Allusions

Bedlam

- "Bedlam" was the popular nickname for London's Hospital of St. Mary of Bethlehem, a mental hospital founded in the 14th century - Because patients had little treatment, they wandered the halls talking to themselves, screaming, and fighting with each other - "Bedlam" has come to mean wildly chaotic or extremely raucous and noisy - Examples: After someone threw an apple across the cafeteria, bedlam ensued as a food fight started.

Juggernaut

- "Juggernaut" is the name of a Hindu deity - His image is carried in an annual procession on a large cart - According to legend, devotees threw themselves in front of the cart and were crushed, believing this guaranteed immediate entry into Paradise - A "juggernaut" is any force, especially a destructive force, that defies opposition - Example: In order to restore balance to the universe, the adventurers had to destroy the juggernaut that stood in their way: a dragon.

Once in a Blue Moon

- A blue moon is a second full moon within the same calendar month, a phenomenon that occurs approximately every three years - Refers to something that occurs very rarely - Once in a blue moon, a candidate comes along who genuinely seems to care about the constituents.

Noble Savage

- A concept in Western philosophy particularly associated with French philosopher and writer Jean-Jacques Rousseau - He believed that people are born good and innocent and that influences from civilization can cause them to lose this goodness and innocence - A "noble savage" is a person who has not been corrupted by society or civilization - Example: In an effort to remain a noble savage, Carol decided to abstain from using the Internet until she graduated from high school.

Red Herring

- A herring is a fish, and when it is "cured" (smoked and salted), it turns red and has a very strong, pungent smell - One explanation: British fugitives in the 1800s would drag a red herring across their trail, confusing the hounds and diverting them from following the convicts' scents - Another: Red herrings were dragged across the ground to train hunting dogs to follow a scent and later were used to throw the dogs off the trail and thus prolong a foxhunt - "Red herring" refers to diverting someone onto a false trail or distracting a person from the true issue - Example: In order to pull a prank successfully, the students threw a red herring by distracting the teacher.

Benedict Arnold

- A military leader during the American Revolution, Arnold served with distinction but then became traitorous. - He agreed to surrender a key fort to the British in exchange for money and British military commission - A "Benedict Arnold" is a traitor - Example: My best friend turned into Benedict Arnold when she spread a rumor about me and spilled all my secrets.

Hoist With One's Own Petard

- A petard was a weapon used in medieval warfare - It was filled with gunpowder - If it exploded prematurely, the person using it would be blown up, or "hoisted with his own petard" - This phrase refers to being caught in one's own trap or beaten at one's own game - Example: Luke and Leia infiltrated Jabba's palace in order to rescue Luke, but they were hoisted with their own petard when Jabba's guards discovered their ploy and cornered them.

Ivory Tower

- A poet, Alfred de Vigney, shut himself in an ivory tower so he could compose poems - Mentioned in 18th century fairy tales, referring to an unreachable place - Has negative connotations - Refers to someone who is secluded or protected from the real world, thus being out of touch with reality - Example: In his ivory tower, the chancellor was unaware of the growing political protests occurring on campus.

Murphy's Law

- A saying: If anything can go wrong, it will. - People often cite "Murphy's Law" when something goes wrong, and there is a sense of inevitability about it - Joe woke up late, spilled coffee over his shirt, and ended up being late to work, citing Murphy's Law as the reason for his bad luck.

Tower of Babel

- According to the Book of Genesis, Noah's descendants decided to build a tower that would reach Heaven itself - Concerned that mankind was becoming too powerful, God decided to introduce different languages so that the people couldn't understand each other and complete the tower - "Tower of Babel" or simply "Babel" can refer to any noisy confusion, which may or may not be caused by the presence of different languages - Example: Without the help of translators, the UN would just be a Tower of Babel.

Scapegoat

- According to the Book of Leviticus, every year on the Day of Atonement, a priest would symbolically place the sins of the Israelites on a goat and send it out into the wilderness, taking the sins of the people with it. - A scapegoat is a person who is blamed or punished for someone else's misdeeds - Example: When May received a bad grade on her test, she made the teacher the scapegoat, blaming his bad teaching on her poor grade instead of her procrastination and laziness.

Lot's Wife/Pillar of Salt

- According to the book of Genesis, God destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah - Lot, the nephew of Abraham, was given time to escape with his family before the destruction - God commanded Lot and his family not to look back as they fled; however, Lot's wife looked back and was immediately turned into a pillar of salt as punishment for her disobedience - An allusion to Lot's wife or a pillar of salt is usually a reference to someone who unwisely chooses to look back once he or she has begun a course of action; also refers to someone who disobeys an explicit rule or command - Example: Andrew started to become a pillar of salt as he regretted his decision not to join band.

NIMBY

- Acronym for "Not in My Back Yard" - Refers to the idea that while people may be aware of the necessity of some unpleasant realities, they insist that these places be located away from where they live - The community adopted a NIMBY attitude when they realized that construction work was happening nearby to build a new detention center

White Elephant

- Albino elephants appear once in a blue moon, and because of their rarity, they are considered special and not subject to being beasts of burden and toil - According to legend, in Siam, these white elephants were so valuable that any albino elephant was automatically the property of the King of Siam - Keeping this animal was very costly, so the king began giving white elephants as gifts to those who displeased him - The burden of feeding the animals without any profit quickly brought financial ruin to the recipient of the "gift" - A "white elephant" is an object that has no use to its owner and may even represent a financial burden or inconvenience - Example: The old bike I bought became a white elephant as I tried in vain to buy materials to fix and repair it.

Fifteen Minutes of Fame

- Andy Warhol was a 20th century American artist most famous for his pop-art images of Campbell's soup cans and Marilyn Monroe - He commented on the explosion of media coverage, saying "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for fifteen minutes." - Today, when someone receives a great deal of media attention for something fairly trivial, he or she is said to be experiencing his or her's "fifteen minutes of fame" - Example: The Walmart yodeling boy received his fifteen minutes of fame after a video of him went viral on the Internet.

Pound of Flesh

- Comes from Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, where Shylock, a moneylender, agrees to finance a fleet of ships for merchant Antonio. - Shylock demands a pound of Antonio's flesh as collateral - When ships become lost at sea, Shylock insists that he must have a pound of flesh, as the contract demanded - Refers to describe someone's insistence on being repaid, even if the repayment will destroy or harm the debtor - Example: The initial low rate for a credit card is tempting, but the company will want their pound of flesh when you end up in debt.

Catch-22

- Comes from a novel by Joseph Heller - Novel is set on a US Army Air Force base in WWII - "Catch-22" refers to a regulation, stating that an airman's request to be relieved from flight duty can only be granted if he is judged to be insane - However, anyone who doesn't want to fly dangerous missions is obviously sane; thus, there is no way to avoid flying the missions - A "catch-22" has come to mean an absurd, no-win situation - Example: Some companies won't hire you if you don't have experience; however, in order to gain experience, you need to get hired for a job.

Don Quixote/Quixotic/Tilting at Windmills

- Don Quixote is a romance written by Miguel de Cervantes. - The hero loses his wits from reading too many romances, and sets off on his own knightly adventures. - In one, Quixote attacks a group of windmills, believing them to be giants (referred to as tilting at windmills) - To be a "Don Quixote" or to be "quixotic" is to be foolishly or impractically idealistic. "Tilting at windmills" refers to a naive attempt to be heroic - Example: Pam was being quixotic when she tried to save the forest from being cut down for a mall. - Example: Natalie was tilting at windmills when she tried to help the police capture the criminal in a car chase.

Fiddle While Rome Burns

- During the reign of Roman emperor Nero, a fire consumed half of Rome - Legend says that Nero showed complete indifference, playing his violin/fiddle during the emergency - Showed complete disregard for hardship suffered by the people he governed - To "fiddle while Rome burns" is to display indifference in the midst of an emergency or disaster - Example: The government appeared to fiddle while Rome burns after Hurricane Katrina hit the US.

Flash in the Pan

- Flintlock rifles had an ignition pan containing gunpowder - If the powder was lit but the propelling charge wasn't, there would be a flash, but the gun wouldn't fire - A "flash in the pan" is something or someone that initially shows great promise but soon fails to meet expectations - Example: John seemed like a great candidate based on his resume, but once he was hired, he failed to meet the workplace expectations and was fired.

Sound and Fury

- Found in Shakespeare's Macbeth - Refers to a great, tumultuous, and passionate uproar that actually is unimportant or meaningless - Example: The "Y2K" hysteria leading up to the turn of the millennium turned out to be just sound and fury.

Kafkaesque

- Franz Kafka was a Czech, German-speaking writer whose works often dealt with surreal, anxiety producing situations - In The Metamorphosis, the main character awakens to discover that he'd been transformed into a giant cockroach - The adjective "Kafkaesque" refers to a situation or experience that is bizarre, surreal, or anxiety-producing - Example: Students know that the week of community night is very kafkaesque because of the amount of teachers that put assessments on the day of community night.

Achilles' Heel

- Greek Mythology - Mother dipped into River Styx by the heel, gained immortality except for that spot - Heel became vulnerable spot - Refers to a person's area of particular vulnerability - Example: Her inability to resist rich desserts was her Achilles' heel.

Witch Hunt

- In 1692, in Salem, Massachusetts, hysteria about supposed witches led to the arrest of many people and the execution of 20 - The accused were simply social outcasts convicted on flimsy evidence that could neither be proved nor disproved - A "witch hunt" refers to a campaign against a particular group of people, often those holding unorthodox opinions or behaving in an unconventional manner - Example: After the attacks on 9/11, the government was out on a witch hunt for suspects linked to the attack

Waterloo

- In 1815, the Battle of Waterloo was fought in Belgium - Final battle in the Napoleonic wars, where Napoleon Bonaparte was finally defeated - To meet one's Waterloo is to suffer an ultimate, decisive defeat - Example: When the newcomer beat the longtime champion of curling, the champion knew she had met her Waterloo.

Doublespeak

- In 1984, George Orwell used "doublespeak" to refer to a type of propaganda where language is used ambiguously - "Doublespeak" refers to the deliberate use of evasive or ambiguous language - Example: To keep from upsetting the child, the parents told her they were putting the cat to sleep.

Sold Down the River

- In 19th century America, during slavery, wealthy homeowners would sell their house servants to plantation owners in the South. - Thus they were "sold down the [Mississippi] River." - To be "sold down the river" is to be betrayed or misled, especially by someone trusted - Example: Mark promised that he would save a seat for me, but when I arrived, I was sold down the river when there were no seats available.

Sour Grapes

- In Aesop's fable "The Fox and the Grapes," a fox tries to reach grapes dangling from a vine above him - He finally gives up and mutters that the grapes were probably sour anyway, so they wouldn't be worth having - "Sour grapes" refers to the attitude of a person who has been disappointed or thwarted. The person bitterly rationalizes that what he or she wanted was probably not so great after all - Example: After failing to pass the auditions, Marley grumbled and said she would have wasted time at the event anyways.

Delphic Oracle

- In Ancient Greece, Delphi was the location of the Temple of Apollo - People came to ask the oracle questions, and Apollo's priestess would go into a trance and deliver answers - These answers were difficult to interpret and riddle-like - A "Delphic" prediction or message is one that is ambiguous and difficult to interpret - Example: The weatherman's warnings were so Delphic that viewers didn't know if it would snow later in the week.

Cassandra

- In Greek mythology, Cassandra, the daughter of a Trojan king, was loved by Apollo, who gave her the gift of prophecy - When Cassandra later angered Apollo, he altered the gift so that her prophecies, while true, would not be believed - Her accurate to the warnings were thus disregarded, and disaster befell them - Today, a "Cassandra" refers to someone who predicts disasters or negative results, especially to someone whose predictions are disregarded - Example: Fulton County ignored the Cassandra-like weather reports of doom during Hurricane Michael, keeping schools open despite many protests to give a school day off.

Icarus/Fly Too Close to the Sun

- In Greek mythology, Icarus and his father, Daedalus, escaped from the Island of Crete by wings constructed by Daedalus - Wings were held together by wax - Daedalus warned Icarus not to fly too close to the sun, but he didn't heed the warning, melting the wax and falling to his death in the Aegean Sea - To be "an Icarus" or to "fly too close to the sun" is to fall or be destroyed because of lack of caution or excessive ambition - Examples: Hamilton flew too close to the sun by publishing The Reynolds Pamphlet to defend what was left of his honor.

Narcissus/Narcissism

- In Greek mythology, Narcissus was a young man of extraordinary beauty - Rejected many admirers, including the nymph Echo - One day, as he bent to drink from a pool, Narcissus saw his own reflection and immediately fell in love with it - In some versions of the story, Narcissus drowned trying to embrace his own reflection; in others, he was unable to tear himself away from his reflection. - In either case, his obsession with his own beauty led to his death - The term "narcissism" is derived from the story of Narcissus - Refers to obsessive focus on oneself, particularly one's physical appearance - Example: Karen had the tendency to be narcissistic by spending hours staring into the mirror and putting on makeup.

Prometheus/Promethean

- In Greek mythology, Prometheus was a demigod known for his cunning - He tricked Zeus, which caused Zeus to withhold fire from mankind - In response, Prometheus went to Mount Olympus and stole some fire, which he gave to man - Zeus punished him by chaining him to a rock; each day an eagle would eat his liver, which grew back each night - Prometheus represents valiant resistance to authority or rebellion against the established order of the universe - The adjective "Promethean" refers to an act of such resistance - Example: The people of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s demonstrated with nonviolent Promethean acts.

Sirens

- In Greek mythology, Sirens lured sailors to their deaths on the rocky shores with their beautiful, irresistible song - Refers to anything that tempts a person away from safety and toward a destructive path. - A "siren song" is the temptation used to lure a person - Example: I listened to the siren song and followed my friends to the party instead of staying home and doing my homework.

Tantalus

- In Greek mythology, Tantalus was a king who offended the gods, condemned to suffer eternal hunger and thirst in Hades - Punishment: stood in water up to his chin, but when he bent to drink, the waters receded; fruit hung overhead, but each time he reached for a piece, the wind blew the boughs out of reach - Being "tantalized" or being like Tantalus is to be offered something desirable which is then withheld - The students were tantalized at the prospect of extra credit to boost their averages.

The Muses

- In Greek mythology, the Muses were 9 goddesses who presided over the arts - They gave inspiration to mortals - An epic begins with an invocation to the Muse, where the poet asks the Muses to inspire him as he writes or sings the story - Today, a "Muse" is someone's source of inspiration, especially in artistic, creative endeavors - Example: After reading Mark's best selling book, many critics proclaim that he was indeed blessed by the Muses.

The Emperor's New Clothes

- In Hans Christian Andersen's story, an emperor hires 2 tailors to make him clothes that were invisible to people who were stupid or unfit for office - The two swindlers fake sew the new clothes and "show" them to the emperor, and the emperor pretends to admire them, fearing he will be revealed to be unfit for office - The emperor "wears" the new clothes in a grand parade for the whole town, and no one will admit they cannot see the "clothes" - A small child shouts out the truth in the end - The phrase "emperor's new clothes" is used in the context of someone pointing out the falseness or pretentiousness of something, especially when others are afraid to admit the truth - Example: Addressing the elephant in the room was the way to solve the case of the Emperor's New Clothes

Sacred Cow

- In Hinduism, cows are considered sacred, and people are not allowed to interfere with it - Refers to something that cannot be interfered with or harmed in any way - Example: The square-dancing club is Ms. Green's sacred cow, and she refuses to discontinue it.

Non Sequitur

- In Latin, it means "it does not follow" - Refers to a statement that is unrelated to what has been said before - In logic, a non sequitur is a conclusion that doesn't logically follow from the premises - Example: We were talking about the upcoming math test before Madhav barged in and started rambling non sequitur statements about the latest gossip.

Albatross Around One's Neck

- In Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," a sailor shoots an albatross, a bird considered to be a good omen - As punishment, he is forced to wear the carcass of the albatross around his neck - An "albatross around a person's neck" is a burdensome, ongoing problem - Example: Penny's grades continued to be the albatross around her neck as she struggled to bring them up.

Pearls before Swine

- In Sermon on the Mount, Jesus admonished his followers to "cast not your pearls before swine" - Deliver their message to those who would appreciate it, not to those incapable of appreciating something of value - Refers to offering something precious to someone, or a group of people, unable to appreciate the value of what they are being given - I realized I was casting my pearls before swine when my friend didn't recognize the importance of winning the lottery for the hit Broadway show Hamilton.

Crocodile Tears

- In ancient times, crocodiles were thought to shed large tears before devouring their prey - Has no feelings of real sympathy for its prey - Refers to fake sympathy for someone - Example: The villain in the play shed crocodile tears for the hero.

Throw Down the Gauntlet

- In days of knighthood and chivalry, if a knight wanted to challenge another knight to a duel, he would throw down his heavy glove (gauntlet) - If the challenged knight picked it up, it meant that he had accepted the challenge - "Throwing down the gauntlet" refers to issuing a challenge, especially issuing that challenge in a dramatic manner - Example: After arguing about who was the best cook, Emily threw down the gauntlet and challenged Grace to a food battle.

A Chip on One's Shoulder

- In earlier times, young boys would place a wood chip on their shoulders and dare anyone to knock it off, which would start a fight - Way of showing how tough they were - A person with a chip on his or her shoulder is one who is inclined to be resentful or who seems to be looking for an excuse to fight - Example: After receiving a bad grade on his math test, James walked around the school with a chip on his shoulder.

Sword of Damocles

- In legend, Damocles was a courtier of a Greek King, constantly flattering the king by speaking of the king's wonderful life - Tired of flattery, the king held a banquet, and Damocles was seated in the king's own chair under a sword that was suspended from the ceiling by a single thread - He wanted Damocles to learn that there were always impending dangers along with the privileges of kingship - The phrase "sword of Damocles" refers to an awareness of impending or imminent danger - Example: The sword of Damocles was swung once Carol's mother found out that her favorite dress was ruined by her daughter's spilled drink.

Let the Cat Out of the Bag/ Buy a Pig in a Poke

- In medieval times, farmers often took piglets to market in a bag known as a "poke." - Sometimes, an unscrupulous farmer would place a cat in the bag instead of a pig - If the cat escaped, the farmer's secret would be revealed to the buyer - Often, buyers did not look in bags to be sure they weren't being swindled, simply paying for the pig in a poke - The phrase "letting the cat out of the bag" refers to a secret being revealed - The phrase "buying a pig in a poke" describes buying something sight unseen; considered unwise because of the risks involved - Example: Cathy wanted to keep her relationship with Josh a secret, but the cat was let out of the bag when Michael saw them out on a date. - Example: You risk buying a pig in a poke sometimes when shopping for items on Amazon.

Loaves and Fishes

- In several gospels, the story tells Jesus preaching to a crowd of thousands - There were only five loaves of bread and two fish found to be split among the hungry people - Jesus had these brought to him and blessed the food - The disciples distributed them, and there was still food left over after everyone had been fed - The phrase "loaves and fishes" refers to an almost miraculous abundance in the face of seeming scarcity - Example: The fact it began to rain heavily in the middle of a drought represented a case of loaves and fishes.

Stealing Someone's Thunder

- In the 17th century, playwright John Dennis invented the sound effect of rattling a sheet of tin to mimic thunder - Although it was initially criticized, the sound effect was widely copied - Frustrated, Dennis proclaimed that his rivals wouldn't accept his play but were happy to "steal my thunder" - To "steal someone's thunder" is either to take credit for the idea of another or to lessen the effect of another's idea by suggesting the same idea first - Example: Mary was excited to announce the arrival of her new baby, but her thunder was stolen when she saw that her husband had posted the news on social media.

Thirty Pieces of Silver/Betrayed with a Kiss

- In the Bible, Judas was the disciple who agreed to betray Jesus to the authorities in exchange for payment - Judas identified Jesus by greeting him with a kiss of identification - "Thirty Pieces of Silver" refers to payment received for an act of treachery - "Betrayed with a Kiss" refers to a supposed friend's treachery - Example: When my friend decided to vote for my rival, I knew he received his thirty pieces of silver from my enemy. - Example: My dad warned me about having boyfriends, convincing me that I would be betrayed with a kiss should I ever get one.

The Handwriting on the Wall

- In the Book of Daniel, Belshazzar, the king of Babylon, gave a great banquet where guests praised the gods - Suddenly, a human hand appeared and wrote mysterious words on the wall - Daniel translated the writing, saying that it prophesied that Belshazzar's reign was over - That night, he was killed - "Handwriting on the wall" refers to an indication that doom or misfortune is coming - Example: Despite being warned about his company's corruption, the CEO ignored the handwriting on the wall, leading to the collapse of the company.

Burning Bush

- In the book of Exodus, God speaks to Moses from a miraculous burning bush that burns but is not consumed - He commands Moses to confront Pharaoh and demand freedom for the Israelites and lead the people to the Promised Land - A "burning bush" refers to a medium through which the voice of absolute authority speaks - Example: Many people consider Trump's Twitter to be a form of the burning bush.

Golden Calf

- In the book of Exodus, Moses was leading his people from Egypt to the Promised Land - While he was on Mt Sinai receiving the 10 commandments, the people melted their jewelry and ornaments and made a calf out of the gold and started to worship this calf - When he returned, Moses was angered to see people worshiping the idol, and he broke the stone tablets on which the commandments were written - A "golden calf" is an idol or any object, especially a material object, that is worshiped even though it isn't worthy of worship - Example: Worshiping the golden calf of a 4.0 GPA cost Dan his sanity and sleep.

Pavlov's Dogs/Pavlovian

- Ivan Pavlov was a Russian scientist best known for his research on conditioned response - In his experiments, he rang a bell while presenting food to dogs, causing them to salivate - Eventually, when Pavlov rang the bell without the food, the dogs would automatically begin to salivate because they had been conditioned to associate the bell with food - "Pavlov's dogs" is a phrase that refers to someone who automatically or instinctively responds to or obeys a signal - The adjective "Pavlovian" refers to such an automatic, unthinking response - Example: After a previous traumatic experience at the doctor's, Gary had a Pavlovian reaction when he saw the doctor ready to stab a needle into his arm.

Crossing the Rubicon

- Julius Caesar was ordered home after the Gallic Wars, and was returning to Italy - Rubicon was the river forming northern boundary of Italy - By Roman law, a general was forbidden from crossing into Italy with an army, but Caesar led his army across the river, and there was no turning back for him and his troops - Refers to someone taking an irreversible step, often involving some danger - Example: When I snapped back at my parents, I knew I had crossed the Rubicon and expected punishment.

Magnum Opus

- Latin phrase for "great work" - The plural of opus is opera - Usually refers to the greatest work produced by a writer, composer, or other artist - Example: John Williams' opening theme for Star Wars is considered to be his magnum opus.

In Media Res

- Latin phrase literally meaning "into the middle of things." - One of the standard epic conventions is that the epic begins in the middle of the action - Refers to anything that begins abruptly, in the middle of the action, or it can be used in its literal sense: into the middle of things - Example: While we were discussing the latest gossip, Joe burst in media res and started ranting about his terrible math grade.

Left-Handed Compliment

- Left hand often associated with something negative in language - Dictionary definitions of "left-handed" include awkward, clumsy, or of doubtful sincerity - In heraldry, left-hand side of a shield is called the sinister side - Left-handed compliment is one that, despite being a compliment, is insulting or rude in some way - Example: You're so charming when you make an effort.

Gordian Knot

- Legend; Gordius was a Greek king. - Tied an extremely complex knot, and an oracle prophesied that whoever untied the knot would rule all of Asia - Alexander the Great "united" it by cutting through it with his sword - Knot refers to any extremely complex problem, and cutting it refers to solving such a problem in a quick, decisive manner - Example: The school counselors face the Gordian knot of scheduling classes at the beginning of every year.

Deus Ex Machina

- Literally means "god from the mechane" - In classical theater, the mechane was a crane with a harness for an actor - The actor could be lowered from the ceiling and appear to be flying - In many classical plays, a god would unexpectedly appear, flying to earth to solve a seemingly hopeless problem or save the hero/heroine - Refers to any surprising turn of events that suddenly makes things turn out all right, especially in a literary work. Often considered to be an unsatisfying and overly convenient way to end a story. - Example: Just when it seemed like the enemy would shoot the protagonist, the sidekick burst through the door and shot the enemy, saving the protagonist in a deux ex machina fashion.

Nemesis

- Nemesis is the Greek goddess of vengeance and retribution - She punished people for wrongdoing, especially excessive pride - A person's "nemesis" is that which causes his or her downfall, or the term can refer to the downhill itself - Example: At every piano competition, I seem to always run into my nemesis, where I must compete against him for first place.

Tabula Rasa

- Phrase is Latin for "blank slate" - Philosopher John Locke referred to the mind of a young person unaffected by experience as Tabula Rasa - Refers to the idea that something or someone is entirely unmarked and uninfluenced - Children exhibit tabula rasa, taking in their environments with rapt curiosity

Bread and Circuses

- Phrase used by a writer during the time of the Roman Empire - Deplored the fact that the imperial government kept the populace content by distributing free food and providing entertainment spectacles, such as fights in the Colosseum - Writer declared that it was shameful that people could be so easily kept in line simply by receiving "bread and circuses" from the government - Refers to policies designed to prevent unrest by keeping people happy and thus deflecting concern about troubling issues - Example: The children at daycare received bread and circuses just to keep them from misbehaving and upsetting their parents.

Pollyanna

- Pollyanna is a character in children's stories by Eleanor H. Porter - She's a girl who teaches everyone to play the "glad game," where a person tries to find something to be glad about in any situation, no matter how bad the situation is - A "Pollyanna" refers to someone who is unusually optimistic and always looking on the bright side, with connotations of being excessively cheerful and naive - Example: Maggie held on to the Pollyanna hope that her lost cat would appear in her backyard, despite the years that passed since it initially ran away.

All that Glitters is not Gold

- Proverb derived from Latin translation of Aristotle - Refers to something that appears valuable on the outside may in fact be less than valuable. Appearances can be deceptive - Example: When we figured out that the Hamilton tickets were fake, we discovered that all that glitters is not gold.

Pyrrhic Victory

- Pyrrhus was a general in ancient Greece - After defeating the Romans in a battle where he suffered great losses, Pyrrhus, despite receiving congratulations, said "Such another victory and we are ruined." - A "Pyrrhic victory" is where the winner's victory comes at such a great expense that it is scarcely better than losing. - Example: Oliver suffered a Pyrrhic victory where he graduated top of his class at the expense of having zero social life, thus lacking in social skills.

Janus

- Roman god of gates and doorways, thus being associated with entrances and beginnings - The month of January is named after him - Usually depicted with 2 faces, one looking forward into the future and one looking backward at the past - Calling someone a "Janus" can be either a positive or negative statement - Can refer to the wisdom and knowledge of a person who sees everything - Or to the two-faced, hypocritical nature of a person who presents two different appearances - Thus, Janus represents duality in several ways - Example: In BBC's Sherlock, the car company Janus in The Great Game turned out to be two-faced, running a criminal organization behind the scenes.

Scheherazade

- She's the narrator of Arabian Nights, aka The Thousand and One Nights, a collection of Middle Eastern folktales - According to legend, Arabian King Shahriyar was angered when he discovered his first wife's infidelity, vowing to marry a new wife every day and execute her the morning after their wedding night - When it's Scheherazade's turn, she tells the king a story on their wedding night, ending the story at a critical point, promising to continue the next night - Scheherazade's cunning and fascinating storytelling kept her alive for a thousand and one nights, allowing the king to fall in love with her and cancel his vow - Someone who is an excellent storyteller, especially one who is able to keep an audience in suspense, may be compared to Scheherazade - Example: Lin-Manuel Miranda is an excellent Scheherazade, keeping us on our toes in anticipation of Act 2 during the 15 minute intermission.

Pharisees/Pharisaical

- The Pharisees were a Jewish sect that insisted on strict adherence to written law - Jesus rebuked them for being outwardly pious but inwardly corrupt - A "Pharisee" is a hypocrite who upholds the letter of the law, but not its spirit - The adjective "Pharisaical" refers to a hypocritical act - Example: Our section leader told us it was important to attend every rehearsal, but she command was Pharisaical because she often skipped practice herself.

Medusa

- The most famous of the gorgons, 3 sisters in Greek mythology who had snakes for hair and who turned anyone who looked at them to stone - "Medusa" refers to a repulsive or terrifying woman. Also applied to extraordinarily wild, unruly hair - Example: Our history teacher was a Medusa; she was able to turn students silent as stone with her glare.

Svengali

- The name of a character in Trilby, a novel written by George du Maurier - He taught Trilby to sing and exercised absolute control over her - When he dies, Trilby is no longer able to sing - A "Svengali" is a person who exercises excessive control or influence over another person - Example: Joe's wife exercised Svengali-like control over her husband, controlling his attire, his diet, and his schedule.

Skeleton in the Closet

- The skeleton remains long after a person has died and the body has decomposed - Skeletons can be unpleasant or frightening to look at - The phrase "skeleton in the closet" refers to unpleasant or embarrassing things about a person that he or she would prefer to keep hidden from others - Example: Most celebrities' skeletons in the closet are revealed to the public through media exposure.

Shibboleth

- This is a Hebrew word for an ear of corn - In the Old Testament, the Israelites used this as a password to prevent their enemies from infiltrating their camp - A "shibboleth" has come to mean a slogan or catchword used by, or associated with, a particular party, group, or sect - Example: Adults today have a hard time understanding the shibboleth of today's teens.

Read the Riot Act

- Under English Common Law, an unruly crowd had to be read the Riot Act before action could be taken to force them to disperse - Refers to issuing a stern warning where if unacceptable behavior doesn't cease, severe consequences will follow - Example: After asking us to be quiet, my father stormed upstairs to read us the riot act.

Over a Barrel

- When someone was rescued from drowning, they would be held over a barrel so the water could drain from the lungs - The person rescued was totally dependent on the rescuers - Someone is said to be "over a barrel" when he or she is unable to act independently and must do the bidding of someone else - Example: Because my sister had blackmail on me, I was held over a barrel and had to do her bidding.

Mrs. Grundy

In Thomas Morton's Speed the Plough (1793 play), Mrs. Grundy, a referred to character who is actually never portrayed, is often referred to in "What would Mrs. Grundy say?" - She is known as a narrow-minded, conventional, prudish person - "Grundyism" and the phrase "Mrs. Grundy" refers to such an attitude of narrow-minded prudishness. - Example: The director expected Grundyism and controversy to arise from those oblivious to the underlying message of the film.