Untitled Flashcards Set

Allusion: an implied or indirect reference to a person, event, or thing or to a part of another text.

Cliché: a phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought.

Denouement: the final part of a play, movie, or narrative in which the strands of the plot are drawn together and matters are explained or resolved.

Jargon: special words or expressions used by a particular profession or group that are difficult for others to understand.

Motif: a distinctive feature or dominant idea in an artistic or literary composition.

Non Sequitur: a conclusion or statement that does not logically follow from the previous argument or statement.

Ode: a lyrical poem, often in the form of an address to a particular subject, written in varied or irregular meter.

Oxymoron: a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction.

Pun: a joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word or the fact that there are words that sound alike but have different meanings.

Satire: the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.

Apple of one’s eye: a person or thing that someone loves very much.

Bee in one’s bonnet: an obsession or fixation on something, especially something one feels strongly about.

By the book: strictly according to the rules or the official procedures.

Carte blanche: complete freedom to act as one wishes or thinks best.

Cold turkey: the abrupt and complete cessation of a habit, typically a drug or substance addiction.

Crème de la crème: the very best of a particular group of people or things.

Crocodile tears: insincere tears or expressions of sorrow.

Cross the Rubicon: to make a decision or take an action that commits one to a specific and irreversible course.

Curry favor: to seek to gain favor by flattery or servile behavior.

Diamond in the rough: a person or thing with exceptional qualities or potential, but lacking refinement or polish.