Allusions 1-90

Stealing someones thunder

In the seventeenth century, playwright John Dennis invented the sound effect of rattling a sheet of tin to mimic thunder. His sound effect was widely copied. Means to take credit from someone else’s idea.

Which hunt

1692 in Salem. were convicted on flimsy evidence that could neither be proved or disproved.

Throw down the Gauntlet

Knighthood and chivalry. The knight wanted to challenge another knight to a duel. he would then throw down his glove. issuing a challenge

The Muses

Greek mythology, nine goddesses who presided over the arts. inspiration to mortals. Someone’s source of inspiration.

Kafkaesque

Franz Kafka. German speaking writer. bizarre, surreal, or anxiety producing. the metamorphosis.

Tower of Babel

Book of Genesis, tower that would reach Heaven itself. God then decided to introduce different languages so that people could not understand each other. any noisy confusion.

Pollyanna

Character in children’s stories. teaches everyone she meets to play the glad game. a person tries to find something to be glad about in any situation, no matter how bad the situation is. someone who is very optimistic.

Pavlov’s Dogs/Pavlovian

Ivan Pavlov is best known for his research on conditioned responses. Pavlov rang a bell while presenting food to dogs. the dogs would automatically begin to salivate because they had been conditioned to associate the bell with food. automatically ot instinctively responds to or obeys a signal.

Bedlam

Popular nickname for london’s hospital of St Mary of Bethlehem, a mental hospital. meaning wildly chaotic or extremely raucous and noisy.

The Handwriting on the wall

Book and Daniel. suddenly a human hand appeared. Daniel translated, saying that Belshazzar’s reign was over. Refers to an indication that doom or misfortune is coming.

Albatross around one’s neck

In The rime of ancient mariner and poem by samuel Taylor Coleridge, a sailor shoots a bird considered to be a good omen as a punishment the sailor is forced to wear the carcass. means a burdensome, ongoing problem.

Prometheus/Promethean

Greek mythology, demi god known for his cunning. having been tricked, zeus with help fire from mankind. zeus punished him by chaining him to a rock then an eagle came and ate his liver everyday. Meaning valiant resistance to authority.

Juggernaut

Name of a hindu deity, His image is carried in an annual procession on a large cart. devotees threw themselves in front of the cart and were crushed. Meaning any force especially a destructive force, that defies opposition.

Red Herring

A strong pungent smell. a smell that confused the hounds and diverting them. Also to throw the dogs off the trail. Meaning diverting someone onto a false trail or distracting a person from the true issue.

Pharisees/Pharisaical

A Jewish sect that insisted on a strict adherence written law. Jesus outwardly pious but inwardly corrupt. Meaning a hypocrite who upholds the letter of the law, but not its spirit.