cultural literacy 29 Flashcards
Holocene
the current geological epoch
Pleistocene
the previous geological epoch
D’Artagnan
a character in The Three Musketeers
Major Major Major Major
Catch 22 character with seemingly redundant name
Chateau d’If
French island prison featured in the novel The Count of Monte Cristo
Pyncheon family
family around which House of the Seven Gables by Hawthorne is centered
Clifford, Phoebe
two relatives in the Pyncheon family who are characters in the novel House of the Seven Gables
The Green Lantern (movie)
2010 movie with Ryan Reynolds, flopped
Greek Civil War
war fought from 1946 to 1949 between Communists and Royalists in Greece
National Security Act
law sponsored by Truman which created much of the post-WWII national security apparatus, including the CIA and the NSC
George C. Marshall
WWII general and later diplomat, after whom Truman’s Marshall Plan was named
veneer
layer of material placed over teeth
Attorney General’s List
list of subversive organizations maintained by Truman’s attorney general
union shop
new employees have to join the union, but current employees have a choice
Taft-Hartley Act
1947 labor law
option given by Taft_Hartley Act to states
could pass right-to-work laws
political loyalty enforced by Taft_Hartley Act
forced any union leader to sign a statement saying they were not a Communist in order for the union to receive National Labor Relations Act benefits
secondary strike
union that is not on strike agrees not to handle goods from any business where the workers are on strike
Church Committee
1970s congressional investigation into illegal counter
Hollywood Ten
ten actors in the film industry who refused to testify when called before the HUAC on grounds that inquiries into their political affiliation violated their First Amendment rights
Waldorf statement
statement released by movie studios stating their commitment to severing any ties with Communists
Storm Center
movie with Bette Davis, in which she plays a small-town librarian who refuses to remove Communist books from the shelves
Arrested Development
2000s black comedy TV show in mockumentary style starring David Cross and Jason Bateman
Lotus 1-2-3
1980s software: database management, spreadsheet, graphics
Morgan Wallen
contemporary country singer
Brazzers
popular pornography website
Katie Porter
former U.S. representative from Southern California
Whittaker Chambers
state department employee and confessed former Communist who fingered Alger Hiss as a Communist spy
Alger Hiss
accused by Whittaker Chambers of being a spy for the Russians and passing on documents to them
Henry Wallace
former Democrat and Vice President under Roosevelt who broke away from the Democrats as the 1948 Progressive Party candidate for president
Dixiecrats
political party organized in 1948 by Strom Thurmond and others for the purpose of running Thurmond for president on a “states’ rights”, i.e. anti-civil rights platform
subcarrier
sideband of a radio wave modified to carry additional information
The Source
early pay information service carried over telephone lines to personal computers (late 70s and early 80s)t
tripe
stomach of a farm animal (usually cow), used as food
menudo
traditional Mexican soup
blackcurrant
a small, round, edible black berry that grows in loose hanging clusters
grenadine
a sweet syrup made usually of pomegranate but sometimes of blackcurrant used in mixed drinks
sauce au raifort
horseradish-based sauce used as condiment with prime rib
Phillip II
king of Spain who sent the Spanish Armada to attack England in 1588
Mammoth Oil
oil company involved in the Teapot Dome Scandal in Wyoming that involved Warren Harding
“One Thousand and One Nights”
alternative name for “The Arabian Nights” in the Richard Burton edition
His Dark Materials
trilogy of fantasy novels by Philip Pullman: 1) Northern Lights 2) The Subtle Knife 3) The Amber Spyglass
Golden Compass
North American title of Northern Lights by Philip Pullman
Sister Carrie
novel by Theodore Dreiser
“magnificent desolation”
Buzz Aldrin’s words describing the moonscape
Mt. Logan
highest mountain in Canada (in Yukon Territory)
Sochi, Russia
site of the 2014 Winter Olympics
Naxos
Greek island in the Aegean
Australia’s “Second City”
Melbourne nickname
Angel Falls
waterfalls of Devil’s Mountain, in Venezuela
the current geological epoch
Holocene
the previous geological epoch
Pleistocene
a character in The Three Musketeers
D’Artagnan
Catch 22 character with seemingly redundant name
Major Major Major Major
French island prison featured in the novel The Count of Monte Cristo
Chateau d’If
family around which House of the Seven Gables by Hawthorne is centered
Pyncheon family
two relatives in the Pyncheon family who are characters in the novel House of the Seven Gables
Clifford, Phoebe
2010 movie with Ryan Reynolds, flopped
The Green Lantern (movie)
war fought from 1946 to 1949 between Communists and Royalists in Greece
Greek Civil War
law sponsored by Truman which created much of the post-WWII national security apparatus, including the CIA and the NSC
National Security Act
WWII general and later diplomat, after whom Truman’s Marshall Plan was named
George C. Marshall
layer of material placed over teeth
veneer
list of subversive organizations maintained by Truman’s attorney general
Attorney General’s List
new employees have to join the union, but current employees have a choice
union shop
1947 labor law
Taft-Hartley Act
could pass right-to-work laws
option given by Taft_Hartley Act to states
forced any union leader to sign a statement saying they were not a Communist in order for the union to receive National Labor Relations Act benefits
political loyalty enforced by Taft_Hartley Act
union that is not on strike agrees not to handle goods from any business where the workers are on strike
secondary strike
1970s congressional investigation into illegal counter
Church Committee
ten actors in the film industry who refused to testify when called before the HUAC on grounds that inquiries into their political affiliation violated their First Amendment rights
Hollywood Ten
statement released by movie studios stating their commitment to severing any ties with Communists
Waldorf statement
movie with Bette Davis, in which she plays a small-town librarian who refuses to remove Communist books from the shelves
Storm Center
2000s black comedy TV show in mockumentary style starring David Cross and Jason Bateman
Arrested Development
1980s software: database management, spreadsheet, graphics
Lotus 1-2-3
contemporary country singer
Morgan Wallen
popular pornography website
Brazzers
former U.S. representative from Southern California
Katie Porter
state department employee and confessed former Communist who fingered Alger Hiss as a Communist spy
Whittaker Chambers
accused by Whittaker Chambers of being a spy for the Russians and passing on documents to them
Alger Hiss
former Democrat and Vice President under Roosevelt who broke away from the Democrats as the 1948 Progressive Party candidate for president
Henry Wallace
political party organized in 1948 by Strom Thurmond and others for the purpose of running Thurmond for president on a “states’ rights”, i.e. anti-civil rights platform
Dixiecrats
sideband of a radio wave modified to carry additional information
subcarrier
early pay information service carried over telephone lines to personal computers (late 70s and early 80s)t
The Source
stomach of a farm animal (usually cow), used as food
tripe
traditional Mexican soup
menudo
a small, round, edible black berry that grows in loose hanging clusters
blackcurrant
a sweet syrup made usually of pomegranate but sometimes of blackcurrant used in mixed drinks
grenadine
horseradish-based sauce used as condiment with prime rib
sauce au raifort
king of Spain who sent the Spanish Armada to attack England in 1588
Phillip II
oil company involved in the Teapot Dome Scandal in Wyoming that involved Warren Harding
Mammoth Oil
alternative name for “The Arabian Nights” in the Richard Burton edition
“One Thousand and One Nights”
trilogy of fantasy novels by Philip Pullman: 1) Northern Lights 2) The Subtle Knife 3) The Amber Spyglass
His Dark Materials
North American title of Northern Lights by Philip Pullman
Golden Compass
novel by Theodore Dreiser
Sister Carrie
Buzz Aldrin’s words describing the moonscape
“magnificent desolation”
highest mountain in Canada (in Yukon Territory)
Mt. Logan
site of the 2014 Winter Olympics
Sochi, Russia
Greek island in the Aegean
Naxos
Melbourne nickname
Australia’s “Second City”
waterfalls of Devil’s Mountain, in Venezuela
Angel Falls
