Allusions Semester 1 Meanings

Question 1

Achilles’ Heel

Answer 1

a person’s area of particular vulnerability

Question 2

Pound of Flesh

Answer 2

someone’s insistence on being repaid, even if the repayment will destroy or harm the debtor

Question 3

Sacred Cow

Answer 3

something that cannot be interfered with or harmed in any way

Question 4

Crossing the Rubicon

Answer 4

an irreversible step, often involving some danger

Question 5

Pearls before Swine

Answer 5

To “cast one’s pearls before swine” is to offer something precious to someone, or a group of people, unable to appreciate the value of what they are being given

Question 6

Once in a Blue Moon

Answer 6

something that occurs very rarely

Question 7

Mrs. Grundy

Answer 7

The word “Grundyism” and the phrase “Mrs. Grundy” refer to such an attitude of narrow-minded prudishness

Question 8

Crocodile Tears

Answer 8

to shed crocodile tears is to show false sympathy for someone

Question 9

Sirens

Answer 9

anything that tempts a person away from safety and toward a destructive path. A “siren song” is the temptation used to lure a person

Question 10

Read the Riot Act

Answer 10

to issue a stern warning that if unacceptable behavior does not cease, severe consequences will follow

Question 11

Thirty Pieces of Silver/Betrayed with a Kiss

Answer 11

“Thirty pieces of silver” refers to payment received for an act of treachery. “Betrayed with a kiss” refers to a supposed friend’s treachery

Question 12

Gordian Knot

Answer 12

any extremely complex problem and “cutting the Gordian knot” refers to solving such a problem in a quick, decisive manner

Question 13

Ivory Tower

Answer 13

A person who is secluded or protected from the real world and thus out of the touch with reality is said to be residing in an “ivory tower.”

Question 14

All that Glitters is not Gold

Answer 14

something which appears valuable on the outside, may in fact be less than valuable. Appearances can be deceiving

Question 15

Sound and Fury

Answer 15

a great, tumultuous, and passionate uproar that actually is unimportant or meaningless

Question 16

Icarus/Fly Too Close to the Sun

Answer 16

To be “an Icarus” or to “fly too close to the sun” is to fail or be destroyed because of lack of caution or excessive ambition

Question 17

Bread and Cicuses

Answer 17

policies designed to prevent unrest by keeping people happy and thus deflecting concern about troubling issues

Question 18

Deus ex Machina

Answer 18

any surprising turn of events that suddenly makes things turn out all right, especially in a literary work. This device is often considered to be an unsatisfying and overly convenient way to end a story

Question 19

Tabula Rasa

Answer 19

the idea that something or someone is entirely unmarked and uninfluenced

Question 20

Tantalus

Answer 20

To be “tantalized” or to be like Tantalus, is to be offered something desirable which is then withheld

Question 21

NIMBY

Answer 21

the idea that, while people may be aware of the necessity of some unpleasant realities, such as prisons, landfills, or chemical plants, they insist that these places be located away from where they live

Question 22

Waterloo

Answer 22

To meet one’s Waterloo is to suffer an ultimate, decisive defeat

Question 23

The Emperor’s New Clothes

Answer 23

used in the context of someone pointing out the falseness or pretentiousness of something, especially when others are afraid to admit the truth

Question 24

Left-handed Compliment

Answer 24

a compliment that, despite being a compliment, is insulting or rude in some way

Question 25

Golden Calf

Answer 25

an idol or any object, especially a material object, that is worshipped even though it is not worthy of worship

Question 26

Sword of Damocles

Answer 26

an awareness of impending or imminent danger

Question 27

Svengali

Answer 27

a person who exercises excessive control or influence over another person

Question 28

Non Sequitur

Answer 28

a statement that is unrelated to what has been said before. In logic a non sequitur is a conclusion that does not logically follow the premises

Question 29

White Elephant

Answer 29

an object that has no use to its owner and may even represent a financial burden or an inconvenience

Question 30

Fiddle While Rome Burns

Answer 30

to display indifference in the midst of an emergency or disaster

Question 31

In Media Res

Answer 31

anything that begins abruptly, in the middle of the action, or it can be used in its literal sense: in the middle of things

Question 32

Loaves and Fishes

Answer 32

an almost miraculous abundance in the face of seeming scarcity

Question 33

Magnum Opus

Answer 33

the greatest work produced by a writer, composer,or other artist

Question 34

Janus

Answer 34

Calling someone a “Janus” can be either a positive or a negative statement. It can refer to the wisdom and knowledge of a person who sees everything, or to the two-faced, hypocritical nature of a person who presents two different appearances, depending on the circumstances. Thus, Janus represents duality in several ways.

Question 35

A Chip on One’s Shoulder

Answer 35

A person with a chip on his or her shoulder is one who is inclined to be resentful or who seems to be looking for an excuse to fight

Question 36

Noble Savage

Answer 36

a person who has not been corrupted by society or civilization

Question 37

Burning Bush

Answer 37

a medium through which the voice of absolute authority speaks

Question 38

Narcissus/ narcissism

Answer 38

The term “narcissism” is derived from the story of Narcissus. It refers to obsessive focus on oneself, particularly one’s physical appearance.

Question 39

Scheherazade

Answer 39

A person who is an excellent storyteller, especially one who is able to keep an audience in suspense, may be compared to Scheherazade.

Question 40

Skeleton in the Closet

Answer 40

unpleasant or embarrassing things about a person that he or she would prefer to keep hidden from others

Question 41

Fifteen Minutes of Fame

Answer 41

when someone receives a great deal of media attention for something fairly trivial

Question 42

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

Answer 42

We use the phrase “letting the cat out of the bag” to refer to a secret’s being revealed. The phrase “buying a pig in a poke” describes buying something without first seeing it. Buying a pig in a poke is considered unwise because of the risks involved.

Question 43

Lot’s Wife/ Pillar of Salt

Answer 43

someone who unwisely chooses to look back once he or she has begun on a course of action or someone who disobeys an explicit rule or command

Question 44

Cassandra

Answer 44

someone who predicts disasters or negative results, especially to someone whose predictions are disregarded

Question 45

Catch-22

Answer 45

an absurd, no-win situation