AP Lang Allusions 1st Period

Let the cat out of the bag/Buy a pig in a poke

secret's being revealed; buying something sight unseen; unwise because of the risks involved

In medieval times, farmers often took piglets to market in a bag known as a "poke."Sometimes, an unscrupulous farmer would place a cat in the bag instead of a pig. If the cat managed to escape, the farmer's secret would be revealed to the buyer. Often, buyers would not look in the bag to be sure they were not being swindled; they would simply pay for the pig in a poke.

Ex. George and Carla had kept their engagement secret for several weeks, but as soon as Carla showed up at the party wearing a new diamond ring on her left hand, the cat was let out of the bag.

Pavlov's Dog/Pavlovian

someone who automatically or instinctively responds to or obeys a signal, automatic, unthinking response

Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936) was a Russian scientist best known for his research on conditioned response. In his experiments, Pavlov rang a bell while presenting food to dogs. Seeing the food caused the dogs to salivate. Eventually, even without the food, when Pavlov rang the bell, the dogs would automatically begin to salivate because they had been conditioned to associate the bell with food.

Ex. When the bell rang, the students, like Pavlov's dogs, began packing up their books as if the class was over, even though the class had only been in progress for ten minutes.

Don Quixote/Quixotic/Tilting at Windmills

foolishly or impractically idealistic; naive attempt to be heroic

Don Quixote is a romance written in the 1600s by Miguel de Cervantes. The hero, Don Quixote, loses his wits from reading too many romances, and he sets off on his own knightly adventures, accompanied by his sidekick, Sancho Panza. The two have various comic adventures. In one of the most famous, Don Quixote attacks a group of windmills, believing them to be giants (referred to as tilting at windmills).

Ex. Fresh out of law school, I believed I could single-handedly right all the wrongs in our criminal justice system. I finally realized I was being quixotic.

Mrs. Grundy/Grundyism

an attitude of narrow-minded prudishness

In Speed the Plough, a 1798 play by Thomas Morton, Mrs. Grundy is a character who never appears onstage. However, other characters frequently ask, "What would Mrs.Grundy say?" Mrs. Grundy is a narrow-minded, conventional, prudish person

Ex: My mother said, "At the risk of being a Mrs. Grundy, I really don't think you should go out in public in that outfit."

Interviewed about his controversial new film, which was banned in several cities, the director said that he had expected Grundyism from those who were not able to appreciate the deeper, underlying message of the film.

Sirens/Siren song

anything that tempts a person away from safety and toward a destructive path, temptation used to lure a person

In Greek mythology, Sirens were sea creatures who lured sailors to their deaths on the rocky shores by singing a beautiful, irresistible song. They are usually depicted as half woman, half bird

Ex. I had intended to stay home and study for finals, but the siren song of my friends describing all the fun we could have at the lake was too much for me to resist.

All that glitters is not gold

appearances can be deceptive, something that appears valuable on the outside may in fact be less valuable

This is a proverb derived from a Latin translation of Aristotle. The proverb read, "Do not hold as gold all that shines as gold." In other words, just because something looks like gold, one should not assume that it actually is gold

Ex. When I expressed envy for the superstar who seemed to have everything, my friend simply said, "Remember, all that glitters..."

Sound and Fury

a great, tumultuous, and passionate uproar that actually is unimportant or meaningless

In Shakespeare's Macbeth, when Macbeth is informed that his wife has died, he speaks of the inevitability of death: Life is but a walking shadow, a poor player, That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,

Ex. The "Y2K" hysteria leading up to the turn of the millennium turned out to be just so much sound and fury.

Icarus/Fly too close to the sun

to fail or be destroyed because of lack of caution or excessive ambition

In Greek Mythology, Icarus and his father, Daedalus, escaped from the island of Crete, using wings constructed by Daedalus. The wings were held on by means of wax, and although Daedalus had warned Icarus not to fly too close to the sun, Icarus did not heed the warning; the wax melted, and he fell to his death in the Aegean Sea.

Ex. When I told my roommate thought I could attend the all-night party and still do well on my final exams the next day, he said, "I have just one word for you - Icarus."

Bread and circuses

policies designed to prevent unrest by keeping people happy and thus deflecting concern about troubling issues

This phrase was used by a writer during the time of the Roman Empire. He deplored the fact that the Imperial government was able to keep the populace content merely by distributing free food and providing entertainment spectacles, such as the fights in the Colosseum between people or between people and animals. The writer declared that it was shameful that people could be so easily kept in line simply by receiving "bread and circuses "from the government.

Ex. The two candidates for student council president had differing approaches. While one tried to address problems such as crowded classrooms and lack of materials, the other distributed candy and proposed a weekly screening of entertaining videos during lunch. The first accused the second of a bread and circuses approach.

Tabula Rasa

something/someone is entirely unmarked and uninfluenced

This phrase is Latin for"blank slate." The philosopher John Locke referred to the mind of a young person unaffected by experience as a tabula rasa.

Ex. My coach said that it was actually a good thing that I had never played golf; that way, I was a tabula rasa with no bad habits to break.

Sword of Damocles

an awareness of impending or imminent danger

According to legend, Damocles was a courtier of a Greek king, and Damocles constantly flattered the king by speaking of what a wonderful life the king led. Tired of flattery, the king held a banquet, and Damocles was seated in the king's own chair under a sword that was suspended from the ceiling by a single thread. The king wanted Damocles to experience what it really felt like to be king: along with the privileges of kingship, the king was always aware of impending dangers and thus was never entirely at ease.

Ex. Although Constance enjoyed her job at the factory, she and her co-workers knew that the sword of Damocles could fall at any minute, and they would be laid off because of budget problems.

Non sequitur

a statement that is unrelated to what has been said before. In logic, it is a conclusion that does not logically follow from the premises

In Latin, non sequitur means "It does not follow."

Ex. In the middle of a lively discussion of the upcoming presidential election, my sister blurted out the fact that we were soon going to be getting a new kitten. This was a complete non-sequitur, but it was understandable since she was only three years old.

Burning Bush

a medium through which the voice of absolute authority speaks

In the book of Exodus, God speaks to Moses from a miraculous burning bush, a bush that burns but is not consumed. He commands Moses to confront Pharaoh and demand that Pharaoh free the Israelites, and he tells Moses to lead the people to the Promised Land.

Ex. When it comes to investing my money, I consider him to be a burning bush.Everything he has ever advised me to do has paid off beyond my wildest dreams

Scheherazade

a person who is an excellent storyteller, especially one who is able to keep an audience in suspense

Scheherazade is the narrator of Arabian Nights, also referred to as The Thousand and One Nights, a collection of Middle Eastern folktales. According to legend, theArabian King Shahriyar, angered when he discovers his first wife's infidelity, vows to marry a new wife every day and execute her the morning after their wedding night. When it is Scheherazade's turn to be the bride, she tells her new husband a story on their wedding night, but she ends the story at the most critical point, promising to continue the story the next night. Scheherazade's cunning and her fascinating storytelling keep her alive for a thousand and one nights, by which time the king has fallen in love with her and cancels his vow.

Ex. Recounting bits of her fascinating life story each day while the biographer took notes, the actress felt like Scheherazade.

Catch-22

an absurd, no-win situation

This phrase comes from a novel by Joseph Heller. Catch-22 is set on a US Air Force base in World War II. The "catch-22" refers to a regulation that states an airman's request to be relieved from flight duty can be granted only if he is judged to be insane. However, anyone who does not want to fly dangerous missions is obviously sane. Thus, there is no way to avoid flying the missions.

Ex. The boss created a catch-22 for her employees: if they remembered her birthday with gifts and cards, she suspected them of ulterior motives . However, if they did not acknowledge her birthday with gifts and cards, she thought they were unappreciative.

Throw Down the Gauntlet

issuing a challenge in a dramatic manner

In the days of knighthood and chivalry, if a knight wanted to challenge another knight to a duel, he would throw down his heavy glove, or "gauntlet."If the challenged knight picked up the gauntlet, this indicated that he had accepted the challenge.

Ex. Karen and Amy, both sprinters, argued continuously about who would do better at longer distances. Finally, Amy threw down the gauntlet and challenged Karen to a two-mile race.

Albatross around one's neck

burdensome, ongoing problem

In "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," a poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, a sailor shoots an albatross, a bird considered to be a good omen. As punishment, the sailor is forced to wear the carcass of the albatross around his neck.

Ex. Although we have an outstanding basketball team, our biggest rival continues to be the albatross around our necks. We haven't won a game against them in over three years.

Sour Grapes

The attitude of a person who has been disappointed or thwarted, the person bitterly rationalizes that what he or she wanted was probably not so great after all

In "The Fox and theGrapes," a fable by Aesop, a fox tries over and over again to reach some grapes dangling from a vine above him. He finally gives up and mutters that the grapes were probably sour anyway, so they would not be worth having

Ex. After losing the race for class president, Robert said he was glad he didn't win because the job would have taken up too much of his time, but I think that was just sour grapes.

Pyrrhic victory

The winner's victory comes at such a great expense that it is scarcely better than losing

Pyrrhus was a general in ancient Greece. After defeating the Romans in a battle in which he suffered great losses, Pyrrhus told those who wanted to congratulate him on his victory, "Such another victory and we are ruined."

Ex. Yes, he finally made it to the top of the company, but it was a Pyrrhic victory. His total focus on his job over the past years had led to the end of his marriage, alienated many of his friends, and caused several stress-related health problems.

Scapegoat

a person who is blamed or punished for someone else's misdeeds

According to the Book of Leviticus, every year on the Day of Atonement, a priest would symbolically place the sins of the Israelites on a goat and send it out into the wilderness, taking the sins of the people with it.

Ex. In Fahrenheit 451, when the police fail to capture Montag, they turn their attention to the pursuit of an innocent man, making him the scapegoat for Montag's illegal possession of books.

Over a barrel

unable to act independently and must do the bidding of someone else

In the past, when someone was rescued from drowning, he or she would be held over a barrel so that the water could drain from the lungs. The person rescued was totally dependent on the rescuers.

Ex. I had to do my brother's chores for him because he had me over a barrel. I knew if I refused, there was no way he would let me use his car on Saturday.

Shibboleth

a slogan or catchword used by, or associated with, a particular party, group, or sect

This is a Hebrew word for an ear of corn. In the Old Testament, the Israelites used this as a password to prevent their enemies, whom is pronounced the word "sibboleth," from infiltrating their camp

Ex. The students' use of several slang terms confused the teacher; clearly, they had their own shibboleths that excluded anyone over the age of eighteen.

Doublespeak

deliberate use of evasive or ambiguous language

In his novel 1984, George Orwell used the term "doublespeak" to refer to a type of propaganda practiced by the state in which language is used ambiguously. For instance, the Defense Department was called the "Ministry of Peace."

Ex. In the 1980s, many people considered the use of the term"peacekeepers" in referring to nuclear weapons to be an example of doublespeak.

Murphy's Law

when something goes wrong and there is a sense of inevitability about it

This saying, originating in the 1940s, is as follows: "If anything can go wrong, it will.

Ex. After five beautiful, sunny days in a row, of course, Murphy's Law kicked in on the day of the picnic, and we were forced to cancel it because of thunderstorms

Hoist with one's own petard

being caught in one's own trap or beaten at one's own game

A petard was a weapon used in medieval warfare. It was a bell-shaped object that was filled with gunpowder and then hoisted, or lifted, onto gates or walls to blow them up. If the petard exploded prematurely, the person using it would be blown up, or "hoist with his own petard."

Ex. In the "Roadrunner" cartoons, Wile E. Coyote was often hoisted with his own petard when the traps he had set for the roadrunner backfired and worked on himself instead.

Faust/Faustian Bargain

sacrificing oneself or one's values in exchange for getting what one desires, often material wealth

Faust is the subject of plays by Christopher Marlowe (Dr.Faustus) and Goethe (Faust).In both dramas, Faust strikes a bargain with Mephistopheles, or the devil. In Marlowe's play, Faust sells his soul in exchange for twenty-four years in which he can have everything he desires. In Goethe's version, Faust becomes the servant of Mephistopheles, again in exchange for having all his desires fulfilled. In both cases, Faust spends much of his time in despair.

Ex. In the famous Chicago Black Sox scandal of 1919, some of the baseball players struck a Faustianbargain with gamblers, agreeing to lose the World Series intentionally in exchange for a monetary payoff.

Freudian Slip

an unintentional or accidental error, either in speech or action, that apparently reveals one's subconscious thoughts or desires

Sigmund Freud was an Austrian physician and psychotherapist whose work centered around the role of the subconscious mind in human behavior. The term "Freudian slip" comes from Freud.

Ex. The teacher realized that forgetting to bring home the stack of papers to grade was probably a Freudian slip resulting from her desire to have a weekend to devote solely to relaxation.

Sisyphus/Sisyphean Task

a seemingly endless, perhaps futile task

In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was a king who offended Zeus. His punishment was to spend eternity in Hades, rolling a giant boulder up a hill. Each time the boulder neared the top, it would roll back down to the bottom, and Sisyphus had to start his task over.

Ex. Painting the Golden Gate Bridge is a Sisyphean task. Once the bridge is completely painted, it is time to begin painting it again at the beginning, so the painting never ends.

Scylla and Charybdis

to be caught between two equal dangers in which avoiding one means getting closer to the other

In Greek mythology, Scylla was a many-headed sea monster, living in a cave on one side of a narrow strait. Charybdis was a whirlpool on the opposite side of the strait. Sailors, including Odysseus and Jason, had to steer their ships very carefully between the two in order to avoid being the victim of one or the other.

Ex. Caught between the Scylla of raising taxes and angering voters and the Charybdis of cutting vital city services, the council knew their decision was not going to be an easy one to make.

Holy grail

an object that is extremely desirable or valuable and which is attainable only after a long and difficult quest

In Medieval legend, the Holy Grail was an object of quest. It was supposedly the cup from which Jesus drank at the Last Supper. The grail became associated with the legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. For the knights, theHoly Grail represented perfection and was constantly sought after.

Ex. For teams in the National Hockey League, the Stanley Cup is the equivalent of the Holy Grail.

Pass the buck

to shift responsibility (and often blame) to another person

In poker, a "buck" was a marker that was passed to the person whose turn it was to deal. President Harry Truman kept a sign on his desk which read"The Buck Stops Here." President Truman's sign meant that he was willing to accept the ultimate responsibility for matters of concern to the country and would not try to pass that responsibility to others or try to blame others for problems in the country.

Ex. Rather than face the angry crowd herself, the mayor passed the buck to the spokesperson, who then had to try to appease the citizens and respond to their questions and complaints.

Muckrakers

a term applied to authors or journalists who expose corruption in government, business, or other arenas

President Theodore Roosevelt criticized reform-minded journalists of his time, saying they constantly focused on the"muck" and spent all their time raking it up. While he meant this as an insult, the journalists adopted the term muckraker as a badge of honor, referring to those who exposed corruption or promoted needed reforms. Upton Sinclair's The Jungle is a prime example of muckraking journalism

Ex. In the early 1970s, two muckraking journalists exposed the Watergate scandal and brought an end to a presidency.

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