allusions 31-

Philistines/Philistinism

old testament, enemies of the israelites, David fought Goliath. Meaning a person with no appreciation for culture and whose tastes are commonplace

Faust / Faustian Bargain

plays by Christopher Marlowe and Goethe, Mephistopheles, sells his soul, have everything he desires, despair, meaning sacrificing oneself for one’s desires

Coals to Newcastle

England, superfluous, meaning giving a superfluous gift or making a contribution that is gratuitous and unnecessary

Freudian Slip

Sigmund Freud, Austrian physician and psychotherapist, subconscious mind in human behavior. Meaning an unintentional or accidental error

Sisyphus/Sisyphean

Greek Mythology, king who offended Zeus, Hades rolled a giant boulder up the hill but rolled back down and had to start over. Meaning seemingly endless task

Methuselah

oldest of the patriarchs in the bible he live to be 969. Meaning extremely old person

Scylla and Charybdis

Greek mythology, many headed sea monster, cave on one side of a narrow strait, whirlpool on the other side, steer ships very carefully between the two. Meaning between two equal danger but avoiding one means getting closer to the other

Holy Grail

Medieval legend, object of quest, cup from which jesus drank at the last supper, legends of king arthur and the knights of the round table, perfection. Meaning extremely desirable or valuable only attainable after a long and difficult quest

Luddites

british laborers in the early 1800s, opposed industrialization, threatened their jobs, smashed textile machinery. Meaning someone who opposes to change.

pass the buck

in poker a maker that was passed to the person whose turn it was to deal. Harry Truman. Meaning shift responsibility

babylon

capital of the ancient empire, luxury and corruption, the Jews were exiled, the prophet Daniel. meaning a place of decadence and corruption.

phoenix

mythological bird, one of its kind, five or six hundred years, burn itself to death and then rise from its own ashes. meaning symbolize rebirth or resurrection.

xanadu

mongolia, mongol emperor of china, Kublai Khan, magnificent residence, poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. meaning magnificent, beautiful, almost magical place

muckrakers

president Theodore roosevelt, reform minded journalists, badge of honor,exposed corruption or promoted needed reforms. meaning authors or journalists who expose corruption

sine qua non

latin, without which, nothing. meaning essential ingredient without an endeavor or a situation would be impossible