Literati
literally or scholarly people, intellectuals
Modus operandi (m.o.)
procedure, method of operating-used often when discussing criminals
Kafkaesque
marked by a senseless disorienting often menacing complexity: Kafkaesque bureaucracies characteristic of, or resembling the literary work of Franz Kafka: The Kafkaesque terror of the endless interrogations
Last hurrah
any final attempt, preformous, success, or the like
Parenthetical expression
a word or phrase that is not really part if the main idea of the sentence, or that interrupts the main sentence
Parody
a literary, musical, or dramatic work in which the style of which an author is closely imitated for comic effect or in ridicule
Semoer fidelis
always faithful (motto of the US Marine Corps)
Persona non grata
a person who is not welcomed or favored
Pandora's box
if someone or something opens Pandora's box, they do something that causes a lot problems to appear that did not exist or were not known before
Lilliputian (adj)
trivial or very small
Lilliputian (noun)
trivial or very small person or thing
Periodic sentence
A long and frequently involved sentence, marked by suspended syntax, in which the sense is not completed until the final word--usually with an emphatic climax
Anthropomorphism
attributing human characteristics (or characteristics assumed to belong only to humans) to an animal or object
Carpe diem
seize the day
Idiot savant
a person affected with a mental disability who exhibits exceptional skill or brilliance in some limited field: also called a savant
Scylla and Charybdis
Being between Scylla and Charybdis is an idiom from greek mythology which has been associated with the proverbial advice "to chose the lesser of two evils"
Machivellian
the end justifies the means, refers to anyone who is merciless, clever, and unethical to obtain their goals
Hyperbole
extreme exaggeration
Pun
a play on words, either on different senses of the same word or on the similar senses or sounds of different words: also called paronomasia
Apparatchik
an official of political party, usually derogatory, a lackey or low-level bureaucrat
Hoi polloi
the masses, the common people
Moby Dick
a monstrous thing someone obsessively pursues. from Herman Melville's novel, Moby Dick, in which Captain Ahab relentlessly hunts a whale named Moby Dick
Munchkin
a small person or ineffectual or unimportant person- from The wizard of Oz
Imagery
the collection of images within a literary work. Used to evoke atmosphere, mood, tension
Jargon
the language, especially the vocabulary, peculiar to a particular trade, profession, or group
Alpha and omega
the beginning and the end
Roman a clèf
a novel in which real people or events appear with invented names
Noble savage
a term that refers to an uncivilized person who is really more worthy and sensible than some of his "civilized" counterparts.
Oedipus complex
a child's unusual attachment to the parent of the opposite sex while being rivals with the parent of the same sex (Freud coined this term)- from myth of Oedipus in which he killed his father and married his mother
Apostrophe
when a speaker or writer breaks off and directs speech to an imaginary person or abstract quality or idea Ex: " Death, be not proud"
Euphemism
an inoffensive or indirect expression that is substituted for one that is considered offensive or too harsh
Gravitas
seriousness, dignity, or importance
Zeitgeist
the general cultural, intellectual, ethical, spiritual, and/or political climate within a nation or even specific groups
Orwellian
bleak and oppressive political climate, connotes an attitude and a policy of control by propaganda, surveillance, misinformation, denial of truth, and manipulation of the past - from George Orwell's 1984
Peter principle
the idea that people usually rise to the level of their incompetence. Ex: You do well. You are promoted, but eventually, you are promoted to a job you cannot do.
Juxtaposition
the placement of two things, often contrasting next to each other.
Idiom
is an expression, word, or phrase that has an understood figurative meaning that is different from its literal meaning.
Carte blanche
Unrestricted power to act at one's own discretion (blank check)
Coup de grace
the blow that kills (usually mercifully)
Rabelaisian
of, relating to, or resembling the work of Rabelais- bawdy humor and sharp satire
Platonic
refers to a chaste and strong type of love that is non-sexual. From the writings of Plato.
Understatement
a comment that makes a situation seem less important or serious than it is for effect.
Litotes
an understatement where the speaker or writer uses a negative of a word ironically to mean the opposite of. Ex: She's not unfriendly
crême de la creme
the best of the best, superlative
esprit de corps
the pride and honor shared by the members of a group.
Pygmalion
a situation where a mentor takes on a student, remakes the person, and then falls in love with his creation.
promethean
describes someone who is independent, defies authority, creative and unique, defying the norm
conundrum
a. riddle, the answer to which involves a pun or play on words, as What is black and white and read all over?; b.anything that puzzles.
Chiasmus
a verbal pattern (a type of antithesis) in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first with the parts reversed. ex: "You forget what you want to remember, and you remember what you want to forget.
faux pas
a violation of accepted social norms
femme fatale
A woman of great seductive charm who leads men into compromising or dangerous situations.
Quixotic
extravagantly chivalrous or romantic; impractical, impulsive and often rashly unpredictable.
Phoenix
a person or thing that has become renewed or restored after suffering calamity or apparent annihilation.
Denotation
The direct or dictionary meaning of a word
Connotation
is a commonly understood subjective cultural and/or emotional association that some word or phrase carries - two words may have the same dictionary definition but different connotations
joie de vivre
Hearty or carefree enjoyment of life.
noblesse oblige
with wealth and or power comes responsibility to others
shot heard round the world
events that have international significance.
Rube Goldberg
describes complex gadgets that perform simple tasks in indirect, convoluted ways.
sarcasm
a sharp, bitter, or cutting expression or remark
satire
a. a literary work holding up human vices and follies to ridicule or scorn. b. trenchant wit, irony, or sarcasm used to expose and discredit vice or folly.