AP Lang Vocab Set #4

coup d'etat

a sudden and decisive exercise of force in politics; especially, the violent overthrow or alteration of an existing government by a small group

mea culpa

a formal acknowledgement of personal fault or error

Eden

According to Genesis, in the Bible, the utopian place where the first man, Adam, and his wife, Eve, lived after they were created by God

Armageddon

according to the Bible, in Revelations (the last book of the New Testament) the site of a battle during the end times, variously interpreted as either a literal or symbolic location. The term is also used in a generic sense to refer to any end-of-the-world scenario

epigraph

is a phrase, quotation, or poem that is set at the beginning of a document or book

epitaph

a short text honoring a deceased person, often inscribed on a tombstone

vis-a-vis

"face to face" - more often used as a preposition meaning "compared to" or "in relation to"

ancien regime

a political or social system that has been displaced, typically by one more modern

Cain and Abel

from Genesis - brother kills brother

David and Goliath

the future king of Israel slays the giant Philistine warrior with his slingshot - the underdog is victorious

anaphora

a form of parallel structure in which there is repetition of a word or expression at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or sentences

cliche

an overused phrase, expression, or element of a work

au courant

informed on current affairs; up-to-date

agent provocateur

a person who induces others to break the law so that they can be convicted

prodigal son

from the book of Luke in the New Testament - a parable about a wayward son who squanders his inheritance but returns home to find that his father forgives him

12 apostles

from the New Testament - 12 men who were called by Jesus to be his disciples and then to go out and teach his message

anachronism

a chronological misplacing of persons, events, objects, or customs in regard to each other

antihero or antiheroine

a protagonist who lacks the attributes that make a heroic figure, as nobility of mind and spirit, a life or attitude marked by action or purpose

a la mode

served with ice cream or fashionable

in camera

privately, not in public - when used in law it means the judge's chambers

Noah

in Genesis, he saves his family and representatives of all animals from a flood by constructing an ark

Rose of Sharon

mentioned in the Old Testament twice - a beautiful, delicate flower found on a plain in Israel - later used in hymns to refer to Jesus

parable

a short allegorical (understood on two levels) story designed to illustrate or teach some truth, religious principle, or moral lesson

eponym

word that is derived from the proper name of a real or mythical person or place

Moses

born of an Israelite slave when the Egyptians were told to kill the boy children of such. His sister (Miriam) places him in the reeds by the river in a "boat " of bulrushes. He is found by the Pharoah's daughter and raised by her. - Later he kills an Egyptian and is sent out into the desert. God talks to him through a burning bush and tells him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. After various plagues the Pharoah allows them to leave which is called the Exodus

Exodus

A mass departure

prima donna

a very temperamental person with an inflated view of their own talent or importance

avant garde

people or ideas that are ahead of their time, cutting edge

Job

Bible character who suffers many trials and horrible suffering but refuses to turn on God. Usually referenced as the "patience of ____"

polysyndeton

repetition of conjunctions in close succession (we have ships and men and money)

asyndeton

omission of the conjunctions that ordinarily join coordinate words or clauses (I came, I saw, I conquered)

vox populi

voice of the people

chez

at the home of

John the Baptist

signifies a person who comes before, he foretold the coming of the Messiah; baptized Jesus in the Jordan River

Judas

Now understood as a traitor or hypocrite; betrayed Christ to the Romans at Gethsemane for 30 silver pieces by kissing him. Thus, the _____ kiss signifies an act of betrayal disguised as an act of friendship (i.e., stabbing someone in the back).

invective

abusive language; discourse that casts blame on somebody or something

paean

a song or expression of joy or praise

E pluribus unum

out of many comes one

caveat emptor

let the buyer beware; the principle that the buyer is responsible for checking the quality and suitability of goods before a purchase is made

Grapes of Wrath

the metaphorical fruit of anger; Steinbeck was alluding to "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" which alludes to the Bible (both Isiah from the Old Testament and Revelations in the New Testament)

persona

a character assumed by and author in a written work

zeugma (syllepsis)

the use of a word to modify or govern two or more words usually i such a manner that it applies to each in a different sense

bete noir

something especially hated or dreaded; a detested person

tour de force

a fear requiring great skill or strength, often deliberately undertaken for its difficulty

Solomon

a biblical king who was known for his wisdom, his wealth and his writings

Doubting Thomas

a skeptic : based on the biblical account of Thomas, a disciple of Jesus, who doubted Jesus' resurrection and demanded to feel Jesus' wounds before being convicted

euphony

agreeable sound, especially in the phonetic quality of words

cacophony

a harsh, discordant mixture of sounds

circa

approximately, usually referring to a date

pro bono

without charge - for the public good

The Good Samaritan

a person who helps other people, especially strangers when they are in trouble

Four Horsemen

four figures in the Book of Revelation who symbolize the evils to come at the end of the world

the figure representing conquest rides a white horse; war, a red horse; famine, a black horse; and plague, a pale horse

exposition

a comprehensive explanation and description of an idea or theory

aesthetics

philosophical investigation into the nature and perception of beauty