A List

Achilles

Greatest warrior of the Trojan War in Greek mythology, known for his invulnerability except at his heel.

Adonis

Handsome youth in Greek mythology, loved by Aphrodite, symbolizing fleeting beauty.

Aeneas

Trojan hero and son of Aphrodite, protagonist of Virgil's Aeneid, associated with duty and destiny.

Ambrosia

Food of the Greek gods, bestowing immortality.

Apple of Discord

Object of strife resulting from the golden apple inscribed 'to the fairest' leading to the Trojan War.

Adam and Eve

Biblical first humans, representing innocence and the fall of humanity.

Abraham and Isaac

Biblical story symbolizing faith and divine testing.

Apocalypse

Greek word for revelation, often associated with end-of-world scenarios.

Antichrist

New Testament figure representing the ultimate deceiver and symbol of evil.

Armageddon

From Hebrew meaning 'final battle', referencing catastrophic end-times conflict.

Actions speak louder than words

Deeds reveal character more than speech.

All roads lead to Rome

Many paths lead to one outcome.

All’s well that ends well

A good outcome justifies prior difficulties.

April showers bring May flowers

Hardship precedes growth.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder

Separation strengthens love.

Ace in the hole

Hidden advantage.

Ad nauseam

Repeated to excess.

All thumbs

Clumsy.

Apple of one’s eye

Beloved person.

As the crow flies

Shortest distance.

Aesop

Greek storyteller known for moral allegories in his fables.

Aeneid

Virgil's Roman epic representing the destiny and heroic journey of Rome.

Academy (Plato’s / French)

Intellectual institutions promoting scholarly rigor.

Ali Baba

Clever character in Arabian Nights associated with hidden treasures.

Allah

Arabic term for God, central to Islam.

Aristotle

Greek philosopher known for his works on logic, science, and empiricism.

All the world’s a stage

A metaphor describing life as a performance.

All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others

Critique of hypocrisy and inequality in Orwell’s Animal Farm.

Arthurian

Pertaining to legends of King Arthur, symbolizing chivalry and noble quests.

American Gothic

Painting symbolizing rural America, often interpreted as satire.

Auld Lang Syne

Poem by Robert Burns expressing nostalgia and farewell.

Alexander the Great

King of Macedon known as a conqueror and symbol of ambition.

Attila the Hun

Ruthless leader symbolizing destruction and chaos.

Abolitionism

Movement to end slavery in the 18th–19th centuries.

Alamo

Site of heroic resistance during the Texas Revolution.

Anarchism

Philosophy that opposes government authority.

Anti-Semitism

Prejudice and discrimination against Jews.

Apartheid

Racial segregation system in South Africa from 1948 to 1994.

Appeasement

Policy of making concessions to aggressors.

Aristocracy

Government by the elite or nobility.

A-bomb

Colloquial term for an atomic bomb.

AC/DC

Term for alternating current/direct current, also a rock band symbolizing energy.

Al Qaeda

Islamist extremist group known for terrorism and global extremism.

Arabian Nights

Collection of fantastical tales filled with magic and adventure.

Absalom, Absalom

Biblical story of David's son, symbolizing betrayal and tragedy.