Allusions (English Honors 10)

A variety of historical, mythological, biblical, and literary allusions

Argus-eyed

(mythological) from the story of Argus, a 100-eyed, all-seeing guardian; this allusion describes someone who sees everything

Jekyll and Hyde

(literary) from Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde where Dr. J (nice) turns into Mr. H (mean); describes a person w/ two conflicting personalities

Ananias

(biblical) derived from the story where Ananias tried to decide the Church and Holy Spirit; describes someone who is deceptive

Loose Cannon

(historical) originated from 18th cent, sailing, where a firing cannon would come loose from its restraints and cause damage; describes one who may cause damage if left unchecked

Malapropism

(literary) comes from a comedy called The Rivals by Richard B. Sheridan in 1775; used today as the misuse of a word to sound like another

Hobson’s Choice

(historical) comes from a man named Thomas Hobson who owned a stable and made his horses choose the nearest door or none at all; used today in the context of “choose something or nothing”

Promethean Heat

(mythological) Prometheus brought fire to the human race, and was met w/ severe punishment by Zeus; used today to show someones daring/original creativity

Simon Legree

(literary) from Uncle Tom’s Cabin, an evil slave owner who beat and murdered his slaves; used to describe someone who is extremely mean or harsh

Adonis

(mythological) Adonis was a remarkably handsome young man who was favored by a few of the gods for his beauty; it is used today to describe an extremely handsome man

Trojan Horse

(mythological) this story refers to soldiers who tricked their way into a city by hiding in a huge horse and attacking; it is used to describe something that can trick someone because of its outward appearance

Amazon

(mythological) an Amazon was usually a strong, tall, muscular warrior maiden; used today to describe an independent woman

Hitler

(historical) the head of Germany during WWII and killed many people using his extreme power; used to describe someone who will go to any length for total power

Judas

(biblical) Judas was a disciple of Jesus who betrayed him to Pontius Pilate to be crucified; used to describe someone who betrayed or lies to a close friend

Samson

(biblical) a man who dies and loses his strength in the Bible by revealing the source of his strength; describes someone who’s downfall is caused by a fatal weakness

Cut the Gordian Knot

(mythological) a legend that told that if anyone could untie the Gordian knot they would rule all of Asia; describes a seemingly unsolvable situation that only brute force can solve

Patience of Penelope

(mythological) Penelope is a character of Homer’s Odyssey who waits a long time for Odysseus to return; now, it describes someone who has extreme patience

Doubting Thomas

(biblical) a reference to Thomas, who didn’t believe that it was Jesus who rose from the dead until he saw the nail marks in his hands; used today to describe someone who won’t believe anything w/o personal experince

Caught Between Scylla and Charybdis

(mythological) two sea monsters that posed a danger to sailors,positioned on opposite sides of a narrow strait, and sailors had to navigate the dangerous passage, without falling into their trap; used to describe 2 equally undesirable options

Domino Effect

(historical) in the 18th cent, researches would study effects of lining up dominoes and knocking them down, used also to describe that (during the Cold War) if one country fell to communism, more would follow; used in context of one bad thing happening after another, piling up

Casanova

(historical) an infamous explorer who was known for his many romantic escapades; used to describe a lady’s man or womanizer

Nirvana

(mythological) the Buddhist belief that that one can achieve spiritual rest by intense meditation; usually used to note achieving great inner peace

The White Elephant

(historical) a gift usually given by southeast Asian monarchs, it was beautiful, but very difficult to take care of; describes an impractical or useless gift

Davy Jones’ Locker

(mythological) a Welsh belief that Davy Jones took the sinning seafarers and drags them into the ocean; today it describes someone who has been lost to the sea

The Labyrinth

(mythological) a complex maze designed to contain Minotaur; used more commonly today in description of a difficult to navigate/unfamiliar place

Garden of Gethsemane

(biblical) a place mentioned in the Bible where Jesus goes to pray before his capture and crucifixion; represents a sad time or place of sorrow or a place where one must confront difficult truths

Evil Empire

(historical) a speech given by Ronald Reagan, and he referred to the Soviet Union as an evil empire; refers to a largely corrupt country or leader

Silent Majority

(historical) A phrase from Pres. Nixon’s speech on how American feel silent and won’t speak up; this phase is used to simplify civil unrest and majority jealousy

King’s English

(historical) taken from a book about proper English grammar and how to use it (written by brothers Henry Watson and Francis George Fowler); “Kings English” is used to refer to proper, sophisticated use of the English language

Lamb to the slaughter

(biblical) refers to a servant (often messianic) who signifies innocence and submission before their impending doom; today it refers to someone unknowingly/passively heading to a fate of harm without distrust

Xanadu

(literary) originated from Kubla Khan, a poem by Samuel T. Coleridge, and this is described as an opulent and mystical place; used today to describe a luxurious or idyllic place

Beam me up, Scotty

(literary) originates from the TV series Star Trek, where crew members would ask Montgomery Scott, a pilot, to beam them out of a specific location; used today as a general way to say ‘get me out of here’

Halcyon days

(mythological) comes from the myth of Ceyx and Alcyone who both turn into Halcyon birds after they die and for 7 days, the sea is calm and they are peaceful; today it refers to a time of peace or joy

Tilting at windmills

(literary) Originated from Don Quixote’s Miguel De Cervantes who fears windmills because they are so large; it is used today to describe someone fighting an unwinnable or imaginary battle

Mr. Magoo

(literary) comes from a popular animated character known fro constantly getting himself into interesting situations; used to describe someone who is foolish or making dumb choices

Hatfield-McCoy Feud

(historical) this was a running fight between two families over land and personal disputes, eventually becoming a legend with drama and violence added to it; used to describe an extremely tense feud between two people

As old as Methuselah

(biblical) a character from the Bible, son of Enoch and Father of Noah who lived for 969 years (the oldest person to ever live); used as hyperbole to describe someone or something that is extremely old

Big Brother

(literary) comes from George Orwell’s 1984, and Big Brother watches over all the citizens of the country without any sense of privacy; used to refer to some higher power watching you as a way to scare you away from doing something

Ishmael

(biblical) a story in Genesis 16 and 21 that reflect a theme where a child faces danger but is saved by a miracle and symbolizes rebirth; used to represent someone being cast out and still surviving/finding a way to succeed

Scrooge

(literary) from the book A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, where this character is a sort of miser; used to describe someone who is grouchy and extremely stingy with their money

Climbing Jacob’s Ladder

(biblical) refers to a dream, where Jacob sees a ladder/stairway ascending to heaven w/ angels climbing up and down; used metaphorically to describe overcoming struggles and striving for improvement

Maginot Line

(historical) in A Separate Peace, this was a line of forts used to stop the German in WWII, but it failed because they simply went around; today, this means that a defense looks strong but it isn’t prepared for a real threat

Job’s Comforters

(biblical) in the book of Job, Job is comforted by his friends, but they want his to take his eyes off of God and curse Him, despite the fact that God is testing Job; today this is used to describe someone who pretend to help but makes things worse

Say it ain’t so, Joe

(historical) comes from the Black Sox Scandal where a player was accused of fixing the World Series, he was asked if this was true or not and the player didn’t deny it, it is a symbol of betrayal in baseball; today it is used to express disbelief/disappointment with a hero or idol

Brave New World

(literary) comes from a novel of the same name by Aldous Huxely, who discussed the current state of the world; this can be used to describe the future or new development

Narcissus

(mythological) comes from the story of a young man who saw and fell in love with his reflection, staring at it until he died; this is the root of the English word narcissist and describes someone who is extremely self-absorbed.

Since the Great Flood

(biblical) Comes from an ancient story of a flood, particularly from the story of Noah’s Ark; this refers to something that happened a long time ago

Pollyanna

(literary) comes from a character who is known for her optimism and find something positive in every situation she’s in; refers to someone who is overly optimistic, in both positive and negative lights (they may be out of touch w/ reality)

Wisdom of Solomon

(biblical) refers to the son of King David, Solomon, who was known for his wisdom in multiple situations, like where he solves a fight between two women claiming a baby by testing their reaction to a dramatic solution; this describes someone who has exceptional wisdom and knows how to solve difficult problems

Patience of Job

(biblical) comes from the Bible’s book of Job where Job endures immense suffering but still remains faithful to God; now, this is used to refer to someone who is extremely patient and can endure frustrating situations

Dystopia

(literary) originated from 20th century novels that sought to reverse the utopia stories of the day and reject them; this is used to describe a harsh world, where misery and pain are maintained by an organization leading the society.

Philistine

(biblical) these people were ancient warriors who fought against God’s people and were linked to the Egyptians; describes someone who is bitter and hostile to art and culture

The American Dream

(historical) a belief, coming in 1931 by James Truslow Adams (Epic of America), claiming that anyone in the U.S. can achieve their goals because they live in America; in modern day, this means that regardless of anyone’s background, they can accomplish their goals through hard work

Andromeda Strain

(literary) this novel is a classic sci-fi thriller about a virus that creates a global catastrophe; this now refers to a sudden deadly outbreak/crisis, particularly involving an unknown or uncontrollable threat

AWOL

(historical) comes from the military term “absent w/o leave” and refers to a solider leaving their post without permission; now it means that someone is unexpectedly absent of missing from responsibilities w/o explanation

Pandora’s Box

(mythological) from the story of Pandora, who received a gift from the gods that contained something deadly; this is used to describe the unintentional unleashing of doubt, worry, fear, anxiety, etc

Lilliputian

(literary) comes from Gulliver’s Travels where the main character visits and island where the people are very small; this is used to describe people or objects that are abnormally small

Herculean Effort

(mythological) comes from Greek mythology of Hercules who had great amounts of strength and power; used today to describe someone who uses a lot of strength (mental of physical) to complete a task

Midas’ Touch

(mythological) comes from the story of King Midas, who gains the ability to turn anything to gold with just a touch; refers to a situation where one should be careful because it may not be as good for you as you may have thought

Dog in the Manger

(mythological) comes from Aesop’s Fables where a dog didn’t allow oxen to eat hay around the manger because he couldn’t; describes someone who does not allow others to succeed because they can’t

Ugly American

(literary) comes from a book of the same name and is about a man who degrades and devalues cultures that are not his; used to refer to someone who is insensitive about other’s cultures or religions

Murphy’s Law

(historical) traces back to an engineer (Edward A. Murphy) who was frustrated w/ a mistake made by a technician, he claimed that “if there’s any way to do it wrong, he will.”; this suggests in modern day that if anything can go wrong, it will

Handwriting on the Wall

(biblical) comes from a arable in the Bible where there is writing on a wall that foretells the future but no one believed it until it was too late; used in the modern day to suggest that there are signs of bad fortune that people will ignore

Garden of Eden

(biblical) comes from the story of Creation, where Adam and Eve lived after that had been created and were then tempted by the devil to eat the forbidden fruit; refers to a place that is beautiful and perfect

Faith of a Mustard Seed

(biblical) comes from a parable in the Bible where a man had so much faith that a mustard seed could move and mountain (and it did); refers to someone with great faith or how one only needs a little faith to succeed

Vine and Fig Tree

(biblical) originated from Micah 4:4, 1 Kings 4:25, and Zechariah 3:10; refers to a form a peacefulness or shelter

Cowabunga

(literary) comes from the children’s show The Howdy Doody Show; this expletive is used to show excitement or surprise

Cyrano De Bergerac

(literary) a man who was known as a hopeless romantic and loved a woman so much he helped her gain the affection of another man; this would reference someone who helps others often at the cost of their own desires

Daniel Boone

(historical) this was an American explorer who was known for exploring early Kentucky; refers to someone keen of exploration

Moby Dick

(literary) in the novel, a ship captain seeks revenge on a whale for biting off his leg; this describes something you pursue consistently and becomes and obsession

Pyrrhic Victory

(historical) originated from King Pyrrhus who led a victorious military campaign in Rome that cost him many men; this describes a victory so costly that it could be the same outcome as a defeat

Heart of Darkness

(literary) originated from Heart of Darkness (Stephen Conrad), a novel about the brutality of colonialism; used to describe someone’s heart as an explanation for the things that they do (like kick puppies)

Phoenix

(mythological) originated from Egyptian mythology and is a bird that, when it dies, burns itself to ash and emerges from the ashes to restart life; symbolizes a new beginning or immortality

Elysian Fields

(mythological) originated from Greek mythology and is the place that heroes, who were favored by gods, go when they die; symbolizes an area with may people who have achieved something great

Nemesis

(mythological) a goddess of Greek mythology who has two variants - the goddess of disapproval and of revenge; refers to someone you dislike or a rival (someone against you and that you are against)

Falstaffian Humor

(literary) taken from the Shakespearean play Henry IV (part 1 and 2), detailing that Falstaff helps Prince Hal to mature as an heir; describes someone’s ability to think quickly and say something witty

Camelot

(mythological) follows the Arthurian legend portrayed in the book The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights; this depicts a place of peace and a utopia-like land where one can remove stress

Yahoo

(literary) can be found in Gulliver’s Travels (pt. 4) and are a race of people that live among the Houyhnhnms; describes someone who lacks cultivation and sensibility (a hooligan)

Uncle Tom

(literary) comes from a store describing the institution of slavery; used in the modern day to describe someone who submits to a stronger power, rather than fighting to get out

Babylon

(biblical) this place is often depicted as a symbol of excess, decadence, and moral corruption; today it refers to a place that exudes wealth and luxury but has an undertone of corruption

Utopia

(literary) comes from Thomas More’s book (1516) that describes an idea society; today this is used to describe a perfect, safe, and advanced society

Turn the other cheek

(biblical) comes from the sermon on the mount depicted in the Gospels of the Bible; this is used as a counter to revenge - instead of seeing anger first, meet anger with patience and understanding

30 Pieces of Silver

(biblical) comes from the Gospels of the Bible, where Judas betrays Jesus for 30 pieces of silver; describes someone who betrays another person for their own gain or wealth

Forbidden Fruit

(biblical) comes from Genesis, when Adam and Eve ate this, they gain spiritual and physical death and were exiled from the Garden; describes something that looks and appears to be good for you, but actually isn’t

Over the Rainbow

(literary) originated from the Wizard of Oz, where the song is sung by Judy Garland; refers to a sense of hope that things will get better soon or a long time from now

Grace of Pavlova

(historical) originates from the ballet performance “The Dying Swan” by Anna Pavlova; describes an action that impossibly light and graceful

Proud as Punch

(literary) comes from a puppet show called “Punch and Judy Show” where Punch is a character that is proud of the devious acts he committed; used to describe how proud/pleased someone is with the outcome of an event

Spoonerism

(historical) comes from Rev. William Spooner who accidentally said “Sew you to another seat” instead of “Show you to another seat”; used to show how one can mix up words (sad ballad and bad salad)

Spartan Attitude

(mythological) originated from the spartan army of ancient Greece and their extreme resilience and perseverance; describes someone’s eagerness to overcome by being strong and resilient

Sisyphean Task

(mythological) comes from The Odyssey where Sisyphus was sent to Hades to roll a stone up a hill for eternity; describes an extremely hard job or situation that describes a large amount of effort

Shangri-La

(literary) comes from the novel Lost Horizon and it is a place in the mountain of Tibet where men and nature coexist peacefully; used to describe a paradise-like scene

Pearls before swine

(biblical) comes from Matthew 7:6 where Jesus tells his followers to share the word of God with those who will value it; mean to not offer something valuable to someone who won’t appreciate it or understand its worth

Svengali

(literary) a character from George du Maurier’s novel Trilby (1894) who uses his power as a music teacher to exploit his student Trilby; used to imply that someone has a manipulative influence over another

Lame Duck

(historical) refers to when Congress is in session after a November election and due to the nearing end of term, cannot make any new bills; describes someone who sits around while other people do work

Catch-22

(literary) comes from a novel that shows how rules and decisions in government often contradict themselves; used to describe a decision where both outcomes are equally unappealing

He met his Waterloo

(historical) a battle that heavily utilized strategies, key players, and had impacts on European history; means a large, final defeat where someone has lost and they cannot recover

Holy Grail

(mythological) comes from early Celtic and British legends, where this was sought by many people and had a Christian meaning; means to obtain something highly valued and difficult to obtain

Lazarus

(biblical) this was a friend of Jesus who died from an illness, but 4 days later was raised from the dead by Jesus; refers to a comeback or rising up from a failure

Jabberwocky

(literary) originates from Lewis Carroll’s poem about a monster like a dragon, the poem has many made up words and is reference throughout all of Carroll’s works; serves as a word for nonsense due to made up words and interpretations

Machiavellian

(historical) comes from a political theory created by Niccolo Machiavelli, who believed that obtaining power is the only good thing in the world and is always justifiable; now it is a theory in psych and is related to negative personality traits

Prodigal Son

(biblical) refers to a story about a boy who took inheritance money and ran away only to come back after losing it all and beg his father for a job, but his father forgives him; the theme of this story is forgiveness and it serves as a caution to reckless actions