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