AP Lang flashcards #5

Caligula

a Roman emperor in AD 37 through until he was assassinated in 41. He is most known for his cruelty which he prominently exhibited through his harsh taxes on citizens and the execution of senators whom he deemed untrustworthy

big-stick diplomacy

an ideology presented by Teddy Roosevelt. He’d say "speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far". The idea is to negotiate peacefully but also having strength in case things go wrong

the Gang of Four

a radical political faction within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) that was blamed for the excesses of the Cultural Revolution. 

The group was led by Mao Zedong's wife, Jiang Qing, and controlled significant power, particularly over propaganda and culture, during the late 1960s and early 1970s.

The Bay of Pigs

a failed CIA-backed invasion of Cuba. 

A group of Cuban exiles, on April 17, 1961, with the aim of overthrowing Fidel Castro's communist government.

“these are the times that try men’s souls”

it was the opening statement of Thomas Paine's pamphlet, The American Crisis, published in 1776 to inspire a failing Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. 

bureaucracy

a large administrative system of non elected officials organized into a strict hierarchy. they follow formal rules and standardized procedures to carry out functions, often in government or large organizations. 

mores

the essential or characteristic customs and conventions of a community

The Bible Belt

the southeastern and south-central United States, which is a region characterized by high levels of Protestant Christianity

class struggle

the inherent conflict of interests that exists between different social classes within a society. 

It is most prominently associated with Marxism and other forms of socialist and communist thought.

blacklist

a list of people, entities, or other items that are denied privileges, services, or access due to being considered undesirable, untrustworthy, or harmful

“It’s not over till the fat lady sings”

an idiom that means an event, especially a competition or struggle, cannot be considered finished until the very end.

“bite the bullet”

to face a difficult, unpleasant, or unavoidable situation with bravery and fortitude

"the die is cast"

an irreversible decision or an event that has happened, making further action impossible to change its course.

“unkindest cut”

refers to a profound betrayal by a trusted friend.

Originating from William Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar. In the play, Mark Antony uses the phrase to describe the stab wound inflicted on Caesar by Brutus, Caesar's close friend, emphasizing the emotional pain and severity of Brutus's act of assassination

a Faustian bargain?

a pact where someone sacrifices something of great moral or spiritual value, such as their soul, for worldly gain like knowledge, power, or wealth

apostrophe

a literary device where a character or speaker addresses an absent person, a deceased person, an inanimate object, an abstract idea, or an imaginary entity as if it were present and could respond.

anastrophe

a literary device that deliberately inverts the typical word order of a sentence to achieve a specific effect, such as creating emphasis, a particular rhythm, or a more formal and poetic tone.

anaphora

the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses.

alliteration

the repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of words in close proximity to each other

allusion

An expression intended to remind you of something without explicitly stating what that thing is. aim is to connect to shared knowledge and add meaning