allusion pt2

Icarus/Fly too Close to the Sun (myth/legend)

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

Icarus/Fly too Close to the Sun (use)

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

bread and circuses (history, culture, ideas)

a writer during the Roman Empire disagreed with the fact that the imperial government kept the population happy merely by providing them with food and entertainment in the form of Colosseum fights

bread and circuses (use)

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

dues ex machina (literature)

means "god from the mechane". In classical theater, the mechane was a crane with a harness for an actor to be lowered from and appear to be flying. In many classical plays, a god would unexpectedly appear, flying to solve a seemingly hopeless problem or save the hero

deus ex machina (use)

Any surprising turn of events that suddenly make things turn out all right, especially in literary work.. It is often considered an unsatisfying and overly convenient way to end a story

tabula rasa (language and idioms)

latin for "blank state". Philosopher John Locke referred to the mind of a young person unaffected by experience as this

tabula rasa (use)

the idea that something or someone is entirely unmarked and uninfluenced

Tantalus (myth/legend)

In Greek myth, he was a king who offended the gods and was condemned to suffer eternal hunger and thirst in Hades. He stood in water up to his chin but when he bent to drink, the water receded. Beautiful, ripe fruit hung overhead, but each time he reached for a piece, the wind blew the boughs out of reach.

Tantalus (use)

to be offered something desirable which is then withheld

NIMBY (language/idioms)

acronym for "not in my backyard"

NIMBY (use)

refers to the idea that while people may be aware of the necessity of some unpleasant realities (prisons, landfills, chemical plants), they insist that these places be located away from where they live

Waterloo (history/culture/ideas)

the battle in Belgium in 1815, in which Napoleon Bonaparte met his final defeat in the Napoleonic Wars

Waterloo (use)

to suffer an ultimate, decisive defeat

Emperor's New Clothes (literature)

in Hans Christian Andersen's story, an emperor hires tailors to make him a new set of clothes, they make him nothing and tell him only people who are fit to rule can see it, so he pretends he can see them and "wears" them in a grand parade until a child shouts that he is actually naked

Emperor's New Clothes (use)

used in the context of someone, like a child, pointing out the falseness or pretentiousness of something, especially when others are afraid to admit the truth

Left-Handed Compliment (language/idioms)

The left hand has a negative connotation. Dictionary sometimes defined it as awkward, clumsy, or of doubtful sincerity. The left-hand side of a shield is called the sinister side

Left-Handed Compliment (use)

a compliment that, despite being a compliment, is insulting or rude in some way

Golden Calf (Bible)

In the Book of Exodus, Moses is leading his people out of Egypt to the Promised Land. While Moses is on Mt Sinai receiving the 10 Commandments from God, the people melt down their jewelry and ornaments and make a calf out of gold, which they begin to worship. Moses is angered when he returns to see his people worshipping an idol, and breaks the stone tablets on which the commandments were written

Golden Calf (use)

an idol, or any object, especially a material object, that is worshipped even though it isn't worthy of worship

Sword of Damocles (myth/legend)

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

Sword of Damocles (use)

refers to an awareness of impending or imminent danger

Svengali (literature)

the name of a character in Trilby, a novel by George du Maurier. He was a singing master who teaches Trilby to sing. He exercises absolute control over her, and when he dies, Trilby is no longer able to sing

Svengali (use)

a person who exercises excessive control or influence over another person

non sequitur (language and idioms)

"it does not follow" in Latin

non sequitur (use)

refers to 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

White Elephant (lanuage and idioms)

are rare and are considered special in India, Asia, and Africa. They are not subject to being beasts of burden and toil as others. According to legend in Siam (now Thailand), these creatures were considered so valuable that they automatically became the property of the King of Siam. He soon realized feeding such an animal was very costly, especially since it did not bring income like others. Thus the king began giving them away as gifts to people who displeased him. The burden of feeding the animals without being able to get any work from them quickly brought financial ruin to the recipient of the "gift"

White Elephant (use)

an object that has no use to its owner and may even represent a financial burden or an inconvenience

Fiddle While Rome Burns (history/culture/ideas)

when Nero was the Roman emperor a fire burned half of Rome and he showed complete disregard by playing his fiddle

Fiddle While Rome Burns (use)

to display indifference in the midst of an emergency or disaster