards
Flash in the Pan
Flintlock rifles had an ignition pan containing gunpowder. If the powder in the pan lit but the propelling charge was not lit, there was a flash in the pan, but the gun did not fire.
Scapegoat
According to the Book of Leviticus, each year on the Day of Atonement, a priest would symbolically place the sins of the Israelites on a goat and then send it out into the wilderness, taking the sins of the people with it.
Don Quixote/Quixotic/Tilting at Windmills
Don Quixote is a romance written in the 1600s by Miguel de Cervantes. The hero, Don Quixote, loses his wits from reading too many romances, and he sets off on his own knightly adventures, accompanied by his sidekick, Sancho Panza. The two have various comic adventures. In one of the most famous, Don Quixote attacks a group of windmills, believing them to be giants. (This is referred to as tilting at windmills.)
Benedict Arnold
A military leader during the American Revolution, Benedict Arnold served with distinction, but later became traitorous. Needing money and resenting the promotions of others, Arnold agreed to surrender a key fort to the British in exchange for a British military commission and a monetary payment. When an envoy carrying messages between Arnold and the British was captured, Arnold’s plot was revealed. He escaped to the British, and lived the rest of his life in Britain.
Delphic Oracle
In ancient Greece, Delphi was the location of the Temple of Apollo. People came to this temple, the site of Greece’s most famous oracle, with all kinds of questions, and Apollo’s priestess would go into a trance and deliver the answers. These answers were difficult to interpret and riddle-like.
Over a Barrel
In the past, when someone was rescued from drowning, he or she would be held over a barrel so that the water could drain from the lungs. The person rescued was totally dependent on the rescuers.
Shibboleth
This is a Hebrew word for an ear of corn. In the Old Testament, the Israelites used this as a password to prevent their enemies, who mispronounced the word “sibboleth,” from infiltrating their camp.
Doublespeak
In his novel 1984, George Orwell used the term “doublespeak” to refer to a type of propaganda practiced by the state in which language is used ambiguously. For instance, the Defense Department was called the “Ministry of Peace.”
Murphy’s Law
This saying, originating in the 1940s, is as follows: “If anything can go wrong, it will.”
Medusa
The most famous of the gorgons, three sisters in Greek mythology who had snakes for hair and who turned anyone who looked at them into stone.
Hoist with One’s Own Petard
A petard was a weapon used in medieval warfare. It was a bell-shaped object that was filled with gunpowder and then hoisted, or lifted, onto gates or walls to blow them up. If the petard exploded prematurely the person using it would be blown up, or “hoist with his own petard.”
Philistines/Philistinism
In the Old Testament, the Philistines were enemies of the Israelites. In a famous biblical story, David successfully fought the giant Philistine warrior, Goliath.
Faust/Faustian Bargain
Faust is the subject of plays by Christopher Marlowe, (Dr. Faustus) and Goethe, (Faust). In both dramas, Faust strikes a bargain with Mephistopheles, or the devil. In Marlowe’s play, Faust sells his soul in exchange for twenty-four years in which he can have everything he desires. In Goethe’s version, Faust becomes the servant of Mephistopheles, again in exchange for having his desires fulfilled. In both cases, Faust spends much of his time in despair.
Coals to Newcastle
Newcastle is a coal-mining city in northern England. Thus, “carrying coals to Newcastle” would be completely superfluous.
