Allusions test 2

Bedlam background

Nickname for Hospital of St Mary of Bethlehem mental hospital

Bedlam usage

Wildly chaotic, extremely raucous, and noisy

Albatross around one’s neck background

In “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Coleridge a sailor shoots an albatross which is usually considered to be a good omen. So as punishment he wears it around his neck

Albatross around one’s neck usage

Some burden, often of guilt, a person must bear

Prometheus/ Promethean background

In Greek mythology Prometheus was cunning and tricked Zeus so as punishment he withheld fire from mankind. Prometheus tried to steal fire back for mankind and Zeus punished him by chaining him to a rock and having an eagle eat out his liver which grew back every night

Prometheus/ Promethean usage

Valiant resistance to authority or rebellion against the established order of the universe

Juggernaut background

A Hindu deity that was carried in on a large cart that people often threw themselves in front of to die but be promised immediate entry to paradise

Juggernaut usage

Any force (especially destructive) that defies opposition or a person who is seemingly unstoppable

Sold down the river background

19th century America when slavery was still prominent some slave owners down south would sell their slaves to plantation owners sold down the Mississippi River leaving them feeling betrayed

Sold down the river usage

To be betrayed or misled, especially by someone trusted

Nemesis background

Greek goddess of retribution and vengeance who punished people for excessive pride

Nemesis usage

Something that causes one’s downfall or the downfall itself

Pyrrhic victory background

Pyrrhus was a Greek general who suffered great losses even though they won the war against Rome

Pyrrhic victory usage

A victory that comes with such a great expense that it is scarcely better than losing

Scapegoat background

In the Book of Leviticus on the day of Atonement a priest would symbolically place all the sins of the Israelites on a goat then send it out in the wilderness so it was taking the sins with it

Scapegoat usage

A person who is blamed or punished for someone else’s misdeeds

Don Quixote/ Quixotic/ Tilting at Windmills background

A romance written by Cervantes where the main character is said to lose his wits after too many romances so he sets off on his own knightly adventure and attacks a group of windmills

Don Quixote/ Quixotic/ tilting at windmills usage

To be Don Quixote or Quixotic is to be foolishly or impractically idealistic. Tilting at windmills refers to a naive attempt to be heroic.

Shibboleth background

A Hebrew word used in the OT by Israelites as a password to prevent their enemies who could not pronounce it properly from infiltrating their community

Shibboleth usage

A slogan or catchword used by a particular group

Doublespeak background

In George Orwells novel 1984 he uses this term to refer to propaganda of the government in which language was used ambiguously

Doublespeak usage

Deliberate use of evasive or ambiguous language

Murphys law background

Saying claiming that “if anything can go wrong it will”

Murphys law usage

Used when something bad happened as if to say that it was inevitable

Flanderize background

In the Simpsons they have a neighbor named Ned Flanders who’s family is seen as religious and pious the writers use his devotion as a joke making him synonymous with religious zealotry

Flanderize usage

When a character has been made shallower by the exaggeration of one trait that comes to encompass their entire personality

Rorschach Test background

A projective psychological test by Herman Rorschach in which a persons response or interpretations of ink splatters can help to analyze one’s personality, aspirations, thought patterns, or anxieties

Rorschach Test usage

There are many different interpretations of it but many people project their own values or ideas onto that thing

The Monkeys paw (curls) background

A monkeys paw is able to grant three wishes but after making the wishes it’s discovered that the way they are granted are horrifying and unexpected like when a man asked for money so the monkey paw curled and he receives his money as a bereavement payment after his son is killed in a factory accident

The monkeys paw (curls) usage

Some wish of yours is granted in a way that is unexpected and comes with great cost