This document provides information on how to use allusions and examples of common mythological allusions. It explains that allusions can be used as nouns, adjectives, or in other grammatical forms and provides guidelines on capitalization and modifying the allusion based on its use. The document then lists over 50 mythological allusions from figures like Achilles, Apollo, Hercules, and others and provides brief summaries of their stories and origins from Greek and Roman mythology to help the reader understand the allusion.

1. 0. HOW TO USE ALLUSIONS
Allusionsare instantdescriptors,short-cutstodescribe some ideasinasentence.
THE
ALLUSION IS
HOW TO USE EXAMPLES
A PROPER
NOUN
Capitalize the adjective
A properadjective isanadjective thatcomesfromaproper
noun.Properadjectivesare capitalized(Parisianmenu). Hint
1: if the allusioniscapitalizedinthislist,thenit’saproper
noun. Hint2: If the allusionhasbecome acommonly-used
word,then,follow the rule forCOMMON NOUN. Example:
Titan= titanic(huge,gigantic,humongous)
A COMMON
NOUN
Capitalize the adjective
onlyif it beginsthe
sentence.
Argus-eyedelephants dancedinmydreamslastnight.
I saw seventy argus-eyedelephantsinmydreamslastnight.
A NOUN AS NOUN (nochange)
I have verystrongself-control butchocolate ismy Achilles’
heel.
My Achilles’heel ischocolate;nothingelsecanbreakthrough
my self-control.
Due to the new principal’s gorgoneyes,we hadzeroabsences
inour school thisyear.
AS NOUN (change
endingtoanal)
Bacchus: I suggestthat youplana bacchanal thatwill cost
youmuch money inreturnfor some short-livedpleasures.
AS ADJECTIVE(1):add -
like
centaur:I swearthat centaur-like dance will notsoonbe
forgottenbythe mesmerizedaudience of pygmy
grandmothers.
AS ADJECTIVE(2):add or
change endingto ian or
nian
Adonis:HisAdonisianlegscreatedariotamongthe female
baboonsinthe menagerie.
Aeolus:HisAeolianlegscreatedariotamongthe female
baboonsinthe menagerie.
Bacchus: Your bacchanalianextravagance didnotsitwell with
the voters.That’swhyyou lostthe election.
Apollo:HisApollonianlegscreatedariotamongthe female
baboonsinthe menagerie.
AS ADJECTIVE(3):add or
change endingto ic,
istic,or ical
lethargy:My dogsuddenlyfeltdrowsythat lethargic
afternoon.
Eros: The teachersfoundsome eroticphotosinthe trash can.
narcissism:Yournarcissisticmanagerdidnotpromote my
niece’sassetstoday.
Helen:The Hellenisticcolumnsof thisancienttemple have
beenphotographedbyonlyone intrepidjournalist.
Chimera:Whatchimerical dreamsare these?
AS ADJECTIVE(4):add or
change endingto esque
Juno:Her Junoesque walkcaughtthe attentionof the judges.

2. 1. MYTHOLOGICAL ALLUSIONS
Achilles’ heel (n.) a most vulnerablespot;
one weakness thata
verystrongpersonmay
have
Thisword comesfrom Achilles (AncientGreek
name:Akhilleus),the greatestwarrioronthe
battlefieldatTroy,leaderof the fearsome
Myrmidons,sackerof cities,andslayerof Hektor.
His fatherwasPeleus,wasthe kingof the
MyrmidonsinThessaly. Hismother,the seanymph
Thetis, triedtomake himimmortal by dipping him
inthe River Styx.He diedfroma small woundon
hisheel.Homer'sepicpoem TheIliad tellsabout
hisadventuresinthe lastyearof the TrojanWar.
Adonis (n.) a handsome youngman Thisword comesfromAdonis.He wasso
handsome thatAphrodite,the Greekgoddessof
love,beauty,pleasure,andprocreation(Roman
name:Venus) fellinlove withhim.
aeolian (adj.) anythingpertainingto
wind
Thisword comesfrom Aeolus.Post-Homeric
authorsconsideredhimasa god ratherthan as a
mortal and simple Keeperof the Winds(in The
Odyssey). Aeolushadtwelvechildren:six sonsand
six daughters.
Apollo (n.) a physicallyperfect
male
Thisword comesfromApollo, the godof music
and light,knownforhisphysical beauty.
argus-eyed (adj.) Omniscient;all-seeing;
can see everything
Thisword comesfrom Argus, a 100-eyedmonster
that the goddess Heraappointedtoguard Io, the
cow intowhichIo(Hera's priestess)hadbeen
transformed.ArguswasslainbyHermes,whois
calledArgeiphontes(slayerof Argus) inthe
Homericpoems.Heratransferred Argus'eyesto
the tail of the peacock.
Athena/Minerva (n.) goddessof wisdom, the
city,and arts
Thisword comesfromAthena,the patrongoddess
of the cityof Athens (Greekname:Minerva).
atlantean (adj.) strongenoughto carry
the planetEarth
Thisword comesfrom Atlas,whocarriedthe globe
(world) onhisshoulders.
aurora (n.) earlymorningor
sunrise
Thisword comesfrom the Roman personification
of Dawn(Greekname:Eos)
bacchanal (n.) wild,drunkenpartyor
rowdycelebration
Thisword comesfromthe god of wine Bacchus
(Romanreligion).
bacchanalian (adj.) pertainingtoa wild,
drunkenpartyor
celebration
Thisword comesfromthe Roman godof wine
Bacchus (Greek:Dionysus).
calliope (n.) seriesof whistles,circus
organ
Thisword comesfrom the Muse of eloquence or
beautiful voices.
Cassandra (n.) a personwho
continuallypredicts
misfortune butoftenis
not believed
Thisword comesfrom (Greeklegend) adaughter
of PriamcursedbyApollofornotreturninghis
love.Apolloleftherwiththe giftof prophecybut
made it sono one wouldbelieve her.
centaur (n.) a creature that is half- Thisword comesfrom a monsterthat had the

3. man,half-horse,witha
large appetite for
sensual pleasures
head,arms,and chestof a man, andthe bodyand
legsof a horse
chimera (n.) a horrible creature of
the imagination,an
absurdor impossible
idea;wildfancy
Thisword comesfrom a monsterwitha lion's
head,a goat's body,and a serpent'stail,supposed
to breathe outfire
cupidity (n.) eagerdesire topossess
something;greedor
avarice
Thisword comesfromCupid,the Romangod of
love (Greekname: Eros).
erotic (adj.) of or havingtodo with
sexual passionorlove
Thisword comesfrom Greekgod of love,Eros
(Roman:Cupid).A magnificentlyhandsomeyoung
man,he isthe son of Venus.Inart, he is shownas
a chubby,wingedinfantwhoshootsarrowsto
make people fall inlove.
furor (n.) (Latinfurereto rage)
wildenthusiasmor
excitement,rage;fury,
"run like fury"
Thisword comesfrom any one of the Three Furies,
minorfemale gods,the daughtersof Gaeawho
punishedcrimesatthe instigationof the victims
(Greek:erinyes or eumenides;Roman:furiaeor
dirae).
gorgon (n.) a veryuglyor terrible
person,especiallya
repulsive woman
Thisword comesfromthe Medusa,any one or
three sisters withsnakes insteadof hairandfaces
so horrible thatanyone wholookedatthem
turnedto stone.
halcyon (adj.) calm,peaceful,tranquil Thisword comesfroma bird that can breedina
neston the seaand calm the waters(the bird
kingfisher, Latin<Greek halkyon).
harpy (n.) a predatorypersonor
naggingwoman
Thisword comesfromthe harpy,a foul creature
that waspart woman,partbird.
hector (v.) to bully Thisword comesfrom Hector,the sonof Priam
(kingof Troy) and the bravestTrojan warrior. He
killedAchilles'friendPatroclus.
Helen(of troy) (n.) Hellenistic;of or
relatingtoGreece,or a
Specialistof language or
culture inGreece;
symbol of a beautiful
woman
Thisword comesfrom Helenof Troy,the daughter
of Ledaand Zeus.Helenwas the cause of the
Trojan War.
herculean (adj.) verystrongor of
extraordinarypower
Thisword comesfromHercules,Hera'sglory,the
son of Zeus.He performedthe 12 laborsimposed
by Hera.
hydra-headed (adj.) havingmanycentersor
branches,hardto bring
undercontrol;
somethingbadyou
cannot eradicate
Thisword comesfrom Hydra, the 9-headed
serpentthatwas sacredto Hera. Herculeskilled
himin one of the 12 labors of Hercules.
iridescent (adj.) a playof colors Thisword comesfromIris,goddessof the rainbow.

4. producingrainbow
effects
jovial (adj.) goodhumored Thisword comesfrom the word Jove,a shorter
name for the Romangod Jupiter,whenpeople in
Romantimeswouldswearbyhim.
Junoesque (adj.) markedby stately
beauty
comesfromthe wordJuno,the wife of Jupiter,the
Goddessof light,birth,women,andmarriage
lethargy (n.) abnormal drowsinessor
inertia
Thisword comesfrom Lethe,a riverinHades (the
Underworld) thatcauseddrinkerstoforgettheir
past
martial (adj.) suitedforwar or a
warrior
Thisword comesfrom Mars, the Roman god of war
Medea (n.) sorceressor
enchantress
Thisword comesfrom Medea,whohelpedJason
and the Argonautscapture the GoldenFleece.She
isknownfor herrevenge againstJasonwhenhe
spurnedherinfavorof the princessof Corinth.
mentor (n.) a trustedcounseloror
guide
Thisword comesfromMentor,a friendof
Odysseus'son,whowasentrustedwithhis
education.
mercurial (adj.) suddenlycrankyor
changeable
Thisword comesfrom(Romanmythology)
Mercury messengerof the gods,conductorof souls
to the lowerworld,andgodof eloquence.He isa
fabledinventorwhowore wingedhatandsandals
(Greek:Hermes).
Mercury /
Hermes
(n.) a carrier or tidings,a
newsboy,amessenger
Thisword comesfrom(Romanmythology)
Mercury messengerof the gods,conductorof souls
to the lowerworld,andgodof eloquence.He isa
fabledinventorwhowore wingedhatandsandals
(Greek:Hermes).
mnemonics (n.) a device usedtoaid
memory
Thisword comesfrom Mnemosyne.,whogave
birthto the nine Muses,whosupposedlygave
goodmemory for longstorytelling.
morphine (n.) a bitterwhite,
crystalline alkaloidused
to relieve painand
induce sleep
Thisword comesfrom Morpheus, a god whocould
easilychange hisformor shape.
morph (v.) to change from one
formor shape into
another
Thisword comesfrom Morpheus, a god whocould
easilychange hisformor shape.
muse (n.) a source of inspiration Thisword comesfromthe Muses,the daughtersof
Mnemosyne andZeus,singinggoddesseswho
presidedoverthoughtinall itsforms.
narcissism (n.) beinginlove withour
ownself-image;
excessivephysical self-
love
Thisword comesfrom Narcissus,ahandsome
youngman whodespisedlove. He despised Echo,a
nymphwhowas inlove withhim.She decreed,
"Let he wholovesnotothers,love himself."He fell
inlove withhisimage while gazinginapond.He

5. drownedhimself tryingtocapture it.
nemesis (n.) justpunishment,one
whoinflictsdue
punishment
Thisword comesfromNemesis,a goddesswho
punishescrime.She isthe powercharged with
curbingall excess,suchas excessive goodfortune
or arrogant pride.
Neptune (n.) the sea personified Thisword comesfrom(Romanreligion) Neptune,
the god of freshwaterandthe sea(Greek:
Poseidon).
niobic (adj.) mournful woman Thisword comesfromNiobe,whose childrenwere
slainbyApolloandArtemisbecause of her
bragging.The gods pitiedherandturnedherintoa
rock that was alwayswetfromweeping.
odyssey (n.) a longjourney Thisword comesfrom Odysseus,the main
character in The Odyssey,anepicpoem byHomer.
Odysseusmakeshislongjourney home,returning
fromthe TrojanWar, encounteringseveral
obstaclesalongthe way.
Olympian (adj.) majesticinmanner,
superiortomundane
affairs;anyparticipant
inthe ancientor
modern Olympicgames
Thisword comesfromthe 12 gods that residedon
Mt. Olympus.
paean (n.) a song of joy In Homericpoems,anindependentgod of healing
namedPaeanor Paeon tookcare of Hades when
the latterwas wounded. Thiswordwas a ritual
title forApollothe healer.
Pandora's box (n.) Somethingthatopens
the door for bad
occurrences,openedby
someone knownfor
curiosity
Thisword comesfromPandora, the firstmortal.
She was sentbyZeus,to punishmanfor
Prometheus’theftof fire. She was curiosand
openedthe box thatZeusgave her.All humanills
inthe world escaped,leavingonly Hope atthe
bottom.
Parnassus (n.) Anycenterof poeticor
artisticactivity;a group
of poetryorpoets;a
commontitle fora
selectionof poetry
Thisword comesfrom the heroof Parnassus,the
son of Poseidonanda nymph.Mt. Parnassusisa
mountainthatwas sacredto arts and literature.
Pegasus (n.) Poeticinspiration Thisword comesfrom a wingedhorse thatsprang
fromthe bloodof Medusaat her death.A stamp of
hishoof causedHippocrene,the fountainof the
Muses,to issue poeticinspirationfromMount
Helicon.
phoenix (n.) a symbol of immortality
or rebirth
Thisword comesfrom(Egyptianmythology)the
phoenix,along-livingbirdthatlivedinthe Arabian
desert.Itconsumesitself infire,risingrenewed
fromthe flame tostart anotherlonglife.
plutocracy (n.) a governmentbythe Thisword comesfrom Pluton,the "RichMan," a

6. wealthy ritual tile of Hades.He was originallythe godof the
fieldsbecause the groundwasthe source of all
wealth,oresandjewels.
promethean (adj.) life-bringing,creative,
or courageouslyoriginal
Thisword comesfromPrometheus, aTitanwho
broughtman the use of fire whichhe hadstolen
fromheavenfortheirbenefit. InGreekmythology,
the Titanswere godswho precededthe Olympians.
Theywere childrenof Uranus(Heaven) andGaia
(Earth).Ledby Cronus,theyoverthrew Uranus.
Cronus'son, Zeus,rebelledagainsthisfatherand
eventuallydefeatedthe Titans.
protean (adj.) takingmanyforms,
versatile
Thisword comesfrom Proteus,agod of the sea,
chargedwithtendingthe sea creaturesbelonging
to Poseidon.He hadthe ability tochange himself
intowhateverformhe desired,usingthispower
particularlywhenhe wantedtoelude those asking
himquestions.
psyche (n.) the humansoul,self,
the mind
Thisword comesfrom Psyche,a maidenwho,after
undergoingmanyhardshipsdue toAphrodite’s
jealousy,reunitedwithCupidandwasmade
immortal byJupiter.She symbolizesasoul joined
to the heart of love.
Pygmalion (n.) someone (usuallya
male) whotriesto
fashionsomeone into
the personhe desires
Thisword comesfrom a myth abouta woman-
hatingsculptorwhomakesa female figure of ivory.
Aphrodite brings the statue tolife forhim.
pyrrhicvictory (adj.) a too costlyvictory;a
winthat isactuallya
loss
Thisword comesfrom Pyrrhus,a Greekkingwho
defeatedthe Romansin279 BC,but suffered
extremelyheavylossesinthe fight.
saturnalia (n.) a periodof unrestrained
revelry
Thisword comesfrom the ancientRomanfestival
of Saturn,withgeneral feastinginrevelryinhonor
of the wintersolstice.
saturnine (adj.) sluggish,gloomy,
morose,inactive in
wintermonths
Thisword comesfrom namedafterthe god Saturn,
oftenassociatedwiththe godof the Underworld.
sibyl (n.) a witchor sorceress; a
tellerof futures
Thisword comesfrom a priestesswhomade
knownthe oraclesof Apolloandpossessedthe gift
of prophecy.
Sisyphean (adj.) greedyandavaricious Thisword comesfrom the shrewdandgreedyking
of Corinth,Sisyphus,whowasdoomedforeverin
Hadesto roll uphill aheavystone thatalways
rolleddownagain.
stentorian (adj.) havinga loudvoice;
deathafterlosing.
Thisword comesfrom Stentor,a character in The
Iliad, whocouldshoutas loudlyas50 men.He
engagedina shoutingmatchagainstHermesand
was putto deathafterlosing.
stygian (adj.) dark and gloomy Thisword comesfrom the riverStyx in the

7. Underworld.The waterispoisonousforhumans
and cattle and saidto breakiron,metal and
pottery,thougha horse'shoof isunharmed.
tantalize (v.) to entice without
satisfaction
Thisword comesfrom KingTantalus,whoreigned
on Mt. Sipylusandwascondemnedtoreside ina
beautiful riverwithsumptuousfruitsjustoutof
reach andthe waterundrinkable,alwaystempting
himas punishmentforexcessive pride (heboiled
hisson and fedthe broth to the gods as a trick).
terpsichorean (adj.) pertainingtodance Thisword comesfrom Terpsichore,one of the nine
Muses,sometimessaidtobe the motherof the
sirensandthe protectorof dance.
titanic (adj.) large,grand,enormous Thisword comesfrom Tityus,a giant,the son of
Zeusand Elara.His bodycoversovertwo acres.Or
afterthe Titans,the offspringof ChronusandRhea,
whowentto war againstZeusand the other
Olympiangods.
vulcanize (v.) to treat rubberwith
sulfurtoincrease
strengthandelasticity
Thisword comesfrom the Roman godof fire and
metallurgy,Vulcan (Greek:Hephaestus).
volcano (n.) a mountainthaterupts
withfire
Thisword comesfrom Vulcan,the Romangod of
fire,whose forge issaidtobe undermountains.
Zeus (n.) a powerful man Thisword comesfromthe kingof the gods,rulerof
Mt. Olympus, vengeful hurlerof thunderbolts.
2. ALLUSIONS FROM LITERATURE (for Midterms)
Babbitt (n.) a self-satisfiedpersonconcerned chiefly
withbusinessandmiddle-classideals
like material success;amemberof the
workingclasswhose unthinking
attachmentto itsbusinessandsocial
idealsissuchto make hima model of
narrow-mindednessandself-satisfaction
Thisword comesfrom George F.
Babbitt,the maincharacter inthe
novel BabbittbySinclairLewis
Brobdingnagian (adj.) gigantic,enormous,onalarge scale,
enlarged
Thisword comesfrom
Brobdingnag,the landof giants
visitedbyGulliverin Gulliver’s
Travels,by JonathanSwift
bumble (v.) to speakor behave clumsilyorfaltering,
to make a hummingor droningsound
Thisword comesfrom the Middle
Englishbomblem,aclumsy
religiousfigure (abeadle) ina
workof literature
Cinderella (n.) one whogains affluence orrecognition
afterobscurityandneglect,apersonor
thingwhose beautyorworthremains
unrecognized
Thisword comesfromCinderella,
the fairy- tale heroine who
escapesforma life of drudgery
throughthe interventionof afairy
godmotherandmarriesa

8. handsome prince
Don Juan (n.) a libertine,profligate,aman obsessed
withseducingwomen
Thisword comesfrom Don Juan,
the legendary14thcentury
Spanishnoblemanandlibertine
Don Quixote (n.) someone overlyidealistictothe pointof
havingimpossible dreams
Thisword comesfromDon
Quixote de laMancha, the crazed
and impoverishedSpanishnoble
whosetsout to revive the gloryof
knighthood,romanticizedinthe
musical TheMan of La Mancha
basedon the storyby Cervantes
Panglossian (adj.) blindlyormisleadinglyoptimistic Thisword comesfrom Dr.
Pangloss,apedanticoldtutorin
Voltaire’sCandide
Falstaffian (adj.) full of witand bawdyhumor Thisword comesfrom Falstaff,a
fat,sensual, boastful,and
mendaciousknight, the
companionof Henry,Prince of
Wales
Frankenstein (n.) anythingthatthreatensordestroysits
creator
Thisword comesfrom the young
scientistinMary Shelley'snovel
Frankenstein,whocreatesa
monsterthateventuallydestroys
him
Friday (n.) a faithful andwillingattendant,readyto
turn hishandto anything
Thisword comesfrom the young
savage foundbyRobinsonCrusoe
on a Friday,andkeptas his
servantand companiononthe
desertisland
Galahad (n.) a pure and noble manwithlimited
ambition
In the legendsof KingArthur,
Galahadis the purestand most
virtuousknightof the Round
Table,the onlyknighttofindthe
HolyGrail
Jekyll andHyde (n.) a capriciousperson;one withtwosides
to his/herpersonality
Thisword comesfrom a character
inthe famousnovel Dr.Jekyll and
Mr. Hyde whohad more than one
personality,asplitpersonality
(one goodand one evil)
Lilliputian (adj.) a verysmall personor of something
diminutive,trivial orpetty
Thisword comesfrom the
Lilliputians,tinypeoplein
Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan
Swift
Little Lord
Fauntleroy
(n.) children'sclothingwithmuchlace and
decoration;abeautiful,pamperedand
effeminate boy
Thisword comesfrom FrancesH.
Burnett’sstory,where the main
character, seven-year-oldCedric
Errol,was a strikingfigure,

9. dressedinblackvelvetwithalace
collarand yellow curls
lothario (n.) a man whose chief interestisseducinga
woman
Thisword comesfrom the play
The Fair Penitentby Nicholas
Rowe,the maincharacter and the
seducer
malapropism (n.) The usuallyunintentionalhumorous
misuse ordistortionof a wordor phrase,
especiallythe use of a wordsounding
somewhatlike the one intended,but
ludicrouslywrongincontext
Mrs. Malaprop was a character
notedforher misuse of wordsin
R. B. Sheridan'scomedy TheRivals
milquetoast (n.) a timid,weak,orunassertive person Thisword comesfrom Casper
Milquetoast,acomicstrip
character createdby H.T. Webster
pickwickian (adj.) humorous,sometimesderogatory Thisword comesfrom Samuel
Pickwick,acharacter inCharles
Dickens'Pickwickian Papers
Pollyanna (n.) a personcharacterizedbyimpermissible
optimismanda tendencytofindgoodin
everything,afoolishlyorblindly
optimisticperson
fromEleanorPorter'sheroine,
PollyannaWhittier,inthe book
Pollyanna
Pooh-Bah (n.) a pompous,ostentatiousofficial,
especiallyone who,holdingmany
offices,fulfillsnone of them, aperson
whoholdshighoffice
Thisword comesfrom Pooh-Bah
Lord- High-Everything-Else,a
character inThe Mikado,a musical
by GilbertandSullivan
quixotic havingfoolishandimpractical ideasof
honor,or schemesforthe general good
Thisword comesfrom Don
Quixote,ahalf-crazyreformerand
knightof the supposeddistressed,
ina novel bythe same name
robot (n.) a machine that lookslike ahumanbeing
and performsvariousactsof a human
being;a functional machinewhose lack
of capacityfor humanemotionsisoften
emphasized;anefficient,insensitive
personwhofunctionsautomatically;a
mechanismguidedbycontrols
Thisword comesfrom Karel
Capek'sRossum's Universal
Robots(1920), takenfromthe
Czech"robota,"meaning drudgery
rodomontade (n.) blusterandboasting;toboast
(rodomontadingorrodomontaded)
Thisword comesfrom Rodomont,
a brave,but braggart knightin
Bojardo's Orlando Inamorato
Scrooge (n.) a bitterand/orgreedyperson Thisword comesfrom Charles
Dickens'A ChristmasCarol,an
elderlystingymiserwhoisgivena
realitycheckby3 visitingghosts
SimonLegree (n.) a harsh, cruel,ordemandingpersonin
authority,suchas an employerorofficer
that acts inthis manner
Thisword comesfrom Simon
Legree, the brutal slave overseer
inUncle Tom's Cabin byHarriet
BeecherStowe

10. Svengali (n.) a personwithan irresistible hypnotic
power
Thisword comesfrom a musician
whohypnotizesandcontrolsthe
heroine inan1894 novel by
George Mauriers
Tartuffe (n.) hypocrite orsomeone whois
hypocritical
Thisword comesfromTartuffe,
the central character in a comedy
by Moliere producedin1667;
Moliere wasfamousforhis
hypocritical piety
Uncle Tom (n.) someone withatimidservice attitude,
like aslave to hisowner
Thisword comesfrom Uncle Tom,
the humble,pious,long-suffering
Negroslave in UncleTom's Cabin
by abolitionistwriterStowe
Uriah Heep (n.) a fawningtoadie,anobsequiousperson Thisword comesfromUriah Heep,
a character in CharlesDickens'
David Copperfield (1849-50)
WalterMitty (n.) a commonplace non-adventuresome
personwhoseeksescape fromreality
throughdaydreaming;ahenpecked
husband;a dreamer
Thisword comesfromWalter
Mitty,a daydreaminghenpecked
protagonistinThe Secret Life of
Walter Mitty by JamesThurber
yahoo (n.) a boorish,crass,or stupidperson Thisword comesfromthe Yahoos,
a race of brutes whohave the
formand all the vicesof humans
inSwift's Gulliver's Travels
3. ALLUSIONS FROM THE BIBLE (for Finals)
Absalom (n.) a son whobrings
heartache to his
father
Thisword comesfromAbsalom, the thirdsonof David,
Kingof Israel.Exiledforthree yearsbefore he was
allowedtoreturntothe court or see hisfather, Absalom
plottedarebellionto take the kingdomwhenhe heard
Solomonwasto succeedDavid.When Absalomwas
killedinbattle,KingDavidgrievedforhissoninspite of
histreacheryagainsthim
Alphaand
Omega
(n.) the beginningand
the end
Thisword comesfrom a quote inRevelationsinthe New
Testament
Cain (n.) a brotherwho killsa
brother
Thisword comesfrom the story of Adam andEve’sson
Cain,whokilledhisbrotherAbel outof jealousy
Daniel (n.) one knownfor
wisdomandaccurate
judgment
Thisword comesfromDaniel, awise leaderinthe Old
Testamentwhowasable to readthe handwritingonthe
wall
Davidand
Bathsheba
(n.) a big sin Thisword comesfrom KingDavid’saffairwith
Bathsheba,the wife of Uriah.Aftertheyhadan affair
and she became pregnant,DavidhadherhusbandUriah
put onthe frontlinesof battle sohe woulddie.The
"BathshebaAffair"formedacritical turningpointinKing
David'slife.Priortothis,he had prosperedgreatly,but

11. afterward,hispersonal fortuneswere greatly
diminished.Nathanthe prophetconfrontedDavidafter
he took Bathshebaforhiswife andtrappedhiminto
admittinghisownguilt.
Delilah (n.) a voluptuous,
treacherouswoman
See Samson and Delilah
eye of the
needle
(n.) a verydifficulttask Thisword comesfrom a famousnarrow gatewaycalled
“the needle.”Inthe New Testament,Jesussaiditwas
easierfora camel to go throughthe eye of the needle
than fora richman to enterheaven.
filthylucre (n.) moneyor profits Thisword comesfrom a story inthe New Testament
aboutJesuscastingmoneylendersoutof the Temple
Goliath (n.) a large person Thisword comesfrom the giant fromthe Philistine city
of Gath,slainby David,a shepherdboy
Good
Samaritan
(n.) someone whohelps
anotherperson,
perhapssomeone of
a differentrace or
background
Thisword comesfrom a New Testamentparable abouta
Samaritan,a traditional enemyof the Hebrews,who
stoppedtohelpa Jewishmanwhohadbeenbeatenand
leftfordeadat the side of the road.
handwriting
on the wall
(n.) whatthe future holds Thisword comesfrom the Old Testamentstoryof
Daniel,whowasable toaccuratelypredictsome
mysteriouswritingthatappearedona wall (translated,
it predictedthe imminentdeathof the king)
Ishmael (n.) one whois cast out
as beingunworthy
the son of Abrahamand hishandmaidenHagar,he was
cast out intothe desertwhenhiswife Sarahhadtheir
son Isaac;therefore saidtobe the ancestor of the
nomadicdeserttribesof Arabs
Jezebel (n.) a brazenor forward
woman
see King Ahab and Jezabel
Job (n.) one whosuffersa
great deal but
remainsfaithful
Thisword comesfrom an Old Testamentcharacter
whose faithinGod wastestedbySatan; thoughhe lost
hisfamilyandbelongings,he remainedpatientand
faithful
Job's
comforters
(n.) “friends”whotryto
helpbybringing
blame
Thisword comesfrom Job’s"comforters"didn'tcomfort
at all but were the source of more afflictions.
Jonah (n.) one whobringsbad
luck
Thisword comesfrom an Old Testamentprophetwho
ran from God andsailedtosea.Whena stormarose,he
admittedthathe was the cause,and the sailorsthrew
himoverboard,where he wasswallowedbyalarge fish.
Judas(n.) (n.) a traitor or a
treacherouskiss(a
Judaskiss)
fromone of the 12 Apostles,notoriousforbetraying
Jesus. Hissurname inLatin means"murderer"or
"assassin." JudasdisclosedJesus'whereaboutstothe
chief priestsandeldersforthirtypiecesof silver
KingAhab
and Jezabel
(n.) evil Thisword comesfrom an evil kingof Israel andhis
treacherousevil wife.Throughhermarriage toAhab,
Jezebel introducedthe worshipof Baal,anidol,toIsrael,

12. incitingmutual enmitywiththe prophets.She instigated
the murderof Nabothforthe possessionof avineyard.
manna (n.) a sustaininglife-
givingsource or food
Thisword comesfrom the sweetishbread-like foodthat
fell fromheavenforthe Israelitesastheycrossedthe
Sinai Deserttothe PromisedLandwithMoses
original sin/
The Fall
(n.) the ideathat all men
are innatelysinful
Thisword comesfrom Adamand Eve’sfall fromthe
state of innocence.Whentheyate of the forbiddenfruit,
theywere cast outof the Biblical Gardenof Eden.
Adam'seatingthe forbiddenfruitfromthe Tree of
Knowledgeresultedinmankind'sinheritance of asinful
nature.
pearl of great
price
(n.) somethingso
preciousthatone
woulddevote
everythingtoorgive
up everythingforit
In one of Jesus'parables,the kingdomof heavenis
comparedto a pearl of greatprice,or value,foundbya
merchant
philistine (adj.) a personwhois
indifferentorhostile
to the arts and
refinement
Thisword comesfromthe Philistines,the sea-going
people fromCrete whobecame enemiesof the Israelites
and foughtovertheirlands
prodigal son (n.) a wasteful sonwho
disappointshisfather
Thisword comesfrom the New Testamentparable of a
man withtwosons. Whenhe splithisestate between
the two,the youngersongatheredhisfortune andleft
home to live the wildlife,whilethe oldersonstayed
home to workinthe fields.Whenthe youngersonspent
all of the money,he came crawlingbackto hisfather,
whoacceptedhim, pardoninghiserrorby sayinghe was
“lostbut wasfound.”
Ruth and
Naomi
(n.) paragons of love
betweenin-laws;
faithful friends
Thisword comesfrom the Old Testamentstoryof Ruth,
who,whenherhusbanddiedinbattle,leftherownland
to travel withhismotherbackto her people.
Samsonand
Delilah
(n.) treacherouslove
story
Thisword comesfrom Samson,an Israelite heroand
legendarywarriorwithextraordinaryphysical strength,
fell inlove withDelilah,aPhilistine.WhenDelilah
learnedthatSamson'shairwas the source of his
strength,she betrayedhimbycuttingoff hishairwhile
he slept.
scapegoat (n.) one that ismade an
objectof blame for
others
The goat was symbolicallyburdenedwiththe sinsof
Jewishpeople andthrownoveraprecipice outside of
Jerusalemtoridthe nationof iniquities.
sepulcher (n.) tomb Thisword comesfrom the Old Testament
Sodomand
Gomorrah
(n.) a place associated
withwickednessor
sin
Thisword comesfrom the evil citiesof the Old
Testamentthatwere destroyedbyfire.
Solomon (n.) an extremelywise
person
Thisword comesfromKingSolomon, the sonof King
David,the Israelite kingwho wasknownforwise
decisions.

13. 4. HISTORICALALLUSIONS (for Finals)
Attila (n.) barbarian,roughleader Thisword comesfrom Attila, Kingof the
Huns from433-453 and the most
successful of the barbarianinvadersof the
RomanEmpire.
berserk (adj.) destructivelyorfreneticallyviolent;
beingmentallyoremotionally
upset
Thisword comesfrom a warrior clothedin
bearskinwho workedhimself intoa
frenzybefore battle
bloomers (n.) undergarmentsfordance oractive
wear; female underwearof loose
trousersgatheredatthe ankles
Thisword comesfrom AmeliaJenks
Bloomer(1818-94), and Americansocial
reformer
bowdlerize (v.) to censor,expurgate prudishly,to
modify,asbyshorteningor
simplifyingorby skewingcontent
Thisword comesfrom ThomasBowdler
(1754-1825), whoexpurgated
Shakespeare
boycott (v.) to act togetherinabstainingfrom
using,buying,ordealingwithasan
expressionof protestordisfavoror
as a meansof coercion;the act or
an instance of boycotting
Thisword comesfrom CharlesC.Boycott
(1832-97), of Ireland.A formerBritish
soldier,Boycottrefusedtocharge lower
rentsand ejectedhistenants.Boycottand
hisfamilyfoundthemselveswithout
servants,farmlands,service instores,or
mail delivery.Boycott'sname wasquickly
adaptedas the termfor thistreatment.
Casanova (n.) a man whois amorouslyand
gallantlyattentive towomen;a
promiscuousman
Thisword comesfrom Giovanni Jacopo
CasanovaDe Seingalt(1725-98),an Italian
adventurerwhoestablishedalegendary
reputationasa lover
chauvinist (adj.) one whohas a militantdevotionto
(andglorificationof) one'scountry;
fanatical patriotism;biasedor
prejudicedbelief inthe superiority
of one'sowngender,group,orkind
Thisword comesfrom NicolasChauvin,a
legendaryFrenchsoldierdevotedtothe
famousgeneral NapoleonBonaparte.
derrick (n.) a machine forhoistingandmoving
heavyobjects,consistingof a
movable boomequippedwith
cablesandpulleysandconnected
to the base of an uprightstationary
beam;a tall frameworkovera
drilledhole,esp.anoil well,used
to supportboringequipment
Thisword comesfrom a Londonhangman
Derrick (1600)
donnybrook (n.) any riotousoccasion Thisword comesfrom the Donnybrook
Fair heldinDublinCounty,Irelanduntil
1855, whichwasfamousforriotingand
dissipation
dungaree (n.) a style of casual workpants Thisword comesfrom a coarse cotton
fabricof East Indianorigin (Hindu:dungri)
El Dorado (n.) a place of reputedwealth Thisword comesfrom the legendarycity
inSouth America,soughtbyearlySpanish

14. explorers
hackneyed (adj.) somethingmade banal ortrite by
frequentuse;keptforhire;
somethingdone quicklyor
carelessly forafee
originatingfrom hackney,the most
commonbreedof heavyharnesshorsesin
the USA
HoratioAlger (n.) one whobelievesthata personcan
make it onhis ownmerits
Thisword comesfrom HoratioAlger
(1832-99) an Americanwriterof
inspirationaladventure books
laconic (adj.) one whousesfew words;brief Thisword comesfrom the Greekword
lakonikos,the reputationof the Spartans
for brevityof speech
limerick (n.) a humorousor nonsense verse of
five lines
Thisword comesfrom Limerick,acounty
inRepublicof Irelandwhere the formis
saidto have originated
Machiavellian (adj.) somethingorsomeone
characterizedbyexpedience,
deceitandcunning
Thisword comesfrom NiccoloMachiavelli
(1469-1537), a philosopherknownforhis
treatiesandpolitical expediency;he wrote
"The Prince"(1513); relatingto
Machiavelli orMachiavellianism
marathon (n.) a longdistance race Thisword comesfrom the abilityto
endure verylong-distance runningwas
the source of the victoryof the Greeks
overthe Persiansin490 B.C.
McCarthyism (n.) a modernwitchhunt;the practice
of publicizingaccusationsof
political disloyaltyorsubversions
withinsufficientregardto
evidence;the use of unfair
investigatoryoraccusatory
methods,inordertosuppress
opposition
Thisword comesfrom JosephMcCarthy
(1908-57), an Americanpoliticianwho,as
a US senatorfromWorldWar I, publicly
accusedmany citizensof subversion
meander (v.) to wanderaimlessly Thisword comesfrom Meander,a riverin
Turkeynotedforits windingcourse
mesmerize (v.) to hypnotize;tocatch the
undividedattentionof others
Thisword comesfrom F.A.Mesmer,an
Austrianphysicianwhousedhypnotism
and developedatheorycalled"animal
magnetism"
Nostradamus (n.) a fortune teller Thisword comesfrom Nostradamus,
(1503-66) a Frenchphysicianand
astrologerwhowrote a bookof rhymed
prophecies
sardonic (adj.) bitterlyironical,sarcastic,sneering Thisword comesfrom a Sardinianplant
saidto bringon fitsof laughter
shanghai (v.) to cheat or steal;to make drugs,
liquor,etc.; to bringor getby
trickeryor force
Thisword comesfrom Shanghai,a seaport
inEast Chinawhere sailorsforvoyages
were oftensecuredbyillicitmeans
spartan (adj.) frugal and bare;simple;disciplined, The Spartans were knownforsimplicityof

15. sternand brave;havingto dowith
Sparta, an importantCity in
Greece
life,severity,courage,andbrevityof
speech
stonewall (v.) to hinderorobstruct byevasive,
delayingtactics; incricket:trying
to go completelydefensive,
blockingeveryball withouttrying
to score
Thisword comesfrom Stonewall Jackson
(ThomasJ. Jackson) aConfederate
General fromthe remarkduringthe
famousBattle of Bull Run:"Look as
Jackson'smen;theystandlike a stone
wall"
Swiftian (adj.) satirical Thisword comesfrom JonathanSwift's
famous satire onpolitics Gulliver's Travels
sybaritic (adj.) luxurious;voluptuous;aperson
whocares verymuch forluxury
and pleasure
Thisword comesfrom Sybars,a town
foundedbythe GreeksinancientItaly,
whichwasknownfor itsluxury
thespian (n.) havingto dowiththe theateror
acting
Thisword comesfrom Thespis,anAttic
poetof the 6th centuryB.C.,reputedtobe
the fatherof Greektragedy
Uncle Sam (n.) the governmentof the USA Thisword comesfrom Sam Wilson, ameat
packerfrom Troy,New York and knownas
“Uncle Sam” Wilson.The barrelsof beef
that he suppliedthe armyduringthe War
of 1812 were stamped“U.S.”
utopia (n.) an imaginaryandperfectsociety Thisword comesfrom ThomasMore's
1610 Britishnovel, Utopia
Wagnerian (v.) loud,dramaticmusic;radical Thisword comesfrom Wagner,a famous
musiccomposerandtheorist
Waterloo (n.) a decisive orfinal defeator
setback
Thisword comesfrom the famousgeneral
Napoleon'slastdefeatin1816 in
Waterloo,a place inBelgium