SAT and Allusions List #2

Fortuitous

Occuring by accident or chance [link: fortune for the two of us]

Surfeit

An overabundant amount, especially overindulgence in eating and drinking [link: surfers]

Unbridled

Violent, unbounded, unrestrained [link: Bridle]

Enrapture

To delight, to thrill, or give pleasure [link:capture]

Grandiose

Grand and impressive, especially flashy and showy [link: grand hose]

Relinquish

To give up doing, professing, or intending; to surrender, give in [link: reel in fish]

Guile

Craft, cunning, deceitfulness [link:mile]

Desiccate

To dry out completely; dehydrate [link: this dry cake]

Marshal

To assemble together for the purpose of doing something; also an officer in the police or military [link: marshal] "the marshal marshaled a posse to capture the Waco kid"

Photogenic

Suitable, especially attractive for photography [link:photo genie]

Icarus/Fly too close to the sun

Greek mythology, Icarus (father of Daedalus); island of Crete; wings constructed by Dae(wax and sun); fell to his death. [fail or be destroyed bc lack of caution or excessive ambition]

Bread and Circuses

Writer during the time of the Roman Empire; imperial gov.; distributing free food and providing entertainment spectacles; colosseum; easily kept in line.

Deus ex Machina

"God from the mechane"; classical theater; crane w/ harness for actor; lowered from the ceiling; unexpectedly appear(A god); solve a seemingly hopeless problem. [refers to any surprising turn of events that suddenly makes things turn out right]

Tabula Rasa

Latin-"blank slate"; John Locke; affected by experience. [refers to the idea that something or someone is entirely unmarked and uninfluenced]

Tantalus

Greek mythology; King who offended the Gods; eternal hunger and thirst in Hades; water up to his chin, he went to drink and water receded; fruit hung overhead and wind blew the boughs out of his reach. [to be tantalized or to be like Tantalus is to be offered something desirable which is then withheld]

Nimby

Acronym for "Not in My Backyard"; term refers to the idea that, while ppl may be award of the necessity of some unpleasant realities, such as prisons, landfills, they insist that these places be located away from where they live

Waterloo

1815, Battle of Waterloo; final battles in Napoleonic wars (napoleon was defeated); to meet ones Waterloo is to suffer an ultimate, decisive defeat

The Emperor's New Clothes

Hans Christian Andersen's story; tailors; invisible to a person who is stupid or unfit for office; pretends to admire them; pretends to admire them; grand parade for whole town, no one will admit they cannot see the "clothes" but a small child shouts the truth. [someone pointing out the falseness or pretentiousness of something, esp. when others are afraid to admit the truth]

Left Handed Compliment

Something negative, awkward, clumsy, or of doubtful sincerity; sinister side [despite being a compliment, is insulting or rude in some way]

Golden calf

Book of Exodus, Moses; Mt. Sinai; Ten Commandments; calf, gold, worship; angered, breaks the stone tablets [golden calf is an idol or any object, esp. a material object, that is worshipped even though it is not worthy of worship]

Sword of Damocles

Damocles; courtier of Greek King; flattered, banquet seated in the Kings own chair under a sword that was suspended from the ceiling by a single thread; impending dangers

Svengali

Character in Trilby, a novel, absolute control over her [refers to a person who exercises excessive control or influence over another person]

Non Sequitur

Latin, "it does not follow", phase refers to statement that is unrelated to what has been said before

White Elephant

Rarity, special; beasts of burden and toil; siam (Thailand) King of Siam; very costly, gifts to those who displeased him, brought financial ruin to the recipient of the "gift" "no use" to owner and maybe financial burden or inconvenience

Fiddle While Rome Burns

Roman emperor Nero; fire, indifference; violin or fiddle, disregard [display indifference in the midst of an emergency or disaster]