Cultural Literacy合辑2
Plato
(430-347 BCE) Was a disciple of Socrates whose cornerstone of thought was his theory of Forms, in which there was another world of perfection.
Cerberus
3 headed dog that guarded the entrance of hades
When was the fall of Rome and who invaded it
476, vandals
Shiva
A Hindu god considered the destroyer of the world.
Caste System
A Hindu social class system that controlled every aspect of daily life
Caste system
A Hindu social class system that controlled every aspect of daily life
Mosque
A Muslim place of worship
Incas
A Native American people who built a notable civilization in western South America in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The center of their empire was in present-day Peru. Francisco Pizarro of Spain conquered the empire.
left-handed complement
A compliment with two meanings one is unflattering to the reciever
Nirvana
A condition of great peace or happiness
narcissism
A consuming self absorbtion or self love a type of egotism
Mummy
A dead body preserved in lifelike condition
Black Death
A deadly plague that swept through Europe between 1347 and 1351
Black death
A deadly plague that swept through Europe between 1347 and 1351
Athens
A democratic Greek polis who accomplished many cultural achievements, and who were constantly at war with Sparta.
Nouveau riche
A derogatory term for one who has recently become rich and who spends conspicuously. Means new rich.
Oddyssey
A epic that tells the tale of adventures about a hero named Odysseus who sailed on his ship and faught many people by homer
Timbuktu (African)
A far away place, Western Africa
double indemnity
A feature of life insurance policies stating that the insurer will pay twice the face value of the policy if the insured dies accidentally
Melancholy
A feeling of extreme sadness
Charon
A ferryman who transports dead souls to the underworld.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
A foolish inconsistency is the hobgoblin of little minds. (Author)
Republic
A form of government in which citizens choose their leaders by voting
Republic
A form of government in which the people select representatives to govern them and make laws.
The Last Supper
A fresco painted by Leonardo da Vinci depicting Jesus and his disciples at the moment Jesus announces that one of them has betrayed him.
Shogun
A general who ruled Japan in the emperor's name
Appeasement
A policy of making concessions to an aggressor in the hopes of avoiding war. Associated with Neville Chamberlain's policy of making concessions to Adolf Hitler.
The Fox and the Grapes
Aesop Fable sour grapes don't put something down because you can't reach it don't give up?
"The Goose that Laid the Golden Egg"
Aesop fable warning against greed
What is the name of a greek storyteller with moral lessons
Aesopes fables
The Ugly American
Americans that judge other cultures by the american culture
e.e. cummings
An American author of the 20th century who spurned the use of many conventions of standard written English in his poetry He often avoided using capital letter, even in his name, and experimented freely with typographic conventions, grammar, and syntax He wrote poetry on love, the failings of public institutions, and many other subjects
John Dos Passos
An American author of the 20th century, best known for three novels that make up U.S.A.
Mason-Dixon Line
An imaginary line that separated the northern and southern states. The 'line' was in between the states of Pennsylvania and Maryland.
Renaissance Man
An outstanding versatile, well-rounded person.
Glass ceiling
An unacknowledged and utilmately illegal barrier to advancement especially for women and people of color
Bay of Pigs
An unsuccessful invasion of Cuba in 1961, which was ordered by JFK and carried out by Americanized Cubans. Its purpose was to overthrow Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.
1954
Brown v Board of Education - Supreme Court ruling that shot down Plessy v. Ferguson ruling of "separate but equal" Begin integration in the US
What was the black death
Bubonic plague that killed half of Europe in 1300's
Savoir Faire
Ease and dexterity in social and practical affairs.
Achilles
Greatest Greek warrior, husband of Briseis whom Agamemnon steals, only vulnerable place is his heel, prophecy that he would die in the Trojan war, which he does at the hand of Paris
Joan of Arc
French heroine and military leader inspired by religious visions to organize French resistance to the English and to have Charles VII crowned king
1914-1918
Great War (WWI) Allied Powers vs Central Powers. Armistice Day end of the war 11/11
Eros
Greek God of Love; AKA Cupid
Olympics
Greek athletic competitions to celebrate the Gods and feed city-state rivalries
Sparta
Greek city-state that was ruled by an oligarchy, focused on military, used slaves for agriculture, discouraged the arts
Eureka!
Greek exclamation meaning "I have found it!"
Pandora's Box
Greek mythology; a box that Zeus gave to Pandora, the first woman, telling her not to open it, however she did, miseries flew out of the box to afflict man kind, leaving hope behind
Aristotle
Greek philosopher. A pupil of Plato, the tutor of Alexander the Great, and the author of works on logic, metaphysics, ethics, natural sciences, politics, and poetics, he profoundly influenced Western thought. In his philosophical system, which led him to criticize what he saw as Plato's metaphysical excesses, theory follows empirical observation and logic, based on the syllogism, is the essential method of rational inquiry.
Little strokes fell great oaks.
Limited strength, when persistently applied, can accomplish great feats.
Something is rotten in the state of Denmark (Shakespeare)
Line from "Hamlet" used to describe a situation when something is wrong
Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble
Lines chanted by three witches in the play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, as they mix a potion
Hyperbole
Literary term used to exaggerate. For example, "I'm starving" is a hyperbole because the speaker is not really starving, they are just very hungry.
Benjamin Franklin
Little strokes fell great oaks (Author)
Poor Richard's Almanck
Little strokes fell great oaks. (Book)
Gerrymandering
Manipulating district boundaries to favor specific social classes or political parties.
Pyraminds
Monumental architecture typical of old kingdom Egypt; used as burial sites for pharoahs
711
Moors reached Spain via Morocco
King Arthur
Morgan Le Fay
Oval Office
The office of the U.S. President, located in the West Wing of the White House in Washington D.C.
Come live with me and be my love
The opening line of "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love," a poem by Christopher Marlowe
agnostisism
The position of believing that knowledge of the extisence or non-existence of god is impossible
Shakespeare
The quality of mercy is not strained (author)
Merchant of Vince
The quality of mercy is not strained (play)
River Styx
The river in Greek mythology that you cross when you die to the underworld
Nile river
The river in which early kingdoms in Egypt were centered around.
osmosis
The seeping of fluid through a seemingly solid barrier such as a cell wall or rubber sheet When concentration is the same on both sides
Nirvana
The state of enlightenment for Buddhists.
Darius
The third king of the Persian Achaemenid Empire. He ruled the empire at its peak. He organized the empire by dividing it into provinces and placing satraps to govern it. He organized a new uniform money system, along with making Aramaic the official language of the empire. He also worked on construction projects throughout the empire.
Count Dracula
The title character of DRACULA, a novel from the late 19th century by the English author Bram Stocker Count Dracula, a vampire, is from Transylvania, a region of Eastern Europe now in Rumania To lay the vampire Dracula spirt to rest, one must drive a wooden stake through his heart Count Dracula was played in films by the Hungarian born actor Bela Lugosi
You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink.
You can show people how to do things but you can't force them to do it.
lost generation
Young adults of Europe and American during WWI after wat many were disillusioned win the world unwilling to settle life
Sir Galahad (Mythology)
Young knight who could see the holy grail, in the tales of "King Arthur"
as you make your bed so must you lie in it.
Your decisions have consequences
Youth is Wasted on the Young
Youths waste their youth doing youthful things of little use, and those who are mature enough to do useful things lack youth.
never say die
Never give up
Gift of the Magi
O'Henry couple sells most important things to them to get the other gifts, but the gifts are for the things they gave awaya
1929
October = Black Thursday, Stock Market Crash started worldwide Economic Depression
Serfs
People who gave their land to a lord and offered their servitude in return for protection from the lord.
A little learning is a dangerous thing.
People who know only a little are prone to error and don't know they know so little.
Shangri- La
Perpetual land
Griots
Professional oral historians who served as keepers of traditions and advisors to kings within the Mali Empire
Scribes
Professional writers
"East is East and West is West and never the twain shall meet"
Rikki Tikki Tavi
Tigris/Euphrates Rivers
Rivers that gave life to the Fertile Crescent
Cortes
The Spanish conqueror of Mexico.
all that glitters is not gold
The attractive external appearance of something is not a reliable indication of its true nature
The Education of Henry Adams
The autobiography of a member of the Adams family of New England Adams mingles a partial story of his life with an indictment of his education and reflection on the fundamental ideas of modern times and of the Middle Ages
"Youth is wasted on the young"
The benefits of youth are not appreciated until one becomes older and no longer has them such as sharpness, health, and time.
Robert Burnes
The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry (Author)
"To a Mouse."
The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry (Poem)
Familiarity breeds contempt.
The better we know people, the more likely we are to find fault with them.
Harry Truman
The buck stops here (Author)
Alexis de Tocqueville
a French historian of the 19th century. His book Democracy in America was the first impartial study of institutions in the new nation
Iliad
a Greek epic poem (attributed to Homer) describing the siege of Troy
bat mitzvah
a bar mitzvah for girls
Marathon
a battle in 490 BC in which the Athenians and their allies defeated the Persians
tempest in a teapot
a big fuss over an unimportant thing
Swahili Culture
a blending of African and Islamic cultures on the east coast of Africa
Cheshire cat
a cat with an enormous grin encountered by Alice in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. "Smiling like a Cheshire cat" refers to anyone with a conspicuous and long-lasting smile
bar mitzvah
a ceremony in Judaism when a boy turns 13 and is considered a man.
Kangaroo Court
a court that ignores the principal of justice
Bluebeard
a fairy tale character from the Charles Perrault collection; killed six wives because they disobeyed him by looking behind a door that held the corpses of his former wives
Timbuktu
a faraway place
Grim Reaper
a figure commonly used to represent death; carries a scythe
anthropomorphism
a form of personification
impeachment
a formal accusation of wrongdoing against a public official; House of Representatives can vote; the Senate actually tries the case
Great Wall
a fortification 1,500 miles long built across northern China in the 3rd century BC
Great wall
a fortification 1,500 miles long built across northern China in the 3rd century BC
Greatest good for the greatest number
a goal put forth for governments: they should be judged by the results of their policies, and specifically, whether those policies benefit the majority
Circe
a goddess of magic in the oddessy
Gordian Knot
a great puzzle made by a Greek king. Whoever loosened it would rule Asia. The knot was finally cut by Alexander the Great
Swahili Culture
a group of people along the coast of Africa
Pantheon
a group of persons most highly regarded for contributions to a field or an endeavor
Bolshevik
a group that brought communism to Russia during Revolution
cliche (accent going right on 'e')
a hackneyed(overused) phrase e.g. "last but not least"
Sisyphus
a king in Classical Mythology who offended Zeus and was punished by being forced to roll an enormous boulder to the top of a steep hill. Every time the boulder was near the top, it would roll back down, and Sisyphus would have to start over. A difficult and futile task may be called a "Sisyphean task"
blue-collar worker
a labor worker that is paid by the hour; work by hand
Basilica
a large hall/building from ancient Rome
Give me your tired, your poor
a line from the poem, "The New Colossus," by the 19th century American poet, Emma Lazarus
Casanova
a man who likes to seduce women
Labyrinth
a maze made by Daedalus to hide the Minotaur; famously complicated and full of traps
Dido
a mischievous prank; queen of Catherage
Birth of a Nation
a movie about racism very controversial (1915), ground breaking in film history too, bad reputation
Concerto
a musical composition for a solo instrument such as a piano or violin or instruments accompanied by an orchestra.
Phoenix
a mythical bird that periodically burned itself to death & emerged from the ashes as a new phoenix
forty winks
a nap or brief sleep
closed shop
a now illegal practice in which employees had to join a union before being hired.
wolf in sheep's clothing
a person intentionally appearing harmless by concealing the signs of danger
Big brother
a person or organization that control people's lives from 1984 by George Orwell
his bark is worse than his bite
a person sounds harsh or mean but is actually less so or not that way at all
Uneasy lies the hand that wears the crown
a person who has great responsibilities is constantly worried and therefore doesn't sleep soundly
bohemian
a person who has unusual social habits, usually artists
forte
a person's strong point
conscientious objector
a person, who for reasons of conscience, objects to military service
American Dream
a phrase connoting hope for prosperity & happiness, symbolized by owning a house
behaviorism
a physiological theory to study the behavior of an individual
concentration camp
a place to confine political prisoners and enemies of a nation.
goethe, Johann
a poet
euphemism
a politically correct way of stating something harsh. Ex. dead people from bomb is collateral damage. Fat is Big-boned.
Borgias
a powerful, wealthy, influential, Italian Family
spontaneous combustion
a process by which a collection of materials catches fire w/o the application of heat from an outside source
"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others"
a proclamation by the pigs who control the government in Animal Farm by George Orwell
Apocalypse
a prophetic revelation, especially one concerning the end of the world
counterculture
a protest movement by American youth in the late l960's to late l970's; the hippie movement
freud, sigmound
a psycologstl father of modern psycology
lame duck
a public official or administration serving out a term in office after having been defeated for reelection or when not seeking reelection
prima donna
a sensitive person who is temperamental & difficult to work with; Italian for "first lady"
A Christmas Carol
a story by Charles Dickens about the spiritual conversion of the miser Ebenezer Scrooge
allegory
a symbolic representation
extrovert
a term to describe a person whose motives & actions are directed outward; introduced by Carl Jung
aphorism
a terse saying embodying in general truth or astute observation
bee in his bonnet
a thing about which one is always complaining
Trial by Jury
a trial in which the issue is determined by a judge and a jury, usually with 12 members, whose job is to determine facts and make a judgment of guilty or not guilty; protected in the Sixth Amendment
megalopolis
a very large urban complex involving several cities or towns.
Griots
a west African storyteller
subpeona
a writ/document that requires a witness to appear at a trial or other proceeding to provide testimony.
Narcissus
a youth who fell in love with his own reflection; people absurd in themselves
a.k.a.
abbreviation for "also known as"
free will
ability to choose (not fate)
What is the point of where motion stops
absolute zero
kill two birds with one stone
accomplish two goals with one action
Oedipus
according to Freud, a boy's sexual desires toward his mother and feelings of jealousy and hatred for the rival father.
make ends meet
acquire the resources necessary to fulfill basic needs
G.O.P
acronym meaning Grand Ol' Party referring to the Republicans, coined by Thomas Nast
Catharsis
act of releasing strong emotion
the cold shoulder
actions by one or others to avoid granting forms of social acceptance to another
crocodile tears
an insincere show of sympathy or sadness crocodiles were once thought to "weep" large tears before they ate their victims
crocodile tears
an insincere show of sympathy or sadness; crocodiles were once thought to "weep" large tears before they ate their victims.
Baroque
an style of arquitecture and art from italy
dark horse
an unexpected winner
Babylon
ancient city in south east asia; place of luxury and wickedness
Carthage
ancient city state in North Africa
Cherubim
angels in art that are chubby with wings
on the warpath
angry and inclined to taking hostile action
fauna
animals of a particular region
Christ+ Messiah=?
annointed one
nose out of joint
annoyed because someone else is receiving recognition or one feels unappreciated
bread and circuses
anything used by the gov to distract the people to keep the people in line
What do you call a story that is likely false but has meaning
apocryphal
cassandra
apollo gave her the gift of prophecy and he cursed her. She could tell the future, but nobody believed her during the war. Princess of Troy
azimuth
arc of the horizon
impressionism
art movement from Paris (mood of the moment instead of reality or specific detail_
Death of a Salesman
arthur miller
clean bill of health
assurance from a credible source that one is in good and able condition
What is the branch of philosophy concerning beauty
asthetics
Adonis
attractive young men
chrisma
attractiveness or charm that inspires others
Orwell
author of Animal Farm
Chaucer and Canterbury Tales
author of these famous stories who wrote them in the English language
Charles Dickens
bah, humbug
Zodiac
band of sky along which sun moon and most planets, divided into 12 parts
carry a torch fo
be infatuated with
Taj Mahal
beautiful mausoleum at Agra built by the Mogul emperor Shah Jahan (completed in 1649) in memory of his favorite wife
turn over a new leaf
begin anew with a significant change in one's ways
tenderfoot
beginner
Divine right of Kings
beliefs that God gives kind the power to rule
Hector
best Trojan warrior; killed by Achilles and dragged behind his chariot
George Orwell
big brother is watching (author)
1984
big brother is watching (book)
What is apocrypha
books in the Bible not verified by the church
born with a silver spoon in one's mouth
born into a wealthy family
black death
bubonic plague, bacterial infection
What religon emphasizes on physical and spiritual discipline and freeing from the physical world
budhism
What is Saint Bartholemew the patron saint of?
butchers
Who said " I think therefore I am"
cagito ergo sum and rene descaftes
What is the name of art using distortion of the subject
caricature
What is the bas reief
carving, sculpture with raised backround to give 3-d effect
What is the holy wisdom
cathederal in Istanbul
Counter-reformation
catholic reaction to protestant reformation
cogito ergo sum
"I think; therefore, I am." - Rene Descartes
Cupid
"Love sees not with the eyes but with the mind, and thus winged cupid is painted blind"
circumlocution
"speaking around"; a roundabout way of speaking or writing.
coup de grace
"stroke of mercy"; the final blow; originally a merciful stroke that put a fatally wounded person out of his misery or a shot delivered to the head of a prisoner after he faced the firing squad.
Magna Carta
"the Great Charter"; a written legal agreement signed in 1215 that limited the English monarch's power
"Death, be not proud"
'for whom the bell tolls'
Give me your tired, your poor
'new colossus' emma lazarus
What does Nieresal, a Biblical character, do and what does she ask for after
dances for uncle and asks for St. John the Baptist's head on a silver platter
touch and go
dangerously uncertain
Electra
daughter of Agamemnon; sister of Orestes and Iphigenia; killed her mother Clytemnestra and her lover,...
Antigone
daughter of Oedipus
Helen of troy
daughter of Zeus; caused trojan war; beautiful
coup de grace
death blow
go to pot
decay or become rundown
bread circuses
declining heroism of roman culture
In the defecit?
defecit/ loss
Globe Theater
destroyed in 1613 fire
eat someone out of house and home
devour another person's vital resources, particularly food
read between the lines
discern the actual meaning of a communication
diffusion
dispersion
beware of Greeks bearing gifts
do not trust enemies who bring you gifts--they could very well be playing a trick; from the story of the Trojan Horse
agnosticism
doesn't believe in God, but doesn't deny the possibility
till the cows come home
doing a thing until its completion though that completion requires a long time
rule the roost
dominate a social group
Fountain of Youth
drinking had the power to make you young again
William the Conqueror
duke of Normandy who led the Norman invasion of England and became the first Norman to be King of England
acronym
each letter of the name stands for the definition
St. Augustine
early christian philosopher
What is the wealthy, south american city?
el dorado
Vladimir Putin
elected prime minister of Russia in 2000, launched reforms aimed at boosting growth and budget revenues and keeping Russia on a strong economic track.
catharsis
emotional relief through arts
homer
epic poet, wrote the iliad and oddessy
What is freudian ship
error in speech tha reveals in repressed thoughts/ feelings
What is the name of inspiration/ solution
eureka effect
Enlightenment
european intellectual period; age of reason; late 1700s
the devil is in the details
even the grandest projects depend on the success of the smallest components
Tom, Dick, and Harry
everyone or just anyone
lock, stock, and barrel
everything or the whole thing
red tape
excessive formality and routine required before official action can be taken
bite the dust
experience defeat or destruction at the hands of another
Juan Ponce de Leon
explorer who looked for the fountain of youth in Florida
Slang (Written English)
expression that is not considered standard English
take the bull by the horns
face up to a difficult situation directly
between a rock and a hard place
facing two difficult choices or situations
sour grapes
failing to obtain something, one takes that attitude that it wasn't actually worth having
Who is beezelbub
fallen angel, demon, satan " lord of the flies"
Brueghel
family of Dutch painters (Netherlands)
Lourve
famous art museum in Paris, France. Artwork such as the Mona Lisa is displayed there.
Dumas
famous historical french writer
Daedalus
famous inventor; made the labyrinth; father of Icarus
Aeneas
famous leader in trojan war
angst
feelings of anxiety or dread
Amazons
female warrior tribe
charon
ferry-men of the dead/hell
coupe de grace
final blow or shot to kill a wounded person
Xavier
first (Catholic) missionary, baptized about 100 people before leaving Japan
Agustus ceaser
first emperor of Rome
classicism
following of ancient greek/roman principles
coup d'etat
forceful change of government
Remus and Romulus
founders of Rome, supposedly raised by wolves, one killed the other then named Rome after himself
bonhomie
frank and simple good-heartedness a good-natured manner friendliness geniality
ancien regime
french government before government; any form of gov that has been replaced with something better
give the devil his due
from Don Quixote; admit when there is some good even in a person you dislike.
"Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown"
from the Shakespeare's play King Henry The Fourth, Part Two also means that a person who has great responsibilities, such as a king, is constantly worried and therefore does not sleep soundly (Sword of Damocles)
King Author
gained the throne by pulling the sword Excalibur from a stone; court was at Camelot, Knights of the Round Table; associated with him: Merlin, Sir Lancelot, Queen Guinevere, etc.
Who was the mongolian general/ emperor
genghis khan
faust
gernman legend sells his sole to the devil for money
hit the nail on the head
get straight to the heart of an issue or problem
Blarney Stone
gift of gab
Hephaestus
god of fire and metalworking; blacksmith of the gods; is deformed and lame; married to Aphrodite or one of the three Graces
apollo
god of music, poetry, art, medicine, sun, light, truth, good looks, archery
Hades
god of the Underworld and ruler of the dead
Poseidon
god of the sea; portrayed as bearded with a scaly tail with a trident, or three-pronged spear
athena
goddess fo wisdom
Ceres
goddess of agriculture and fertility and grains
Aphrodite
goddess of beauty and love
Demeter
goddess of grain, agriculture, and the harvest; mother of Persephone; created the cycle of seasons while she was mourning for her daughter Persephone
artemis
goddess of hunt, forests, and archery
Aphrodite
goddess of love and beauty
Hera
goddess of marriage; wife of Zeus; famous for violence, jealousy, and animosity towards the mortals of Zeus' affairs
Athena
goddess of wisdom
out of the frying pan into the fire
going from a bad situation to one that is actually worse
What does gesundheit mean
good health
What happened to the goose who laid a golden egg, and why did this happen?
got killed by owner, greed, he wanted more
What is the name of the type of architecture that is the Notre Dame cathederal
gothic
Chartres Cathedral
gothic architecture preserved; medieval catholic church in France
give the devil his due
grant credit to an opponent without conceding the contest or continued rivalry
Black friday?
great profit for companies
Damocles' sword
greek myth: person person who sits in a throne with a sword above their head held up by a strong which is basically symbolic of fate and that one's fortune can change
Iliad
greek poem written by Homer about Troy
Beowulf
grendel and mother
get up on the wrong side of the bed
grouchy for no obvious reason
What is the most valuable thing in Rome
gulf in Forum
chimera
had the head of a lion, the body of a goat, and a tail of a dragon or serpent; a "_____" is a wild creation of the imagination
Minotaur
half-bull, half-man creature; son of Queen Pasiphae; fed fourteen Athenians every nine years; killed by Thesus, prince of Athens
Satyrs
half-man and half-goat
Get thee to a nunnery
hamlet
once in a blue moon
happening very rarely
eat crow
having to acknowledge contradiction or defeat, particularly regarding an argument
Samuri
highly trained Japanese warriors
golgotha
hill where Jesus was crucified (place of suffering)
keep your fingers crossed
hope that nothing will ruin the accomplishment of plans as they unfold
Big Ben
huge clock in London
milk of human kindness
humane feelinf and concern for other people, in MacBet by William Shakespeare
What does eurka mean
i have found it
utopia
ideal society book title of Sir Thomas More (no real place)
Achilles
impervious skin except for heel
bat mitzvah
important ceremony in judaism marking the beginning of religious responsibilities for Jewish girls
Oedipus
in Freud's theory, the conflict which results in a boy gaining a superego and beginning to emulate his father
fish out of water
in a place or situation where one feels one doesn't belong
catch-as-catch-can
in a situation where one must make do with available resources
at sixes and sevens
in a state of confusion & disorder
at sixes and sevens
in a state of total confusion or disarray
in hot water
in deep trouble
determinism
in ethics, the view that human actions are entirely controlled by previous conditions operating under laws of nature; often rules out free will.
Cresendo
increasing in sound
Gangrene
infection caused by lack of blood
crocodile tears
insincere grief
you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear
it is impossible to make something excellent from poor material
Dante
italian middle ages writer, know for the Devine Comedy
Botticelli
italian, renaissance painter, painted the birth of venus
the green-eyed monster
jealousy
Hammarabi
king of the Babylonian empire; creator of the code of Hammarabi; one of the worlds oldest codes of law
Blarney Stone
kiss it for good luck
Sir Lancelot
knight of the Round Table; has a love affair with Queen Guinevere that leads to the end of Camelot
armageddon
last battle between good and evil (end of the world)
Cleopatra
last pharaoh of Egypt; had relationships with Julius Caesar and Marc Antony; Octavian's enemy
What is the eleventh hour
last possible moment to accomplish something
Epluribus Unum
latin for "one, out of many" It means that many states form one or many people/religions/ethnicities form one.
carpe diem
latin term meaning "seize the day", live life to the fullest
Alma mater
latin term meaning nourishing mother, the school one graduated from
blue law
law prohibiting actives, ridiculous moral laws
Attila
leader of the Huns who put pressure on the Roman Empire's borders during the 5th century
Louis Armstrong
legendary trumpeter greatest jazz player ever performed trumpet solos, which he imprevised
Vassals
lesser lords who pledged their service and loyalty to a greater lord -- in a military capacity
caveat emptor
let the buyer be ware
the pot calling the kettle black
leveling an accusation that actually fits the accuser very well
chip on one's shoulder
likelihood of reacting with sudden aggression at the slightest perceived provocation
creationism
literal belief in the biblical accuracy of creation as it appears in Genesis.
hyperbole
literary term/device that uses exaggeration
What is allegio
lively music tempo
asceticism
living a life of extreme self denial for religion
through thick and thin
loyal regardless of the difficulties the object of that loyalty faces
modus operandi
m.o. method of operation
Calvin
made the religion Calvinism, which added to the Protestant reformation, and made a society where they formed the church.
Golden Fleece
magic winged ram
basilica
main church of Rome
The boy who cried wolf
one of Aesop's fables; tricked his fellow villagers by making them think he needed help; to "cry wolf" means to issue a false alarm
Vikings
one of a seafaring Scandinavian people who raided the coasts of northern and western Europe from the eighth through the tenth century.
bull in a china shop
one who deals with delicate situations awkwardly, risking much damage
Achilles' heel
one's weakness; achilles was invincible except his heel because it wasn't put in water and that is where he was taken down
Cyclops
one-eyed giants tricked by Odysseus and his crew
What are the names of people who have to say a special password an from arabian nights
open sesime
anal personality
oppresses over orderliness w/a serious attitude
Delphic Oracle
oracle; sacred temple of apollo; to get a phropahcy
alter ego
other/second self that is a secret identity
tit for tat
returning exactly what's received - "quid pro quo"
Valllyrises
ride amongst fallen and take worthy to valhalla
Gather ye rosebuds while ye may
robert herrick to the virgins to make much of time
Lady Godiva
rode naked through Coventry, England covered by her hair in an attempt to make her husband lower the town's taxes; lived in the 11th century
Lady Godiva
rode naked through streets of Coventry to get husband to lower taxes peeping tom
Rox romana
roman peace enformed within its boundaries
Crossing the ___ is the point of no_____
rubicon, return
oligarch
rule of the few in a dominant class government of the few
Melancholy
sadness, depression
"Discretion is the better part of valor."
said by Falstaff in King Henry IV; caution is preferable to rash behavior.
cadre
scheme
What is alchemy
science dealing with chemistry , magic, base metals to gold
Archarologist
scientist who learns about past human life by studying fossils and artifacts.
bas relief
sculpture where figures project slightly from the background
Pythias
sentenced to death; left his friend in his place while he went to get his affairs in order; saved his friend and himself at the last minute through the power of friendship
fly by night
shady or untrustworthy
Magna Charta
signed by King John of England, it kept th power of the English king from becoming 'absolute" therefore his power was limited.
coupe d'etat
silent overthrow of the government
Orestes
sister of Electra; son of Argamemnon and Clymenstra; killed Clymenstra and her lover
conflict of interest
situation in which a public official's decisions are affected by his personal interests and by which he could profit personally.
Grim- reaper- death
skeleton
What does the jolly roger flag have on it
skull with crossover
faux pas
social blunder, false step
Saint George
soldier of the Roman Empire in the year 300; rescued the king's daughter who was being held by a dragon; subdued the dragon so the princess could tie it and then led it back to the city, killing it in front of many onlookers; patron saint of England
What is a beatnik
someone who doesn't follow rules and customs hippies
double entendre
something w/ 2 meanings, but the second meaning is risqué
Icarus
son of Daedalus; killed because he fell to his death after melting his wax-glued wings
William Blake
songs of innocence and experience
Delphic Oracle
soothsayers
Parting is such sweet sorrow
sorrowful parting is sweet because it makes them think about the next time they will see each other
" things can't have/ get"
sour grapes, Hesopos Fables
Cercantes
spanish author and poet of the 16th century
off the cuff
speaking without deep thought
the squillo
the piercing sound singers use to project over the orchestra can shatter glass(opera)
crossing the Rubicon
to pass a point of no return; originally from Julius Caesar during war
playing second fiddle
to play supporting or minor role in relation to someone else
sit on the fence
to remain neutral
Cut the Gordian knot
to solve a notoriously difficult problem in a quick and decisive manner according to Greek legend, an oracle declared that the man who could untie the Gordian Knot would become the ruler of all Asia. Alexander the Great impatiently cut it with a single stroke of his sword and proceeded to conquer Asia
beat around the bush
to speak of related matters to a main point but never address the key point
Crossing the Rubicon
to take an irreversible step, often involving some danger
cool one's heels
to wait for a long time
Lizzie Borden
took an ax and gave her mother forty wacks, and when she saw what she had done, she gave her mother 41.
fascism
totalitarian government with a dictator
beyond the pale
totally unacceptable
What did Faust do
traded with the devil his soul for knowledge
deciduous
transitory
Who conquered byzantine empire and when
turks, 15th century
Rombus and Romeus
two brothers, raised by she wolfs, Romuus kills brother establishes Rome
Yin and Yang
two forces in the universe, according to Chinese Theory: Yin is the passive, negative force, and Yang the active, positive force
Sunni and Shiah
two major branches of islam
William Blake
tyger, tyger, buring bright in the forest of the night what immortal hand or eye could frame thy fearful symmetry
for the birds
worthless
Candide
young, optimistic man; title of a novel by Voltaire
Who is the god of the west wind
zephyr
Paul Bunyan
Giant
Homer
A Greek poet, author of the Iliad and the Odyssey
Achilles' heel
A point of vulnrabilty
The Boy Who Cried Wolf
Aesop Fable
"A Psalm of Life"
Footprints on the sand of time (Poem)
Pope
Head of the Roman Catholic Church
Anne Boleyn
Henry VIII mistress during the time of the English Reformation, she gave birth to Elizabeth, future queen of England. One of the reasons Henry VIII wanted to get his marriage to Catherine annulled is so that he could marry her.
Pound of Flesh (Shakespeare)
People who cruelly demand the repayment of a debt
Vikings
Invaders of Europe that came from Scandinavia
Gutenberg
Invented the printing press
deux ex machina
Invention of some likely event in order to extricate one from the difficulty
Ottoman Empire
Islamic state founded by Osman in northwestern Anatolia ca. 1300. After the fall of the Byzantine Empire.
Ottoman Empire
Islamic state founded by Osman in northwestern Anatolia. After the fall of the Byzantine Empire, the Ottoman Empire was based at Istanbul (formerly Constantinople) from 1453-1922. It encompassed lands in the Middle East, North Africa, the Caucasus, and eastern Europe.
95 Theses
It was nailed to a church door in Wittenberg, Germany in 1517 and is widely seen as being the catalyst that started the Protestant Reformation. It contained Luther's list of accusations against the Roman Catholic Church.
Galileo
Italian astronomer who found the sun's location
Marco Polo (Italian)
Italian explorer of the last 13th century and early 14th century. 1st european to travel across Asia
Columbus
Italian navigator who discovered the New World in the service of Spain while looking for a route to China (1451-1506)
Catcher in the Rye
JD Salinger
"Death, be not proud"
John Donne
Who had a conflict of man vs. technology
John Henry
Shakespeare
Pound of flesh (Author)
Merchant of Vince
Pound of flesh (Play)
czar
old Russian equivalent of a king
old hat
old-fashioned or out of date
What does Calvary mean and what happened there?
" place of skulls", the hill of Jesus crucifixition
"All's the world's a stage"
"As You Like It"
Captain Ahab
"Call me Ishmael"
GOP
"Grand Old Party" referring to Republican Party. Thomas Nast.
RSVP (French)
"Respond of you please"
VJ Day
"Victory over Japan day" is the celebration of the Surrender of Japan during World War II, which was initially announced on August 15, 1945
Death of a Salesman
"a small man can be just as exhausted as a great man"
"All's the world's a stage"
"and all the men and women are merely players
coup d'etat
"blow to the government"; a quick seizure of governmental power by a strong military or political group; does not involve a mass uprising, but rather a takeover of national radio and tv services.
Brave New World
"brave new world/that has such people in it"
de jure
"determined by law";
de facto
"in fact"; something generally accepted or agreed to without any formal decision in its favor.
"Do not go gentle into that good night"
"rage against the dying of the light"
Renaissance
"rebirth"; following the Middle Ages, a movement that centered on the revival of interest in the classical learning of Greece and Rome
critical mass
(1) in physics the amount of material needed to produce a chain reaction that will sustain itself; (2) in general, the minimum amount needed to produce an effect (i.e. the town needs a critical mass of industry to attract more business.)
Aztecs
(1200-1521) 1300, they settled in the valley of Mexico. Grew corn. Engaged in frequent warfare to conquer others of the region. Worshiped many gods (polytheistic). Believed the sun god needed human blood to continue his journeys across the sky. Practiced human sacrifices and those sacrificed were captured warriors from other tribes and those who volunteered for the honor.
Prince Henry
(1394-1460) Prince of Portugal who established an observatory and school of navigation at Sagres and directed voyages that spurred the growth of Portugal's colonial empire.
Erasmus
(1466?-1536) Dutch Humanist and friend of Sir Thomas More. Perhaps the most intellectual man in Europe and widely respected. Believed the problems in the Catholic Church could be fixed; did not suport the idea of a Reformation. Wrote Praise of Folly.
Michelangelo
(1475-1564) An Italian sculptor, painter, poet, engineer, and architect. Famous works include the mural on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, and the sculpture of the biblical character David.
Raphael
(1483-1520) Italian Renaissance painter; he painted frescos, his most famous being The School of Athens.
Henry VIII
(1491-1547) King of England from 1509 to 1547; his desire to annul his marriage led to a conflict with the pope, England's break with the Roman Catholic Church, and its embrace of Protestantism. Henry established the Church of England in 1532.
Vesalius
(1514-1564) A Flemish scientist who challenged traditional anatomy with his text "On the Construction of the Human Body." Created with numerous illustrations of public dissections.
Descartes
(1596-1650) French philosopher, discovered analytical geometry. Saw Algebra and Geometry have a direct relationship. Reduced everything to spiritual or physical.
Newton
(1642-1727) An English natural philosopher who studied at Cambridge and eventually developed the laws of movement found among the bodies of Earth. Spent his life dedicated to the study of mathematics (created calculus) and optics. Published Principal Mathematical and discovered the law of universal gravitation.
Newton
(1642-1727) An English natural philosopher who studied at Cambridge and eventually developed the laws of movement found among the bodies of Earth. Spent his life dedicated to the study of mathematics (created calculus) and optics. Published Principia Mathematica and discovered the law of universal gravitation.
Archimedes
(287-212 BCE) Greek mathematician and inventor. He wrote works on plane and solid geometry, arithmetic, and mechanics. He is best known for the lever and pulley.
Alexander the Great
(356 BCE-323 BCE) He conquered most of the ancient world from Asia Minor to Egypt and India, which began the Hellenistic culture which was a blending of Greek, Persian, Indian, and Egyptian influences.
Manifest destiny
1800s belief that Americans had the right to spread across the continent from east to west.
Socrates
(470-399 BCE) An Athenian philosopher who thought that human beings could lead honest lives and that honor was far more important than wealth, fame, or other superficial attributes.
Confucius
(551-479 BCE) A Chinese philosopher known also as Kong Fuzi and created one of the most influential philosophies in Chinese history.
Augustus
(63 BCE - 14 CE) First emperor of Rome (27 BCE - 14 CE) He restored order and prosperity to the Empire after nearly a century of turmoil. Grandnephew to Julius Caesar.
Charlemagne
(768-814 CE) Crowned king in 800 CE by the pope; can be compared to Harsha; brought back unified rule to Europe only during his life; used the missi dominici to check up on imperial officials.
Trojan war
(Greek mythology) a great war fought between Greece and Troy
Zeus
(Greek mythology) the supreme god of ancient Greek mythology
Moses
(Old Testament) the Hebrew prophet who led the Israelites from Egypt across the Red sea on a journey known as the Exodus
Thomas Aquinas
(Roman Catholic Church) Italian theologian and Doctor of the Church who is remembered for his attempt to reconcile faith and reason in a comprehensive theology
Euclid
(circa 300 BCE), Greek mathematician. Considered to be the father of modern geomertry.
Common law
(civil law) a law established by following earlier judicial decisions
Idiom
(n.) an expression whose meanings cannot be inferred from the meanings of the words that make it up. For example " Lunch is on the house."
Utopia
(n.) an imaginary and remote place of perfection (Everyone in the world wants to live in a utopia, but no one can agree how to go about building one.)
Mason-Dixon Line
(n.)The Mason and Dixon line was perceived as a divider between the North and the South.
Henry the 8th
*Was a King of England, part of the Tudor Dynasty
Agustus
1st emperor of Rome
Neil Armstrong
1st man on the moon, Apollo 11.
Catherine of Aragon
1st wife of Henry VIII. Mother of Mary I. Henry's desire for a divorce from her precipitated England's break with Rome.
Pax Romana
200 year period of peace in Rome.
Vladimir Putin
2nd and 4th President of Russia.
coup de grace
1) a death blow, especially one delivered mercifully to end suffering 2) any finishing or decisive stroke literally, blow of mercy
watershed
1) a higher ridge where waters divide 2) an important point between 2 phases
Trojan War
10 year war fought between the Mycenaean Greeks and the city of Troy
Genghis Kahn
1162-1227. Leader and founder of Mongol tribes of Asia. Ruled from 1206-1227. Occupied most of Asia during reign.
Aegean stables
12 labors of Hercules to flush out much from the stables
Copernicus
1473-1543. Polish astronomer who was the first to formulate a scientifically based heliocentric cosmology that displaced the earth from the center of the universe. This theory is considered the epiphany that began the Scientific Revolution.
Thomas Moore
1516 wrote Utopia about an imaginary land inhabited by a peace-loving people, an ideal place. In Utopia, greed, corruption, war, and crime had been weeded out.
Who is Joan of Arc
17 years old, french militian leader who heard God speak to her
Charlemagne
800 AD crowned by the Pope as the head of the Holy Roman Empire, which extended from northern Spain to western Germany and northern Italy. His palace was at Aachen in central Europe
Martin Luther
95 Thesis, posted in 1517, led to religious reform in Germany, denied papal power and absolutist rule. Claimed there were only 2 sacraments: baptism and communion.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
> A children's book by Dr. Seuss > The _______, an sour and unpleasant creature, tries to prevent the fun and merrymaking of Christmas in his village by stealing all the gifts and decorations > The villagers celebrate the holiday anyway, and the _________ reforms > A miserly and unpleasant person- especially one who spoils other people's pleasures- can be called a "grinch"
Sherlock Holmes
> A fictional English detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle > Holmes's extraordinary powers of memory, observation, and deduction enable him to solve mysteries and identify criminals in cases that leave all other detectives baffled > His companion us Dr. Watson, who records his exploits
Give me your tired, your poor
> A line from the poem "New Colossus" by Emma Lazarus > This poem is on the plaque at the base of the Statute of Liberty
God's in his heaven- all's right with the world
> A line sung by a little Italian girl, Pippa, in the poem "Pippa Passes" by Robert Browning
The Great Gatsby
> A novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald > The book recounts the rise and fall of Jay Gatsby, a millionaire who makes elaborate schemes to win back his former mistress
The Grapes of Wrath
> A novel by John Steinbeck > The novel is about the hardships of an American farm family in the Dust Bowl during the 1930s > Forced off the land, the Joad family travels to California to earn a living harvesting fruit > The title is a phrase from "The Battle Hymn of the Republic"
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
> A novel by Mark Twain > Huck Finn, a boy running away from his father, and his friend Jim, a runaway slave, take to the Mississippi River on a raft > Eventually Jim is captured, and Huck helps him escape > The lessons Huck learns about life are a prevailing theme of the book
Great Expectations
> A novel by the English novelist Charles Dickens > Worldly ambitions lead a young boy, Pip, to abandon his true friends
Gone with the Wind
> A novel from the 1930s by the American author Margaret Mitchell > Set in Georgia during the Civil War, the book tells of the three marriages of the central character, Scarlett O'Hara, and the devastation caused by the war > The film version of 1939 is one of the most successful films ever made
"Gunga Din"
> A poem by Rudyard Kipling about the native water carrier for a British regiment in India
Gulliver's Travels
> A satire by Jonathan Swift > Lemuel ________, an Englishman, travels to exotic lands > He travels to Lilliput (where the people are six inches tall), Brobdingnag (where the people are seventy feet tall), and the land of Houyhnhms (where horses are the intelligent beings and humans, called Yahoos, are mute brutes of labor)
Uriah Heep
> A scheming blackmailer in "David Copperfield" by Charles Dickens > _______ continually insists that he is a "very 'umble person"
The horror
> A sentence spoken by the dying adventurer Kurtz in "Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad
Heart of Darkness
> A short novel by Joseph Conrad > The book concerns a seafarer, Marlow, who is sent to the interior of Africa in search of a "mad adventurer" named Kurtz > The book's title refers both to the location of the story and to the evil and darkness in people's hearts
Hamlet
> A tragedy by Shakespeare > The character of ________ has come to symbolize the person whose thoughtful nature is an obstacle to quick and decisive action > This is Shakespeare's longest play and contains numerous famous lines- the most famous is perhaps "To be or not to be: That is the question"
Nathaniel Hawethorne
> An American author of the 19th century known for his novels and short stories that explore themes of sin and guilt > His works include "The Scarlet Letter" and "The House of the Seven Gables"
Pythagoras
A Greek philosopher and mathematician, this man was credited with the discovery that numbers are useful for more than counting physical things.
Ernest Hemingway
> An American author of the 20th century > One of the Lost Generation of Americans living in Paris during the 1920s > His famous books are "A Farewell to Arms," "The Sun Also Rises," "For Whom the Bell Tells," and "The Old Man and the Sea"
O. Henry
> An American author of the 20th century known for "The Gift of the Magi" and other short stories > He specialized in surprise endings > His real name was William Sydney Porter
Langston Hughes
> An American author of the 20th century known for his poems about the black experience in the United States > A well-known line from one of his poems is "What happens to a dream deferred?/ does is dry up like a raisin in the sun?"
The Song of Hiawatha
> An epic by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, based on the story of an actual Native-American hero > The historical Hiawatha was an Onondaga from what is now New York State
My kingdom for a horse!
> An exclamation from the play "King Richard the Third" by Shakespeare > King Richard says this after his horse has been killed in battle, leaving him at the mercy of his enemies
How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is To have a thankless child
> Lines from the play "King Lear" by Shakespeare > These lines are spoken by King Lear after he has been betrayed by his two elder daughters
Had we but world enough, and time, This coyness, Lady, were no crime
> The first lines of "To His Coy Mistress," a poem from the 17th century by the English poet Andrew Marvell > The poet tells a woman whom he loves that if they had endless time and space at their disposal, then he could accept her unwillingness to go to bed with him > Life is short, however, and opportunities must be seized
Captain Hook
> The pirate-villain in the play Peter Pan > One of his hands has been devoured by a crocodile and replaced with a hook > He is eaten whole by the crocodile near the end of the play
Globe Theatre
> The theatre in London where many of the great plays of William Shakespeare himself acted at the ________ > It burned down and was rebuilt shortly before Shakespeare's death
Nebuchadnezzar
A Babylonian king who conquered Jerusalem,and built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon
Joseph Conrad
A British author of the late 19th century and early 20th centuries He based many of his works, including HEART OF DARKNESS and LORD JIM, on his adventures as a sailor
Taoism
A Chinese philosophy in which people live a simple life in harmony with nature.
Beauty and the beast
A French fairytale about a young woman lives with the Beast to return a favor. The Beast is dying without her when she leaves, so she returns to him, they are married, the evil spell is broken, and he becomes a handsome prince
Aristotle
A Greek Philosopher, taught Alexander the Great, started a famous school, studied with Plato
Crete
A Greek island in the Mediterranean Sea, southeast of Greece
Last supper
A Passover meal which literally became the last meal taken by Christ with his apostles, the night before his Passion. Through this meal, Christ instituted the Holy Eucharist and the priesthood.
Da Vinci
A Renaissance Man. he was a painter, sculptor, inventor, and a scientist. Painted Mona Lisa and The Last Supper.
Inquisition
A Roman Catholic tribunal for investigating and prosecuting charges of heresy - especially the one active in Spain during the 1400s.
Helen of Troy
A beautiful Greek woman, daughter of Zeus and Leda, who was kidnapped by Paris of Troy. The Trojan War began when the Greeks tried to get her back.
Taj Mahal
A beautiful tomb built by the Mughal ruler Shah Jahan to honor his wife.
The Prince
A book wrote by Niccolo Machiavelli in 1513 about the imperfect conduct of humans and says how a ruler is able to keep power and manage to keep it disregarding enemies.
Pandora's box
A box that zeus geabe to Pandora, the first woman, with strict instructions that she mot open it and unleash evil
Sunni
A branch of Islam whose members acknowledge the first four caliphs as the rightful successors of Muhammad
black hole of Calcutta
A cell in the jail of a british fort in Calcutta India. In the middle of the 18th century British and Indian troops clashed at fort -Bastille
Megalopolis
A chain of major cities roughly adjacent to each other. For example, the Northeast megalopolis includes the cities Boston, NYC, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and DC.
cathedral
A christian church building in which a bishop has his official seat
bee in one's bonnet
A chronic preoccupation often fanciful or eccentric
Canterbury Tales
A collection of stories written in the Middle-English by Geoffrey Chaucer at the end of the 14th century. These stories are told as part of the story telling contest by a group of pilgrims as they travel together on a journey
Charles Dickens
A great English novelist of the 19th century His works include A CHRISTMAS CAROL, DAVID COPPERFIELD ,GREAT EXPECTATIONS,and OLIVER TWIST He created many memorable characters, including Ebenezer Scrooge, Bob Cratchit, Fagin, Uriah Heep, Tiny Tim, and Samuel Pickwick Dickens used his books to portray the suffering of the working class at the time of the industrial revolution
A foolish inconsistency is the hobgoblin of little minds
A great person down not have to think consistently from one day to next.
ace in the hole
A hidden advantage or resource kept in reserve until needed
jihad
A holy war waged by Muslims against infidels. ( declared on the West)
Rosetta Stone
A huge stone slab inscribed with hieroglyphics, Greek, and a later form of Egyptian that allowed historians to understand Egyptian writing.
Injunction
A judicial order forcing a person or group to refrain from doing something. (applying injunction to prevent someone from visiting kids, that person will get arrested)
Parthenon
A large temple dedicated to the goddess Athena on the Acropolis in Athens, Greece. It was built in the 5th century BCE, during the Athenian golden age.
Common Law
A legal system based on custom and court rulings
Paul Bunyan
A legendary lumberjack who has a blue ox named babe. A character of tall tales (a story with unbelievable elements that are portrayed as being truth; lots of exaggeration).
Primrose Path (Idiom)
A life of ease and pleasure, the easy way out of a hard situation
Drink to me only with thine eyes
A line from a love poem by the 17th century English poet Ben Jonson He suggests that lovers find each other's glances so intoxicating that they have no need to drink wine
East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet
A line from a poem by Rudyard Kipling It continues a few lines later: " But there is neither East nor West... When two strong men stand face to face"
There's a divinity that shapes our ends
A line spoken by the title character in the play HAMLET, by William Shakespeare In referring to a divine power that influences human affairs, Hamlet is defending a decision he made suddenly, and is questioning the need for careful planning in all circumstances.
Alexander Pope
A little learning is a dangerous think (Author)
Gettysburg
A major, turning point battle in the U.S. Civil War. The Confederate army attacked the Union and lost.
Amerigo Vespucci
A mapmaker and explorer who said that America was a new continent, so America was named after him.
Don Quixote
A masterpiece written by Miguel Cervantes; satire that pokes fun at the tales of her relic nights and at Spanish society
Patricians
A member of one of the noble families of the ancient Roman Republic, which before the third century B.C. had exclusive rights to the Senate and the magistracies.
Euphemism
A mild word to substitute a more harsh or blunt word. For the PC, to make things seem better than they are. For example, instead of "fat", use "big boned".
Heliocentric
A model of the solar system in which Earth and the other planets revolve around the sun
lemmings to the sea
A moose like rodent that is blind who migrates to the sea to drown themselves
cliche
A much used expression that has lost its freshness and descriptive power
Sphinx
A mythical Egyptian beast with the body of a lion and the head of a human.
sequel (Written English)
A narrative or dramatic work completed in itself, but designed to follow an earlier one
Zulus
A native African group who fought with the Boers for control of the land were herders and agriculturists moved into southern Africa.
Carpetbaggers
A northerner who went to the South immediately after the Civil War; especially one who tried to gain political advantage or other advantages from the disorganized situation in southern states
David Copperfield
A novel by Charles Dickens, largely the story of Dickens own life David Copperfield is sent away to work at a very young age, and grows to manhood over the course of the book The account of Davids grim boyhood was designed to expose the cruel conditions of child labor in Britain at the time
Catch 22(title)
A novel by Joseph Heller it's a provision in army regulations
The Strange Case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde
A novel by Robert Louis Stevenson about the good Dr. Jekyll, whose well-intentioned experiments on himself periodically turn him into the cruel and sadistic Mr. Hyde Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde provide a classic example of split personality In addition, the two characters often serve as symbols of the good and evil side of a single personality.
Birch Society, John
A organization in the 1950s and 1960s that was concerned with the dangers of communism
Mona Lisa
A painting by Leonardo da Vinci of a woman with a mysterious smile. It is now of the most readily recognized paintings in the world.
Mona lisa
A painting by Leonardo da Vinci of a woman with a mysterious smile. It is now of the most readily recognized paintings in the world.
Pieta
A painting, drawing, or sculpture of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, holding the dead body of Jesus. The word means "pity" in Italian.
Pieta
A painting, drawing, or sculpture of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, holding the dead body of Jesus. The word means "pity" in Italian. By Michelangelo
modus operandi (M.O)
A particular way or method
Mongols
A people of this name is mentioned as early as the records of the Tang Empire, living as nomads in northern Eurasia. After 1206 they established an enormous empire under Genghis Khan, linking western and eastern Eurasia.
Stone Age
A period of time during which early humans made lasting tools and weapons mainly from stone; the earliest known period of human culture
Typhoid Mary
A person likely to cause disaster
Suffer fools badly
A person who doesn't tolerate the stupidity of others
Serfs
A person who lived on and farmed a lords land in feudal times
Split Infinitive (Written English)
A phrase in which "to" is separated from the verb
Elementary, my dear Watson
A phrase often attributed to Sherlock Holmes, the English detective in the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Holmes supposedly says this to his amazed companion, Dr. Watson, as he explains his reasoning in solving a crime These precise words are never actually used in any of Holmes stories
Rosetta Stone
A piece of granite found in Egypt used to translate different languages discovered in 1799.
Concerto
A piece of music meant for a solo instrument accompanied by an orchestra. Violin, piano cello concertos.
Hajj
A pilgrimage to Mecca, performed as a duty by Muslims
Death of a Salesman
A play from the 1940s by the American writer Arthur Miller Willy Loman, a salesman who finds himself regarded as useless in his occupation because of his age, kills himself.
Feudalism
A political system in which nobles are granted the use of lands that legally belong to their king, in exchange for their loyalty, military service, and protection of the people who live on the land
Shakespeare
A popular English playwright and poet in the 16th century.
"Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard"
A popular poem from the middle 18th century by the English poet Thomas Gray Famous lines from the poem are "The paths of glory lead but to the grave" and " Far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife/ Their sober wishes never leaned to stray"
forgive them; for they know not what they do
A prayer Jesus said on the cross, concerning those who put him there
Mesopotamia
A region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers that developed the first urban societies. In the Bronze Age this area included Sumer and the Akkadian, Babylonian and Assyrian empires, In the Iron Age, it was ruled by the Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian empires.
Protestant Reformation
A religious movement of the 16th century that began as an attempt to reform the Roman Catholic Church and resulted in the creation of Protestant churches.
Tigris
A river in southwestern Asia that flows through the eastern part of the Fertile Crescent
Euphrates
A river in southwestern Asia that flows through the southern part of the Fertile Crescent.
no man can serve two masters
A saying of Jesus "... for either he will hate the one and love the other."
Archaeologist
A scientist who examines objects to learn about the human past.
Pieta
A sculpture made by Michelangelo, located in St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.
Crusades
A series of holy wars from 1096-1270 AD undertaken by European Christians to free the Holy Land from Muslim rule.
Persia
A series of wars between the Greeks (mainly Athens) and the Persians in which the Greeks were usually victorious.
cock and bull story
A story that is false
Brutus
A supporter of the republic. Best friend of Caesar. He killed Caesar because he was worried Caesar will demolish the republic and it was for the good of Rome.
nonviolent resistance
A teqnique of demonstrating opposition to government activities simply by not cooperating with them
banana republic
A term describing any of several small nations in Latin America that have economies based on few agricultural crops
iron curtain
A term popularized by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to describe the Soviet Union's policy of isolation during the Cold War. The barrier separated Commnist countries from the NATO backed countries; restricitng anyone to leave from the Eastern European countries.
Pound of flesh
A term used by creditors who cruelly demand the repayment of a debt, no matter how much suffering it will cost the debtor.
Cerberus
A three headed dog that blocked the entrance of hades.
Triangular trade
A three way system of trade during 1600-1800s Africa sent slaves to America, America sent Raw Materials to Europe, and Europe sent Guns and Rum to Africa
Salad days
A time of youth and inexperience; often a better and more innocent time.
amp
A unit of electric current
Pyrrhic Victory
A victory in which the victor's losses are as great as the defeated. The victor loses so much that is wasn't really worth it in the end. The Pyrrhic War.
Pyrrhic Victory
A victory that is offset by staggering losses or that comes at a huge price
give the devil his due
Admit it when there is some good even in a person you dislike
Utopia
A work that presents a revolutionary view of society and describes an ideal socialistic community on an island somewhere off the mainland of the New World. He created the name utopia as a good place which is no place
Scab (Business and Economics)
A worker who stays on the job while others go on-strike, also is a worker brought to keep working so businesses keep running.
King Tut
A young king whose tomb was filled with jewelry, robes, burial masks, and ivory statues. These findings have helped people learn about Egypt's past
King tut
A young king whose tomb was filled with jewelry, robes, burial masks, and ivory statues. These findings have helped people learn about Egypt's past
R.I.P. (Latin)
Abbreviation for "rest in peace" often found on gravestones
Aqueducts
Above ground structures used to carry water long distances. Built by the ancient Romans.
Lee Harvey Oswald
Accused of assassinating JFK, but he was never convicted.
OPEC
Acronym for Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. Oil cartel. Saudi Arabia, Venezuela.
WASP
Acronym standing for White Anglo Saxon Protestant. All but two U.S. presidents were WASP and there are currently no Supreme Court Justices who are WASP.
Patriot Act
Act of Congress, passed by President Bush. Arming law enforcement with new tools to detect and prevent terrorism. Increased penalties for those who commit terrorist crimes.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964
Act that banned segregation and discrimination in public accommodations, facilities, and employment.
Brave New World
Aldous Huxley
Who wept because he had no more world to conquer
Alexander the Great
Plebeians
All non-land-owning, free men in Ancient Rome
Lincoln, McKinley, Garfield, JFK
All were U.S. presidents who were assassinated while in office.
Animal Farm
Allegorical Dystopian
Seven Deadly Sins
Also known as Cardinal Sins: Pride, Envy, Gluttony, Lust, Anger, Greed, Sloth
Aztecs
Also known as Mexica, they created a powerful empire in central Mexico (1325-1521 C.E.). They forced defeated peoples to provide goods and labor as a tax.
Genghis Khan
Also known as Temujin; he united the Mongol tribes into an unstoppable fighting force; created largest single land empire in history.
Jesuits
Also known as the Society of Jesus; founded by Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556) as a teaching and missionary order to resist the spread of Protestantism.
AFL- CIO
American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations. 1995. Largest federation of unions in the US.
Andy Warhol
American artist died in 1987 painted simple, bright, large paintings such as Campbell soup cans and Marilyn Monroe used a silk screen series and lead the pop art movement experiment art form
1776
American colonists declared independence from British
Garfield, McKinley, Lincoln, JFK
American presidents who were assassinated during their terms.
James Fenimore Cooper
An American author of the early 19th century, known for his works set on the American frontier Copper is best known for his series called THE LEATHERSTOCKING TALES, which includes the novel THE LAST OF THR MOHICANS
Emily Dickinson
An American poet of the 19th century, famous for her short, clever poems Some of her best-known poems begin, "There is no frigate like a book," " I never saw a moor," and "I'm nobody! Who are you?"
Jefferson Davis
An American politician who served as President of the Confederate States of America for its entire history from 1861 to 1865 during the American Civil War.
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
An English author of the early 19th century Coleridge was a leader of Romanticism His poems include " Kubla Khan" and "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner"
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
An English author of the late 19th century and early 20th century, creating the character Sherlock Holmes Doyle's works include " A Study in Scarlet," The Sign of the Four," and "THE HOUND OF BASKERVILLES"
Richard the lionhearted
An English king who lead the Crusaders in an attempt to regain the Holy Land from Saladin.
John Donne
An English poet and clergyman of the 17th century Donne is famous for his intricate metaphors contained in his metaphysical poetry (called conceits) He also wrote eloquent sermons and meditations His most famous line are "Death, be not proud," "No man is an island," and "For whom the bell tolls"
Montessori schools
An Italian educator of the twentieth century based on ones own child devopment
Enrico Caruso
An Italian tenor, considered one of the greatest tenors in the history of opera
anon
An abbreviation for anonymous - used to indicate unknown or unaknowlegded authorship
filabuster
An action such as a prolonged speech that obstructs progress in a legislative assembly while not technically contravening the required
Silk Road
An ancient trade route between China and the Mediterranean Sea extending some 6,440 km (4,000 mi) and linking China with the Roman Empire. Marco Polo followed the route on his journey to Cathay.
Louvre
An art museum in Paris, formerly a royal palace. The Mona Lisa is exhibited there.
Seller's market (Economics)
An economic which goods and situation which goods and shares are scarce so sellers can keep prices high
Coliseum
An elliptical amphitheater in the center of the city of Rome, Italy; the largest ever built in the Roman Empire
mea culpa
An expression to blame onesself
"The grass is always greener on the other side"
An idiom used to express that one's situation could seem better compared to another, but in reality it may not be. Situations always look better from the outside.
Fortune 500
Annual list of top 500 most profiting companies by Fortune magazine. Apple is a Fortune 500 company.
State of the Union
Annual speech delivered by the president consisting of what he's done/ his plan for the future in fulfillment of the constitutional obligation of reporting to Congress the state of the union.
Red herring
Any diversion intended to distract attention from the main issue
epigram
Any pithy witty saying or short poem, an aphorism can serve as an one if is brief
Adonis
Aphrodite's lover
adonis
Aphrodite's lover; someone very good looking
Where was the site of the final battle
Armagedlom
Diana
Artimas' roman name
Lee Harvey Oswald
Assassin of JFK. Drove through Dealey Plaza in Dallas, TX. Was shot, Jack Ruby shot him.
Guilds
Association of merchants or artisans who cooperated to protect their economic interests
Pseudoscience
Astrology is usually called ____.
Demosthenes
Athenian general known for his imaginative strategies speech impedement
Handel, Bach, Vivaldi
Baroque composers
Who was the cruel, 5th century king of western asia
Attila the Hun
Who does Pope Leo confront and why does he retreat
Attila, saw keys and sowords above pope
Post-mortem (Latin for After Death)
Autopsy, figuratively and analysis that follows an event
Montezuma
Aztec chieftan; encountered Cortes and the Spanish and saw that they rode horses; Montezuma assumed that the Soanush were gods. He welcomed them hospitably, but the explorers soon turned on the natives and ruled them for three centuries.
Paul Bunyan
Babe the Ox
What do you call any place of sin and corruption
Babylon
Heliocentric
Based on the belief that the sun is the center of the universe
1066
Battle of Hastings
The Battle of the Somme
Battle of WWI fought by British and French forces against German forces in 1915. No clear winner, one of the bloodiest battles in history.
laugh up one's sleev
Be secretly or inwardly amused
Alexander the Great
Between 334 and 323 B.C.E. he conquered the Persian Empire, reached the Indus Valley, founded many Greek-style cities, and spread Greek culture across the Middle East.
Westminster chimes
Big Ben strikes the quarter-hour with ______.
Mesopotamia
Birthplace of the Sumerian civilization among many others.
Pope
Bishop of Rome
1917
Bolshevik Revolution led by Vladamir Lenin to overthrow the Romanov Dynasty in Russia, beginning of Communism that lasted until 1991
Aqueducts
Bridge-like stone structures that carry water from the hills into Roman cities
1588
British defeated the Spanish Armada
Hooke
British scientist who examined cork through a microscope, coined the term "cell" because what he saw reminded him of the rooms in a monestary (p. 170).
buy a pig in a poke
Buying something with out first seeing it is
French
C'est la vie (Language)
Mark Antony
Caesar's right-hand man, teamed with Octavian to punish Caesar's murders, fell in love with Cleopatra, went into civil war, at Battle of Actium, he and Cleopatra fled and committed suicide
"the pot calling the kettle black"
Calling someone the same thing you are
Camelot
Capitol of king Authors kingdom
Latin
Carpe Diem (Language)
Hannibal
Carthaginian military commander who, in the Second Punic War, attempted a surprise attack on Rome, crossing the Alps with a large group of soldiers, horses, and elephants.
it takes two to tango
Certain activities cannot be performed with only one person
"Bluebeard"
Character who marries 7 women, kills 6, one obeys when he tells them not to look behind a dorr
Read the riot act
Chastise loudly or to issue a severe warning
Confucius
Chinese philosopher-479BC
Huang He/Yellow River
Chinese rivers used for farming
Charles Dickens
Christmas Carol
1492
Christopher Columbus arrived in North America, discovered the "New World". This marked the beginning of colonization.
Church of England
Church created in England as a result of a political dispute between Henry VIII and the Pope, Pope would not let Henry divorce his wife
Mecca
City in western Arabia; birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad, and ritual center of the Islamic religion.
Timbuktu
City on the Niger River in the modern country of Mali. It was founded by the Tuareg as a seasonal camp sometime after 1000. As part of the Mali empire, Timbuktu became a major major terminus of the trans-Saharan trade and a center of Islamic learning.
1860s
Civil War. Lincoln was 16th President; Industrial Revolution
80's
Class ceiling (Date)
Samurai
Class of warriors in feudal Japan who pledged loyalty to a noble in return for land.
From fairs where cigars were prizes
Close but no cigar (origin)
Chivalry
Code of conduct for knights during the Middle Ages
Chivalry
Code of honor and ethics taken by knights.
What did Columbus discover when he sailed west
Columbia
1492
Columbus sailed the ocean blue / Moors are defeated by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella
Plebeians
Common people
Narcissist
Conceited; having excessive self-love or admiration
Persia
Conflicts between Greek city-states and the Persian Empire, ranging from the Ionian Revolt (499-494 B.C.E.) through Darius's punitive expedition that failed at Marathon. Chronicled by Herodotus.
Argus
Creature in classical Mythology who had 100 eyes so he could always be alert
Eros
Cupid (Roman Name)
Who said that the inscription on the entrance to hell was " abandon hope, all ye who enter here"
Dantes Inferno
Solomon
David's son who was a great king. He built massive project in Israel including the Great Temple. His project cost the people a lot of money in taxes causing a division in Israel.
2001
Declared war on Terrorism
Ceres
Demeter (Roman name)
lunatic fringe
Derogatory name for extreme radical members of a group
Diaspora
Describes forceful or voluntary dispersal of a people from their homeland to a new place
Golden mean
Desirable middle ground between two extremes
Jesus
Do not cast your pearls before swine (Author0
Do not cast your pearls before swine.
Do not waste good things on people who won't appreciate them.
"Face that launched a thousand ships"
Doctor Falstus/Christopher Marlow Helen of Troy
don't put all your eggs in one basket
Don't concentrate all prospects or resources in one thing or place or you could lose everything
Don't cut off your nose to spite your face.
Don't engage in an act of anger or revenge that will hurt you more than anyone else.
"Don't put all your eggs in one basket"
Don't keep all of your resources in one place, keep your options open.
"Don't put all your eggs in one basket"
Don't put all your chances into one thing.
don't give up the ship
Don't surrender
if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen
Don't take a job if youre unwilling to face its pressure
Terra Firma (Latin)
Dry land as opposed to the open sea
49ers
During the Gold Rush, prospectors traveled west to San Francisco, California for mining. Levi Strauss made blue jeans.
Ferdinand and Isabella
During the late 15th century, they became King and Queen of a united Spain after centuries of Islamic domination. Together, they made Spain a strong Christian nation and also provided funding to overseas exploration, notably Christopher Columbus.
Leeuwenhoek
Dutch pioneer microscopist who was among the first to recognize cells in animals and who gave the first accurate descriptions of microbes and spermatozoa and blood corpuscles (1632-1723)
"Do not go gentles into that good night"
Dylan Thomas
Conquistadors
Early-sixteenth-century Spanish adventurers who conquered Mexico, Central America, and Peru. (Examples Cortez, Pizarro, Francisco.)
Osiris
Egyptian god of the underworld and judge of the dead
Pyramids
Egyptians built these structures to protect the bodies of dead pharaohs. These structures also contained items the pharaohs might need in the afterlife.
Quasi (Latin)
Element prefixed to a word to indicate "seeming" or "as it were" denoting that what it qualities is not real but has some of its qualities
Caesar
Emperor of Rome
Tudors
English royal family, dynasty founded by Henry VII; includes some of England's most influential monarchs; Elizabeth
kosher
Food that is permitted according to a set of dietary restrictions found in the old testament
Close but no cigar
Even a miss is a miss.
Vernacular
Everyday language of ordinary people
Latin
Ex Post Facto (Language)
ex post facto
Explanation or regulationconcocted after the event, sometimes misleads or conjunet
Thumbs up (down) (Idiom)
Expression of approval or disapproval
Stone walls do not a prison make (Richard lovesac)
External constraints cannot imprison someone who's sprit and thoughts are fee
charisma
Extraordinary power and appeal of personalities are making themselves felt
Draconian
Extreme and harmful punishments. Example: being put to death for stealing $1
Jingoism
Extreme nationalism during times of war. Aggressive foreign policy.
gungho
Extremely enthusiastice or zealous
Draconian
Extremely harsh and severe (typically stating of laws or their application)
as rich as Croesus
Extremely wealthy
Thomas Greg
Far from the madding crowd (Author)
"Elegy Written in a Country Courtyard"
Far from the madding crowd (Poem)
Leeuwenhoek
Father of Microbiology
Euclid
Father of geometry
Nepotism
Favoritism shown to relatives or close friends by those in power (as by giving them jobs)
Satyrs
Fawns
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Footprints on the sand of time (Author)
Nero
First Roman emperor to persecute Christians
Nero
First Roman emperor to persecute Christians.
Sputnik
First satellite in space. Started the Space Race between Soviets and the USA.
Amerigo Vespucci
Florentine navigator who explored the coast of South America
Muslims
Followers of Islam
Epicurean
Form of hedonism defined by several philosophers in ancient Greece for Epicureans the proper goal of action was pleasure but a long term measure by serenity of temperance
Bastille
Fortress in Paris, French Prison, role in French Revolution
100 Years War
Fought between England and France; An Englishman claimed he was next in line to be the King of France; Joan of Arc helped to save France during the war
100 Years war
Fought between England and France; An Englishman claimed he was next in line to be the King of France; Joan of Arc helped to save France during the war
Cold War
Fought between the Soviet Union and the USA from 1945-1991; ended with fall of the Soviet Union in 1991
Siddhartha Gautama
Founder of Buddhism
Romulus and Remus
Founders of Rome
Huguenots
French Protestants
1789
French Revolution
joie de vivre
French for "love of life"
Get down to brass tacks
Get to the real issue; deal with task at hand
Czar
From Latin caesar, this Russian title for a monarch was first used in reference to a Russian ruler by Ivan III (r. 1462-1505).
Canterbury Tales
Geoff, Father of English Poetry
Animal Farm
George Orwell
Martin Luther
German priest who wrote the 95 Theses, credited for starting the Protestant Reformation.
Gutenberg
German printer who invented the printing press
Gutenberg
German printer who was the first in Europe to print using movable type and the first to use a press (1400-1468)
11/11/18
Germany signs armistice that ends the First World War fought between the Allies and Central Powers. Chosen because it was a French Patron saint day, later changed to honor veterans.
Appeasement
Giving into something to keep the peace. British Prime Ministers toward Nazi Germany to avoid war.
Cupid
God of Love
Bacchus
God of Wine and Intoxication
Cupid
God of love; the son of Aphrodite; depicted as an infant with a bow/arrow, blindfolded
Hermes
God of messenger
Hades
God of the Dead and Riches underworld = hades
Artimas
God of the moon and hunt; Apollo's sister
Ares
God of war
Athena
Goddess of wisdom and war whom was born out of Zeus' forehead. She helped the Greeks in the Trojan war and was the protector of Odysseus on his journey home.
Furies
Goddesses of Vengeance
Aristotle
Golden mean (author)
Genocide
Government-run systematic killing of a group of people. Could be based on factors such as race or religion. Two examples of genocide are the Holocaust and the Armenian Genocide.
F Scott Fitzgerald
Great Gatsby
Pluto
Hades (Roman Name)
Centaurs
Half man and half horse creatures.
"Alas poor Yorkic"
Hamlet
The Emperor's New Clothes
Hans Christian Anderson don't be overly prideful
hawks and doves
Hawks is the policy based on strong military power while dove is peace
Icarus
He gets wings, made of wax, they melt when he gets too close to the sun, he dies.
Thomas More
He was a English humanist that contributed to the world today by revealing the complexities of man. He wrote Utopia, a book that represented a revolutionary view of society.
Galileo
He was the first person to use a telescope to observe objects in space. He discovered that planets and moons are physical bodies because of his studies of the night skies.
Vulcan
Hephaestus (Roman Name)
Juno
Hera (Roman Name)
Heracles
Hercules (Greek Name)
Mercury
Hermes (Roman Name)
Quran
Holy book of Islam
Achilles
Homer's Iliad
Centaurs
Horse with torso of man
The pen is mightier than the sword.
Human history is influence more by the written word than by warfare.
Milk of human kindness
Humane feeling, concern for other people
EXTRA CREDIT: WHY DID ICARUS FLY SO CLOSE TO THE SUN?
IDK
Iron Curtain
Imaginary line that separated Western Europe from Eastern Europe during the Cold War. Winston Churchill invented the term.
Yin Yang
In Daoist belief, complementary factors that help to maintain the equilibrium of the world. One is associated with masculine, light, and active qualities while the other with feminine, dark, and passive qualities.
Reincarnation
In Hinduism and Buddhism, the process by which a soul is reborn continuously until it achieves perfect understanding
Yom Kippur
In Judaism, the most important holiday: Day of Atonement- fasting and reflecting on one's sins
big bang theory
In astronomy theory universe began billions of years ago in a single event similar to an explosion
in situ
In the original place or arrangement
big-stick diplomacy
International negotiation backed by the threat of force
alter ego
Intimate friend considered another side of oneself
William the conquerer
Invaded England from Normandy in 1066; extended tight feudal system to England; established administrative system based on sheriffs; established centralized monarchy.
2003
Invaded Iraq
Holy Land
Jerusalem and parts of the surrounding area where Jesus lived and taught
Holy land
Jerusalem and parts of the surrounding area where Jesus lived and taught
"Brutus is an honorable man"
Julius Caesar
"Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears"
Julius Caesar Mark Antony
"Et tu, Brute?"
Julius Caesar shock, betrayal
Theseus
Killed the Minotaur
Zeus
King of the gods
Sir Galahad
Knight of the Round Table; was the only knight able to see the Holy Grail because of his purity
Rubens
Knight, had a lot of energy, painted while dictating a letter or talking to a visitor
1950-1953
Korean "War"
DMZ
Korean Demilitarized zone. Buffer zone between North & South Korea. Established at the end of the Korean War.
Cheshire Cat
Lewis Carrol
carpe diem
Latin for "Seize the Day"; take full advantage of present opportunities
Alma mater
Latin phrase meaning "nourishing mother" refers to a school an individual previously graduated from.
Veni Vidi Vici
Latin phrase spokeny by Julius Caesar meaning "I claim the sword I conquer." It means a swift, conclusive victory.
Veni, Vidi, Vici
Latin term for "I came, I saw, I conquered" Said by Julius Caesar.
Tabula rasa
Latin term meaning "blank slate"
Persona non grata
Latin term meaning "not welcome".
E pluribus unum
Latin term meaning "one out of many". It is the U.S. motto, signifying our 50 states coming together as one nation.
Tabula rasa
Latin term meaning"blank slate", an educational philosophy that you learn from all of your experiences
Carpe diem
Latin term that means "seize the day". Live life to the fullest. Referenced by Robin Williams in the movie Dead Poets Society to encourage students to make their lives extraordinary.
Blue laws
Laws designed to restrict personal behavior in accord with a strict code of morality such as the sunday laws against alcohol.
Blue Laws
Laws that restrict certain activities on Sundays such as selling liquor. This is because Sunday is seen as a day of worship and rest to Protestants, Christians etc
Attila
Leader of the Huns
Roman Numerals (Ancient Rome)
Letters in the alphabet used in Ancient Rome to represent numbers
1803
Louisiana Purchase from Napoleon's France (doubled the size of the US). The world reached its first billion people. Thomas Jefferson is President.
Seven deadly sins
Lust, gluttony, greed, laziness, wrath, envy, pride
"Double Double toil and trouble/ fire burn and cauldron bubble"
Macbeth 3 witches
1215
Magna Carta was signed
Archenemies
Main enemies
Timbuktu
Mali trading city that became a center of wealth and learning
Blue Collar Worker
Manual Laborers, usually paid by the hour. Plumber, construction, police. Opposite is White Collar.
There is more then one way to skin a cat (Proverb)
Many tasks can be accomplished in any different ways
Cartographers
Mapmakers
Ides of March
March 15 in acient roman calender; the day in 44 BC on which Juius cesar was assasined
Ides of March
March 15th in the ancient Roman calendar; Julius Caesar was assassinated
Gone With the Wind
Margaret Mitchelle Scarlett O'Hara portrayal of slavery
95 Theses
Martin Luther's ideas that he posted on the chuch door at Wittenburg which questioned the Roman Catholic Church. This act began the Reformation
George Eliot
Mary Anne
Frankenstein
Mary Shelley
Latin
Mea culpa (Language)
auf Wiedersehen
Means goodbye or "until we meet again"
Captain Ahab
Melville
The quality of mercy is not strained.
Mercy is something that has to be freely given; no one can force someone else to be merciful.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Merely intending to do good, without actually doing it, is of no value.
Statue of David was created by
Michelangelo
Shakespeare
Milk of human kindness (Author)
Macbeth
Milk of human kindness (Play)
George Eliot
Mill on the Floss Middlemark Silas Marner
49ers
Miners who went west in search of gold, namely to the San Francisco bay area, California
Captain Ahab
Moby Dick
Latin
Modus operandi (Language)
Where does Noah's ark come to rest
Mount Arorat
Mea culpa
My fault or my blame. An expression from a Catholic ritual that assigns blame to oneself.
Atlas
Mythological titan who was famous for his strength he was condemned by zeus to hold the earth and sky on his shoulders forever
NASDAQ
National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations. 2nd largest stock exchange in the world.
John Dunne
No man is an island (Author)
The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.
No matter how carefully a project is planned, something can still go wrong with it.
No man is an island
No one is self-sufficient; everyone relies on others
Valhalla
Norse god heaven for those who died courageously in war
French
Nouveau riche (language)
1989
November, Berlin Wall Fell
Predestination
Often associated with Calvinism in the Protestant Reformation, it is the doctrine that God has already chosen who will be saved and become Christian and that people have no actual choice in the matter.
Charles Dickens
Oliver Twist
King Arthur
Once and Future King
Cyclops
One eyed monster
Marc Antony
One of Caesar's generals, Falls in love with Cleopatra, He and Cleopatra declare war on Rome in 31 BC which they lose, member of second triumvirate.
Florance
One of the most influential regions in Italy during the renassience
Madonna's
One of the religious icons depicted by Renaissance artists
many are called, but few are chosen
One of the sayings of Jesus suggesting that salvation is difficult to attain
No man can serve two masters
One's loyalties must be undivided. Passage from the Bible that states one cannot worship money and God at the same time.
The bad workman always blames his tools.
Our success or failure is determined not by what we have to work with but by how we employ what we have.
passe
Out of fashion
Toga (Latin)
Outer garment for men in ancient rome, sign of citizenship
Dutch treat
Outgoing or date on which each person pays his or her own way. To go dutch is to go on such a date
Pandora's Box
Pandora's box is an artifact in Greek mythology which contained all the evils of the world. Pandora opened it and all the evils flew out, leaving Hope inside when she closed it again.
eye of a needle
Part of a jesus say, "easier for a camel to go through a needle than for a rich man to enter into god's kingdom"
Shakespeare
Parting is such sweet sorrow (Author)
The buck stops here
People can give it to me, but I can't give it to anyone else.
40 Acres & A Mule
People in the government promised former slaves reparations for slavery. They never got them.
Hajj
Pilgrimage to Mecca
1620
Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, MA
juxtaposition
Placement of two things closely together to emphasize comparisons or contrasts
1896
Plessy v Ferguson - Supreme Court ruling that declared "separate but equal"
Cold War
Political and military tension between the United States of America and the Soviet Union. 1945-1990. No direct fighting.
Watergate Scandal
Political scandal after Pres. Nixon tried to cover up a break in at Democratic National Committee at Watergate office in DC. Nixon feared impeachment, so he resigned.
Dias & the Cape of Good Hope
Portugese explorer circumnavigated
Da Gama
Portuguese explorer. In 1497-1498 he led the first naval expedition from Europe to sail to India, which led to Portuguese control of the spice trade
Neptune
Poseidon (Roman Name)
anti-Semmitism
Prejudice or hatred against Jews
Bashar Al Assad
President of Syria (current), who refuses to step aside despite a civil war and international pressure. He has committed crimes against humanity.
Jefferson Davis
President of the Confederate States of America.
David Cameron
Prime Minister of Great Britain, leader of the Conservative Party and member of Parliament.
Globalization
Process of integration among people, companies, & governments of different nations, driven by international trade.
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Proposed by Lyndon B Johnson. It bans discrimination in public places, integrates schools and public facilities, and makes employment discrimination illegal.
Elizabeth the first
Queen of England
Apartheid
Racial segregation system in South Africa.
Persephone
Ran away from her mother to marry Hades in the Underworld; daughter of Demeter; stays in the Underworld six months out of the year
England
Read the riot act (Origin)
Ming China
Succeeded Mongol Yuan dynasty in china in 1368 lasted until 1644, last true Chinese dynasty
Dias
Relaxation of the heart
Shintoism
Religion located in Japan and related to Buddhism. Shintoism focuses particularly on nature and ancestor worship.
apocryphal
Religious writing that have been accepted as a book by some but not by others
Far from the madding crowd
Removed physically from a crowd or figuratively from the situation
Leonardo Da Vinci
Renaissance Man (example)
Machiavelli
Renaissance writer; formerly a politician, wrote The Prince, a work on ethics and government, describing how rulers maintain power by methods that ignore right or wrong; accepted the philosophy that "the end justifies the means."
State of the Union
Required by the Constitution. President addresses the nation annually to outline agenda and national priorities and report the nation's condition.
Xavier
Responsible for carrying message to Japan and China
Coliseum
Roman arena for gladiator fights, mock battles, and entertainment
constantine
Roman emperor to convert to Christianity
Aeneas
Roman hero said to have left Troy and founded Rome through his ancestors, Remus and Romulus.
Hercules
Roman name; great Greek hero; the strongest man on Earth; completed twelve impossible tasks--killing a Hydra, cleaning the Augean stables--known as the Labors of Hercules; son of Zeus
"East is East and West is West and never the twain shall meet"
Rudyard Kipling
"The Female of the Species is more deadly than the male"
Rudyard Kipling East is East and West is West
Leon Trotsky
Russian revolutionary leader with Lenin and Stalin exiled in 1920's Stalin had him assassinated with an ice pick in Mexico City in 1940
Antony and Cleopatra
Salad Days (play)
Shakespeare
Salad days (author)
French
Savoir Faire (Language)
King David
Saw Bathsheba bathing and slept with her and tried to make her husband sleep with her to cover it up but he would not so he had him killed in battle. First son died but second son was Solomon
Pieta
Sculpture that Michaelangelo made of Mary and Jesus during the Renaissance
William Seward
Secretary of State under Lincoln who bought Alaska from Russia (Seward's Folly), contributing to its newly claimed wealth of gold.
William Seward
Secretary of State. Pushed to buy Alaska from Russia.
Carpe Diem
Seize the day
Indulgences
Selling of forgiveness by the Catholic Church. It was common practice when the church needed to raise money. The practice led to the Reformation.
1607
Settlement at Jamestown, VA
"All's the world's a stage"
Shakespeare
Tarred with the same brush (Idiom)
Share the same bad qualities
"Elementary, my dear Watson"
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Paul
Suffer fools badly (Author)
Furies
Sisters who pursue evildoers and punish those they catch
Marathon
Site of the famous battle fought between the armies of Persia and the outnumbered Athenians. Athens was victorious and a messenger was sent to run the 26 miles back to the city with the news.
Appomattox Court house
Site of the surrender of the Confederate Army under Robert E. Lee to Union commander Ulysses S. Grant
Protestant Work Ethic
Sociological term used to define the Calvinist belief in hard work to illustrate selection in elite group
Plato
Socrates' most well known pupil. Founded an academy in Athens.
diamond in the rough
Someone or something with potential or talent but lacking training or polish
A snowball's chance in hell
Something that has no likelihood of happening or succeeding
Richard and the Lionhearted
Son of Henry the II
Antigone
Sophocles
Bible Belt
Southeastern and midwestern states in the USA. Conservative religious and political views. Baptist and Methodist religions.
Cape of Good hope
Southern tip of Africa; first circumnavigated in 1488 by Portuguese in search of direct route to India.
Cervantes
Spanish writer best remembered for 'Don Quixote' which satirizes chivalry and influenced the development of the novel form (1547-1616)
1898
Spanish-American War, was fought in 3 months, America won and acquired the Philippines, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Guam
FIlabuster
Speech on a podium at court to delay voting, a stalling tactic.
Who is often portrayed in art carrying his own skin and butcher knife
St. Bartholemew
Who was the patron saint of England and killed the dragon
St. George
Latin
Status quo (Language)
elbow grease
Strenuous physical effort
Classical Style
Style of art that stressed reason, moderation, symmetry, balance, and harmony
Classical style
Style of art that stressed reason, moderation, symmetry, balance, and harmony
Spice Islands
Sumatra, Java, and the Strait of Malacca in Indonesia which were the centers of spice trade. These islands were mostly controlled by Islam
Spice islands
Sumatra, Java, and the Strait of Malacca in Indonesia which were the centers of spice trade. These islands were mostly controlled by Islam
Republican government
System of government in which power is held by the voters and is exercised by elected representatives responsible for promoting the common welfare.
Grain of salt
Take it with a skeptical attitude
je ne sais quoi
That little something "I don't know what" cant describe
crocodile tears
an insincere show of sympathy or sadness
Fortune 500
The 500 most profitable businesses noted by Fortune Magazine
1861-1865
The American Civil War fought between the USA and the CSA.
Autobahn
The Autobahn is a German highway system that was built during Hitler's reign. It does not have a speed limit.
Bushido
The Feudal Japanese code of honor among the warrior class.
1914-1918
The Great War (WWI)
Aphrodite
The Greek goddess of love and beauty. Mother of Eros and Aeneas. Roman name: Venus.
TS Eliot
The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock The Wasteland
Fertile Crescent
The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers gave life to the first known agricultural villages in this area about 10,000 years ago and the first known cities about 5,000 years ago. Includes Mesopotamia, Palestine, and the Nile.
1803
The U.S. purchased Louisiana Territory from France and it nearly doubled the U.S. in size.
Gentrification
The arrival of wealthier people into a lower class area, thus changing the area's existing culture and character and raising the property value.
Sistine Chapel
The chapel of the official residence of the pope in the Vatican; the ceiling was painted by Michelangelo
Manhattan Project
The code name for the effort to develop atomic bombs for the U.S. during WWII
The Bible Belt
The conservative area of the US, mostly the Southern States, where fundamentalist Christianity ( Baptists & Methodists) is very strong.
1803
The date of the Louisiana Purchase between the USA and France
Good Friday
The day Jesus was evicted and killed at Golgotha/Calvary Hill. (Christian Holiday)
Good Friday
The day that Christians believed Jesus was crucified at Golgotha.
divine right of kings
The doctrine that kings and queens have a god given right to the rule and that rebellion against them is a sin
Old World
The eastern hemisphere especially Europe as opposed to the New World
Status quo
The existing order of things; present customs, practices and power relations.
gather ye rosebuds while ye may
The first line of the poem "To the Virgins to Make Much Time" by Robert Herric
Death, be not proud
The first words of a sonnet by John Donne The poet asserts in this line that death is a weak enemy, and concludes with the line: "One short sleep past, we wake eternally/ And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die."
Circe
The goddess of magic; infamous for turning men into pigs
appropriation
The grant of money by legislature for a specific purpose
Scarlett O'Hara
The heroine of the book Gone With the Wind.
The Congressional Medal of Honor
The highest award/medal awarded to one who has shown valor above and beyond the military. It is presented by the President and given by Congress.
Stone Age
The historical period characterized by the production of tools from stone and other nonmetallic substances. It was followed in some places by the Bronze Age.
Qur'an
The holy book of Islam
domino theory
The idea that if one key nation in a region falls to control of communists others will follow like toppling dominos
Injunction
The immediate stopping or starting of an action.
Babylon
The largest and most important city in Mesopotamia. It achieved particular eminence as the capital of the king Hammurabi in the eighteenth century B.C.E. and the Neo-Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar in the sixth century B.C.E.
Babylon
The largest and most important city in Mesopotamia. It achieved particular eminence as the capital of the king Hammurabi in the eighteenth century B.C.E. and the Neo-Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar in the sixth century B.C.E. (p. 29)
Footprints on the sand of time
The mark great individuals leave on time
Helen of Troy
The most beautiful woman in the world (greek myth)
all the news that's fit to print
The moto of the New York Times
Big Ben
The name for the huge clock in London
Crete
The name of the island where Titus was when Paul wrote to him
George Eliot
The nom de plume (pen name) of Mary Ann Evans, an English author novels in the 19th century Some of her best-known works are MIDDLEMARCH, The Mill on the Floss, and Silas Marner
Modus operandi
The way somebody does something; a characteristic method. (M.O.)
Patricians
The wealthy, hereditary aristocrats during the Roman era.
Nile River
The world's longest river, which flows northward through East Africa into the Mediterranean Sea
date: 1066
The year of the Norman Conquest of England
1776
The year the Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia on July 4th
Third Reich
The years of Hitler's reign in Germany.
1914-1918
The years of the First World War ought between the allies and the Central Powers
Cordelia
The youngest of the kings three daughters in the play KING LEAR by William Shakespeare Lear at first thinks her ungrateful to him because she refuse to flatter him as her sisters do Lear soon finds out that she is the only one of the three who genuinely cares for him
method in his madness
There is often a plan behind a person's apparently inexplicable behavior
There's method to his madness
There's often a plan to a person's apparently inexplicable behavior.
Shi'ah
They believe that succession to the leadership of the Muslim community should be hereditary, passed down to Muhammad's male descendants
Carthage
This city has existed for nearly 3,000 years, developing from a Phoenician colony of the 1st millennium BC into the capital of the Carthaginian Empire. The expanding Roman Republic took control of many of its outposts after the two Punic Wars.
Florence
This city was once of hot spots of Renaissance culture in the 1400s,
Athens
This city was the seat of Greek art, science, and philosophy. Paul visited this city during his second missionary journey and spoke to the citizens about their altar to the unknown god.
date: 1914-1918
Years of WWI
Atlantis
This place was an island that has been swallowed by an earthquake which is now under the sea.
Vesalius
This was the scientist who began to study anatomy in depth. He is referred as the father of anatomy
Halcyon days
Times of peace and tranquility
Atlas
Titan famous for his strength and condemned to hold the earth and sky on his shoulders.
bit the bullet
To adjust to unpleasant circumstances
jump down someone's throat
To answer or respond sharply or angrily
hoist with one's own petard
To be caught in one's own trap
damn with faint praise
To criticize someone or something by giving a slight compliment
Talk Turkey (Idiom)
To discuss something in a straight forward manner
cut off one's nose to spite one's face
To seek revenge for some pain or injury to one's self
1861-1865
Years of the American Civil War. Fought between the United States of America & the Confederate States
Tower of Babel
Tower that people built up to try and reach God, so God destroyed it and dispersed people so different languages developed.
Triangular Trade
Trading System between Europe, Africa, and the colonies; European purchased slaves in Africa and sold them to colonies, new materials from colonies went to Europe while European finished products were sold in the colonies.
Romulus and Remus
Traditional story of how Rome began. Twins abandoned and rescued by a wolf, raised by a shepherd . Grew to build Rome. Romulus later killed Remus
1869
Transcontinental Railroad finished with the Golden Spike in Promontory, Utah; Suez Canal formally opened to traffic on Nov. 17th - 100 miles long, connects by way of 3 natural lakes, the Gulf of Suez and the Indian Ocean
Carpetbaggers
Travelers who arrive in a new place with hope of profiting off of or gaining control of its inhabitants.
Achilles
Trojan War
Yin-Yang
Two equal but opposite forces that together control the world. They have to be in balance.
Do not go gentle into that good night... Rage, rage against the dying of the light
Two lines by the 20th century Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, addressed to his dying father
Juxtaposition
Two things that normally don't work well, work when placed together
Mary Mallen
Typhoid Mary
doughboys
U.S. infantry soldiers who served in WWI
1991
USSR feel; Desert Storm
King Henry the Fourth
Uneasy lies the hand that wears the crown (Play)
Shakespeare
Uneasy lies the hand that wears the crown (author)
Strange bedfellows (Idiom)
Unlikely companions or allies
2008
Unprecedented event - half of all of Earth's residents now live in cities
copernicus
an astronomer; Heliocentric theory (sun is at the center)
Marco Polo
Venetian merchant and traveler. His accounts of his travels to China offered Europeans a firsthand view of Asian lands and stimulated interest in Asian trade.
V.E. Day
Victory in Europe Day that ended the Second World War against the Nazis
1960s
Vietnam "War," civil rights in US
1939-1945
WW2
Dunkirk
WWI battle site in France, desperate retreat
Knights
Warriors who fought on horseback
Osama Bin Laden
Was leader of Al Qaeda, from Saudi Arabia.
Cassandra
Was loved by Apollo but didn't want to be with him because she predicted something bad. Apollo curses her so no one would believe her predictions.
Caesar
When Cassius says, "Poor man, I know he would not be a wolf/But that he sees the Romans are but sheep," whom is he speaking of?
It never rains but it pours
When misfortunes occur they occur all at ones
Trail by Jury
When people are involved in court
"The Fox and the Grapes" (Aesop's fable)
When someone tries to take something, but does not succeed and they bad mouth the thing they were originally tried to take
W.A.S.P
White Anglo Saxon Protestants, largest population in America
Da Vinci
Who painted the Mona Lisa
Seven deadly sins (World literature, philosophy)
Widely known in the middle ages, sins that led to discrimination (Pride, greed, lust, anger, envy, sloth, and gluttony)
glad-hander
an excessively friendly or familiar person
Bard of Avon
William Shakespeare
Faustian bargain
Willing to sacrifice anything for knowledge on power
posthaste (Idiom)
With great speed, immediate
1920
Women in America received suffrage
"Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."
Words from the inaugural address of JFK.
1939-1945
World War II fought between the Axis and Allies
Subpoena
Writ that summons one to court to testify or show evidence.
Ex Post Facto
Written after something happened often wrong
Index of Forbidden Books
Written by Pope Paul IV as part of the Counter-Reformation. It forbade Catholics from reading books considered "harmful" to faith and morals. This indicates the significance of the printing press in disseminating Reformation ideas.
Harvey
Wrote On motion of the Heart and Blood; Discovered the heart and blood flow
1492
Year of Columbus' arrrival to the Caribbean islands and the beginning of European colonization in the Americas (Age of Exploration) Countries include Spain, France, Netherlands, Portugal, England
date: 1776
Year the declaration of independence was signed
C'est la vie
an expression used to play down some minor disappointment; that's life
rule of thumb
an inexact but useful rule for doing something
abandon hope, all ye who enter here
an inscription at the enterance of hell as described by Dante in divine country
Damon
agreed to stay in his friends' place while he sorted his affairs; was almost killed
e=mc^2
albert eistenstein's equation
Cheshire Cat
alice in wonderland
what is another word for Halloween
all saints, souls
Pantheon
all the gods of a people; a group highly respected in a field
Lady Godiva
an English noblewoman of the 11th century who once rode naked on a horseback through the streets of Coventry, England, covered only by her long hair
feather in one's cap
an accomplishment a person can be proud of
a feather in your cap
an accomplishment of which you feel justifiable pride
Augustus Caesar
change the Roman Republic to an empire to initiate peace in Rome
Falstaff
character shakespshere invented
Who was the first emporer of Holy Roman empire
charlmange
nip and tuck
closely contentested; neck and neck
fossil fuels
coal petrolium and natural gas. Formed from remains of plants and animals that lived millions of years ago
Canterbury Tales
collection of tales
Berber of Seville
comic opera by Rossini
Agamemnon
commander of Greek Army of Troy
run-of-the-mill
common, ordinary, or average
Carte blanche
complete freedom to act as one wishes
altruism
concern for the welfare of others
de facto
concerning reality
de jure
concerning the law
What is the system based on pitty savings
confuianism
King David
considered one of the greatest kings of all time and defeated Goliath
blow hot and cold
constantly to change one's mind between two options
Delphic Oracle
could see future
Centaurs
creatures in Classical Mythology who were half-human & half-horse
What are vandals known for
creulty and destruction
pot calling the kettle black
criticizing others for the very fault one possesses
Pot calling the kettle black
criticizing others for the very faulty one possesses
Holy Grail
cup or bowl; subject of British legend; used by Jesus at the Last Supper; an object of quest for the knights of the Round Table
coexistence(peaceful)
many people of different political and social systems living in mutual toleration
What does King Herod order to be done
masacre of innocents
Queen Pasiphae
mated with a sacred bull; birthed the Minotaur; wife of King Minos
denouement
means "unknotting" in French final part of a play, movie, or narrative which the strands of the plot are drawn together and matter are explained on resolved(the resolution)
alpha and omega
means beginning and the end (first and last letter of the greek alphabet)
crusades
medieval military expedition to recovery the holy lands
Hermes
messenger god; traveled swiftly because of his winged sandals and cap; carried the caduceus
Don juan
metaphor for a womanizer
bourgeoisie
middle class, reference to materialistic things
West Point
military academy in NY on the Hudson river Benedict Arnold was in charge before he was caught being a traitor in the Revolutionary War
What did Capernicus create
model of solar system with sun in the center
Money burning a hole in one's pocket
money that someone has just acquired and is eager to spend
What was the name of Thomas Jefferson's home in VA
monticello
Kentucky Derby
most famous american horse race
Statue of David
most famous sculpture of Michelangelo, 18 ft. tall, it is the biblical David
Corinthian order of architecture
most ornate of the three Greek orders of capitals on a pillar. It consists of a bell-shaped capital with rows of Acanthus leaves
Holy Roman Empire
multiethnic complex
a cappella
music without instruments; only voices
on its last legs
on the threshold of failing to be useful
break the ice
relieve a meeting or gathering's natural social tension
desalinization
remove salt from water
Madonna's
n. a picture or statue representing the Virgin Mary
sit on the fence
refuse to take sides in an argument
on tenterhooks
nervously awaiting news
"Elementary, my dear Watson"
never actually said
Bard of Avon
nickname for Shakespeare
G.I Joe
nickname for U.S solider
Caligula
nickname of Julius Caesar
Chutzpah
not holding back, say it how it is
Babbitt
novel by Sin Clare Lewis; stereotype of people who want to make a lot of money
Full moon of _____/_______
november, beaver
Mona Lisa
painted by Leonardo da Vinci it hangs in Louvre Museum in Paris he is a Renaissance man
Sistine Chapel Ceiling
painted by Michelangelo after commission from Pope Julius II;attempted to tell story of Fall of Man by depicting 9 scenes from the Genesis
What is the dieta
painting of Mary holding Jesus's body
Minatar
part of Greek mythology a bullheaded monster
Minatare
part of Greek mythology a bullheaded monster
Elysian Fields
part of the Underworld; the place where the souls of good people go; a place full of sunlight, meadows, groves, and fresh air
Romeo and Juliet
parting is such sweet sorrow (Play)
What does boosom of Abraham mean?
peace of heaven
Scribes
people trained to write using the earliest forms of writing before literacy was widespread.
Missionaries
people who work to spread their religious beliefs
Baroque
period in arts both physical and visual
bete noire
person especially disliked
Vassals
person granted land by a feudal lord in return for services
Inhibition
personal hindrance to activity or expression
Aristotle
philosopher, Greek
extentialism
philosophy of uniqueness of individual, freedom of choice
Jolly Roger
pirates' flag; black flag with white skull and crossbones
What does peita mean
pitty
What school of philosophy was named after break hero hecademus
plato's academy
What did the emperor of Rome do during a fire?
play the violin
The Aeneid
poem epic by Virgil
Chaucer
poet who wrote the canterbury tales
atheism
reject the existence of any god
Blacklist/ blackball
rejection of person from anonymous vote with black and white marbles group/ orginization
detente
relaxing of international tensions
amazonian
powerful, aggressive, war-like
Theseus
prince of Athens; killed the Minotaur
In the black?
profit/ surplus
Rubens
prolific Flemish baroque painter
Calvinism
protestant sect named after John Calvin; predetermined who goes to even/hell
Receiving Excalibur
pulled out of a stone; given by the lady of the lake
What does sisyphus do to Zeus?
punishes him by rolling boulder to top of steep hill, always near the top rolls back down
hedonism
pursuit of pleasure
charisma
quality that inspires devotion
raining cats and dogs
raining torrentially
easier said than done
readily described and planned but actually done only with great difficulty
What does Daniel do
reads the writing on the wall,death of Babylon
Cheshire Cat
really wide smiles
land of Nod
reference to the "place" one occupies when asleep
Big brother is watching
refers to any ruler or government that invades the privacy of its citizens
"Sour Grapes"
refers to things people decide are not worth having only after they find out they cannot have them; from the story, "The Fox and the Grapes" ; one of Aesop's fables
forgive and forget
refuse to hold a grudge
Why might you b able to ____/_____ an egg upright today?
stand/balance
cold feet
state of resisting an action due to a sudden onset of nerves or fear
Blarney stone
stone in the wall of Blarney Castle in Ireland • people kiss the stone to receive a gift of eloquence; by speaking charmingly and persuasively they can get anything they want
Iliad & Odyssey
stories written by Homer
"The Emperor's New Clothes"
story of an emperor who parades through town naked He doesn't want to be thought of as dumb because he can't see his new clothes, so he wears them.s
Apocryphal
story or statement of doubtful authenticity
as the crow flies
straightest, most direct route between two places
aesthetics
study of beauty, nature and art
Astrology
study of the positions and relationships of the sun, moon, stars, and planets in order to judge their influence on human actions.
" If God swears by ____, the oath is unbreakable"
styx,
byte
subdivision of a word
What is philosphers stone
substance to regenerate men spiritually
Excalibur
sword of King Arthur
Charles Dickens
tale of two cities
moratorium
temporary delay
9/11/01
terriorist attacks caused by Al Qaeda in NY, Washington D.C. & PA
Abraham and Issac
test Abraham with sacrafice of Issac
Mummies
the Egyptian method of preserving dead bodies by wrapping them in cloth
Cuban missile crisis
the U.S. vs the Soviet Union in l962 over missiles in Cuba that were directed toward the U.S. President Kennedy set up a naval blockade of Cuba until the Soviet Union removed the missiles.
the Vatican
the Vatican city is an independent state within Rome the Pope lives in the Vatican St. Peter's Basilica and Sistine chapel
overdraft
the amount that you have in your bank account, is less than the check you deposit.
creature comforts
the basic physical things that make life pleasant
Alpha and Omega
the beginning & the end; the New Testament
The chickens have come home to roost
the consequences of earlier actions are making themselves felt
chickens come home to roost
the consequences of earlier actions are making themselves felt
David Cameron
the current Prime Minister of England, member of the Conservative Party
MArianas Trench
the deepest part in ALL of the oceans
architect Le Corbuster
the devil is in the details (author)
coda
the end of a piece of music
status quo
the existing order of things
Daedalus
the father of Icarus (created the labyrinth)
Elysian Fields
the good part of the underworld in Greek Myth
Othello
the green eyed monster (Play)
Shakespeare
the green eyed monster (author)
Sword of Damocles
the king seated Damocles under a sword held only by a single thread; represents the worries that go along with being king; symbolizes an impending danger that causes anxiety
Jeremiah
the leopard cannot change its spots (author)
contralto
the lowest female singing voice
Hermes
the messenger god of classical mythology; Roman name: Mercury; traditional symbol of physicians: caduceus
the last straw
the most recent in a series of problems that causes one to lose patience
Kabba
the name applied to the whole range of Jewish mystical activity and study; can also refer to one field of study aimed at understanding the revelations of Jewish mysticism
Middle Passages
the name for voyages that brought enslaved Africans across the Atlantic ocean to north America and the west indies
Laocoon
the only Trojan priest suspicious of the Trojan horse, a gift from the Greeks; he and his sons were killed by Poseidon's snakes
Animal Farm
the proclamation from pigs is from the novel ________
gentrification
the restoration of run-down urban areas by the middle class (resulting in the displacement of lower-income people and the increase of property values
Trail of Tears
the route along which the U.S. government forced several tribes of Native Americans, including Cherokees, Seminoles, Chikasaws, Choctaws, and Creeks, to migrate to reservations west of the Mississippi river in the 1820s, 1830s, and 1840s those on the march suffered greatly from disease and mistreatment
Armageddon
the site of the final battle between good and evil
What was the belief of gesundheit when someone sneezed?
the soul flies out of the body
Parthenon
the temple honoring the goddess Athena, built on the acropolis above Athens
Cerberus
the three-headed dog
eleventh hour
the very last moment that a vital task might be accomplished within a schedule
I came, I saw, I conquered
the words by which Julius Caesar described in one of his victories; in Latin, the words are "veni, vidi, vici"
Casey at the bat
there is no joy in mudville (origin)
chip off the old block
this expression is used about people who closely resemble their parents in some way
Huang He
this river fertilizes crops that feed China's people.
first come, first served
those who arrive earliest at an opportunity will be the first to have a chance to enjoy it
Graces
three goddesses of loveliness and charm; were invited to every banquet
make a mount out of a molehill
to magnify a small problem so that it seems to require more effort an attention than it should
put your foot in your mouth
to make an embarrassing or tactless blunder when speaking
cross the Rubicon
to make an irrevocable decision; the Rubicon was a river Caesar crossed with his army, thereby starting civil war with Rome. To take a dangerous step.
Gild the lily
to adorn unnecessarily something that is already beautiful or perfect
in loco parentis
to assume the duties and responsibilities of the parent
bite the hand that feeds you
to attack someone who is actually trying to sustain you
Blackball
to be kicked out, isolation, outcast, social outcast
get a taste of one's own medicine
to be treated badly in a way that one has treated others
Faustian bargain
to be willing to sacrifice anything to satisfy a limitless desire for knowledge or power
sail under false colors
to behave deceptively; colors of a ship's flags identified the country; pirates would hoist flags of a ship they wished to destroy to get close enough for battle.
make a mountain out of molehill
to blow issue out of proprotion
Hector
to bully someone; to tease
damn with faint praise
to criticize someone or something indirectly by giving a slight compliment (i.e. The book was not as bad as some I've read.)
The Boy Who Cried Wolf
to cry 'wolf' = false alarm/lying
burn the candle at both ends
to do more than one ought to
steal someone's thunder
to do something impressive that someone else intends before that other person can accomplish it
bury the hatchet
to end a quarrel or fight
go the whole hog
to engage in something without the reservation or constraint
Et, tu Brute?
to express surprise and dismay of a trusted friend, Caesar utters these words as he being stabbed to death by his friend Brutus in the Shakespeare play Julius Caesar.
can't hold a candle to
to fall very short of being comparable to another person in a competition or item in a category
feather one's own nest
to look after one's own interest especially material ones
Deus ex machina
unexpected salvation from a hopeless situation
alfresco
up in the air
follow your nose
use your instinct or common sense
water, water everywhere,/ nor any drop to drink
used to describe a situation in which someone is in the midst of plenty but cannot partake of it
There is no joy in Mudville
used to describe disappointment
commodity
useful thing or article of trade
shipshape
very neat and tidy
few and far between
very scarce
What is adagio
very slow musical tempo
autistic
view life in terms of one's desires
What is Valhalla
viking heaven
Beowulf
viking warrior
What does lief ericson find
vinland
coup d' etat
violent and illegal change of government
Caduceus
wand of Hermes; a twist of serpents at the bottom with wings on the top
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
water, water everywhere (author)
"The Rime of the ancient Mariner
water, water everywhere (poem)
Icarus
wax wings
Protestant Work Ethic
way of life based on Biblical teaching that God expects all men to work and all work is a noble duty to be performed toward God
the leopard cannot change its spots
we cannot change our basic nature
feet of clay
weakness or flaw that most people are unaware of.
Huguenots
were French Protestants
a date which will live in infamy
what F.D.R. said of Dec. 7, l941 when he was asking Congress to formally declare war on Japan.
burning a hole in your pocket
what money is "doing" when one feels an irresistible urge to spend it
birthday suit
what you are wearing when you are completely naked
conspicuous consumption
when someone buys expensive stuff to show off, instead of for good use
back to the drawing board
where one must go after a complete failure when one intends to make another attempt using some other method
Queen Guinevere
wife of King Arthur; had a love affair with Sir Lancelot that leads to the end of Camelot
