Lit Terms Test 3 Allusions

NIMBY

This is an acronym for "Not In My Back Yard."

The term refers to the idea that, while people may be aware of the necessity of some unpleasant realities, such as prisons, landfills, or chemical plants, they insist that these places be located away from where they live.

Waterloo

To meet one's Waterloo is to suffer an ultimate, decisive defeat.

     Origins- In 1815, the Battle of Waterloo was fought near the village of Waterloo, which is now in Belgium. This was the final battle in the Napoleonic wars, the battle in which Napoleon Bonaparte was finally defeated.

The Emperor's New Clothes

The phrase "Emperor's New Clothes" is often used in the context of someone, like the small child, pointing out the falseness or pretentiousness of something, especially when others are afraid to admit the truth.

     Origins- In Hans Christian Andersen's story, an emperor hires two tailors, who promise to make him a beautiful new set of clothes that are unique in that they are invisible to a person who is stupid or unfit for office. When the two swindlers "show" the emperor the new clothes, he pretends to admire them, fearing he will be revealed to be unfit for office. The emperor "wears" his new clothes in a grand parade for the whole town, and no one will admit they cannot see the "clothes." Finally, a small child shouts out the truth that the emperor is, in fact, naked.

Left-handed Compliment

A left-handed compliment is one that, despite being a compliment, is insulting or rude in some way.

     Origins- In language, the left hand is often associated with something negative. In fact, some of the dictionary definitions of "left-handed" include awkward, clumsy, or of doubtful sincerity.

Golden Calf

A "golden calf" is an idol or any object, especially a material object, that is worshipped even though it is not worthy of worship.

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

Sword of Damocles

The phrase "sword of Damocles" refers to an awareness of impending or imminent danger.

      Origins- According to legend, Damocles was a courtier of a Greek king, and Damocles constantly flattered the king by speaking of what a wonderful life the king led. Tired of the flattery, the king held a banquet, and Damocles was seated in the king's own chair under a sword that was suspended from the ceiling by a single thread. The king wanted Damocles to experience what it really felt like to be king: along with the privileges of kingship, the king was always aware of impending dangers and thus was never entirely at case.

Svengali

A "Svengali" is a person who exercises excessive control or influence over another person.

     Origins- Svengali is the name of a character in Trilby, a novel by George du Maurier. Svengali is 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.

Non Sequitur

In Latin, non sequitur means "It does not follow."

The phrase can refer to a statement that is unrelated to what has been said before. In logic a non sequitur is a conclusion that does not logically follow from the premises.

White Elephant

Today, a "white elephant" is an object that has no use to its owner and may even represent a financial burden or an inconvenience.

     Origins- According to an old legend, in Siam (now Thailand), these white elephants were considered so valuable that any white elephants that were born automatically became the property of the King of Siam.

The king soon realized that feeding such a huge animal was very costly, especially since the elephant did not bring in income by working like other elephants. Thus, the king began giving white elephants as gifts to those 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."

Fiddle while Rome burns

To "fiddle while Rome burns" is to display indifference in the midst of an emergency or disaster.

     Origins-During the reign of the Roman emperor Nero, a fire consumed half of Rome. Legend has it that Nero showed complete indifference, playing his violin, or fiddle, during the emergency. Thus, Nero showed his complete disregard for the hardship suffered by the people he governed.