Allusion Test #2

Nemesis Origin

comes from a goddess from Greek Mythology — goddess of retribution and vengence

Nemesis Meaning

refers to an unbeatable rival or a force that brings about someone’s downfall, especially due to hubris

Don Quixote Origin

book by Miguel de Cervantes

Don Quixote Meaning

refers to someone who is overly idealistic, impractically pursuing noble but unrealistic goals

Over a Barrel Origin

old practices over laying a drowned person over a barrel to force water from their lungs

Over a Barrel Meaning

refers to being in a helpless, powerless situation, dependent on someone else’s mercy

Sold Down the River Origin

enslaved people were literally ____________________, often to harsher conditions

Sold Down the River Meaning

to be betrayed or cheated, especially by someone trusted

Doublespeak Origin

George Orwell’s 1984

Doublespeak Meaning

language used to deliberately obscure, disguise, or distort the truth

Hoist with one’s own petard Origin

Shakespeare’s Hamlet — lifting a small bomb

Hoist with one’s own petard meaning

to be harmed by one’s own plan or device intended to harm someone else

Pyrrhic Victory Origin

King of Epirus defeated the Romans in battle but suffered devestating losses

Pyrrhic Victory Meaning

a victory that comes as such a great cost that it is almost tantamount to defeat

Murphy’s Law Origin

attributed to aerospace enginner Edward A. Murphy

Murphy’s Law Meaning

anything that can go wrong will go wrong

Scapegoat Origin

from the Bible — a goat would be burdened with the sins of the people and sent into the wilderness

Scapegoat Meaning

a person who is unfairly blamed for the faults or problems of others

Benedict Arnold Origin

a general who defected to the British

Benedict Arnold Meaning

refers to a traitor

Medusa Origin

from Greek Mythology —- looking at her would turn you to stone

Medusa Meaning

represents a terrifying woman or something petrifying

Sour Grapes Origin

Aesop’s fable —- the fox and the grapes

Sour Grapes Meaning

to pretend to despise what one cannot have

Flash in the pan origin

if gunpowder in the pan flashed but didn’t fire the bullet

Flash in the pan meaning

something that initially shows promise but fails to deliver lasting resultsq

Delphic oracle origin

Ancient Greece — famous for cryptic and ambiguous prophecies

Delphic oracle meaning

a statement or prediction that is ambiguous and difficult to interpret

Methuselah origin

The Bible — oldest figure recorded

Methuselah meaning

refers to an extremely old person or thing