THE FACTS ON FILE DICTIONARY OF

Allusions
THE FACTS ON FILE DICTIONARY OF

Allusions

M A R T I N H. MANS ER

D avid H . P ickering, Assoc iat e Edit or

The Facts On File Dictionary of Allusions

Copyright © 2009 by Martin H. Manser

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission
in writing from the publisher. For information contact:

Facts On File, Inc.

An imprint of Infobase Publishing
132 West 31st Street
New York NY 10001

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Manser, Martin H.
  Dictionary of allusions / Martin H. Manser; David H. Pickering, associate editor.
    p.  cm.
  Includes bibliographical references and index.
  ISBN 978-0-8160-7105-0 (hc : alk. paper)   1.  Allusions—Dictionaries.  I.  Pickering, David, 1958–  II.  Title
  PN43.M25 2008
  422'.03—dc22 2007051375

Facts On File books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk quantities for businesses, associations,
institutions, or sales promotions. Please call our Special Sales Department in New York at (212) 967-­8800 or
(800) 322-­8755.

You can find Facts On File on the World Wide Web at ­http://​www​.factsonfile​.com.
Visit the author’s Web site at ­www​.martinmanser​.com

Text design by Kerry Casey

Cover design by Salvatore Luongo

Printed in the United States of America

MP BVC ​10  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1

This book is printed on ­acid-­free paper and contains 30 percent postconsumer recycled content.
Contents
R
Acknowledgments
vii

Introduction
ix

Entries A–Z
1

Index
519
 Acknowledgments
R
The Editors wish to thank Rosalind Fergusson for Reference resources included the British
her meticulous editing, Rosalind Desmond and National Corpus, the use of which we gratefully
Lynda Drury for their very careful checking and acknowledge.
typing of the manuscript, and Martin Selman,
—Martin H. Manser
Stephen Curtis, John Barton, and Angela Gluck
David H. Pickering
Wood for their helpful comments on earlier drafts
of the text.

vii
 Introduction
R
An allusion is a reference that evokes a certain set allusions in the English language. Entries have been
of aspects or features of a person or thing. For selected not simply because they are well-known
example, a kind and selfless person may be referred events, places, people, phenomena, etc., but also
to as a Good Samaritan; a musical genius may be because they have generally acquired some wider
hailed as a Mozart; a political, administrative, or linguistic significance, conveying a par ticular mes-
financial scandal may be referred to by name with sage beyond a mere reference. This method of
the suffix–gate, after Watergate; a large-scale nuclear selection distinguishes this volume from other ref-
accident may be referred to as another Chernobyl; a erences on the same subject, including other dic-
fatal weakness may be referred to as a person’s tionaries of allusions as well as more expansive (but
Achilles’ heel; something that rises anew in the face less focused) works such as Brewer’s Dictionary of
of defeat may be compared to a phoenix rising from Phrase and Fable.
the ashes; and 9/11 has become synonymous with Allusions in this volume are drawn from a
terrorist atrocity. wide range of sources, including Shakespeare and
The Facts On File Dictionary of Allusions builds the Bible; Greek, Roman, Norse, and other types
on the earlier volume of the Facts On File Dictionary of mythology; literary texts from all ages; histori-
of Classical and Biblical Allusions, doubling the con- cal events; and popular culture, including film and
tent to provide a comprehensive reference to television.

Arrangement of entries

Allusions are listed in their original form and under the source of the original reference. Entries are listed
in strict letter-by-letter alphabetical order:
go and do thou likewise

gobbledygook

Godfather, the

God save the king/queen

God’s in his heaven, all’s right with the world

Godwin’s oath
ix
Introduction

Godzilla

Goebels

go from strength to strength

Pronunciation

Pronunciation is given in parentheses for a word or words that include a proper name, are of non-English
origin, or are not a common English expression:
expede Herculem (eks peday herkyoolem)
valley of Jehoshaphat ( jbhōshbfat)
Stress is shown by an underscore in the pronunciation. Pronunciation is as in American English and uses
the following key:

a (cab) l (lie)
ă (about) m (mole)
ah (car, lawn, flaunt) n (nine)
air (flair) ng (longer)
ay (day, state) n(g) (restaurant)
b (but) o (fog)
ch (chip) ō (telephone)
d (danger) oi (ploy)
e (sell) oo (loose, glue)
ee (feet) or (sore)
eer (clear) ow (cow)
er (robber, thirst) p (pink)
f (fine) r (red)
g (get) s (silent)
h (hand) sh (shut)
i (ill) t (tip)
ı̄ (wine) th (theater)
j ( jolly) TH (this)
k (kitten, can) u (luck)
ks (mix) uu (bulletin)
kw (quell, quake) v (very)

x
 Introduction

w (wet) yoor (European)

y (young) z (fizz)
yoo (unisex) zh (fusion)

Definitions

Each entry begins with an explanation of the use of the word or phrase in contemporary English.
Indiana Jones. . . A dashing, even roguish adventurer, especially one with a seemingly unexciting
academic background. . . .
painting the Sistine Chapel . . . Undertaking a demanding and seemingly endless task, especially
one of a creative nature. . . .
The origin and background of the allusion is then explained:
cut the Gordian knot . . . To take a direct route in solving a complex problem. The allusion is to the
story of the intricate knot with which Gordius, a peasant who became king of Phrygia, attached
his wagon to the yoke. It was said that any person who could untie the knot would become ruler
of all Asia. When Alexander the Great was presented with the challenge of unloosing the knot he
simply cut through it with his sword.

Examples

Examples of allusions are given for nearly every entry. They may come from English literature or contem-
porary citations (in case they are in quotation marks), or they may be sentences constructed by the editors
to show typical usage (in which case they are italicized).
fall by the wayside To give up or fail at something; to become useless. . . . “While other internet
bosses have fallen by the wayside, he remains in charge after overseeing his company’s flotation and
sale” (The Guardian, April 23, 2001).
Mozart (mōtzahrt) The embodiment of musical genius. . . . It is probably too early to be sure, but
some are saying we have another Mozart in our midst.

Additional Information and Derived Forms

Additional information, variants, and phrases derived from the main allusion are included in many
entries.
fast lane The most direct route to success, fame, wealth, etc. The allusion is to the lane on a high-
way or expressway that is reserved for vehicles overtaking slower traffic. The phrase is often
encountered in the expression life in the fast lane.
xi
Introduction

phoenix ( feeniks) Something that rises anew in the face of defeat or adversity. This legendary bird
appears in the mythology of ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, and early Christianity and was widely
considered a symbol of immortality and life after death. According to most traditions the phoenix
resembled an eagle, with gold and scarlet feathers, and lived for about 500 years. When the time
came for it to die, it lay down on a pyre and allowed itself to be burned in the flames. It then
emerged renewed from the ashes, hence the expression a phoenix rising from the ashes.

See References
See references direct the reader to the full entry where the allusion is considered.
Bluto See popeye.
eye of a needle See camel: go through an eye of a needle.
rest on one’s laurels See laurels.
Biblical quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible.

xii
åååååA å
Aaron See aaron’s beard; aaron’s rod; itself. Aaron’s rod is today a symbol of authority
aaron’s serpent. and, in the East, also of travel. Aaron’s rod makes an
attractive addition to any garden border. See also
Aaron’s beard (airbnz) Popular name of one of a aaron’s serpent.
variety of wild plants, including meadowsweet,
Saint-John’s-wort (Hypericum calycinum)—which is Aaron’s serpent (airbnz) Something that is so
also known as rose of Sharon—and ivy-leaved powerful it easily consumes lesser beings or enti-
toadflax. The name comes from Psalm 133:2: “It is ties. The allusion is to Exodus 7:8–12 and to
like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran aaron’s rod, which turned into a serpent and
down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that devoured the rods of his Egyptian enemies after
went down to the skirts of his garments.” Accord- they too had turned into serpents. Like Aaron’s ser-
ing to Exodus 4:14, Aaron was the brother of pent, the new conglomerate has swallowed up virtually
Moses and became the first high priest of the Isra- all the smaller companies that were once its rivals.
elites. His name may come from haaron (meaning
“ark”). Among the plants she identified as having magi- Abaddon (bbadon) Alternative name for the
cal powers was Aaron’s beard. devil, the ruler of hell. He is described at Revela-
tion 9:11 as “the angel of the bottomless pit” who
Aaron’s rod (airbnz) Popular name of a wide- rules over an army of locusts with stings like scor-
spread plant (Verbascum thapsus) with woolly leaves pions. His name means “destruction” in Hebrew,
and tall spikes of yellow flowers. The allusion is to although he is sometimes referred to by his Greek
the rod used by Aaron to perform various miracles name Apollyon. “And my father preached a whole
in Egypt prior to the Exodus. According to Num- set of sermons on the occasion; one set in the
bers 17:1–13, when Aaron’s rod was placed among morning, all about David and Goliath, to spirit up
12 rods representing the tribes of Israel in the tab- the people to fighting with spades or bricks, if
ernacle, it blossomed overnight and produced need were; and the other set in the afternoons,
almonds. It was by this sign that Aaron was recog- proving that Napoleon (that was another name for
nized as having the strongest claim to the priest- Bony, as we used to call him) was all the same as an
hood. Henceforth his rod was, according to the Apollyon and Abaddon” (Elizabeth Gaskell, Cran-
apostle Paul, kept in the ark of the covenant ford, 1851–53).
1
Abbott and Costello

Abbott and Costello (abbt, kostelo) A comical lady’s maid in their play The Scornful Lady (1610)
or incompetent duo or outfit. The allusion is to the and thus popularized it as an informal name for
celebrated comedy team of Bud Abbott (1895– any woman engaged in such a post. Its identifi-
1974) and Lou Costello (1906–59), whose rou- cation with such subservient roles was further
tines were hugely popular with radio, television, cemented by the notoriety of Abigail Hill
and cinema audiences in the 1930s and 1940s. Masham, a lady-in-waiting to Queen Anne of
Observing the dads putting up the tent was like watching Great Britain who used her influence over the mon-
Abbott and Costello. See also laurel and hardy. arch to advance her own interests. Her grandmother
served as an abigail in one of the great Scottish castles.
Abednego See fiery furnace.
abomination of desolation Something loathsome
Abel See cain and abel. or disgusting. The expression comes from the Old
Testament book of Daniel (9:27; 11:31; 12:11;
Abelard and Héloïse (abblahrd, eloeez) Arche- see also Matthew 24:15–21) and is thought to
type of a pair of tragic lovers. Peter Abelard (1079– allude to a pagan altar to Zeus that was erected in
1142) was a gifted scholar who incurred the wrath the Temple on the orders of Antiochus Epiphanes.
of the church authorities after he fell in love with In Daniel, the sacrilege was seen as an abomina-
the beautiful Héloïse (1101–64), niece of Canon tion, a horror that made the Temple emptied, or
Fulbert of Notre Dame, while acting as her tutor. desolate, of God. “In truth all that night had been
After marrying in secret and having a son together, the abomination of desolation to me” ( Joseph Con-
the pair were persecuted by the girl’s father (who rad, The Arrow of Gold, 1919).
had Abelard castrated) and forcibly parted: Abelard
became a monk and Héloïse a nun. Their remains Abraham (aybrbham) Archetypal patriarch. One
were laid to rest together after death. Her bitter of the most important figures of the Old Testa-
complaints about their treatment suggested that Abelard ment, Abraham is usually considered the father of
and Héloïse had got off lightly by comparison. the Hebrew people and the ancestor of all Jews and
is referred to as “the father of many nations” in Gen-
abigail (abigayl) A lady’s maid; female domestic esis 17:5. His name is often invoked as an image of
servant. The reference is to Abigail, the wife of patriarchal values or wisdom or as a symbol of fer-
Nabal according to 1 Samuel 25. When Nabal, the tility. “In the latter quarter of each year cattle were
wealthy owner of goats and sheep in Carmel, at once the mainstay and the terror of families about
refuses to provide food for David’s followers, Abi- Casterbridge and its neighbourhood, where breed-
gail apologizes for her husband’s ungenerosity and ing was carried on with Abrahamic success”
offers sustenance to David, thus forestalling an (Thomas Hardy, The Mayor of Casterbridge, 1886). See
attack upon their own people. Abigail calls herself also abraham’s bosom; abraham’s supreme test.
“thine handmaid” no less than six times in the
space of 17 verses and, after Nabal dies 10 days Abraham Lincoln (aybrbham linkbn) Archetype
later, becomes David’s wife. Sir Francis Beaumont of a resolute, honest politician. Abraham Lincoln
and John Fletcher subsequently gave the name to a (1809–65) was president of the United States
2
 according to Hoyle

during the traumatic years of the Civil War. He Absalom (absblom) Archetype of a rebellious son,
was a stalwart opponent of slavery but strongly especially one who meets a tragic end. Absalom is
believed in sustaining the Union, even at the cost identified in 2 Samuel 13–18 as the third son of
of thousands of dead on both sides in the war. King david, remarkable for his great beauty and
Adored and hated in almost equal measure, he had adored by both his father and his people. Unfortu-
a reputation for great nobility of spirit, and was nately, he sided with Ahithophel in rebellion
popularly dubbed “Honest Abe.” He died just after against David and was consequently slain by Joab
the end of the war when he was assassinated at after getting his long hair entangled in the branches
Ford’s Theater on April 14, 1865, by the deranged of a tree while trying to escape. David’s grief over
actor John Wilkes Booth. The late ambassador had his slain son was overwhelming and gave rise to his
the patient steadfastness of an Abraham Lincoln. See also famous lament “O my son Absalom, my son, my
gettysburg address. son Absalom! Would God I had died for thee!” (2
Samuel 18:33). “Sometimes, the worthy gentle-
Abraham’s bosom (aybrbhamz) The Christian par- man would reprove my mother for being over-
adise; heaven as the restful abode of the blessed indulgent to her sons, with a reference to old Eli,
dead. The phrase comes from Luke 16:19–31, in or David and Absalom, which was particularly
which Jesus relates the parable of Lazarus and the galling to her feelings” (Anne Brontë, The Tenant of
rich man: “The beggar Lazarus died, and was car- Wildfell Hall, 1848).
ried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom.” It has
been suggested that the image of leaning on the absurd, theater of the See theater of the
bosom of a friend may relate to the classical cus- absurd.
tom of reclining on a friend’s chest when dining
(hence the expression a “bosom friend”). “The sons academia (akbdeemeeb) The academic world.
of Edward sleep in Abraham’s bosom” (William The word comes from the Greek Akademeia, the
Shakespeare, Richard III, c. 1592). name of the public garden (with a grove) in Athens
where the philosopher Plato instructed his pupils
Abraham’s supreme test (aybrbhamz) An ulti- toward the end of the fourth century b.c. The
mate challenge or sacrifice. The reference is to grove in turn was named after the legendary hero
God’s command to Abraham to sacrifice his only Academus. In modern usage students may still be
son, Isaac, as a burned offering on Mount Moriah. said to toil in the groves of academe. Other
Abraham readily agreed to comply and was about words from the same root include academy, aca-
to kill Isaac with his knife when God, satisfied that deme, and academic. The announcement has sent a
Abraham’s faith was genuine, intervened by pro- ripple of concern through academia.
viding a ram caught in a thicket to take Isaac’s
place (Genesis 22:1–19; see also Romans 4; according to Hoyle (hoil) Acting fairly or hon-
Hebrews 11:8–19; James 2:20–26). The president estly. Edward Hoyle (1672–1769) is remembered
faces his own version of Abraham’s supreme test, being for his codification of the rules for various card
forced to choose between instinctive loyalty to his vice games, and as the supreme authority on such games
president or to his own political principles. as whist. Thus, a person who acts “according to
3
Aceldama

Hoyle” is observing both the letter and the spirit ter to her work” (Anthony Trollope, Framley Par-
of the rules, whether at card-playing or in life sonage, 1861).
more generally. His conduct toward the women present
was not exactly “according to Hoyle.” Achilles and Patroclus (bkileez, patrbklbs) Arche-
types of devoted friendship. The fondness and loy-
Aceldama (bseldbmb) A battlefield or any other alty of the Greek heroes Achilles and Patroclus
place where much blood has been spilled. The during the Trojan War was legendary, and when
name means “field of blood” in Hebrew and refers Patroclus was killed after Achilles absented him-
to the field that was reputedly bought by Judas self from the battlefield (see sulk in one’s tent),
with the thirty pieces of silver he had received the latter was inconsolable. He eventually returned
in payment for betraying Christ. According to to the fray to avenge his friend by killing Patro-
Peter in Acts 1:18–19, once Judas had purchased clus’s slayer, Hector. “Or perchance he was some
the field he fell headlong onto it and “burst asun- Achilles, who had nourished his wrath apart, and
der in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out,” had now come to avenge or rescue his Patroclus”
hence the field’s name. “Is there any haunting of (Henry David Thoreau, Walden, 1854).
the Bank Parlour, by the remorseful souls of old
directors, in the nights of these later days, I won- Achilles’ heel (bkileez) A fatal weakness; a place
der, or is it as quiet as this degenerate Aceldama of where an otherwise strong person or thing is vul-
an Old Bailey?” (Charles Dickens, The Uncommer- nerable. The allusion is to the legends surrounding
cial Traveller, 1860). See also potter’s field. the great Greek hero Achilles, who became virtu-
ally invulnerable after being dipped by his mother,
Achates (bkayteez) Archetype of a loyal friend. Thetis, in the waters of the River Styx as a child.
Achates appears as the devoted friend of the hero But in order to dip him, Thetis had to hold him by
Aeneas in Virgil’s Aeneid (30–19 b.c.), sometimes his heel, so this one area was not touched by the
referred to as “fidus Achates” (meaning “faithful Ach- water and remained the one part of his body in
ates”). He proved a true fidus Achates, sticking by his which he could be wounded. Ultimately, Achilles
friend through thick and thin. met his death when he was shot in the heel by a
poisoned arrow fired by Paris during the Trojan
Acheron (akbron) The underworld, the abode of War. On the basis of the same legend, the fibrous
the dead. According to Greek mythology, Acheron cord that connects the heel to the muscles of the
was one of the four rivers surrounding Hades, calf is known as the Achilles tendon. Her sense of
although Homer’s Iliad (c. 700 b.c.) identifies it as vanity is her Achilles’ heel, and all her enemies know it.
the only river flowing through the underworld.
The name itself means “river of woe.” “Mrs. Grantly, Acres, Bob See bob acres.
as she got into the carriage, smiled slightly, think-
ing of the battle, and as she sat down she gently acropolis (bkropblis) A citadel within an ancient
pressed her daughter’s hand. But Mrs. Proudie’s Greek city, usually housing the headquarters of
face was still dark as Acheron when her enemy the city’s administrative and legislative institu-
withdrew, and with angry tone she sent her daugh- tions. The original Acropolis was a group of
4
 Adam’s apple

temples that surmounted the fortified hill around Adam. Christ is sometimes called the new Adam,
which the city of ancient Athens was built. Chief second Adam, or last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45).
among these buildings was the Parthenon, dedi- “But here . . . shut in by the stable hills, among
cated to the goddess Athena. The townsfolk retreated which mere walking had the novelty of pageantry,
to the acropolis, leaving the lower part of the city to be any man could imagine himself to be Adam with-
sacked by the invaders. out the least difficulty” (Thomas Hardy, The Return
of the Native, 1880). See also adam and eve; adam’s
Actaeon (akteebn) Archetype of a hunter.Accord- ale; adam’s apple; adam’s curse; adam’s pro-
ing to Greek mythology Actaeon was a hunter who fession; adam’s rib; eve; garden of eden;
accidentally caught sight of the goddess Artemis know someone from adam, not to; whip the
bathing and as punishment was transformed by offending adam.
her into a stag. He was then torn apart by his own
hounds. A variant of the legend explains that Adam and Eve (adbm, eev) The archetypal man
Actaeon was put to death as punishment for boast- and woman. According to Genesis 2, Adam and
ing that he was more skilled at hunting than Arte- Eve were the man and woman created by God to
mis. Because Actaeon was turned into a stag and inhabit the garden of eden. Their names may be
cuckolds according to ancient tradition had horns, invoked in a variety of contexts, variously with
the name Actaeon may also be applied to a man reference to their state of happy innocence before
whose wife is unfaithful. “In a minute, a gentleman- the fall, to their nakedness, to their fallibility, to
farmer, panting with Actaeonic excitement, rode their disobedience, or to their joint guilt for com-
up to the two pedestrians, and Grace being a few mitting the first sin. “ ‘O pooh! He is the fallen
steps in advance he asked her if she had seen the fox” Adam with a soured temper. We are Adam and Eve
(Thomas Hardy, The Woodlanders, 1887). unfallen—in paradise’ ” (George Eliot, The Mill on
the Floss, 1860). See also adam; eve.
Action Man See g.i. joe.
Adam’s ale (adbmz) Water. This humorous epi-
Actium (akteebm) A decisive defeat. The prom- thet refers ironically to the fact that the biblical
ontory of Actium in western Greece overlooks adam had only water to drink. Sometimes called
the waters in which the Roman fleet of Octavian Adam’s wine. He said he owed his longevity to his
destroyed that of Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII refusal to drink anything stronger than Adam’s ale.
in 31 b.c. The scale of the defeat was such that, as for
Mark Antony after Actium, there was no prospect of a Adam’s apple (adbmz) The visible projection of
recovery. the thyroid cartilage of the larynx in the throat.
According to legend, when adam bit from the
Adam (adbm) The archetypal man, especially fruit of the forbidden tree a piece of the fruit
one who is completely alone or in a state of inno- lodged in his throat, and ever since men have had
cence. The allusion is to the biblical Adam, who this visible projection from their throat in remem-
became the first man on earth. The human race as brance of this first sin. This incident is not, how-
a whole has often been referred to as sons of ever, mentioned in the book of Genesis, and
5
Adam’s curse

nowhere is the forbidden fruit identified as an made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
apple. She could remember little about her assailant And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and
beyond the fact that he had bulging eyes and a promi- flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman,
nent Adam’s apple. because she was taken out of Man.” As a conse-
quence of the biblical tradition, for many years it
Adam’s curse (adbmz) Ironic colloquialism for was popularly believed that men had one rib less
work. After adam committed the sin of eating of than women. The minister muttered something beneath
the fruit of the tree of knowledge, against God’s his breath about how life would be a lot easier without
command, he and eve were expelled from the the problematic legacy of Adam’s rib and left shortly
garden of eden. Ever since, as part of their pun- after.
ishment, they and their descendants have known
the toil and onerousness of work: “In the sweat of Adam’s wine See adam’s ale.
thy face shalt thou eat bread” (Genesis 3:19).
Related terms include the penalty of Adam, add a colophon See colophon.
which refers to the labors implicit in living a life
governed by nature and the turn of the seasons in add a cubit to his stature To exceed one’s natu-
comparison with the easier life enjoyed by people ral limitations. The phrase is biblical in origin,
in urban surroundings. Too many people’s lives today appearing in Matthew 6:27: “Which of you by tak-
are ruled by Adam’s curse than by their life outside ing thought can add one cubit unto his stature?”
work. The cubit was a measure of length equivalent to
the distance from a person’s elbow to his or her
Adam’s profession (adbmz) Gardening or agri- fingertips. “For his temperament (not uncommon
culture. The allusion is to the one occupation that, in a misty climate) had been born seven feet high;
according to the book of Genesis, was available to and as a man cannot add a cubit to his stature, so
adam in the garden of eden prior to the fall neither can he take one off ” ( John Galsworthy,
(Genesis 2:15). “There is no ancient gentlemen The Forsyte Saga, 1922).
but gardeners, ditchers, and grave-makers; they
hold up Adam’s profession” (William Shakespeare, Addams Family (adbmz) A group of people who
Hamlet, c. 1600). are grotesque or horrific in appearance or charac-
ter. The comical misadventures of the Addams
Adam’s rib (adbmz) A woman.The phrase alludes family, a bizarrely spooky group of individuals,
to the biblical origin of eve, who, according to became hugely popular in the 1960s both as a
Genesis 2:21–23, was fashioned by God from a rib newspaper comic strip and in television and (later)
plucked out of adam’s body while he slept so that film stories. Prominent among them were Gomez
he might have a companion in Eden: “And the and Morticia Addams, their children Pugsley and
LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam Wednesday, Uncle Fester, Cousin Itt, and the but-
and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and ler lurch, all of whom bore a disturbing resem-
closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib blance to well-established characters of the horror
which the LORD God had taken from the man, genre. By the time he had fought his way through the
6
 Aegean

swamp he looked like something out of the Addams Fam- love. When he was killed while hunting a boar
ily. See also munsters, the. (possibly the jealous god of war, Ares, in disguise),
he was brought back to life by Persephone. The
Adler, Polly See polly adler. flower called the anemone sprang up where his
blood had spilled. Spending part of the year in the
Admah and Zeboiim (admah, zeboeem) Places underworld with Persephone and part on earth
of wickedness and sin. The citizens of Admah and with Aphrodite, Adonis was worshiped as a nature
Zeboiim are identified in Deuteronomy 29:23 as god, and his absence in the underworld accounted,
having abandoned themselves to lives of sin and in myth, for the dormancy of nature in winter. His
debauchery, and in consequence their cities suffer name came from the Phoenician adoni (meaning
much the same fate as the better-known sodom “my lord”), a title borne by the god Tammuz. “ ‘I
and gomorrah, both being destroyed as pun- really can’t see any resemblance between you,
ishment for offending God. The two villages were with your rugged strong face and your coal-black
shunned by people living in the surrounding hills, hair, and this young Adonis, who looks as if he was
who considered them modern versions of Admah and made out of ivory and rose-leaves’ ” (Oscar Wilde,
Zeboiim. The Picture of Dorian Gray, 1891).

Admetus See alcestis. adullamite (adulbmit) A refugee or fugitive.

Adullam is identified at 1 Samuel 22:1–2 as the
Admirable Crichton (kritbn) An archetype of the name of the cave in which david sought shelter
perfect butler. The name appeared as the title of a when fleeing from the wrath of King Saul, being
1902 play by J. M. Barrie, in which a butler called joined there by a host of other individuals seeking
Crichton emerges as the most capable person similar refuge: “And every one that was in distress,
when shipwrecked on a desert island with the and every one that was in debt, and every one that
aristocratic family he serves. Barrie himself bor- was discontented, gathered themselves unto him.”
rowed the name from that of a celebrated multi- The term is generally reserved today for dissident
talented Scottish scholar called James Crichton members of political groups who leave to form
(1560–82), whose many gifts earned him the their own cliques. It was first employed with ref-
nickname “the Admirable Crichton.” What we need erence to members of the British Liberal Party
here is a really reliable pair of hands—someone like who withdrew to form their own group in 1866.
the Admirable Crichton, if we can find one. See also These latter-day adullamites gathered in the lobby of the
jeeves. House of Commons and joined in noisy discussion of their
outrage at the behavior of their cabinet colleagues.
Adolf Hitler See hitler.
Aegean (ijeebn) The sea, part of the Mediterra-
adonis (bdonis) An exceptionally handsome nean, between Greece and Turkey. It was named
young man. According to Greek mythology, after Aegeus, king of Athens and father of the hero
Adonis was a beautiful youth who attracted the theseus. According to Greek mythology, before
amorous attentions of Aphrodite, the goddess of Theseus sailed to Crete to bring about an end to
7
aegis

the payments Athens had to pay to King Minos, he the son of Anchises and Aphrodite, who escaped
promised his father that if he was successful, he the fall of Troy and embarked on a long and ardu-
would hoist white sails on his return to indicate ous voyage in search of a new home. In the course
that he was safe. If he perished, then his ship would of his many adventures he effectively prepared the
hoist black sails, and Aegeus would know his son way for his descendants Romulus and Remus to
was dead. Unfortunately, on his return Theseus found the city of Rome. “Thus he proceeded, like
forgot his promise and his ship sailed in with black Aeneas with his father” (Thomas Hardy, The Return
sails. Seeing this and presuming his son dead, of the Native, 1880, referring to Virgil’s account of
Aegeus threw himself into the sea, which has how Aeneas carried his old, frail father on his back
borne his name ever since. “After an extended out of the burning city of Troy). See also dido and
cruise in the Aegean and the Black Sea on their aeneas.
steam-yacht Ibis, Mr. and Mrs. Mortimer Hicks
and their daughter are established at the Nouveau aeolian (ayoleebn) Of or relating to the wind.
Luxe in Rome” (Edith Wharton, Glimpses of the Aeolus was identified in Greek mythology as a god
Moon, 1922). of the winds. In modern usage the word Aeolian is
usually employed in relation to sounds produced
aegis (eejis) Auspices; protection. The word is naturally by the wind as it passes over a stretched
Greek in origin (deriving from a word meaning string, as in the case of an aeolian harp. In musi-
“goat skin”) and has its roots in mythology. It was cal theory, an Aeolian mode is a natural diatonic
the name of the shield of Zeus, which was forged scale from A to A that forms the basis of the mod-
for him by Hephaestus, and covered with the skin ern minor key. Stones that have been deposited or
of the goat Amalthea. By shaking this shield Zeus worn by the wind may sometimes be referred to
created storms and thunder. Those who enjoyed as aeolian rocks. “I do love a good tree. . . . How
his protection were thus under his aegis, the con- grand its voice is, too, when it talks with the wind:
text in which the word usually appears today. a thousand aeolian harps cannot equal the beauty
(Athena was also depicted carrying an aegis with of the sighing of a great tree in leaf ” (H. Rider
the head of the gorgon Medusa in its center.) “So Haggard, Allan Quatermain, 1887).
saying, she turned her fine shoulders twice, once
this way and once that, and went out. She had Aeschylean (eeskbleebn) Tragic on a grand or
never told even Stanley her ambition that at Becket, epic scale. The allusion is to the tragedies of the
under her aegis, should be laid the foundation- celebrated Greek playwright Aeschylus (525–456
stone of the real scheme, whatever it might be, that b.c.), whose dramas typically dealt with tragedies
should regenerate ‘the Land’ ” ( John Galsworthy, resulting from pride or defiance of the gods. Of
The Forsyte Saga, 1921). his 90 or so plays, just seven survive, including the
trilogy known as the Oresteia (458 b.c.). Aeschylus
Aeneas (bneebs) Archetypical classical hero and is said to have been killed when an eagle, mistak-
man of destiny: the legendary forefather of the ing his bald head for a stone, dropped a tortoise on
Romans. As described in Virgil’s epic poem the it in order to break its shell. “A few minutes after
Aeneid (30–19 b.c.), Aeneas was a Trojan prince, the hour had struck something moved slowly up
8
 Ajax

the staff, and extended itself upon the breeze. It Agatha Christie (agbthb kristee) Mysterious,
was a black flag. ‘Justice’ was done, and the Presi- unfathomable, sinister, or otherwise reminiscent
dent of the Immortals, in Aeschylean phrase, had of the detective thrillers of Agatha Christie (1890–
ended his sport with Tess” (Thomas Hardy, Tess of 1976). Featuring such memorable sleuths as miss
the D’Urbervilles, 1891). marple and hercule poirot, her novels were
notable for their inventive plots, which readers
Aesculapius See staff of aesculapius. struggled to unravel before the final unmasking of
the culprit. “It’s all very Agatha Christie,” she said with
Aesop (eesop) A teller of simple tales with a furrowed brow as she gave up the search for clues as to
moral. The allusion is to the deformed Phrygian the whereabouts of her diary.
slave Aesop (c. 620–560 b.c.), who is tradition-
ally identified as the author of a collection of ani- age of Aquarius See aquarius, age of.
mal fables illustrating a variety of morals. In
reality, many of these tales seem to predate his era Aglaia See three graces.
by hundreds of years. Nonetheless, several later
writers have been dubbed Aesops of their age, Ahab (ayhab) Archetype of an arrogant, wicked
including the English writer John Gay (1685– tyrant. Ahab is identified in 1 Kings 16:29–22:40
1732), called the Aesop of England, and the as a king of ancient Israel and the husband of the
French fabulist Jean de la Fontaine (1621–95), evil jezebel: “But there was none like unto Ahab,
known as the Aesop of France. “But how moral which did sell himself to work wickedness in the
you’ve become all of a sudden, at twelve o’clock sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred
at night! Instead of being Mrs. Radcliffe, I shall up” (1 Kings 21:25). He colluded in the introduc-
think you’re Mr. Aesop’ ” (Anthony Trollope, Doc- tion of pagan worship and, when Naboth refused
tor Thorne, 1858). to hand over his vineyard (see naboth’s vine-
yard), had him stoned to death. Subsequently he
Agamemnon See brave men before agamem- was warned by elijah that he faced divine ven-
non, there were; wrath of agamemnon. geance and the fall of his dynasty, which duly
occurred, Ahab himself being killed in battle and
Aganippe See helicon. his blood being licked up by dogs. Like the biblical
Ahab, he ignored all warnings that he would have to
Agatha, Aunt (agbthb) A formidable aunt or, answer for his wicked ways, possibly with his life.
alternatively, any older woman of fearsome dispo-
sition. The original Aunt Agatha featured in the Ahab, Captain See captain ahab.
Bertie Wooster stories of P. G. Wodehouse (see
jeeves), her chief role apparently being to make Ahasuerus See esther; wandering jew.
unwarranted demands upon her hapless nephew’s
time and talents. His mother swept into the room and Ajax (ayjaks) Archetype of a brave, strong war-
glared at the intruders for all the world like Bertie rior. The Greek hero Ajax is depicted in Homer’s
Wooster’s Aunt Agatha. Iliad (c. 700 b.c.), which tells the story of the
9
Aladdin’s cave

Trojan War, as second only to Achilles in courage much, and desired no unnecessary sorrow, where-
and strength but also as arrogant and foolish. Ajax fore he confined his demonstrations to alarums
was deeply offended when Achilles’ armor was and excursions, and presently sat down at a dis-
won by Odysseus and in his rage slaughtered a tance and expressed himself by intermittent
flock of sheep. When he recovered he was over- threatenings in a quavering falsetto” (Booth Tark-
come with shame and killed himself. “She sat as ington, Penrod, 1914).
helpless and despairing among her black locks as
Ajax among the slaughtered sheep” (George Eliot, alas, poor Yorick! (yorik) An expression of lam-
The Mill on the Floss, 1860). entation over someone dead or otherwise fallen.
The phrase comes from William Shakespeare’s
Aladdin’s cave (bladbnz) A confined space full of tragedy Hamlet (c. 1600), specifically from act 5,
wonderful, typically valuable things, especially if scene 1, in which Hamlet muses upon the skull of
stolen or otherwise illicit. The allusion is to a story a long-deceased court jester calledYorick. In mod-
in arabian nights, in which the penniless Alad- ern usage, this overfamiliar expression is only
din becomes rich after stealing a magic lamp from ever employed facetiously. The dreams I once had of
a magician’s cave. The police discovered a veritable becoming head of this department and making life hell
Aladdin’s cave of stolen curios and antiques. for everyone else I have reluctantly had to let go—alas,
poor Yorick!”
Aladdin’s lamp (bladbnz) Something that enables
a person to attain great treasure or otherwise fulfil Alastor (blastor) A vengeful god or spirit. The
his or her desires. In the story of Aladdin and his name was one of several titles borne by Zeus, ruler
lamp in arabian nights, Aladdin finds himself of the gods in Greek mythology. “Their impulse was
trapped inside a wicked magician’s cave, but man- well-nigh to prostrate themselves in lamentation
ages to escape with the aid of a magic lamp and the before untimely rains and tempests, which came as
genie it contains. As we have no Aladdin’s lamp to the Alastor of those households whose crime it was
solve the mystery, we shall have to resort to old-fashioned to be poor” (Thomas Hardy, The Mayor of Caster-
policing methods. bridge, 1886).

Alamo See remember the alamo. albatross around one’s neck A burden that con-
stitutes a real hindrance to progress. The allusion
alarums and excursions (blahrbmz) Chaos and is to the poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”
disorder. The origin of the phrase lies in Elizabe- (1798) by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, in which a
than theater scripts, which might include such a luckless sailor finds himself cursed after he has
stage direction to indicate noise offstage to simu- killed an albatross, which he is forced by the rest
late the sound of battle or other frenetic activity. of the crew to wear around his neck in penance
The archaic word “alarum” was a variant of (the albatross being a lucky bird that sailors believed
“alarm,” while “excursion” signified a military should be left unharmed). “Michael Banks was
assault on an enemy. “It was only a bit of acting, suddenly a very expensive albatross around Paul
however, for Duke was an old dog, had suffered Lexington’s neck” (Simon Brett, Murder Unprompted,
10
 Alcibiades

1984). The allusion is widely known and is some- Al Capone” ( Jack Caplan, Memories of the Gorbals,
times abbreviated to albatross: That building is a 1991).
real albatross, costing more in upkeep than it earns in
rent. See also ancient mariner. Alcatraz (alkbtraz) A place of imprisonment,
especially one in which prisoners are held in harsh
Alberich’s cloak (albbriks) A cloak of invisibil- conditions and from which it is virtually impossible
ity, or anything else that allows a person to oper- to escape. The original Alcatraz was a prison situ-
ate undetected. In Scandinavian mythology, ated on the island of this name in San Francisco Bay,
Alberich appears as a king of the dwarfs, although opened in 1868. Dangerous tides surrounding the
in Richard Wagner’s operatic Ring cycle (1869– island made any attempt to escape from the prison
76) he is transformed into an ugly gnome who a highly perilous prospect.The prison (which closed
steals the treasure of the Nibelungs but is later in 1963 and is now a tourist attraction) housed,
forced by the gods to give up his ill-gotten gains. among other notorious felons, the gangster al
His magical cloak is stolen by Siegfried. The pro- capone. He had turned the house into an Alcatraz, from
gram acts like an Alberich’s cloak, allowing a hacker to which none of the family were permitted to depart.
get behind firewalls and other cyber defenses without
being detected. Alcestis (alsestis) Archetype of a woman who
sacrifices herself for others. The allusion is to the
Albion (albeebn) A poetic name for England. Greek legend of Alcestis, the wife of King Admetus
The name may be derived from the Latin albus of Thessaly, who volunteered to die in her husband’s
(meaning “white”), or else from the Celtic alp place when Apollo agreed to spare his life if he
(meaning “rock” or “crag”). In either case, the allu- could find someone to take his place. Persephone
sion is thought to be to the white cliffs of Dover, (or Hercules) subsequently rescued her from Hades
which have for centuries symbolized the English and restored her to her husband, as described in the
nation. “You are going out, Micawber, to this dis- tragedy Alcestis (438 b.c.) by Euripides. The head-
tant clime, to strengthen, not to weaken, the con- mistress appeared ready to play Alcestis for the sake
nexion between yourself and Albion” (Charles of her secretary, but such a monumental sacrifice on
Dickens, David Copperfield, 1849–1850). See also her part was not necessary in the end.
perfidious albion.
Alcibiades (alsibibdeez) Archetype of ade-
Al Capone (kbpon) A gangster, specifically some- bauchee. Alcibiades (c. 450–404 b.c.) was an Athe-
one who acts as (or as though) head of a criminal nian statesman and general who won notable
organization, in a habitually illicit manner. Al victories at Abydos (411 b.c.) and Cyzicus (410
Capone (1899–1947) was a notorious leader of b.c.). His many lovers may have included Socrates,
organized crime in Chicago during the Prohibi- who, according to Plato’s Symposium, demonstrated
tion years of the 1920s and 1930s, who long his tremendous self-control by spending the night
evaded arrest until eventually tried on charges with the beautiful Alcibiades without attempting
of tax fraud and imprisoned in alcatraz. “He to make love to him. The field marshal was the Alcib-
ruled the streets in his territory like a budding iades of his day, combining undoubted military prowess
11
Alecto

with scandalous exploits in the casinos and brothels of unwittingly enters. In modern usage, if something
Paris. is described as “Alice in Wonderland,” it is usually
with negative overtones. The committee’s decision is
Alecto See furies. completely unrealistic, totally Alice inWonderland.

Aldershot (oldbshot) The British military estab- all animals are equal, but some animals are more
lishment. The town of Aldershot in Hampshire has equal than others All human beings are entitled
been home to one of the largest British army to the same rights and privileges, but some will
camps since 1854. I’m not sure what Aldershot will always claim they have a special right to preferen-
make of the decision to make substantial cuts in the tial treatment. The allusion is to George Orwell’s
lower ranks. See also sandhurst. satire animal farm (1945), in which this is one of
the slogans that the pigs use to defend their supe-
Alexander the Great (alekszander) Archetype of rior lifestyle before less privileged animals. Some-
a great military commander. Alexander the Great times shortened to some are more equal than
(356–323 b.c.) was the son of Philip II of Mace- others, the slogan is often used to comment on a
don and studied as a youth in Athens under Aristo- situation in which certain people are perceived to
tle. He became king of Macedon at 20 and soon enjoy more privileges than others. As far as tax
established a reputation as a brilliant military leader, relief goes, it seems that all animals are equal, but some
conquering Greece (336 b.c.), Egypt (331 b.c.), animals are more equal than others.
and the Persian Empire (328 b.c.) before his pre-
mature death from fever at the age of 32. He was Allan Quatermain (kwortbmayn) A rugged hero,
well known for treating any women who became especially one with long experience of Africa. The
his prisoners with respect, and the continence of allusion is to the hero of that name in the adven-
Alexander acquired proverbial status. The presi- ture novels of H. Rider Haggard (1856–1925),
dent appears to think himself Alexander the Great, but including the best-seller King Solomon’s Mines
his critics prefer to liken him to Donald Duck. (1886). His extensive experience of the dangers
of the African interior made him a capable guide
Alf Garnett See archie bunker. for the various Europeans drawn to unknown
regions of the African continent and in many ways
Ali, Muhammad See muhammad ali. established the model that decades later produced
indiana jones. Her father had spent his life in the
Ali Baba See open sesame. Australian outback and had all the qualities of a griz-
zled antipodean Allan Quatermain.
Alice in Wonderland Fanciful or fantastic in
nature. The allusion is to the classic children’s book all flesh is grass See flesh is grass.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and its sequel
through the looking-glass (1872) by Lewis all for one and one for all Each individual will aid
Carroll, which depict the extraordinary adventures his or her fellows, just as he or she in turn can rely
of a young girl in illogical fantasy worlds that she upon their aid. This was the slogan of the heroes of
12
 all things are possible with God

Alexandre Dumas’s The Three Musketeers (1844), ject of conversation skirted forbidden ground”
who often fought side by side in the course of (Henry James, The Turn of the Screw, 1898).
their joint adventures. “All for one and one for all!”
he yelled as he leapt into the fray with a grin. See also all the days of one’s life See days of one’s life,
three musketeers. all the.

all Greek to me, it’s See it’s all greek to me. all the president’s men The political establish-
ment, especially when employed in covering up
all is for the best in this best of all possible dubious actions by a president or other prominent
worlds See best of all possible worlds, the; leader. The allusion is to a 1974 book and a 1976
panglossian. film of the same title, which depicted the attempts
of various U.S. political agents to cover up the
all is vanity See vanity of vanities. watergate scandal that eventually resulted in the
resignation of President Richard Nixon. “We are
all quiet on the western front Nothing is hap- the President’s men and we must behave accord-
pening, or at least nothing is being admitted to ingly” (Henry Kissinger, quoted in M. and B. Kalb,
happening. The formula dates from World War I, Kissinger, 1974). See also deep throat.
during which it frequently appeared in German
newspapers when nothing beyond the usual snip- all the world’s a stage Life has no more perma-
ing or minor exchanges of fire were reported as nence or reality than a play enacted in a theater.
taking place in the trenches of the western front. This comparison between life and a theatrical
The phrase was later poignantly employed as the perfor mance comes from Shakespeare, specifi-
title of a classic war novel (1929) by the German cally from his play As You Like It (c. 1599): “All
writer Erich Remarque, who used it to emphasize the world’s a stage, / And all the men and women
the fact that even when no major attacks were tak- merely players; / They have their exits and their
ing place, men were still dying in large numbers. entrances; / And one man in his time plays many
In modern usage, the phrase may be applied in parts. . . .” All the world’s a stage, and there some-
various contexts when what is really happening is times seems to be little difference between politics and
being (deliberately or negligently) ignored pub- acting.
licly. Public relations officers were rushing about the
building, but officially it was still “all quiet on the all things are possible with God Anything can
western front.” happen, especially if willed by God. The proverb
in its current form is biblical in origin, appearing
all roads lead to Rome All the alternatives will in Matthew 19:26: “With men this is impossible;
lead to the same result. The allusion is to the road but with God all things are possible.” A similar
system that was built to connect all parts of the far- sentiment had been voiced in earlier times, as in
flung Roman Empire with Rome. “All roads lead to Homer’s Odyssey (c. 700 b.c.): “With the gods all
Rome, and there were times when it might have things can be done.” No one thought he would make it,
struck us that almost every branch of study or sub- but all things are possible with God.
13
all things in common

all things in common The shared ownership of goddess Artemis into a sacred spring on the island
property, goods, and possessions.The phrase comes of Ortygia, near Sicily. Alpheus, however, trans-
from Acts 2:44–45, which describes how the first formed himself into a river and flowed under the
Christians gathered in communal groups, sharing Peloponnesus to mingle with her. The legend may
their wealth and possessions equally and owning have been inspired by the fact that the Alpheus
nothing individually. All those who enter the monas- River does indeed flow underground in certain
tery surrender their right to ownership of property, as the places. They’re like Alpheus and Arethusa, more or less
rules demand holding all things in common. joined at the hip!

all things to all men Compromising and flexible Althaea’s brand (altheebz) An event that has fatal
adaptation of opinions, actions, etc., regardless of consequences. The allusion is to Greek mythology
principle, in order to appease a variety of conflict- and the legend of Althaea and her son Meleager,
ing interests. The expression comes from 1 Corin- who was fated to live as long as a certain log of
thians 9:22, in which Paul, explaining how he wood remained unburned. After Meleager mur-
seeks converts among both Jews and Gentiles, dered her brothers, Althaea threw the log into the
writes, “I am made all things to all men, that I fire and brought about her son’s death, as related
might by all means save some.” The church leader in Ovid’s Metamorphoses (a.d. 1–8). “As did the
was criticized for not making his own views clear and for fatal brand Althaea burned” (William Shakespeare,
attempting to be all things to all men. Henry VI, 1592).

alpha and omega (alfb, omaygb) The entirety or Amalekite (bmalbkit) Archetype of a wicked,
most important part of something; the first and untrustworthy enemy.The Amalekites are described
last of something. The phrase appears in Revela- in the Bible as a nomadic warlike tribe descended
tion 1:8, 21:6, and 22:13 and, according to the from Amalek (Esau’s grandson) and the perpetual
NIV Study Bible, means, “God is the beginning and enemies of the Israelites: “The LORD will have
the end. . . . He rules sovereignly over all human war with Amalek from generation to generation”
history. In 22:13 Jesus applies the same title to (Exodus 17:16). The troops regard their opponents as
himself.” Alpha and omega are respectively the modern-day Amalekites, quick to resort to violence and
first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, which on no account to be trusted.
was adopted around 1000 b.c. Engine performance
is the alpha and omega of all research done at this Amalthea See cornucopia.
facility.
Amaryllis (ambrilis) A shepherdess or country
Alpheus and Arethusa (alfeebs, arbthoozb) Arche- girl. It is the name of a shepherdess featured in the
types of lovers who are so close they appear indi- pastorals of Theocritus and (c. 310–250 b.c.)
visible. According to Greek mythology, Alpheus and Virgil (70–19 b.c.). In modern usage it is best
was a river god who fell in love with the nymph known as an alternative title for the belladonna lily
Arethusa. The virginal Arethusa fled from Alpheus or of several other related plants. “Were it not bet-
and, at her own request, was transformed by the ter done as others use, / To sport with Amaryllis
14
 America’s Sweetheart

in the shade / Or with the tangles of Neaera’s tor after her aircraft went missing over the Pacific
hair?” ( John Milton, Lycidas, 1637). during a round-the-world flight in 1937. Her
grandmother was an intrepid pilot who earned a modest
amazon (ambzon) A large, robust, or aggressive reputation as a second Amelia Earhart without ever fly-
woman. The Amazons were, according to Greek ing outside her home continent.
mythology, a race of warrior women who inhab-
ited Scythia, on the shores of the Black Sea. They American Dream The notion that the United
were called Amazons (meaning “without breast”) States is a land of freedom and opportunity for all
because of their practice of removing the right people, of whatever color, gender, religion, or
breasts in order to facilitate the drawing of a bow. class. More cynical observers, however, tend to
They only consorted with men for the purpose of associate the phrase with the disappointment of
procreation. Led by their queen, Hippolyta, they naive optimism about what the United States really
were renowned for their fierceness in battle. The has to offer. The phrase appears to have been in use
Amazon River in South America is said to have since at least the early years of the 20th century,
been so called by the Spanish explorer Francisco when hundreds of thousands of immigrants
de Orellana, who reported seeing female warriors flocked to the United States from all over the
in the region in 1541. In 1997 the discovery in world in search of better lives. His first impression of
southern Russia of ancient graves of what appeared downtown Detroit sat uneasily with the image in his
to be female warriors suggested a possible source head of the American Dream.
of the legend of the Amazons. In modern usage,
anyone with a clean-shaven face may be said to American Gothic That aspect of the American
have an Amazonian chin. I didn’t offer to break provincial character that is stiff, conservative, and
down the door, since if the door needed breaking down narrow-minded. The allusion is to a famous paint-
this amazon looked quite capable of doing the job ing of the same title painted by Grant Wood
herself. (1891–1942) in 1930, which depicts a stern-faced
pitchfork-wielding farmer and his wife before
ambrosia (ambrozhb) A delicious or sweet- their immaculate, white-painted home. Today, the
smelling food. The allusion is to Greek mythology painting is celebrated as a satirical comment on
and the belief that the gods on Olympus fed on American provincial life, although Wood himself
such food, which gave them immortality. “We protested that he was simply portraying the values
feasted that evening as on nectar and ambrosia” of the rural communities of Iowa in which he grew
(Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre, 1847). See also up. The family represented to him all that was stifling
nectar. and hateful in American Gothic.

Amelia Earhart (bmeeleeb erhahrt) The arche- America’s Sweetheart An overly sweet girl. The
type of an adventurous female aviator. Amelia Ear- title was originally bestowed on silent-movie star
hart (1897–1937) was a U.S. pilot who, in 1932, Mary Pickford (1892–1979), who was famed
became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlan- throughout the world for her winning perfor-
tic. She is presumed to have died with her naviga- mances in the role of the pure, vulnerable young
15
amid the alien corn

heroine, complete with blonde locks and pretty acters were played by white actors in “blackface”
smile. In modern usage, the term tends to be makeup, the series eventually fell foul of civil
applied sarcastically to girls whose cloying, sac- rights activists and the show was canceled in
charine sweetness some may find off-putting. Tell 1958, despite having become a national institu-
America’s Sweetheart over there that we don’t want to tion with a huge following. Nowadays, the names
contribute to whatever it is she’s collecting for. are sometimes applied to black people who appear
to fit the characters depicted in the program, usu-
amid the alien corn In a foreign land or among ally by virtue of their dim-wittedness or naive
strangers. This is a quotation from the poem “Ode incompetence. That pair are about as reliable as Amos
to a Nightingale” by the British poet John Keats ’n’ Andy.
(1795–1821), in which he refers to the exile of
the biblical ruth: “Perhaps the selfsame song that Amphitrite (amfitritee) A woman who loves the
found a path / Through the sad heart of Ruth, sea. Amphitrite was identified in Greek mythology
when, sick for home, / She stood in tears amid the as a goddess of the sea, the wife of Poseidon and
alien corn.” He spent his last years in sad seclusion mother of Triton. The name itself comes from the
amid the alien corn. Greek for “wearing away on all sides.” She stood in
the vessel’s prow, staring at the distant horizon, Amphi-
amillennialism See millennium. trite in her element at last.

Am I my brother’s keeper? See my brother’s Amyclaean silence (amikleebn) A self-imposed

keeper. silence. According to ancient Greek legend, the
inhabitants of Amyclae were so scared by repeated
ammonia (bmonyb) A colorless soluble gas rumors that the Spartans were attacking that
widely used in making fertilizers and other com- they forbade any mention of the subject. Thus,
pounds. The word comes from the name of the when the Spartans really did attack, no one
Egyptian god Ammon (meaning “the hidden one”), spread the news, and the town was captured. The
as the salt or gum resin that is the source of ammo- senior members of the government seem to have agreed
nia was supposedly first obtained from plants to answer the questions of the press with an Amyclaean
growing near a temple dedicated to him in Libya. silence.
This machine measures the amount of ammonia pro-
duced in the process. Anacreontic (bnakreeontik) In praise of love or
wine; convivial. Anacreon was a celebrated Greek
Amos ’n’ Andy (aymbs) Stereotypes of the rural lyric poet who lived in the sixth century b.c. He
black population of the United States. Amos ’n’ was well known for his verses on the glories of
Andy was massively popular both as a long-running love and wine, and his name has subsequently been
radio comedy, first broadcast in 1929, and later as applied to many poets and artists whose work
a television series, with Freeman S. Gosden as the deals with similar themes. The following week the
hardworking Amos and Charles Correll as his magazine published a collection of Anacreontic lyrics by
slower-thinking friend Andy. Because both char- anonymous readers.
16
 ancient mariner

Ananias club (anbnibs) A band of liars or deceiv- natha” (16:22). (Maranatha means “the Lord
ers. The allusion is biblical, referring to a rich man cometh” and is intended merely as a closing bene-
called Ananias who, in expectation of Christ’s diction to the letter but sometimes is mistakenly
Second Coming, attempted to join the devout treated as an intensification of anathema). It also
community led by the apostle Peter. Ananias and came to be applied to formal denunciations or
his wife, Sophia, had sold a piece of property. With the curse of excommunication (or curses in gen-
his wife’s full knowledge, Ananias had retained eral). The idea of taking a vacation in a country where
some of the money from the sale for himself and women were treated as second-class citizens was anath-
brought the rest and put it at the apostle’s feet. ema to her.
Ananias claimed to have given all his money, but
Peter knew that the offer was insincere. He Anchises (ankiseez) Archetype of an aged but
accused Ananias of dishonesty, and the latter was respected parent. According to Greek mythology,
immediately struck dead. According to the account the goddess of love, Aphrodite, fell in love with
in Acts 5:1–12, the same fate also befell Ananias’s Anchises when he was a handsome young Trojan
wife, when she, unaware of her husband’s demise, prince and in due course bore him the hero
also came to Peter and maintained that they had aeneas. When Aeneas was allowed to go free after
laid before him all their worldly wealth. Ever the sack of Troy by the Greeks, who greatly
since, the name has often been applied to liars, but respected his prowess, and permitted to take the
it was U.S. president Theodore Roosevelt (1858– one thing he most valued with him Aeneas chose
1919) who coined “Ananias club,” directing it the now aged and infirm Anchises, carrying him
specifically at his political enemies and at journal- on his shoulders through the flames. Anchises sub-
ists who betrayed his confidence. The Ananias club sequently accompanied Aeneas on his voyages and
of news reporters and paparazzi was barred from enter- died in Sicily aged 80. “Ay, as Aeneas our great
ing the building so that the various leaders could discuss ancestor / Did from the flames of Troy upon his
matters without the fear that their words would be pub- shoulder / The old Anchises bear, so from the
licly distorted. waves of Tiber / Did I the tired Caesar” (William
Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, 1599).
anathema (bnathbmb) Something or someone
deemed detestable or otherwise accursed or intol- ancien régime (on(g)seeon(g) rayzheem) The old
erable. Originally a Greek word implying “some- order or system. The allusion is to the Bourbon
thing hung up in a temple and dedicated to a god,” regime that was overthrown by the French Revo-
it took on a more negative connotation through lution of 1789. The implication is usually that
the Hebrew practice of “dedicating” their defeated things were much worse under the old order. With
enemies to God by sacrificing them. In the New this latest round of elections within the university the
Testament the word thus came to denote anything last of the ancien régime has been swept away.
abhorrent to the Lord and by extension anything
evil or accursed. The Book of 1 Corinthians ends ancient mariner A person, typically an old man,
with the apostle Paul writing, “If any man love not who insists upon telling his story, which is usually
the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema Mara- lengthy and melodramatic in nature. The allusion
17
Andersen, Hans Christian

is to the epic poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner dramatization as Androcles and the Lion (1912) by
(1798) by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, in which the British writer George Bernard Shaw. It was like
Ancient Mariner himself unfolds his extraordinary Androcles and the lion: The magistrate descended from
and extended life history to a hapless passer-by on his bench and warmly embraced the felon who had been
his way to a wedding party. There was absolutely no brought in for admonishment.
escaping this ancient mariner and his tedious stories.
See also albatross around one’s neck; flying Andromeda (andrombdb) A constellation in the
dutchman. Northern Hemisphere, located between Cassio-
peia and Pegasus. It was named after the legendary
Andersen, Hans Christian See hans christian Andromeda, daughter of King Cepheus of Ethio-
andersen. pia and Cassiopeia, who was greatly admired for
her beauty. When Cassiopeia boasted that her
and now for something completely different daughter was more beautiful than the sea nymphs
Now for a complete change of subject.The expres- known as the Nereids, they persuaded the sea god
sion is usually associated with the BBC television Poseidon to send a monster to ravage Cepheus’s
comedy series Monty Python’s Flying Circus (see land. In order to appease the monster, Andromeda
monty python), in which it was used to link was chained to a rock and offered as a sacrifice.
unrelated sketches, usually by John Cleese in the She was rescued by Perseus, who killed the mon-
guise of a BBC announcer. Before that it was ster by showing it the severed head of Medusa,
already familiar to viewers as a formula used in the who turned all who looked at her into stone. Per-
children’s program Blue Peter to introduce new seus and Andromeda subsequently married. After
items. “And now for something completely different,” her death she was placed among the stars. “With
said the minister as he closed the book. these were to be seen at intervals some of maturer
years, full-blown flowers among the opening buds,
Androcles and the lion (andrbkleez) Legendary with that conscious look upon their faces which so
incident illustrating the moral that those who many women wear during the period when they
behave kindly to others may reap the benefit of never meet a single man without having his mono-
their generosity later. Androcles (or Androclus) syllable ready for him,—tied as they are, poor
was a Roman slave who was sentenced to be killed things! on the rock of expectation, each of them
by wild beasts in the circus.When he was placed in an Andromeda waiting for her Perseus” (Oliver
the arena with a fierce lion, however, the lion did Wendell Holmes, Elsie Venner, 1861).
not kill him but greeted him with every sign of
friendship. It transpired that some time earlier and so to bed See pepys.
Androcles, having escaped from his master, had
befriended the lion in the wilderness by removing and that’s the way it is That is how things are.
a thorn from the animal’s paw, thus relieving its This was the stock phrase with which U.S. news
agony. Duly impressed, the authorities released presenter Walter Cronkite (born 1916) signed off
Androcles and presented him with the lion. The at the end of the news bulletins he hosted on CBS
legend is perhaps best known today through its Evening News for 19 years (1962–81). “And that’s
18
 anointed of the Lord

the way it is,” he said, putting an end to any further vision of a farm taken over by the livestock was
questioning. intended as a satire of Stalinist Russia, in which the
possibilities presented by the 1917 revolution had
Andy Hardy Archetype of an all-American boy been squandered. The danger is that we will see Ani-
or the idealized American way of life. Wholesome mal Farm relived in several tottering African states. See
teenager Andy Hardy, played by Mickey Rooney in also all animals are equal, but some animals
a series of 15 films made between 1937 and 1947, are more equal than others.
was a member of the equally wholesome and cheery
Hardy family, who with their clean-living and Anna Karenina (kbreninb) Archetype of a tragic,
optimistic outlook on life epitomized mid-20th doomed heroine. Anna Karenina is the central
century middle-class American values. She came character in a novel bearing her name written by
from a town in the Midwest that was all very respectable the Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy (1828–1910).
and Andy Hardy. Married to a dull bureaucrat, the beautiful but
lonely Anna falls in love with the handsome Count
angel of death Personification of death. The Vronsky, but is rejected by society for her indis-
angel of death is usually assumed to be of biblical cretion and is eventually driven by despair to
origin, being variously identified as Apollyon (see throw herself under the wheels of a train. Like
abaddon), Azrael, or Michael. “Some day soon Anna Karenina, she could see no way out of her misery
the Angel of Death will sound his trumpet for me” except to kill herself.
(Bram Stoker, Dracula, 1897).
Annie Oakley (oklee) An expert female sharp-
anger of Juno See junoesque. shooter. Annie Oakley (Phoebe Ann Mozee Butler;
1860–1926) became famous for her rifle-shooting
angry young man A disenchanted young man, skills as a member of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West
especially one who rails against conventional soci- Show in the late 19th century. Her trademark feat
ety and the current establishment. The tag was involved shooting the pips out of playing cards (as
applied to a group of British playwrights and a consequence of this, punched railroad tickets
novelists of the 1950s, whose ranks included John and passes to baseball games, and by extension
Osborne, author of the play Look Back in Anger free tickets or benefits of any kind, are nicknamed
(1956), which featured the seething Jimmy Porter “Annie Oakleys”). My daughter’s been shooting since
and from which the term originally came. He was she was five—a regular Annie Oakley, she is.
an angry young man in those days, not the comfortable
old codger we know today. See also kitchen-sink; anointed of the Lord The clergy, or others
rebel without a cause. deemed to have been chosen by God. The phrase
comes from 1 Samuel 24:10, in which David pro-
Animal Farm A totalitarian regime in which the tests accusations that he plotted the death of King
ordinary order of things has been turned upside Saul: “I will not put forth mine hand against my
down. The allusion is to the satirical novel (1945) lord; for he is the LORD’s anointed.” It was his
of the same title by George Orwell. Orwell’s mother’s dearest wish that he would elect to join the
19
another fine mess

church and enjoy the respect deserving the anointed of Christ (1 John 2:18–21), who will inflict great
the Lord. wickedness upon the world prior to being over-
come in a final battle by Christ at the Second
another fine mess See laurel and hardy. Coming. The Antichrist denies the fundamental
truths about Jesus Christ; instead, Christ coming
Anschluss (anshlbs) The enforced annexation of is seen as a sign of the “last days.” Similar biblical
another country, company, organization, etc. The figures include the “man of lawlessness” (2 Thessa-
original Anschluss (meaning “junction” or “union” lonians 2:3–12) and the beast (Revelation 11:7).
in German) was the annexation of Austria by Nazi The title “Antichrist” has been bestowed upon
Germany in March 1938. Many observers were wor- many notorious figures and institutions over the
ried that Serbia was planning an “Anschluss” against its centuries, among them the Roman emperors Cal-
neighbor. igula and Nero, the Roman Empire in general,
Muhammad, the papacy, Napoléon Bonaparte, and
Antaeus (anteebs) A powerful person who has to Adolf Hitler. His excesses over the years had turned him
renew his or her strength periodically. The allusion into an Antichrist-type figure as far as the rest of his
is to the giant Antaeus, who, according to Greek family was concerned.
mythology, was in the habit of killing any oppo-
nent who could not defeat him at wrestling. The Antigone (antigbnee) Archetype of a woman who
son of Poseidon and the earth goddess Gaea, he sacrifices herself for her family. The allusion is to
depended for his strength on being in contact with the Greek myth about Antigone, daughter of Oedi-
the earth, so when Hercules held him off the pus and his mother, Jocasta. Antigone was con-
ground, he was powerless to prevent himself being demned to death by being buried alive for having
strangled to death. The big man was uneasy in the given burial rites to the body of her brother Poly-
abstract realms of thought, needing, like Antaeus, to keep neices against the order of her uncle, King Creon of
his feet firmly on the ground. Thebes. Antigone committed suicide. “As Antigone
said,‘I am neither a dweller among men nor ghosts’ ”
anthropophagi (anthrbpofbgi) Cannibals. Accord- (Thomas Hardy, Jude the Obscure, 1895).
ing to Greek mythology, the Laestrygones were a
race of cannibalistic anthropophagi (meaning “eat- Antiphates’ wife (antifayteez) Epitome of ugli-
ers of human beings”) encountered by the Greek ness. According to Greek mythology, the wife of
hero Odysseus, who only narrowly escaped them. Antiphates, leader of the cannibalistic Laestry-
“And of the Cannibals that each other eat, / The gones, was appallingly ugly. Not since Odysseus laid
Anthropophagi, and men whose heads / Do grow eyes upon Antiphates’ wife had any man been so revolted
beneath their shoulders” (William Shakespeare, by the physical form of a woman.
Othello, 1603–04).
Antisthenes See cynic.
Antichrist A person who opposes Christ or is
the implacable enemy of all that is good. The Anti- Antony and (antbnee, kleeopatrb)
Cleopatra
christ is described in the Bible as the enemy of Archetypes of doomed lovers. The Roman general
20
 apocalypse

Mark Antony (82–30 b.c.) became a member of having been born from the foam (aphros) of the sea
the Second Triumvirate, alongside Octavian and or, according to Homer, as the daughter of Zeus
Lepidus, in 43 b.c. and had responsibility for and Dione. She was forced to marry the ugly Hep-
Rome’s eastern provinces. He repudiated his wife haestus and was notoriously unfaithful to him,
to join Cleopatra VII (69–30 b.c.), queen of Egypt, allegedly possessing a magic girdle (also called the
but their joint forces were defeated by Octavian at cestus or, by the Romans, the girdle of Venus)
actium in 31 b.c., after which Antony committed supposed to have the power to make her sexually
suicide having been told (inaccurately) that irresistible to any person she might wish to attract.
Cleopatra was dead. Cleopatra killed herself shortly Her name inspired the word aphrodisiac, which
afterward, letting a poisonous asp bite her. “Passion describes any substance or other influence that is
is destructive. It destroyed Antony and Cleopatra, deemed to excite sexual desire. “No, her mood
Tristan and Isolde” (William Somerset Maugham, now was that of Aphrodite triumphing. Life—
The Razor’s Edge, 1944). radiant, ecstatic, wonderful—seemed to flow
from her and around her” (H. Rider Haggard, She,
Anubis (bnoobis) Personification of death. The 1887).
jackal-headed Anubis was identified in ancient
Egyptian mythology as the son of Osiris and as the Apicius (apishbs) A gourmand.The name belonged
god of the dead who escorted the deceased to to three celebrated Roman epicures, the most
judgment. The Greek equivalent was Hermes. The famous of whom was Marcus Gavius Apicius, who
gloom that concealed this melancholy spot might have lived in the first century a.d. and was the author of
been the shadow of Anubis himself. a book of recipes known as Of Culinary Matters.
When he was faced through financial difficulty
apartheid (bpahrtid, bpahrtit) Separation of one with having to restrict himself to a plain diet, he
section of society from another, especially if offi- killed himself rather than suffer such privation.
cially sanctioned. Derived from an Afrikaans word This Apicius dedicated his life to seeking out new taste
meaning “separateness,” apartheid became notori- sensations in the restaurants and hotels of Manhattan.
ous as a policy adopted in 1948 by the Republic of
South Africa against its black population, who apocalypse (bpokalips) A catastrophic or climac-
were barred from sharing the privileges of the tic event involving total destruction. The book of
country’s white residents. After much internal Revelation, in which John reveals how the world
unrest and condemnation from outside South will end, is sometimes referred to as the Apoca-
Africa, the system was finally abandoned in 1991. lypse. The word itself comes from the Greek apo-
Young people in this country are subject to a kind of kalyptein (meaning “to disclose”). The derivative
cultural apartheid, which denies them any significant adjective is apocalyptic. “The events of Septem-
voice. ber 11 were so apocalyptic that it seemed in the
immediate aftermath that the landscape of travel
Aphrodite (afroditee) A beautiful or sexually would be altered forever” (The Guardian, Septem-
desirable woman. The goddess of love in Greek ber 7, 2002). See also four horsemen of the
mythology, Aphrodite was variously described as apocalypse.
21
apocryphal

apocryphal (bpokrbfbl) Of dubious authenticity depicted as a handsome youth, and even today a
or authorship; sham. The word refers to the Apoc- beautiful young man may be termed an apollo.
rypha, the books appended to the Old Testament Nietzsche contrasts the Apollonian need for light, order,
but not forming part of the Hebrew canon and not and harmony with the Dionysian urge for darkness, wild
included in the Protestant Bible. It comes from the passion, and destruction.
Greek apokryptein (meaning “to hide away”). The
story that it was here that the conquistadores held their Apollyon See abaddon.
first mass is probably apocryphal. The apocryphal books
are also know as the deuterocanonical (second- apostle (bposbl) A devoted follower of a par-
arily canonical) books. For many centuries, they ticular belief, faith, movement, etc. From the
were read as part of the Latin (Vulgate) Bible, hav- Greek apostolos (meaning “a messenger”), the word
ing been included in the Septuagint, or Greek acquired new significance through the work of
translation of the Old Testament, but not the Christ’s apostles—originally the 12 disciples
Hebrew Bible; despite their inclusion, their value (Matthew 10:2)—who were chosen by Christ to
was regarded as somewhat ambiguous. At the preach the gospel. It is also used to refer to Paul,
Reformation, however, the Roman Catholic commissioned to be an apostle by the risen Christ.
Church fixed their number at twelve and included The apostles’ basic qualification was that they had
them in their editions of the Bible, whereas the been with Jesus during his earthly ministry and
Protestant denominations formally excluded had witnessed his resurrection. The apostles were
them. They include some additions to the books recognized as the founders of the church. The
of Esther, Daniel (including the history of Susanna word apostle is also used more generally to refer
and the Song of the Three Holy Children), and to a representative or messenger of a par ticular
Jeremiah, as well as a number of historical works church. Subsequently the term came to be applied
(1 and 2 Maccabees and 1 Esdras), an apocalyptic to any individual who sought to spread Christian-
book (2 Esdras), three short stories (Tobit, Judith, ity around the world and more generally to any-
and Bel and the Dragon), two wisdom books one publicly espousing a par ticular cause or
(Ecclesiasticus, or Sirach, and the Wisdom of Sol- movement. Over the last two years he has emerged as a
omon) and three other works of various kinds leading apostle of the political Left.
(the Prayer of Manesses, the Letter of Jeremiah,
and Baruch). They have been preserved in Greek appeal from Philip drunk to Philip sober To seek
but many were probably written originally in a decision or complete some other task at a more
Hebrew or Aramaic (Selman and Manser, The favorable time. The allusion is to a legendary inci-
Hearthside Bible Dictionary). dent in which a Macedonian noblewoman sought a
legal ruling from Philip II of Macedon (382–336
Apollonian (apbloneebn) Serene, harmonious, b.c.), but found her petition refused by the king,
ordered. The word alludes to the Greek sun god who was in a drunken, unsympathetic mood. The
Apollo, the son of Zeus and Leto, who represented woman announced her intention to appeal against
such positive attributes as light, music, poetry, the decision. When the outraged king demanded
healing, and prophecy. He was conventionally to whom she intended to make her appeal, she
22
 après moi le déluge

replied, undaunted, “To Philip sober.” Legend has it is biblical in origin, appearing in Deuteronomy
that she subsequently won her case. When her hus- 32:10, which describes God’s love for Israel—“He
band returned home late that night, somewhat the worse kept him as the apple of his eye”—and again in
for wear, he refused to countenance her suggestion and she Psalm 17:8 and Proverbs 7:2. The apple is under-
resolved to wait until the following morning, when she stood to be a metaphor for the pupil of the eye,
might appeal from Philip drunk to Philip sober. which is not dissimilar in shape. “ ‘He’s the only
minister I ever had much use for. He’s God’s
appease his manes (mayneez) To observe the own if ever a man was. And he loves you—yes,
wishes of a dead person. According to Roman sir, he loves you like the apple of his eye’ ” (Lucy
belief, the spirit, or manes, of the deceased would Maud Montgomery, The Chronicles of Avonlea,
rise up in anger if survivors failed to show due 1912).
respect to his or her wishes. In order to appease his
manes, they scattered the old man’s ashes on the cliff top, apple pie A symbol of the household values that
as he had instructed. lie at the heart of the American national charac-
ter. The image of apple pie as a thoroughly Ameri-
Appleby, Sir Humphrey See humphrey, sir. can dish dates back to its association with the
Pilgrim Fathers, who were the continent’s first
apple of discord A cause of argument. The allu- permanent European settlers. It is often linked
sion is to Greek mythology and the golden apple with “motherhood” in the phrase motherhood
that was offered by Eris, the goddess of discord, to and apple pie. Little league baseball is as American
the most beautiful of the guests at the wedding of as apple pie.
Peleus and Thetis, to which she had not been
invited. The resulting contest between the god- Appleseed, Johnny See johnny appleseed.
desses Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite was settled by
Paris (see judgment of paris) but resulted in apples of Sodom See dead sea fruit.
much resentment and bloodshed and ultimately
the outbreak of the Trojan War. In modern usage, apples of the Hesperides See labors of hercules.
to throw the apple of discord means to provoke
conflict. “I suppose he specified sincere because it après moi le déluge (apray mwah lb dayloozh)
was no longer sincere: he hurled the offer into Everything will collapse after I am (or we are)
Musgrove Cottage by way of an apple of discord— gone.The sentiment (which translates from French
at least so I infer from the memorandum, with literally as “after me the flood”) is usually attrib-
which he retired at present from the cash hunt” uted to Louis XV of France (1710–74), who thus
(Charles Reade, Hard Cash, 1863). prophesied the chaos that would follow the over-
throw of the French monarchy. Other sources
apple of knowledge See forbidden fruit. credit it to Louis’s mistress Madame de Pompa-
dour (1721–64), reacting to the defeat of the
apple of one’s eye Someone or something that French and Austrian armies by Frederick the Great
is very precious to a par ticular person. The phrase at Rossbach in 1757. The general appeared to be
23
April is the cruelest month

resigned to pulling out of the country, warning darkly barmecide feast; old man of the sea; open
“après moi le déluge.” sesame; sinbad.

April is the cruelest month Early spring can be a Arabs, fold their tents like the See fold their
time of great struggle and contrasting fortunes, a tents like the arabs.
time when survival may be hardest and when new
life exists alongside death. The allusion is to the arachnid (braknid) An anthropod of the class
opening of T. S. Eliot’s poem The Waste Land Arachnida, characterized by eight legs and simple
(1922): “April is the cruelest month, breeding / Li- eyes. The arachnids, which include spiders, owe
lacs out of the dead land, mixing / memory and their name to Greek mythology, specifically to a
desire, stirring / Dull roots with spring rain.” The girl from Lydia named Arachne who offended the
spring tides have wreaked havoc all along the coast— goddess Athena after challenging her to a weaving
April has proved once again the cruelest month. contest. When Arachne won the contest Athena
destroyed Arachne’s tapestry, prompting the latter
Aquarius, age of (bkwaireebs) An astrological era to attempt to hang herself. Instead, Athena turned
in which humanity enters into a new period of the rope into a cobweb and Arachne into a spider.
peace, freedom, and understanding. For many peo- The study of arachnids is known as arachnology.
ple the phrase is linked inextricably with the hip- Ever since she was a child she had nursed a terror of all
pie culture of the 1960s, specifically the opening arachnids, especially spiders.
song of the 1967 musical Hair, and has thus
become a synonym for childish naivety and opti- Aramis See three musketeers.
mism. “This is not the age of Aquarius, as the 1960s
song so misleadingly supposed: it is the age of Arbeit macht frei (ahbit makt fri) Work sets
imminent judgment” (Andrew Walker, Enemy Terri- free. This German slogan was mounted over the
tory, 1988). entrance to the Nazi concentration camps at
auschwitz and Dachau and has consequently
Arabian Nights (braybeebn) A set of fantastical acquired a hugely controversial reputation. None-
tales of Eastern origin, widely perceived as repre- theless, it is occasionally heard today in jocular
senting the exotic and fascinating character of the fashion, typically in reaction to the imposing of
Arabian region and culture. The Arabian Nights some unwelcome task. “Arbeit Macht Frei says the
Entertainments (or The Thousand and One Nights) sign on the gate, with typically gruff and unde-
comprise an immense series of folk tales purport- signing eloquence” (Martin Amis, Time’s Arrow,
edly told by an Arabian princess called Sheher- 1991).
ezade to her captor in an attempt to dissuade him
from having her executed (he eventually agrees Arcadian (ahrkaydeebn) Rustic, pastoral, har-
and marries her instead). They are thought to have monious, idealized. According to Greek mythol-
been compiled around a.d. 1500. “It’s like living ogy, Arcadia was a mountainous area of the Greek
in the Arabian Nights” (John Fowles, The Collector, Peloponnese whose inhabitants were said to pursue
1989). See also aladdin’s cave; aladdin’s lamp; peaceful, harmonious lives in bucolic surroundings.
24
 argonaut

The notion of Arcadia representing an idealized opinions that no one in the White House actually
rural setting was taken up with some enthusiasm shares.
by English poets of the late 16th century. “I had
not forgotten Sebastian. He was with me daily in Archimedean (ahrkbmeedeebn) Of or relating to
Julia; or rather it was Julia I had known in him, in the mathematical or physical theories of Archime-
those distant Arcadian days” (Evelyn Waugh, Brides- des. A Greek mathematician and scientist, Archi-
head Revisited, 1945). medes (c. 287–c. 212 b.c) made many notable and
profoundly influential discoveries in such fields as
Arcati, Madame See madame arcati. geometry, mechanics, and hydrostatics, such as the
Archimedes principle and the Archimedes screw.
Archie Bunker (ahrchee bunker) A garrulous “It was at this juncture that Mr. Monck Mason
bigot. Archie Bunker was the central character in (whose voyage from Dover to Weilburg in the bal-
the U.S. television series All in the Family, broad- loon Nassau occasioned so much excitement in
cast between 1971 and 1991. Archie Bunker rep- 1837) conceived the idea of employing the princi-
resented the narrow, bigoted views of the working ple of the Archimedean screw for the purpose of
classes and regularly voiced his prejudices to the propulsion through the air” (Edgar Allan Poe, “The
consternation and amusement of his family, his Balloon-Hoax,” 1850). See also eureka!
neighbors, and anyone else unlucky enough to
cross his path. The show was based on the British Arden See forest of arden.
television series Till Death Us Do Part, in which the
Archie Bunker character ranted and railed under Ares (aireez) Personification of war. Ares was
the name Alf Garnett. It seems likely that we will identified in Greek mythology as the son of Zeus
always have our Archie Bunkers decrying the way that and Hera and the god of war. In Roman mythology
society is. he was called Mars. The spirit of Ares loomed over the
conference table and made any substantial agreement
Archilochian bitterness (arkilokeebn) Mocking, well nigh impossible.
personalized satire. The allusion is to the writings
of the seventh-century b.c. Greek satirical poet Arethusa See alpheus and arethusa.
Archilochus, who expressed personal resentments
and bitterness in his verse. It was just as well that the argonaut (ahrgbnot) A seafarer, especially one
author of such Archilochian bitterness had elected to who embarks in a spirit of adventure. In Greek
remain anonymous as he or she would doubtless have mythology the Argonauts were the heroes who
been sued for libel. accompanied Jason in his pursuit of the golden
fleece. Including such famous names as hercu-
Archimago (ahkeemaygo) An arch-hypocrite. les and orpheus among their number, they took
Archimago appears in Edmund Spenser’s The their name from their vessel, the Argo (meaning
Faerie Queene (1590, 1596), in which he is depicted “swift”). “This was our second parting, and our
as an evil sorcerer who uses his powers to deceive. capacities were now reversed. It was mine to play
The Republicans now have their own Archimago, voicing the Argonaut, to speed affairs, to plan and to
25
Argus

accomplish—if need were, at the price of life; it which he sailed home victorious from a musical
was his to sit at home, to study the calendar, and to contest, he played his kithara and then hurled him-
wait” (Robert Louis Stevenson, TheWrecker, 1892). self into the sea, from which he was rescued by
music-loving dolphins and carried home. “But then
Argus (ahrgbs) An eagle-eyed watchkeeper or there were some sceptical Greeks and Romans,
guardian. Argus Panoptes appears in Greek mythol- who, standing out from the orthodox pagans of
ogy as a monster with 100 eyes who was appointed their times, equally doubted the story of Hercules
by Hera to guard over the heifer into which Io and the whale, and Arion and the dolphin; and yet
had been transformed by Zeus. He was, however, their doubting those traditions did not make those
lulled to sleep by the music Hermes played on traditions one whit the less facts, for all that” (Her-
his lyre. Hermes then killed him, and his 100 man Melville, Moby-Dick, 1851).
eyes were placed by Hera in the tail of the pea-
cock, her favorite bird. In his memory, anyone Aristotelian (aristbteeleebn) Of or relating to the
who proves himself or herself vigilant may be philosophical ideas of Aristotle. The Greek philoso-
described as being Argus-eyed. “Now Argus, the pher Aristotle (384–322 b.c.) studied under Plato
poets say, had an hundred eyes, and was set to watch and later became tutor to Alexander the Great.
with them all, as she does, with her goggling ones” Founder of the Peripatetic School in Athens, he
(Samuel Richardson, Pamela, 1741). wrote influential works on logic, ethics, politics,
poetics, rhetoric, biology, zoology, and metaphys-
Ariadne See labyrinth. ics. In modern usage, this adjective is usually used
in reference to his work on logic or to philosophi-
Ariel (aireebl) An ethereal fairy spirit, especially cal positions that incorporate some of his ideas,
one who seems otherworldly and remote from notably his recommendation that a philosopher
human concerns. Ariel appears as a supernatural should adopt an objective viewpoint independent
character in Shakespeare’s The Tempest (1611), of social or moral contexts. “In morals he was a
using his powers of invisibility to serve his master profest Platonist, and in religion he inclined to be
prospero, who ultimately rewards him by grant- an Aristotelian” (Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, 1749).
ing him his freedom. In modern usage, his name is
sometimes invoked to describe a person of either Aristotle Onassis (aristotbl onasis) Archetype of
sex who is sylphlike in his or her delicate form and a billionaire tycoon. Aristotle Onassis (1906–75)
lightness of touch. “But for him Ayala would run was a Turkish-born Greek shipowner who built up
about as though she were a tricksy Ariel” (Anthony one of the largest independent shipping lines in
Trollope, Ayala’s Angel, 1881). the world, making a vast fortune in the process.
After a lengthy relationship with opera singer
Arion (brion) A musician. According to Greek Maria Callas, he married Jackie Kennedy, widow
mythology, Arion was a celebrated poet and player of assassinated U.S. president John F. Kennedy, in
of the kithara who lived in the seventh century b.c. 1968. You’d need the wealth of an Aristotle Onassis to
When threatened by the crew of the vessel in buy a house around here.

26
 Arnold Schwarzenegger

ark A large boat or other vessel that serves as a with such care it might have been the Ark of the Covenant
means to rescue people, animals, or something itself.
else under threat of annihilation. The allusion is to
the floating Ark that, according to the book of Armada See spanish armada.
Genesis (6:14), Noah built on God’s orders and in
which he preserved his family and two of every Armageddon (ahrmbgedbn) A decisive, cata-
species of animal on earth when the world was clysmic confrontation; the end of the world.
inundated by the Flood. Related phrases include From the Hebrew Har Magedon (meaning “hill of
out of the ark, signifying something that is so old Megiddo”), the term refers to the Palestinian city
or out of date that it may well date back to the Ark of Megiddo, which was located between Mount
itself. “In ancient times some Mr. Bell was sailing Carmel and the coast. Because of its favorable
this way in his ark with seeds of rocket, saltwort, location, the city was frequently fought over in
sandwort, beach-grass, samphire, bayberry, ancient times and thus became synonymous with
poverty-grass, &c., all nicely labelled with direc- bloodshed and war. Armageddon is identified in
tions, intending to establish a nursery somewhere; the book of Revelation 16:14–16 as where the
and did not a nursery get established, though he climactic battle between the forces of good and
thought that he had failed” (Henry David Thoreau, evil will be fought. In modern usage, the term is
Cape Cod, 1865). widely employed in referring to any catastrophic
conflict that threatens universal disaster, often
Ark of the Covenant Something considered sac- specifically to nuclear war. “ ‘Armageddon Now,’
rosanct or greatly revered, especially a ruling or declared Kommersant, the Russian business daily”
opinion widely regarded as irrefutable. According (Daily Telegraph, September 13, 2001). See also
to Exodus 25:10–12, the original Ark of the Cov- judgment day.
enant was the gold-covered wooden chest in which
were kept the two tablets inscribed with the Ten Arnold, Benedict See benedict arnold.
Commandments. The ark was the most sacred
symbol of the covenant formed between God and Arnold Schwarzenegger (shwortsbnieger) A muscle-
the Israelites and was carried by them into battle bound strong man. Born in Austria in 1947,
against the Philistines, who captured it. It was sub- Arnold Schwarzenegger was a successful body-
sequently returned to Israel and enshrined in the builder and winner of seven Mr. Universe titles
holy of holies in the Temple at Jerusalem on the before turning to movie acting and becoming a
orders of Solomon but vanished, presumably leading star of big budget Hollywood action mov-
destroyed, when the city fell to Nebuchadnezzar in ies, notably in such roles as conan the barbar-
586 b.c. Some claim that it is now located in the ian and the terminator. He then quit the acting
church of St. Mary of Zion in Axum (Aksum), world to enter politics, becoming governor of
northern Ethiopia. Related phrases include to lay California in 2003. “He was stripped to the waist,
hands on the ark, meaning to abuse a sacred and she could see the lunar map of dead skin and
object, opinion, etc. The attendant handled the casket fresh scars that was stretched tautly over his

27
Artemis

Schwarzenegger musculature” (Kim Newman, Bad message . . . to the old father to come and see her
Dreams, 1990). before she died . . . His answer was, ‘As a tree
falls so shall it lie’ ” (W. H. Hudson, Traveller in Lit-
Artemis (ahrtbmis) Personification of youthful tle Things, 1921).
female vigor and athleticism. Artemis, or Diana in
Roman mythology, was the ancient Greek goddess Ascalaphus (askblayfbs) According to Greek
of the hunt and the moon, a virgin armed with mythology, when Persephone was rescued from
bow and arrow, twin sister of Apollo. She appeared the underworld, it was Ascalaphus who revealed
in numerous legends, including the stories of the fact that she had eaten some pomegranate
actaeon and theseus. “Ah! here is the duchess, seeds while in Hades, thus breaking the condition
looking like Artemis in a tailor-made gown” (Oscar that she must not eat anything during her abduc-
Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray, 1891). See also tion. As a result, Persephone was condemned to
diana of the ephesians; eighth wonder of spend six months in the underworld and six months
the world. on earth for the rest of her life. In revenge for this
betrayal, Persephone transformed Ascalaphus into
Artful Dodger A youth who is adept at thieving an owl. The pair resolved to have their revenge upon
and other criminal activities. The character (prop- their former colleague who, like Ascalaphus betraying
erly, Jack Dawkins) appeared originally in the Persephone, had brought about their utter ruin when
Charles Dickens novel oliver twist (1837–38), they were within sight of victory.
in which he was the most talented of fagin’s gang
of child pickpockets. Though an accomplished as game as Ned Kelly See ned kelly.
petty thief, he is redeemed to some extent by his
natural charm and quick wits. “Meg made many Asgard See valhalla.
moral rules, and tried to keep them, but what
mother was ever proof against the winning wiles, as happy as Larry Deliriously happy. An Austra-
the ingenious evasions, or the tranquil audacity of lian phrase, it alludes to a famous boxer called
the miniature men and women who so early show Larry Foley (1847–1917), though it may also have
themselves accomplished Artful Dodgers?” (Louisa been influenced by the slang term “larrikin,” which
May Alcott, Little Women, 1868–69). described a well-dressed young hooligan and was
itself an elaboration of the first name Larry. “Ten
Arthur, King See king arthur. years later Burton would have been as happy as
Larry” (Melvyn Bragg, Rich: The Life of Richard Bur-
A person’s end cor-
as a tree falls, so shall it lie ton, 1989).
responds to the life that he or she has led, and any
last-minute changes of opinion or belief will not Ashcan School An artistic style that deals with
change this. This proverb is of biblical origin, unattractive, realistic subjects from the seamier
appearing in Ecclesiastes 11:3: “In the place where side of life. The term was applied initially to a
the tree falleth, there it shall be.” It was first group of artists specializing in painting such sub-
recorded in its present form in 1678. “She sent a jects in the early years of the 20th century, their
28
 Aspasia

leader being Robert Henri (1865–1929). Later ask not what your country can do for you Think
recruits to the movement included Edward Hop- what you can do for others, not what others can
per (1882–1967). The subjects of his writing lent him do for you. This worthy sentiment was voiced by
a spurious ashcan school credibility. See also kitchen- President John F. Kennedy (1917–63) in the
sink. course of his inauguration speech on January 20,
1961: “Ask not what your country can do for you;
ashes See sackcloth and ashes. ask what you can do for your country.” It remains
one of Kennedy’s most oft-quoted lines, though
ashes to ashes See unto dust shalt thou not always given in full and often with the word
return. “country” replaced with something else. Ask not
what your computer can do for you . . .
Ashtoreth (ashtbreth) Symbol of fertility or sex-
uality. Ashtoreth (Ashtorath) is identified in the Aslan See narnia.
Bible as the Phoenician fertility goddess Astarte,
equivalent to the Greek Aphrodite, whom the as mad as a hatter See mad as a hatter.
Israelites briefly adopted as an idol, to the great
offense of God: “And the children of Israel did evil as old as Methuselah (methoozblb) Very old,
again in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim, ancient. Methuselah is the oldest man mentioned
and Ashtaroth” ( Judges 10:6). “The bailiff was in the Bible who, according to Genesis 5:27, died
pointed out to Gabriel, who, checking the palpita- at the advanced age of 969. “Now, you are my
tion within his breast at discovering that this Ash- witness, Miss Summerson, I say I don’t care—but
toreth of strange report was only a modification of if he was to come to our house with his great,
Venus the well-known and admired, retired with shining, lumpy forehead night after night till he
him to talk over the necessary preliminaries of was as old as Methuselah, I wouldn’t have any-
hiring” (Thomas Hardy, Far from the Madding Crowd, thing to say to him’ ” (Charles Dickens, Bleak
1874). House, 1852–53). A methuselah is also an over-
sized wine bottle with a capacity of eight standard
ask and it shall be given you If you want some- wine bottles.
thing, you must take positive action to get it,
rather than do nothing at all. The proverb is of Aspasia (aspayzhb) A prostitute. Aspasia was a
biblical origin, appearing in Matthew 7:7, and is celebrated Athenian courtesan of the fifth cen-
sometimes encountered in its fuller form: “Ask, tury b.c. whose devoted admirers included Peri-
and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; cles, who made her his mistress. “The man who
knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” Variants acts, decides, and achieves; the woman who
include ask and thou shall receive and the more encourages, applauds, and—from a distance—
colloquial them as asks, gits; them as don’t ask, inspires: the combination is common enough;
don’t git. The old woman handed over the envelope of but Miss Nightingale was neither an Aspasia nor
money with a smile and whispered, “Ask and it shall be an Egeria” (Lytton Strachey, Eminent Victorians,
given you.” 1918).
29
as rich as Croesus

as rich as Croesus (kreesbs) Immensely wealthy. the goddess Ate’s mischief making that he hurled
Croesus (d. 546 b.c.) was the last king of Lydia her from Olympus. Ever since she has busied her-
and, through his conquests, the possessor of seem- self making trouble among inhabitants of the mor-
ingly unlimited wealth. He was overthrown by tal world. “Caesar’s spirit, ranging for revenge, /
Cyrus of Persia. “ ‘And as for Lizzie—she’s your With Ate by his side, come hot from hell, / Shall,
cousin, and all that. And she’s ever so pretty, and in these confines with a monarch’s voice, / Cry
all that. And she’s as rich as Croesus, and all that’ ” ‘havoc’ and let slip the dogs of war” (William
(Anthony Trollope, The Eustace Diamonds, 1873). Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, 1599).

assume the mantle of Elijah See mantle of at ease in Zion (zion) Living a life of comfort
elijah. and luxury. The phrase comes from Amos 6:1, in
which the prophet Amos criticizes the compla-
Astaire, Fred See fred astaire. cency of those who live indolent, comfortable
existences: “woe to them that are at ease in Zion.”
as you sow, so shall you reap See reap what you It was a long time since the regiment had seen action.
sow. The general accused them of having grown soft, living at
ease in Zion. See also zion.
Atalanta’s race (atblantbz) A contest that is won
through trickery. The allusion is to Greek mythol- Athena (btheenb) Personification of female
ogy and the race that was run between the fleet- wisdom and civilization. Known as Minerva by
footed huntress Atalanta and her suitor the Romans, Athena was depicted in Greek
Hippomenes (sometimes identified as Melanion). mythology as a virgin goddess who embodied
If Hippomenes won the race, according to the practical skills and prudence in warfare. She was
agreement, Atalanta would become his wife, but if identified as the patron goddess of Athens (the
he lost he would be put to death, like all her previ- city being named after her) and sided with the
ous suitors. Before the race, Aphrodite gave Hip- Greeks in the Trojan War. Legend had it that she
pomenes the three golden apples of the Hesperides, was not born but sprang fully armed from the
which Hippomenes dropped along the route so head of Zeus. She held court at her mansion like some
that Atalanta would pause to pick them up. By this Athena presiding over the doings of lesser mortals. See
ruse Hippomenes won the race, and they were also palladium.
married. “Laurie reached the goal first and was
quite satisfied with the success of his treatment, Athos See three musketeers.
for his Atalanta came panting up with flying hair,
bright eyes, ruddy cheeks, and no signs of dissatis- Atkins, Tommy See tommy.
faction in her face” (Louisa May Alcott, Little
Women, 1868–69). Atlantis (atlantis) A fabled lost city or land. The
name was first applied to a lost continent described
Ate (aytee) Personification of mischief. Accord- by Plato (c. 427–c. 347 b.c.) in Timaeus and Critias
ing to Greek mythology, Zeus was so incensed at that was home to a great civilization existing some
30
 Attila the Hun

9,000 years before the emergence of ancient Atropos See fates.

Greece. According to legend, Atlantis sank beneath
the waters of the east Atlantic, destroyed by earth- at the eleventh hour At the last moment; in the
quakes and floods as punishment for the wicked- nick of time. The expression is biblical in origin,
ness of its citizens. It has been suggested that this appearing in Matthew 20:1–16, which relates the
lost land of fable may have been inspired by the parable of the laborers in the vineyard and describes
Canary Islands or the Azores. “As for Owen Ford, how workers who started work at the 11th hour
the ‘Margaret’ of his book, although she had the received the same payment as those who had begun
soft brown hair and elfin face of the real girl who much earlier. “I am not easily shocked; and I can be
had vanished so long ago, ‘pillowed where lost implicitly trusted.’ I hesitated even now, at the
Atlantis sleeps,’ had the personality of Leslie Moore, eleventh hour, sitting alone with him in his own
as it was revealed to him in those halcyon days at room” (Wilkie Collins, Armadale, 1866).
Four Winds Harbor” (Lucy Maud Montgomery,
Anne’s House of Dreams, 1917). at the Greek calends (kalendz) Never. The
calends marked the first day of the month in
atlas (atlbs) A book of maps. The word refers to the Roman calendar. (They were unknown to the
Greek mythology, specifically to Atlas, one of the Greeks.) He promised to repay the loan “at the Greek
Titans who attempted to overthrow Zeus. When calends” and disappeared before anyone could ask when
the rebellion was defeated, Atlas was condemned that might be.
to support the heavens upon his shoulders as pun-
ishment. One legend had it that he was trans- attic The space beneath the roof of a building.
formed into the Atlas Mountains in northern The word has its origins in the Attic style of archi-
Africa after Perseus, offended at Atlas’s refusal to tecture developed in ancient Athens (Attica) in the
offer him hospitality, showed him the head of classical era. It acquired its modern meaning in the
Medusa and turned him to stone. Any person who 18th century when Attic-style pilasters were widely
has to bear a heavy burden may be dubbed an Atlas used to decorate the outer walls of upper stories
or said to have Atlantean shoulders. The associa- of classical facades. Attic salt describes a refined,
tion with cartography dates from 1595, when biting wit, alluding to the reputation for sophisti-
maps compiled by Rumold Mercator included a cated wit possessed by the inhabitants of ancient
depiction of Atlas supporting the earth on the title Attica. Attic faith is synonymous with trustwor-
page. “Maple White Land it became, and so it is thiness or dependability, a reflection of how
named in that chart which has become my special ancient Athenians believed themselves honorable
task. So it will, I trust, appear in the atlas of the and civilized. “ ‘I see well enough you’re going to
future” (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Lost World, get that old dress suit out of the cedar chest in the
1912). See also charles atlas. attic, and try to make me put it on me’ ” (Booth
Tarkington, Alice Adams, 1921).
Atlas, Charles See charles atlas.
Attila the Hun (btilb) Nickname for someone
Atreus See house of Atreus. who behaves in a barbaric, cruel, and destructive
31
Augean stables

manner. The historical Attila the Hun (a.d. c. 406– Ovid, and Virgil. In modern usage, the term is
453) was the leader of the Huns, a nomadic people often employed in reference to literature (for
from central Asia who ravaged swaths of the instance, that of early 18th-century England). “You
Roman Empire in the fifth century, causing great will perceive that I demand something which no
destruction and loss of life. He was eventually Augustan nor Elizabethan age, which no culture,
defeated by the Romans and Visigoths at Châlons- in short, can give” (Henry David Thoreau, Walking,
sur-Marne. His men were widely feared for their 1851).
barbaric behavior, hence the modern appropria-
tion of their leader’s name for anyone who behaves Aunt Agatha See agatha, aunt.
in a similar manner. The heart of the city became a
wasteland, as if the contract for redeveloping it had been Auntie The British Broadcasting Corporation
given by mistake to Attila the Hun. See also genghis (BBC). The nickname was originally intended as a
khan. condemnation of what was seen as the comfort-
able, uncontroversial outlook of the organization
Augean stables See labors of hercules. as a whole, but has since been adopted as a fond
epithet by staff, listeners, and viewers alike. Auntie
August The eighth month of the year. The name is planning a few surprises for its younger viewers over
comes from the Roman emperor Octavian (63 the coming months.
b.c.–a.d. 14), who was granted the title Augustus
(meaning “venerable”) by the Senate in recogni- aurora (ororb) Atmospheric phenomenon in
tion of his life’s work. He named August after him- which bands or curtains of light move across the
self in imitation of his predecessor Julius Caesar, sky in polar regions (called the aurora australis
who had renamed July in his own honor. In order over the South Pole and the aurora borealis over
that Augustus’s month should have no fewer days the North Pole). The phenomenon was named
than Caesar’s, he transferred one day from Febru- after Aurora, the Roman goddess of the dawn,
ary to August so that both July and August would equivalent to Eos in Greek mythology. The term is
have 31 days. By noon the day was as sultry as August, also used as a poetic description of the dawn. “It
but she still felt a chill in her heart. was morning; and the beautiful Aurora, of whom
so much hath been written, said, and sung, did,
Augustan Age (ogbstbn) A time of great pros- with her rosy fingers, nip and tweak Miss Peck-
perity and cultural achievement. The allusion is to sniff’s nose” (Charles Dickens, Martin Chuzzlewit,
the reign of the first Roman emperor, Augustus 1843).
Caesar (63 b.c.–a.d. 14), which witnessed a great
flowering of the arts and commerce in the peace Auschwitz (owshvits) A place or situation in
following lengthy civil war. Notable products of which prisoners are treated with inhuman barbar-
this golden era included the building of many ity and are likely to be tortured and put to death in
roads and aqueducts, the rebuilding of Rome, and large numbers. Auschwitz (or Oświe˛cim) in south-
the creation of many fine sculptures and literary west Poland was the site of a notorious Nazi death
masterpieces, among them the works of Horace, camp, in which some 2 million Jews from all over
32
 avatar

occupied Europe were executed in gas chambers. being able to change the appearance of the prop-
Even today, allusions to Auschwitz tend to be erty he stole. He attempted to refute charges that
reserved for only the worst similar contexts, such he had stolen the cattle of Sisyphus by changing
is the horror associated with its name. Recent rumors their color but was undone by the fact that Sisy-
that the regime has discussed building a prison that phus had marked his cattle under their feet. A
could become another Auschwitz are troubling. See also pickpocket named Autolycus is a character in Wil-
final solution; holocaust. liam Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale (1609). This
Autolycus was well known by the local police, who had
Austerlitz (owsterlits, osterlits) An individual’s arrested him on countless occasions in the past for petty
greatest success.The Battle of Austerlitz was fought larceny of one form or another.
in 1805 between the armies of Napoleonic France
and those of Austria and Russia in what is now the automatic pilot An approach to doing something
Czech Republic. Napoleon’s crushing victory rep- while not thinking consciously about it or giving it
resented his greatest military success; although he much attention. The allusion is to a device that
did win further victories, it was never surpassed in allows aircraft and other mechanical systems to be
scale and completeness by his armies. “The sun operated for a time without direct human inter-
came up without a cloud, and shone brightly on vention. When applied to ways of doing things, it
his face. He sprang to his feet and said to Burleson, tends to suggest they are being done in a lazy or
as he saluted him: ‘The sun of Austerlitz has risen negligent manner. She appeared to be on automatic
again.’ ” (Amelia Barr, Remember the Alamo, 1888). pilot, barely registering the content of the papers she was
signing.
auto-da-fé (otodbfay) A trial, especially one in
which the final outcome is predetermined and Avalon (avblon) Paradise. It was to Avalon that,
results in a death sentence. Meaning “act of faith” according to Celtic legend, king arthur was car-
in Portuguese, the phrase originally described a ried by his sister Morgan le Fay when mortally
ceremony during which officials of the Spanish wounded at the Battle of Camlan. The word itself
Inquisition delivered their verdict and sentence on means “land of apples.” For years many of the party
accused heretics, often ordering their execution at faithful continued to hope their leader would emerge
the stake at the hands of the church authorities. from her self-imposed retirement in Avalon to lead them
The term is usually applied today to judicial pro- once more to victory.
ceedings that are perceived to be both harsh and
unfair. The hearings were nothing more than an auto- avatar (avbtar) The embodiment of an idea or
da-fé in which the victims were not allowed an opportu- phrase. The avatars of Hindu mythology were the
nity to be heard. earthly forms in which various deities visited the
human realm. Vishnu himself had ten such avatars,
Autolycus (otolikbs) Archetype of a cunning which included a lion (Narasimha), a boar (Varaha),
thief. Autolycus was identified in Greek mythol- and a fish (Matsya). Through its policy of investment
ogy as the son of Hermes and grandfather of and expansion, the company has made itself an avatar of
Odysseus and had a reputation as a crafty robber, excellence within the industry.
33
avenging angel

avenging angel Person bent on exacting retribu- original Axis was the international political alli-
tion. According to Judeo-Christian tradition, the ance that was forged between Nazi Germany,
avenging angels, whose task it was to punish those Fascist Italy, and Japan in 1936, linking their mili-
who broke the laws of God, were among the first taristic ambitions. It was later extended to include
angels created by God. Twelve in number, they Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia, and Croa-
included Gabriel, Michael, Nathanael, Raphael, tia. The term itself was introduced in 1939, when
Satanel, and Uriel. “Harry smiled blandly till they it was coined by Italy’s Fascist dictator Benito
were well on the pavement, saying some nothing, Mussolini, hailing the Pact of Steel agreed between
and keeping the victim’s face averted from the Italy and Germany that year. In 2002, President
avenging angel; and then, when the raised hand was George W. Bush brought the term back into cur-
sufficiently nigh, he withdrew two steps towards rency with his warnings about an axis of evil
the nearest lamp-post” (Anthony Trollope, Doctor being created to attack U.S. interests around the
Thorne, 1858). world. The press took up the notion of an axis of evil
comprising Iran, Iraq, and North Korea.
Avernus (bvernbs) Hell; the underworld. In
Roman mythology, a cave beside the volcanic lake
axis of evil See axis.
of Avernus in Campania, central Italy, was identi-
fied as the entrance to the underworld and thus
ax to grind See have an ax to grind.
the name of the lake became synonymous with
hell itself. The name itself means “without birds,” a
reference to the ancient belief that the sulphurous ayatollah (ibtolb) A repressive, authoritarian fig-
exhalations of the lake killed any birds flying in the ure. The term is used among Shia Muslims to refer
area. Avernus is often referred to in the context of to their religious leaders, who deliver pronounce-
a line from Virgil’s Aeneid (30–19 b.c.), “Facilis ments upon Islamic law. The word acquired nega-
descensus Averno” (easy is the descent to Avernus). tive associations throughout the Western world with
“Little boys at school are taught in their earliest the rise of the ayatollahs in Iran in 1979 and their
Latin book that the path of Avernus is very easy of calling for the institution of strict Islamic states
descent” (William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair, around the world. The title itself means “manifesta-
1847–48). tion of God” in Arabic. This suggestion is unlikely to go
down well with the ayatollahs at head office. See also
axis (aksis) An alliance of two or more states, fatwa.
organizations, or other entities, often with what
is perceived as being a nefarious end in mind. The ay, there’s the rub See there’s the rub

34
ååååå B å
Baal (bahl) A false god; an idol.The name, from babes in the wood A group of people whose
the Hebrew ba’al (meaning “lord”), was originally innocence of the world is seen as making them
applied to various ancient Semitic fertility gods vulnerable. The allusion is ultimately to an English
and also appeared in Phoenician mythology as the broadside ballad entitled “The Children in the
name of the supreme sun god and god of fertility. Wood; or, the Norfolk Gentleman’s Last Will and
Baal is identified in the Bible as the false pagan Testament,” which first appeared in Percy’s Rel-
idol to which the Israelites briefly devoted them- iques in 1595 and at around the same time as an
selves at the prompting of jezebel (1 Kings 16–21). early melodrama. It has since, in much changed
“What had he now brought down upon himself form, been adapted as the basis of popular Christ-
by sojourning thus in the tents of the heathen? mas pantomimes. The original tale concerns two
He had consorted with idolaters round the altars young children who are left in the care of a
of Baal, and therefore a sore punishment had wicked uncle after their father, the master of
come upon him” (Anthony Trollope, Barchester Wayland Hall in Norfolk, dies. Seeking to steal the
Towers, 1857). children’s inheritance, their uncle pays two thugs to
murder the infants. One of the men is overcome
Babbitt (babit) A person who lacks any interest with pity for the victims’ plight and kills his con-
in culture, a philistine. The allusion is to the novel federate before abandoning the children deep in the
Babbitt (1922), by the U.S. writer Sinclair Lewis, the woods. The children die and their tiny bodies are
central character of which is a simpleminded busi- covered with leaves by a robin redbreast. In punish-
nessman whose life is filled with the mundane pre- ment for his crime, the wicked uncle suffers a series
occupations of his work, to the exclusion of any of terrible misfortunes, culminating in his own
cultural activity. The streets were full of Babbitts chasing death in prison. In modern versions of the tale the
the elusive buck. tragic ending is usually revised so that the children
are restored to their inheritance, often through the
Babel See tower of babel. intervention of the folk hero robin hood. “This is
marriage, Trot; and Heaven bless you both, in it, for
babes and sucklings, out of the mouths of See a pair of babes in the wood as you are!” (Charles
out of the mouths of babes and sucklings. Dickens, David Copperfield, 1849–50).

35
Babylon

Babylon (babilon) A city, place, society, etc., Bacchae See bacchante.

notorious for corruption or depravity. The refer-
ence is to the biblical city of Babylon, the wealthy bacchanalia (bakbnaylyb) A drunken orgy; any
capital of ancient Babylonia on the Euphrates outburst of dissolute, riotous behavior. The word
River. In the New Testament, Babylon is a symbol alludes to the orgiastic celebrations that took place
for a prosperous human society that has no time in ancient Rome in honor of bacchus, the god of
for God. Its fall is described in Revelation 18. wine (himself the equivalent of the Greek god
Many cities have since been identified as modern Dionysus). Celebrants abandoned themselves to
Babylons. “There is iron-dust on everything; and all manner of licentious excess, including singing,
the smoke is seen through the windows rolling dancing, drinking, and unrestrained sexual indul-
heavily out of the tall chimneys to mingle with the gence. The festival, which was imported to Rome
smoke from a vaporous Babylon of other chim- around 200 b.c., was banned by the Senate in 186
neys” (Charles Dickens, Bleak House, 1852–53). b.c. “The learned profession of the law was cer-
See also babylonian captivity; babylonian tainly not behind any other learned profession in
numbers; whore of babylon. its Bacchanalian propensities” (Charles Dickens, A
Tale of Two Cities, 1859). See also bacchante.
Babylonian captivity (babiloneebn) A lengthy
period of exile or subjugation. The original Baby- bacchante (bbkantee) A drunken female reveler.
lonian captivity was the time the Jews spent in In ancient Rome the bacchantes, also known as
exile in Babylon in the years 587–538 b.c. (2 Kings bacchae or maenads, were women who followed
25).The term was subsequently revived to describe bacchus, the god of wine, and were notorious
the period of exile of the popes to Avignon in the for their indulgence, sexual immorality, and
years 1309–77, during which time they were drunkenness—central features of the celebrations
dominated by the French monarchy and presided known as the bacchanalia. (The male form of
over a corrupt, materialist court. He spent the next the word is bacchant, but the female form is far
five years in a kind of willing Babylonian captivity, sub- more common.) “The praise of folly, as he went
mitting himself to her every whim. on, soared into a philosophy, and Philosophy her-
self became young, and catching the mad music of
Babylonian numbers (babiloneebn) The involved Pleasure, wearing, one might fancy, her wine-
and unreliable forecasts of astrologers and fortune- stained robe and wreath of ivy, danced like a Bac-
tellers. The phrase comes from a quotation from chante over the hills of life, and mocked the slow
Horace’s Odes (24–13 b.c.), which in translation Silenus for being sober” (Oscar Wilde, The Picture
reads, “Do not make trial of Babylonian calcula- of Dorian Gray, 1891).
tions.” In classical times Babylonian astrologers
were considered among the most sophisticated of Bacchus (bakbs) The god of wine and thus, by
their kind. Her interest in what are sometimes termed extension, of any alcoholic drink. Bacchus was
Babylonian numbers quickly exasperated her entourage. the son of Zeus and Semele and the Roman equiv-
alent of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine. He was
Baca, Valley of See vale of tears. variously depicted as a bearded, merry man or as
36
 balkanization

a beautiful youth crowned with vines and ivy. as a stranger who incurs the wrath of the unwel-
Those who imbibe too enthusiastically may be coming residents of a remote township called
termed sons of Bacchus or priests of Bacchus. Black Rock when he starts to uncover the truth
“Raphael’s face was found boldly executed on the behind a local murder. It was a bad day at Black Rock
underside of the moulding board, and Bacchus on when the band sacked their lead singer.
the head of a beer barrel” (Louisa May Alcott,
Little Women, 1868–69). See also bacchanalia; Baedeker (bidekb) A guide book. Karl Baedeker
bacchante. (1801–59) was the German publisher of a series
of celebrated guidebooks that came to be widely
backroom boys People who work behind the trusted by travelers around the world. During
scenes, out of the public view, especially scientists World War II, commanders of the German air force
and technicians. The phrase dates to World War II, were rumored to be using the Baedeker guide-
when hundreds of such experts worked tirelessly book to the United Kingdom to decide which his-
on radar and other innovations that might help the toric British cities they should bomb in what
Allied war effort. The ultimate origin of the term became known as “Baedeker raids.” In modern
lies in the song “See what the boys in the back usage, guidebooks and of any kind may be referred
room will have,” made famous by marlene diet- to as “Baedekers.” “Don’t forget your Baedeker,” said
rich in the film Destry Rides Again (1939). “I think Terry, tossing Roger his guide to places of interest in
you’d better be a financial adviser—one of the southern Canada.
bank’s backroom boys” ( J. R. L. Anderson, Death
in the City, 1980). Balaam’s ass (baylamz) Someone or something
that serves to remind a person of the correct way
back to square one Back at the very beginning of to act. The allusion is to the biblical story of
a project, task, etc. The origins of this phrase are Balaam, a Mesopotamian prophet who was com-
much debated, but the most popular theory is that manded by Balak, king of Moab, to curse the Isra-
it alludes to early radio broadcasts of soccer elites. Balaam set out to do the king’s bidding, but
matches, in which listeners were provided with a on the prompting of his talking donkey prophesied
grid of the pitch, divided into numbered squares, instead future glory for them (as related at Num-
so that they could visualize where the action bers 22–23). People who follow a religion for rea-
described was taking place as the commentators sons of profit or gain are sometimes dubbed
gave the number of the relevant square; after a Balaamites. “ ‘By my hilt!’ cried the archer, ‘I
goal, play restarted in the middle, on square one. though I be not Balaam, yet I hold converse with
“I took him back because I love him and can’t do the very creature that spake to him’ ” (Sir Arthur
without him, so now I’m back to square one” (Sue Conan Doyle, The White Company, 1891).
Sharpe, Falling for Love, 1987).
balkanization (bolkbnizayshbn) The fragmenta-
bad day at Black Rock A disappointing, even tion of a country, organization, etc., into smaller,
disastrous state of affairs. The allusion is to a classic separate, and often warring parts. The term refers
1955 film of the same title, starring Spencer Tracy to the countries of the Balkan region of southeast
37
ballpark figure

Europe, which have been the scene of internal Gilead” (Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Avon-
conflict motivated by ethnic and historical differ- lea, 1908).
ences for generations, most recently in the 1990s
following the disintegration of the former Yugo- balthazar (balthbzahr) A large wine bottle equiv-
slavia. In modern usage, the term often refers to alent to 16 standard bottles. The allusion is to King
the deliberate splintering of a larger country or belshazzar, who provided huge quantities of
other entity in order to limit the power it might wine for guests at a great banquet (see belshaz-
exert as a coherent unit. The balkanization of what zar’s feast). It is many years since balthazars of fine
was formerly a public corporation has effectively ended wine were supplied to the restaurant on a regular basis in
its dominance of the market. advance of royal visits. See also magi.

ballpark figure A rough estimate. The allusion, Bambi (bambee) A youthful person or animal,
which dates to the 1950s, is to the stadiums in which especially one that is depicted as innocent and vul-
games of baseball are played, the size of which nerable. The allusion is the Walt Disney cartoon
makes calculating the extent of the playing area film Bambi (1942), about the adventures of a young
and the number of spectators a matter of con- deer fawn, which was based on a 1923 novel of the
jecture. A figure that is thought to be approxi- same title written for children by Felix Salzman
mately correct may be said to be in the right (or Salten). The name Bambi was derived from the
ballpark. I know you can’t tell me precisely what Italian bambino, meaning “baby.” He looked like Bambi
you might be prepared to pay, but at least give me a caught in the glare of the world’s press.
ballpark figure.
band of merry men See robin hood.
balm in Gilead (gileead) A remedy or consola-
tion in times of trouble. The allusion is to Jere- Banquo’s ghost (bankwoz) An unwished-for
miah 8:22, in which God laments that his people reminder of a past crime or misdeed. The allusion
are not yet healed of their sins: “Is there no balm is toWilliam Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth (1606),
in Gilead; is there no physician there?” There is in which the ghost of the murdered Banquo mate-
another reference to Gilead in Genesis 37:25 rializes during a banquet to torture the guilty con-
that runs, “Behold, a company of Ishmeelites science of Macbeth, who ordered his killing: “Thou
came from Gilead with their camels bearing spic- canst not say I did it; never shake thy gory locks at
ery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down me.” The memory of their former boss kept springing to
to Egypt.” Gilead is the name of a desolate region mind, like Banquo’s ghost.
east of the Jordan, which was well known for the
production of aromatic herbs and balm, a resin baptism of fire An arduous initiation or intro-
extracted from the mastic tree Pistacia lentiscus duction to something. The phrase was coined by
and noted for its medicinal properties. “ ‘My gar- early Christians in referring to the spiritual purifi-
den was all smashed flat,’ he continued mourn- cation given by the presence of the Holy Spirit at
fully, ‘but so was Dora’s,’ he added in a tone the time of Pentecost (Acts 2:1–4). “New Envi-
which indicated that there was yet balm in ronment Secretary, Mr. Tom King, faces a baptism
38
 Bardolph

of fire over his decision to withdraw and re-draft furnishings and everything in pastel shades it was all
the latest rules on council spending” (Guardian, very Barbara Cartland.
January 14, 1983).
barbarian A brutish, uncivilized person.The term
Barabbas (Bbrabbas) A criminal who evades was coined by the ancient Greeks, who called any-
punishment for his crimes. According to Matthew one who could not speak Greek barbaros (because
27:16 and John 18:40, Barabbas was a thief con- the unintelligible Germanic dialects of many such
demned to be crucified at Passover time. At the people sounded like “bar-bar-bar” to the Greek ear).
public crucifixion, the mob was, by long-established In due course the term came to be applied to the
custom, offered the choice of one of the men to be cultures of such foreign peoples in general. “. . . a
pardoned; the group chose Barabbas. He is vari- silly, painful, and disgusting ceremony, which can
ously described in the books of Luke and Mark as only be considered as a relic of barbarian darkness,
a seditionist or murderer. Jocularly he is some- which tears the knees and shins to pieces, let alone
times thought of as a publisher, an identification the pantaloons” (William Makepeace Thackeray,
attributed to the English poet Lord Byron. The Adventures of Major Gahagan, 1839).
story goes that Byron was presented with a beauti-
ful edition of the Bible by his publisher John Mur- Barbie An attractive but superficial female, typi-
ray, but the poet returned the gift after having cally one with blonde hair and an overly sweet
changed the word robber (“Now Barabbas was a manner. The original Barbie (whose full name was
robber,” John 18:40) to publisher. Like some latter- Barbara Millicent Roberts) was a child’s doll first
day Barabbas, he had successfully hoodwinked the courts marketed under the Barbie tradename by the Mat-
and spent much of his adult life enjoying moneyed free- tel Toy Company in 1959. Dressed like a trendy
dom in the Seychelles. teenaged girl of the late 1950s, Barbie (and her
wardrobe) kept pace with the times, becoming
Barathron (bbrathrbn) A place where garbage is a widely recognized cultural and fashion icon,
dumped. The original Barathron, or Barathrum, though also a target of outraged feminists. She
was a deep ditch behind the Acropolis in Athens even acquired a boyfriend called Ken. Her name
into which criminals were thrown to their death. was borrowed from Barbara (or ‘Barbie’) Handler,
The alley was a veritable Barathron, full of all descrip- who as a young girl on holiday with her parents
tion of trash. Ruth and Elliot Handler, the cofounders of Mattel,
took a liking to a doll (named Lilli) that she spot-
Barbara Cartland (bahrbbrb kahrtlbnd) The ted in a Lucerne shop window. She bought the
embodiment of romantic fiction. The British nov- doll, which became the prototype for Barbie. Ken,
elist Barbara Cartland (1901–2000) became the when he appeared, was named after Barbara’s
world’s best-selling author in the world by virtue brother. Some people call Britney Spears a real Barbie,
of the hundreds of light romantic stories that she but I think she’s cool.
produced over a long writing career. Derided by
critics, she strongly defended her role as a cham- Bardolph (bahrdolf ) A coarse, swaggering drunk-
pion of old-fashioned romance. With the softest of ard, especially one with a drinker’s red nose. The
39
Bardot, Brigitte

allusion is to a character of the name in William arabian nights, which includes the tale of a rich
Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Parts I and II (1597) and nobleman called Barmecide who mocks a starv-
Henry V (1598). One of Falstaff’s drinking com- ing beggar called Schacabac by offering him a
panions, Bardolph is called “the knight of the banquet of nonexistent food and wine. The beg-
burning lamp” because of his bulbous red nose. gar pretends to eat, but after drinking the imagi-
Such a nose is sometimes described as Bardol- nary wine he feigns drunkenness and strikes his
phian. “His cheeks were plump and sanguine, his host. Barmecide is so pleased that his guest has
eyes bright and cheerful, and the tip of his nose played along with him that he offers Schacabac
glowed with a Bardolphian fire,—a flame, indeed, real food and wine. “Your lighter boxes of family
which Hugh was so far a vestal as to supply with papers went up-stairs into a Barmecide room,
its necessary fuel, at all seasons of the year” that always had a great dining-table in it and never
(Nathaniel Hawthorne, Fanshawe, 1828). See also had a dinner . . .” (Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two
falstaffian. Cities, 1859).

Bardot, Brigitte See brigitte bardot. Barnum, P. T. See p. t. barnum.

bare ruined choirs A ruined building or other baroque (bbrok; bbrok) Exceedingly ornate, con-
entity that has been reduced to a mere relic of its voluted, or overembellished. The allusion is to a
former self. The phrase comes from William Shake- decorative style in art and architecture that enjoyed
speare’s Sonnet 73, in which it is employed as an a huge vogue between the 16th and 18th centuries.
image of the ravages of time: “That time of year The style of the baroque incorporated florid swirls
thou mayst in me behold /When yellow leaves, or and lavish details such as cherubs and other figures
none, or few, do hang / Upon those boughs which picked out in gilt and gold. The word itself comes
shake against the cold, / Bare ruined choirs where from the Portuguese barroco, meaning “a pearl of
late the sweet birds sang.” Gavin felt moved to tears as irregular shape.” The baroque complexity of Einstein’s
he surveyed the bare ruined choirs of the aircraft carrier in calculations exceeded the grasp of most of his contempo-
the breaker’s yard. raries. See also rococo.

Barkis is willin’ (bahrkis) An expression of will- Barsetshire Archetypal of English rural life and
ingness. The phrase came originally from the the values of its inhabitants. The imaginary county
Charles Dickens novel David Copperfield (1849–50), of Barsetshire was created by British novelist
in which Barkis is a carrier who sends the message Anthony Trollope as the setting for a series of cel-
“Barkis is willin’ ” to his sweetheart Clara Peggotty ebrated novels, beginning with The Warden (1855)
to indicate that he is ready to marry her. You can and ending with The Last Chronicle of Barset (1867).
tell my boss that now we’ve sorted out the pay Barkis is Barchester, the county town, was modeled on the
willin’. real English cities of Salisbury and Winchester. The
surroundings were all very Barsetshire, with the shadow
Barmecide feast (bahrmbsid) An illusory advan- of the cathedral slowly lengthening as the sun set over
tage or valueless promise. The allusion is to the the distant hills and woods.
40
 batrachomyomachia

Bashan, bull of See bull of bashan. Bates Motel (bayts) An unappealing and sinister
hotel, boardinghouse, or other building. The allu-
Basil Fawlty See fawlty towers. sion is to the terrifying 1960 movie psycho,
directed by Alfred Hitchcock, the action of which
basilisk stare (basblisk; bazblisk) A cold stare; a takes place largely in the lonely Bates Motel and in
glance that exerts a profound, even deadly influ- the neighboring house occupied by its owner,
ence over the person at whom it is directed. The the psychotic, mother-obsessed Norman Bates.
basilisk (virtually synonymous with the cocka- “Most travellers with their wits about them and an
trice) was a serpent of mythological origin, eye for aesthetics would have preferred to rest at
hatched by a reptile from the egg of a cock and the Bates Motel” (Paul Bryers, The Adultery Depart-
reputed to be able to kill its victim with a mere ment, 1993).
glance or with the exhalation of its breath. In
modern usage, the word basilisk may refer to any Bathsheba See david and bathsheba.
example of the genus Basiliscus of tropical Amer-
ica, which includes a variety of small arboreal Batman and Robin Archetypal comic-book super-
semiaquatic lizards (the males of which often have heroes, who seek to right wrongs and defend the
an inflatable head crest used in display). “Without innocent in a crime-ridden world. Dressed in a
softening very much the basiliks nature of his stare, distinctive bat-like cape and mask, Batman (other-
he said, impassively: ‘We are coming to that part wise known as the Caped Crusader) was the alias
of my investigation, sir’ ” (Joseph Conrad, The of rich Gotham City socialite Bruce Wayne. The
Secret Agent, 1907). creation of Bob Kane (1915–98), he made his first
appearance in Detective Comics in 1939 and subse-
Bastille (basteel) A formidable or impregnable quently became a star of television and film.
prison. The Bastille prison in Paris, built originally Robin, the Boy Wonder, was introduced as Bat-
as a fortress in the 14th century, was the most man’s equally heroic assistant, while Batgirl was
notorious prison in France prior to the French added in 1967. The somewhat camp flavor of the
Revolution of July 14, 1789, when the mob 1960s U.S. television series based on the original
stormed its gates and freed all the prisoners inside. characters means that modern references to Bat-
The prison was subsequently sacked; ever since man and Robin are usually jocular and intended to
then July 14 has been celebrated as Bastille Day. point out deficiencies in the people to whom the
The word itself comes from the Old French bastir, tag is applied. You look like Batman and Robin in those
meaning “to build.” In modern usage, the name anoraks. See also gotham.
Bastille may be used figuratively of any bastion of
oppression. “Yet the other half was as determined batrachomyomachia (bbtrakomiomakeeb) A
as ever and in a better position for defence, since it great deal of fuss about something trivial; much
consisted of enormous convents and monasteries ado about nothing. The word, which means “the
with walls like the Bastille, which could not be so battle of the frogs and mice,” originated as the title
easily brushed out of our way” (Arthur Conan of a mock heroic epic formerly attributed to
Doyle, The Adventures of Gerard, 1896). Homer (eighth century b.c.) but more probably is
41
Battle of Hastings

the work of Pigres of Caria (c. fourth century quotation from the popular long-running U.S.
b.c.). Billed as an epic struggle, the contest turned out science-fiction television and film series star
to be more of a batrachomyomachia. trek, first broadcast on television in 1966. Mem-
bers of the crew were transported from the star-
Battle of Hastings See hastings, battle of. ship Enterprise to other locations by means of a
matter-transference beam, often in order to
Battle of the Bulge See bulge, battle of the. escape extreme danger. Lieutenant Commander
‘Scotty’ Scott, played by James Doohan (1920–
Baucis See philemon and baucis. 2005), was the ship’s chief engineer, who over-
saw such transfers. Though the line has become a
Bauhaus (bowhows) In a modernistic style rem- catchphrase, it is claimed that the line is never
iniscent of that championed by German architect actually delivered in precisely this form any-
Walter Gropius (1883–1969). The Bauhaus itself where in the televised adventures. “Beam me up,
was the name of the art and design school estab- Scotty,” he breathed as his wife walked into the room,
lished by Gropius in Weimar, Germany, in 1919 to her brow dark with fury.
further the principle of combining art and craft in
building design, with the emphasis on form follow- Bean, Mr. See mr. bean.
ing function. The name Bauhaus was arrived at by
inverting the German word Hausbau (building of a bear/carry/take one’s cross To suffer a trial afflic-
house). The school was closed by the Nazis in 1933 tion patiently. The expression alludes to Christ’s
but the movement it represented continued to words to his disciples: “If any man will come after
exert a profound influence throughout the 20th me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and
century. “Its full-length windows give the appear- follow me” (Matthew 16:24). “You must try and be
ance, appropriately enough, of a power house, and strong and bear it bravely. We all have our cross to
the quantity of glass gives it a modern, almost Bau- bear” (Aldous Huxley, Limbo, 1920). “ ‘Still, this
haus feel” ( Jeffrey Richards and John M. MacKen- isn’t the time really, is it?’ And she smiled, and was
zie, The Railway Station: A Social History, 1988). carrying her cross ever so bravely really” (G. W.
Target, The Teachers, 1960).
Bay of Pigs A military fiasco, a foiled invasion.
The allusion is the disastrous U.S.-backed invasion bear the burden and heat of the day To assume
of Cuba launched on April 25, 1961, which ended the most laborious or exacting part of a task, par-
catastrophically as a result of poor organization ticularly in comparison to the lesser efforts of oth-
and lack of air cover. It was the nation’s greatest ers. The phrase is a quotation from the parable of
humiliation since the Bay of Pigs. the vineyard in which Christ compares the differ-
ing contributions of the workers, some of whom
beam in one’s own eye, the See mote and beam. have worked all day long, while others have arrived
much later when the bulk of the work has been
beam me up, Scotty I wish I could escape this done (Matthew 20:1–16). “We do not wish to tax
awkward or embarrassing situation. The line is a your energies too much. We will bear some of the
42
 Beau Brummell

burden and heat of the day ourselves” (Mark Twain, righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the
The Innocents Abroad, 1869). peacemakers, and those who are persecuted for
righteousness’s sake will receive the blessing of
beast with ten horns See whore of babylon. heaven. “Indeed, throughout all the great soft-coal
country, people who consider themselves com-
beast with two backs The act of lovemaking. The paratively poor may find this consolation: cleanli-
phrase is usually credited to William Shakespeare, ness has been added to the virtues and beatitudes
who employed it in his tragedy Othello (c. 1603), that money can not buy” (Booth Tarkington, Alice
in which iago uses it to provoke desdemona’s Adams, 1921). See also meek shall inherit the
father concerning the elopement of his daughter earth, the.
and her lover othello: “I am one, sir, that comes
to tell you your daughter and the Moor are now Beatrice See benedick; dante and beatrice.
making the beast with two backs.” In reality, the
phrase is older and of French origin, appearing in beat swords into plowshares To make peace; to
the works of Rabelais (c. 1494–c. 1553). He had adapt the weapons of war for peaceful purposes.
long since given up trying to persuade her to make the The phrase is biblical in origin, appearing in Isaiah
beast with two backs with him. 2:4 (and also Micah 4:3), as follows: “And he shall
judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many
Beat Generation (beet) The young of the 1950s people: and they shall beat their swords into plow-
and early 1960s, especially young U.S. writers and shares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation
artists of the period known for their unconven- shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall
tional, Bohemian lifestyle and espousal of anties- they learn war any more.” The same imagery
tablishment values. Notable figures of the Beat recurs at Joel 3:10, but with the reverse meaning:
Generation, who were largely motivated by “Beat your plowshares into swords.” On the surface,
despair at the state of the world around them, this latest nuclear disarmament treaty amounts to the
included the writers Jack Kerouac (1922–69), most determined attempt in recent years to beat the
Allen Ginsberg (1926–97), and William Bur- swords of the two superpowers into plowshares.
roughs (1914–97). The name Beat Generation was
based on the slang usage of the word “beat” mean- Beau Brummell (bo brbmbl) A fop, a person
ing “exhausted,” although Kerouac also linked it to obsessed with fashion. George Bryan Brummell
“beatitude.” She was one of the last of the Beat Genera- (1778–1840) was a celebrated trendsetter during
tion to settle in GreenwichVillage. the regency of the future George IV and moved in
the highest social circles, championing a restrained
beatitude (beeatitood) A blessing, especially one elegance of dress in fashionable society. His nick-
of a formulaic nature.The original Beatitudes were name Beau, meaning “dandy,” reflected his love of
the eight sayings spoken by Christ in the Sermon fine clothes. He gambled away most of his money
on the Mount, as recorded at Matthew 5:1–12. In and fell out with the future king in 1812, however,
these, Christ promises that the poor in spirit, eventually dying in poverty in a hospital for the
those who mourn, the meek, those who thirst for insane in France. He was the Beau Brummell of the
43
Beau Geste

group, always wearing a jacket and tie and a pair of primary elections. The politicians are treating the
highly polished shoes. issue as if it’s a beauty contest, not something that affects
people’s lives.
Beau Geste (bo zhest) A romantic hero, or a
dashing adventure story. The allusion is to the because it’s there The only reason for doing
novel Beau Geste (1924) by P. C. Wren, which something is that it is there to be done. This senti-
relates the adventures of the disgraced hero ment is usually attributed to British mountaineer
Michael “Beau” Geste in the French Foreign George Mallory (1886–1924) as his reply (while
Legion. The title of the novel may also be invoked on tour in the United States in 1923) when asked
to describe places that are apparently deserted, an why he wanted to climb mount everest. He died
allusion to a famous scene in the novel in which an in an attempt on the mountain a year later; his
abandoned fort is made to appear defended body was found below the summit in 1999.
through the arranging of dead bodies to look like Another theory attributes the phrase to a reporter
guards manning the walls. He stood on the wall wav- named Benson, who wrote up Mallory’s U.S. tour
ing the flag like something out of Beau Geste. in the NewYork Times.The only reason he could give for
wanting to embark on such a difficult and dangerous
beauty and the beast Two people or other enti- enterprise was because it was there.
ties of contrasting qualities, especially as regards
physical appearance. The allusion is to a famous Becky Sharp (bekee) An unscrupulous, ambi-
fairy tale of the same title in which a beautiful girl tious, opportunistic young woman. Becky Sharp is
is forced to live with an ugly monster in order to the memorably self-serving heroine of the novel
save the life of her father. She gradually falls in love vanity fair (1847–48) by the British novelist
with the “beast” as she learns to appreciate the William Makepeace Thackeray (1811–63). An
inner beauty that lies behind the unappealing exte- orphan, Becky Sharp determines to make the best
rior. The story is many centuries old, early ver- of her opportunities and uses all the means at her
sions including Strapola’s Le Piacevoli Notti (1550). disposal, including marriage, to make her way in
“However, when the Parkers passed by, some were society. By the end of the book she is a rich woman,
cruel enough to refer to the minister and his attrac- though many others have suffered through know-
tive wife as ‘The Beauty and the Beast’ ” ( James ing her. “She was the Becky Sharp of the cat world”
Munson, The Nonconformists, 1991). (Jean Bow, Jane’s Journey, 1991).

beauty contest A competition that is decided by bedlam (bedlbm) A state of chaos, confusion,
superficial factors, such as physical appearance. and uproar.The allusion is to the priory of St. Mary
The term referred originally to contests, popular of Bethlehem at Bishopsgate, London, which took
around the middle of the 20th century, in which in mentally ill patients from the 14th century. In
beautiful women were judged chiefly or wholly due course the name of this asylum was abbrevi-
according to their looks. In modern usage the ated to Bedlam, hence the modern word. Fashion-
term is also applied in U.S. politics to the selec- able people of the 17th and 18th centuries enjoyed
tion of delegates to nominating conventions in touring Bedlam to see the chaos and disorder in
44
 behind the eight ball

which the inmates lived. There was bedlam when the in Genesis 9:1, in which God repeats the instruc-
stars appeared at the stage door. tion to Noah. The phrase is sometimes cited in
defense of arguments against contraception or
bed of Procrustes See procrustean. clerical celibacy. The expression is also found as go
forth and multiply, in allusion to God’s words to
Beelzebub (beeelzebbb) A devil, demon, or very Noah: ‘Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and
wicked person. Beelzebub is identified in 2 Kings thy sons, and thy sons’ wives with thee. Bring
1:2 as a god of the Philistines and is listed in the forth with thee every living thing that is with thee,
Bible as one of the devil’s closest allies—some- of all flesh both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every
times his name is even used as a synonym for creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that
satan. The word comes from the Hebrew ba’al they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be
zebub (originally meaning “lord of the heavenly fruitful, and multiply upon the earth” (Genesis
habitation” but later reinterpreted as meaning 8:16–17). The settlers took their duty to be fruitful and
“lord of the flies”). “Had this history been writ in multiply very seriously and within five years their small
the days of superstition, I should have had too community had doubled in number.
much compassion for the reader to have left him
so long in suspense, whether Beelzebub or Satan beginning was the Word, in the See in the
was about actually to appear in person, with all his beginning was the word.
hellish retinue; but as these doctrines are at pres-
ent very unfortunate, and have but few, if any behemoth (biheembth) A huge beast or thing.
believers, I have not been much aware of convey- The name appears in Job 40:15–24, where it
ing any such terrors” (Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, probably refers to a hippopotamus (although when
1749). John Milton described the behemoth in Paradise
Lost he clearly had an elephant in mind). The word
beer and skittles A comfortable situation, an itself comes from the plural form of the Hebrew
easy way of life. The allusion is to a proverbial behemah (meaning “beast”). “Adolph tripped grace-
expression, “Life is not all beer and skittles.” The fully forward, and Tom, with lumbering tread,
skittles in question are those used in the British went after. ‘He’s a perfect behemoth!’ said Marie”
game of ninepins. Life here is pretty good at the (Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, 1852).
moment, but it hasn’t all been beer and skittles since we See also leviathan.
arrived.
behind the eight ball In an awkward, even dan-
before the Flood See flood. gerous position. The allusion is to pool, in which
the black eight ball (distinguished by a white
be fruitful and multiply To prosper, usually as number eight) should not be pocketed until the
measured by the production of offspring. The end of the game. A player is disadvantaged, there-
phrase is a quotation from Genesis 1:28, in which fore, if the eight ball lies in front of the ball he or
God commands Adam to “be fruitful, and multi- she wishes to pocket and is thus in danger of
ply, and replenish the earth.” It appears once again being pocketed out of order. When the project
45
behold the man

landed on his desk he found himself behind the eight Bellerophon See letter of bellerophon.
ball, unwilling to approve it but not wanting to be taken
off the job. bell the cat To undertake a dangerous mission.
The allusion is to the fable attributed to the Greek
behold the man See ecce homo. writer aesop (c. 620–564 b.c.) that relates how
some mice agreed that it would be a good idea to
Belial (beeleebl) Archetypal demon; a personi- hang a bell around a cat’s neck so that they would
fication of wickedness or lawlessness. The word is know when it was approaching but were then
mentioned several times in the Old Testament, faced with the daunting question of who should
where it is synonymous with “worthlessness” (1 attempt to attach the bell in the first place. “. . . as
Samuel 1:16 and 2 Samuel 25:17), and is also used he was made of sterner stuff than they, so would it
in the New Testament as another name for satan be more difficult to reconcile him to the altera-
(2 Corinthians 6:15). John Milton identified Belial tions which were now proposed in the family
in Paradise Lost as one of the fallen angels: “Belial arrangements. Who was to bell the cat?” (Anthony
came last, than whom a spirit more lewd / Fell Trollope, Ayala’s Angel, 1881).
not from heaven.” The word itself comes from the
Hebrew beliy (meaning “without”) and ya’al (mean- below the belt See hit below the belt.
ing “worth”). Rebellious, lawbreaking people are
sometimes referred to as sons of Belial. “The below the salt Of humble, lower-class origins.
Presbyterian sternly raised his eyes. ‘After the The allusion is to a custom observed in baronial
world, and according to the flesh, she is my daugh- halls during the medieval period. This involved the
ter; but when she became a child of Belial, and a salt being placed at the center of the long tables at
company-keeper, and a trader in guilt and iniquity, which diners sat to eat. The better-connected
she ceased to be a bairn of mine’ ” (Sir Walter, people sat at the end nearest the lord and his fam-
Scott, The Heart of Midlothian, 1818). ily (above the salt) and the rest at the far end
(below the salt). “Cyrus Vance, the U.S. secretary
bell, book, and candle The ceremony of excom- of state, the Iranian foreign minister, and other
munication from the Roman Catholic Church. The senior officials were well below the salt” (William
phrase alludes to features of the ceremony, namely, Shawcross, The Shah’s Last Ride, 1989).
the symbolic shutting of the Bible, the quenching
of a candle, and the tolling of a bell, all of which Belphegor (belfegor) Archetype of a misan-
represent the ending of a person’s life within the thropic lecher. He is identified in Numbers 25:3 as
church. She removed all trace of him from her life, as the Assyrian version of baal, the pagan god whose
though by bell, book, and candle. veneration took the form of licentious orgies. In
later medieval legend Belphegor was identified as
belle dame sans merci, la See la belle dame a demon who was sent to earth to investigate the
sans merci. realities of marital bliss. Having probed the truths
behind married life, Belphegor fled earth to escape
belle époque, la See la belle époque. the horrors of female companionship. After his
46
 Ben Gunn

divorce, he assumed the mantle of Belphegor, muttering The effect of this news upon the general was startling.
darkly about the vagaries of woman and avoiding all His face went deathly pale and his hands shook uncon-
contact with the fairer sex. trollably. Though no doctor, the priest was inclined to
diagnose a severe case of Belshazzar’s palsy.
Belshazzar (belshazbr) A corrupt or decadent
ruler, especially one who is threatened by immi- Benedick (benbdik) A confirmed bachelor who
nent disaster.The reference is to the biblical Belshaz- finds himself snared into marriage. The allusion is
zar, who was the last Chaldean king of Babylon to a fictional character of the name (sometimes
(Daniel 5). His name literally means “Bel protect given as Benedict) in William Shakespeare’s
the king.” “To have been Belshazzar, King of Baby- romantic comedy Much Ado About Nothing (1598).
lon; and to have been Belshazzar, not haughtily but Despite his avowed intention, Benedick falls in
courteously, therein certainly must have been some love with Beatrice and agrees to marry her by the
touch of mundane grandeur” (Herman Melville, end of the play. No Benedick could have been more
Moby-Dick, 1851). See also balthazar; belshaz- determined to avoid the altar.
zar’s feast; belshazzar’s palsy; writing on
the wall. Benedict Arnold (benbdikt ahrnbld) A traitor,
especially a man who betrays his country on a
Belshazzar’s feast (belshazbrz) An example of massive scale.The original Benedict Arnold (1741–
decadent indulgence. The allusion is to the ban- 1801) was an American general who distinguished
quet hosted by Belshazzar, who was the last Chal- himself in the Continental army during the Amer-
dean king of Babylon, as described in Daniel 5. ican Revolution. Having got heavily into debt, and
The feast, attended by a thousand nobles, was feeling embittered toward Congress, he then
remarkable for the magnificence of the gold and changed allegiances and plotted to hand over the
silver utensils, which had been seized from the fort of West Point, New York, to the British. The
Temple in Jerusalem. “ ‘I always like this room,’ plot was uncovered and Arnold fled to safety with
said Spandrell as they entered. ‘It’s like a scene for the British, subsequently fighting alongside them
Belshazzar’s feast’ ” (Aldous Huxley, Point Counter against his fellow Americans. He eventually
Point, 1928). See also belshazzar’s palsy; writ- retired to England and remained there for the
ing on the wall. rest of his life in disgrace. After he reported the com-
pany to the authorities his former colleagues regarded
Belshazzar’s palsy (belshazbrz) A fever, espe- him as a Benedict Arnold and would have nothing to do
cially one caused by fear. The allusion is to the with him.
episode of belshazzar’s feast, a magnificent ban-
quet hosted by belshazzar, king of Babylon, at Ben Gunn Archetype of a mad old man, espe-
which the writing on the wall appeared. The cially one of wild appearance or one who has spent
shock caused Belshazzar to be seized by a shaking many years in isolation. Ben Gunn is a character
fever, as described at Daniel 5:6: “. . . his thoughts from Robert Louis Stevenson’s adventure novel
troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were Treasure Island (1883), in which he appears as a
loosed, and his knees smote one against another.” former member of the pirate crew of Captain Flint
47
Benjamin

who has become deranged after being marooned warrior from a long past age, a Jason or a Beowulf
for many years on the island of the title. More than perhaps.
anything else he has missed over the long years, as
he explains, he has dreamed of toasted cheese. He Berkeley, Busby See busby berkeley.
looked like Ben Gunn, with his long straggly white beard
and tattered clothes. Berlin Wall A substantial wall or other barrier.
The allusion is to the formidable concrete wall
Benjamin (benjbmin) The youngest, favorite son (initially just a barbed-wire fence) that was con-
in a family. The allusion is to the biblical Benjamin, structed by the authorities in communist East
who is identified in Genesis as the youngest and Germany in 1961 to control contact between peo-
most loved son of Jacob and Rachel and the brother ple living in the two parts of the divided country.
of Joseph.When Joseph provides a feast for Jacob’s It quickly became a symbol of the divide between
sons, Benjamin is offered five times as much as his the communist East and the capitalist West. The
other brothers; hence, the largest share of some- wall was broken down following the political
thing may be called Benjamin’s mess. ‘He got up, upheavals of 1989. There was no getting past the Ber-
put the cage on the table, and paused for a moment lin Wall that the family had created. See also check-
to count the mice in it. ‘One, two, three, four— point charlie; iron curtain.
Ha!’ he cried, with a look of horror, ‘where, in the
name of Heaven, is the fifth—the youngest, the Bermuda Triangle (bermyoodb) An area or situ-
whitest, the most amiable of all—my Benjamin ation in which things go inexplicably missing. The
of mice!’ ” (Wilkie Collins, The Woman in White, original Bermuda Triangle is a triangular area of
1860). ocean between Bermuda, Florida, and Puerto
Rico that acquired a reputation as a region where
Bennet, Elizabeth See mr. darcy. many ships and aircraft went missing in the second
half of the 20th century. The mysterious disap-
Beowulf (baybwblf) Archetypal warrior hero. pearance of five U.S. Navy torpedo bombers while
Beowulf is the central character in an Old English on a training flight in the area in December 1944,
epic poem of unknown authorship dating from the described by Charles Berlitz in his best-selling
early eighth century. Set in Denmark or Sweden, book The Bermuda Triangle (1974), is thought to
the Germanic tale relates how the warrior Beowulf have been the inspiration for speculation about the
volunteers to kill the dreadful monster Grendel, menacing properties of the region. The Bermuda
who has been making nightly raids upon the court Triangle has entered the annals of modern folk-
of King Hrothgar. After a ferocious struggle Gren- lore, despite the fact that observers have claimed
del is killed, but the following night Beowulf has that statistically the area is no more dangerous
to do battle with Grendel’s equally formidable than any other. This desk is a Bermuda Triangle for
mother, who seeks revenge for her son’s death. pens and pencils.
Beowulf triumphs and in due course becomes
king. Ultimately, many years later, he dies in com- berserk (bbzerk) Frenzied; uncontrollably vio-
bat with a dragon. To his followers he seemed like a lent or destructive. The term was first applied to
48
 better to marry than to burn

certain ferocious Norse warriors, who customar- air above him” (M. Lewes Kilby, Man at the Sharp
ily worked themselves up into a wild frenzy before End, 1991).
going into battle, often without armor. They were
sometimes identified as the descendants of Ber- best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the
serk. The word itself comes from the Icelandic See it was the best of times, it was the worst
björn (bear) and serkr (shirt), a reference to the fact of times.
that the berserks were often clad in bearskins.
“The Professor, with his face flushed, his nostrils bethel (bethbl) A Nonconformist chapel. The
dilated, and his beard bristling, was now in a word comes from the Hebrew beth El, meaning
proper berserk mood” (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, “house of God,” and appears in Genesis 28:19 as
The LostWorld, 1912). the name of the town on the west bank of the Jor-
dan River where Jacob had his dream about God
Bertie Wooster See jeeves. and heaven. “His family was a little Bethel, for the
Worship of God constantly and exactly maintained
(bglay) Things
best-laid plans gang aft agley, the in it” (Cotton Mather, “The Life of John Eliot,”
rarely go according to plan, however well they 1702).
may have been planned. The expression is a
mangled quotation from the 1775 poem “To a Bethesda, pool of See rise, take up thy bed,
mouse, on turning her up in her nest with the and walk.
plough” by the Scottish poet Robert Burns
(1759–96): “The best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ better a dinner of herbs than a stalled ox where
men / Gang aft agley, / An’ lea’e us nought but hate is It is better to be poor or to eat modest
grief an’ pain, / For promis’d joy!” The phrase fare among friends than to be rich or to eat well in
the best-laid plans of mice and men has also hostile surroundings. The saying comes from the
entered the common vocabulary as a descrip- Bible, appearing in Proverbs 15:17: “Better is a
tion of schemes and projects that are fated to go dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and
wrong. We intended to get to the airport well before hatred therewith.” “Well has Solomon said—‘Bet-
boarding time, but the best-laid plans gang aft ter is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled
agley. ox and hatred therewith.’ I would not now have
exchanged Lowood with all its privations for
best of all possible worlds, the An optimistic Gateshead and its daily luxuries” (Charlotte
view of our world. The expression was first used Brontë, Jane Eyre, 1847).
by the German philosopher and mathematician
Baron Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibnitz (1646– better to give than to receive See it is better to
1716) and subsequently ridiculed by Voltaire in give than to receive.
candide (1759), in which it was the credo of the
disaster-prone Dr. Pangloss (see panglossian). better to marry than to burn It is preferable to
“All is for the best in this best of all possible worlds, enjoy the satisfactions of marriage than to be tor-
he mused, blowing a great cloud of smoke into the tured by inappropriate passions as an unmarried
49
Betty Grable

person. This proverbial advice is of biblical origin, prey to the other. In more prosaic terms, Scylla
a quotation of Paul (himself a bachelor), as recorded was identified as a vast promontory of rock, while
in 1 Corinthians 7:8–9: “I say therefore to the Charybdis was described as a whirlpool. Louis
unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they considered which woman to choose, feeling himself
abide even as I. But if they cannot contain, let caught like a hapless seaman between Scylla and
them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.” Charybdis.
“ ‘It is better to marry than to burn,’ says St. Paul,
where we may see what it is that chiefly drives Beulah See land of beulah.
men into the enjoyments of a conjugal life” ( John
Locke, Essay Concerning Human Understanding, Beulah, peel me a grape (byoolb) Ironic expres-
1690). sion of satisfaction at being pampered. This is a
quotation from the movie I’m No Angel (1933), in
Betty Grable (graybbl) A person who resembles which it is delivered by mae west to her black
in some way the U.S. film actress Betty Grable maid, thus blithely dismissing speculation that she
(1916–73). Comparisons to Betty Grable are usu- might be upset after her lover has stormed out on
ally in relation to her famous legs, which featured her. “Beulah, peel me a grape!” he whooped as he threw
prominently in pin-ups of the star printed during himself onto the couch.
World War II and which were supposedly insured
for one million dollars. They might also, however, beware of Greeks bearing gifts Do not trust gifts
relate to her distinctive piled-up hairdo. Her mother or favors if they come from an enemy. This advice
sported a Betty Grable hairdo of the sort that was con- has its roots in the story of the trojan horse, the
sidered extremely stylish in her youth. treacherous subterfuge by which the Greeks finally
overcame their Trojan adversaries at the end of the
between Scylla and Charybdis (silb, kbribdis) Trojan War. It is occasionally encountered in its
Having to confront one or the other of two Latin form timeo Danaos et dona ferentes
equally dangerous hazards. The allusion is to (meaning “I fear the Greeks, even when they offer
Greek mythology and the Strait of Messina. Scylla gifts”). This offer of the Democrats looks suspicious to
aroused the jealousy of the goddess Amphitrite by their opponents, a case of “beware of Greeks bearing
attracting the amorous attentions of Amphitrite’s gifts.”
husband, Poseidon. Transformed by Amphitrite
into a monster with six dogs’ heads, each with beyond the pale Beyond the bounds of reason-
three rows of teeth, Scylla made her home in a able behavior or acceptability. The Pale was the
cave in the Strait of Messina directly opposite the name given to that part of Ireland over which the
abode of the equally horrific Charybdis, who was English exercised control during the medieval
the daughter of Poseidon and Gaea and had been period. Thus, anything that lay outside that area
turned into a monster by Zeus. Any vessel that was considered beyond the limits of contempo-
passed between the two was likely to be attacked rary civilization. The word “pale” itself means
and the sailors devoured; the more they tried to “stake,” and refers to the palisades made of such
evade one threat, the more likely they were to fall stakes used to fence off par ticular areas. The way he
50
 Big Bertha

carried on at the wedding, in front of all the guests, was of the apple.” Another theory claims that the nick-
totally beyond the pale. name was first applied to New York City in the
1920s by the journalist John J. FitzGerald, who
Bhopal (bopahl) A serious industrial accident, had heard it in use among black stable hands in
especially one on a big scale. The allusion is to the New Orleans when referring to the city’s race-
disastrous leaking of methyl isocyanate gas from tracks. They left the Midwest to set up a chain of res-
the Union Carbide insecticide plant that occurred taurants in the Big Apple.
at Bhopal, India, on December 3, 1984. Some
2,000 people died and many more suffered severe big bad wolf A villain or other threat. The allu-
side effects. There were also serious environmen- sion is to the traditional story of The Three Little
tal effects. Steps have been taken to prevent another Pigs, who are menaced one after another in their
Bhopal taking place. respective homes of straw, twigs, and bricks by the
Big Bad Wolf, who seeks to blow the houses down
bible An authoritative book or other source of and eat their owners. The tag is often applied to
information. The word is most familiar as the men who have the reputation of being sexual preda-
name for the collected sacred writings of Christi- tors. “I do get a bit tired of being the permanent Big
anity, consisting of the Old and New Testaments Bad Wolf ” (Diane Pearson, Voices of Summer, 1993).
and in certain versions the Apocrypha. The word
itself comes from the Greek biblion (meaning big bang A major event that triggers a significant
“book”), which in turn derives from biblos (mean- change or the beginning of something. The term is
ings “papyrus”), named after Bublos, the Phoeni- particularly associated with the immense explo-
cian port where the Greeks obtained Egyptian sion that is believed to have given birth to the
papyrus. This pamphlet is a bible for everyone in the universe, but it has also been applied to the mod-
motivational seminar industry. ernization of the British Stock Exchange in 1986,
among a range of other events. We are preparing for
Bibulus (bibyoolbs) An idler; an office holder the big bang that will transform the country’s civil
who does no actual work. The allusion is to Bibu- administration in six months’ time.
lus, an ally of Julius Caesar who held high office
but acted merely as a cipher for his friend. The Big Bertha (berthb) A large machine, especially
deputy president of the company is widely regarded as a a large weapon. The allusion is to a massive cannon
yes-man for the board, a real Bibulus. used by the Germans to shell the Allied positions
at Liège and Namur during World War I. It was
Bickle, Travis See travis bickle. nicknamed Big Bertha after Bertha Krupp, a mem-
ber of the Krupp family of armaments manufac-
Big Apple The city of New York, or any other turers, though in fact the gun had been made at
major city. According to one theory, the nickname the Skoda works. The nickname was also applied
was coined by black jazz musicians who saw the to another big gun used to shell Paris in 1918,
cities, particularly New York, as the places where and is sometimes given insultingly to oversized
they would have the best chance of getting a “bite women. The Iraqi supergun was a modern Big Bertha,
51
Big Brother

proof that the military mind sometimes moves very lie than to a small one.” The government has refused to
slowly. be drawn on the issue, presumably afraid it will be caught
out in its big lie.
Big Brother An oppressive government, organi-
zation, person, etc., that maintains a vigilant watch Big Rock Candy Mountain An idealized place
over the lives of individuals. The concept was a where everything a person could possibly want is
creation of British writer George Orwell (1903– in ready supply. The allusion is to a U.S. folk song
50) in his novel Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949), in recorded in the 1920s by Mac McClintock and
which Big Brother is the all-seeing dictator whose later by Burl Ives. The song identifies Big Rock
regime exercises stifling control over the lives of Candy Mountain as a kind of heaven were ciga-
citizens. The name has acquired new meaning in rettes grow on trees and whiskey forms in lakes.
recent years with the advent of the popular Big She thought of her husband’s family home as a Big Rock
Brother television programs screened in many Candy Mountain, supplying every luxury she had
countries around the world, in which disparate dreamed of as a girl.
groups of individuals spend several weeks living in
confinement together under the watchful eye of big sleep, the Death. The phrase is indelibly asso-
the camera. “Fear of big brother is abroad in the ciated with U.S. crime writer Raymond Chandler
land” (Stewart Lamont, In Good Faith, 1989). See (1888–1959), whose first novel was The Big Sleep
also room 101; thought police. (1939): “What did it matter where you lay once
you were dead? . . . You were dead, you were
Biggles (bigblz) A pilot, especially one with a sleeping the big sleep.” We never saw him again, so I
daring, adventurous character. The allusion is to guess after all these years he’s sleeping the big sleep.
James Bigglesworth, the hero of the Biggles adven-
ture novels of Captain W. E. Johns (1893–1968), big stick The use of force, or the threat of force,
beginning with The Camels are Coming (1932). to persuade others to act in a certain way. The
Johns based his hero upon a real man, Air Com- concept of “big stick” diplomacy was introduced
modore Cecil George Wigglesworth (1893–1961), by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1901, in dis-
with whom Johns flew in the Royal Flying Corps cussions of U.S. policy toward Latin America. He
during World War I. Tell Biggles up there in the cock- was drawing on a West African proverb, which
pit that if he doesn’t get us into the air soon he’ll have a advises “Speak softly and carry a big stick.” “After
riot on his hands. the big stick came the carrot: he offered to pay my
first month’s rent at a hostel he knew” (Michael
big lie A lie, especially one told by a politician. Falk, Part of the Furniture, 1991).
The phrase is particularly associated with the Nazi
Party and the often outrageous propaganda dis- bikini (bbkeenee) A revealing two-piece woman’s
seminated to the German people under the direc- bathing suit. The allusion is to the Pacific atoll
tion of Josef Goebbels. Adolf Hitler himself called Bikini (in the Marshall Islands), which was
admitted in Mein Kampf (1925), “The broad mass the site of U.S. nuclear weapons tests in 1946. The
of a nation . . . will more easily fall victim to a big name of the island was first applied to this then-
52
 bionic man

controversial new item of beachwear in 1947 in Billy the Kid as a result of the many acts of
the magazine Le Monde Illustré, the expectation violence in which he was implicated during his
being that it would have a similarly explosive effect relatively brief but murderous criminal career. He
to a nuclear device. The lower part of the garment may have gunned down as many as 27 men before
worn alone, or any highly revealing one-piece swim- being shot dead himself by Sheriff Pat Garrett at
suit, came to be dubbed a monokini, while attempts Fort Sumner in New Mexico in 1881 and becom-
were also made to introduce to the market a three- ing enshrined as one of the central legends of the
piece garment called a trikini. “Riborg showed her Wild West. In modern usage his name may be
a photograph album, with herself by a fjord in a applied to anyone who is seen as being relatively
minuscule bikini” ( Jean Bow, Jane’s Journey, 1991). young in a par ticular context. The newspaper is being
run by a crew of Billy the Kids who think they know
Bill Gates (gaytz) A very rich man, especially everything about the business but have no real idea of
one connected with the computer industry. The what their readers expect.
original Bill Gates (b. 1955) founded the software
company Microsoft in 1975 and ended the cen- Bing Crosby (krozbee) Archetypal crooner.
tury as the richest man in the world. His name is Harry Lillis “Bing” Crosby (1903–77) was the most
now commonly applied to any highly successful popular singer of his day and also enjoyed a long
business operator although, less flatteringly, it may and successful Hollywood career. His lasting popu-
also be applied to people who might otherwise be larity was in no small part due to his easy, affable
labeled “computer nerds.” Over the last few years he manner, which endeared him to audiences until the
has become well known in business circles as the Bill end of his life. Her father fancied himself as a Bing
Gates of toy manufacture. Crosby and seized the microphone whenever it was free.

Bill Sikes See nancy. bionic man (bionik) A man who appears to have
superhuman strength or other capabilities. The
Billy Liar A daydreamer, someone who readily allusion is to the popular U.S. television series
confuses fantasy and reality. The novel Billy Liar The Six Million Dollar Man (1973–78), in which
(1959) by Keith Waterhouse (b. 1929), subse- Lee Majors played former test pilot Steve Austin,
quently adapted for stage and screen, introduced an accident victim whose injured parts were
the world to undertaker’s clerk William Fisher, replaced by electronic “bionic” limbs that endowed
who escapes mundane reality by imagining himself him with a range of superhuman powers. The
in a range of more glamorous roles. In the film series itself was based on a 1972 novel, Cyborg, by
version (1963) the character was played by Tom Martin Caidin. In modern usage, the label may be
Courtenay. He told me he was a war reporter but now I applied more loosely to any man who is deemed
know he’s a Billy Liar. See also walter mitty. capable of apparently superhuman feats. By the
same token, a woman who exhibits similar capa-
Billy the Kid Archetype of a reckless young out- bilities may be called a bionic woman. A further
law of the Wild West. U.S. bank robber and bandit spin-off television series about the adventures of a
William H. Bonney Jr. (1859–81) was dubbed so-called bionic woman featured Steve Austin’s
53
Bircher, John

girlfriend, remade with cybernetic limbs follow- ended with the introduction of modern anesthet-
ing a skydiving accident. If they think I can shift this ics. “When fate marks you down for immortality
lot all by myself they must think I’m the Bionic Man. you’d just better bite the bullet and lace your boots
up tight” (Robert Rankin, The Suburban Book of the
Bircher, John See john bircher. Dead, 1993).

Birnam Wood (bernbm) An ominous sign, some- Blackbeard (blakbeerd) A piratical rogue, espe-
thing that is interpreted as a portent of imminent cially one with a formidable appearance or black
disaster. The allusion is to William Shakespeare’s beard. The allusion is to the notorious pirate cap-
Scottish tragedy Macbeth (1606), specifically to a tain Blackbeard (Edward Teach; d. 1718), who ter-
passage in which the title character is reassured rorized shipping off the east coast of America for
that his throne will remain secure until he sees 18 months leading up to his eventual death in battle
distant Birnam Wood come to his castle at Dunsin- when surprised by a pair of Royal Navy sloops.This
ane, an event that appears to be practically impos- most infamous of pirates was renowned for his
sible.When Macbeth’s enemies subsequently invade unpredictable temper and wild appearance, espe-
Scotland, however, they disguise their numbers as cially his long black beard, which he wore tied in
they approach Dunsinane by cutting boughs from braids. Her father was a mild-mannered type, but when
the trees of Birnam Wood and carrying them, thus he’d had a drink or two he turned into a real Black-
giving the impression that the wood itself is mov- beard.
ing. When he sees this, Macbeth knows he is
doomed. Though no one knows if Shakespeare Black Beauty A horse or something else of a rich
himself ever visited Scotland, both Dunsinane black hue. The allusion is to the children’s book
Castle and Birnam Wood are real places, around a Black Beauty (1877) by Anna Sewell, which tells
dozen miles apart. They watched as the huge crowd the life story of a black horse from the point of
held up their placards to form a vast logo, which shim- view of the horse itself. The horse is known by
mered and shifted like Shakespeare’s BirnamWood. several other names by its various owners, among
them Black Auster, Darkie, and Jack. The book,
birthright, sell one’s
See sell one’s birthright which Anna Sewell felt moved to write in response
for a mess of pottage. to the cruel treatment suffered by many horses,
has been filmed several times. As a girl she had
bite the bullet To become resigned to enduring a dreamed of owning her very own Black Beauty.
necessary or unavoidable burden of some kind or
to making a difficult decision. The allusion is to the blackboard jungle The violent and chaotic world
former custom of providing a patient about to be of inner-city schools. The term is a reference to
subjected to a painful surgical procedure with a the 1955 movie The Blackboard Jungle, which was
soft lead bullet or something similar to bite on in set in a run-down New York City school. The
response to the agony. This helped patients to stifle movie was based on an earlier novel of the same
their screams and also lessened the chance of them title by Evan Hunter (Salvatore Albert Lombino;
biting their tongue off. The custom thankfully 1926–2005). Appropriately enough, Hunter is said
54
 Blanche DuBois

to have got the name Evan Hunter from the names exhaustion and suffocation. The incident led to an
of two schools he attended, Evander Childs High outcry in Britain. “The former they ran to earth at
School and Hunter College. His other pseudonyms last at the smithy, a tiny Black Hole of Calcutta
included Ed McBain, under which he published where Matthew Grimble, the blacksmith, lived
popular crime fiction. His hair had turned white after with his portly wife and ten portly children” (Mary
ten years in the blackboard jungle. Gervaise, The Distance Enchanted, 1983).

Black Death A disease of uncontrollable, epi- Black Lagoon, Creature from the See creature
demic proportions. The allusion is to the disease from the black lagoon.
that originated in Asia and swept Europe between
1348 and 1351, killing about one third of the Black Monday A day when stock prices fall dra-
entire population. There were further epidemics matically. The allusion is to Monday October 19,
in 1361–62 and 1379. The disease has since been 1987, when the Dow Jones average on wall
identified as pneumonic and bubonic plague. Sci- street fell by 500 points, triggering fears that the
entists are worried that modern civilization could be economies of the Western world would slide into
devastated by a second Black Death. a depression of a severity not seen since the great
depression of 1929. The market lives in fear of a new
black hole A void into which vast amounts of Black Monday.
money or other resources disappear. The allusion
is to the black holes of astronomy, hypothetical Black Rock, bad day at See bad day at black
entities of negative energy that result from the rock.
gravitational collapse of stars. Anything that falls
into a black hole is trapped within it forever, hence Black Sox scandal See say it ain’t so, joe.
the modern interpretation of a black hole as any
place into which things disappear irrevocably. “The Blanche DuBois (blahnch doobwah) Archetype
worst thing about cocaine is that once it has of a faded Southern belle. Blanche DuBois is a
exhausted all the dopamine from the brain, then central character in the 1947 play A Streetcar
what’s left is a black hole of depression so big and Named Desire by Tennessee Williams (1911–83).
so awful that not all the misery in the world can fill Brutalized by her brother-in-law Stanley Kowal-
it” (Bernard Cornwell, Crackdown, 1990). ski, Blanche’s already tenuous hold on reality
quickly disintegrates and she descends into mad-
Black Hole of Calcutta (kalkbtb) A place of ness. The play ends with her touchingly pathetic
cramped, overcrowded confinement. The allusion and deluded observation that she has always
is to the tiny dungeon in Fort William, Calcutta, relied upon the kindness of strangers. The char-
into which 146 captured British soldiers of the acter was memorably brought to life by Vivien
British East India Company were locked overnight Leigh in the 1951 film version of the play. She
by Siraj-ud-daula, Nawab of Bengal, on June 20, wants to spend the summer in the Deep South, loung-
1756. By dawn all but 23 of the prisoners (includ- ing on a verandah like some superannuated Blanche
ing the one female prisoner) had died from heat DuBois.
55
blarney

blarney See kiss the blarney stone. much more widely of efforts in other fields. What
this house needs is a proper blitz to get it ready for our
blessed are the meek See meek shall inherit guests tomorrow evening.
the earth, the.
blockbuster Something of enormous size or
Bligh, Captain See captain bligh. power. The allusion is to the heaviest caliber of
bombs dropped by the RAF during World War II,
Blimp, Colonel See colonel blimp. which were capable of destroying whole blocks of
buildings at a time.The term has since been applied
blind leading the blind A situation in which those in a wide range of contexts, especially to epic Hol-
who show the way are as misguided or ignorant as lywood movies. Several releases are competing for the
those they lead. The phrase appears in Matthew title of top summer blockbuster this year.
15:14, in which Christ responds to the suggestion
that he has offended the Pharisees: “Let them blood crieth from the ground The guilt of those
alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the who have committed murder or other acts of vio-
blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the lence cannot be concealed. The expression is a
ditch.” It is also used in Luke 6:39. “The staff of quotation from Genesis 4:10, in which God con-
the Archaeological Department are insufficiently fronts Cain after the latter has put his brother Able
trained by precept and experience—indeed as to death: “What hast thou done? the voice of thy
regards the students and junior members it is a brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.”
case of the blind leading the blind, and the quality “In the book that our teachers worship I have heard
of the department is likely to deteriorate progres- it read, that the voice of blood crieth from the
sively” (Mortimer Wheeler, Still Digging, 1955). ground! This is the voice—Hermanric, this is the
“Neil Hannon’s 20s coincided with the 1990s voice that I have heard! I have dreamed that I
when the bland led the bland” (Guardian, October walked on a shore of corpses, by a sea of blood!”
22, 2001). (Wilkie Collins, Antonina, 1850). See also blood
will have blood.
blitz (blits) A sudden, overpowering assault or
effort. The word comes from the German Blitz- blood for blood See blood will have blood.
krieg, meaning “lightning war,” and became cur-
rent during the early years of World War II, when blood of the lamb See washed in the blood of
the German armed forces conducted such the lamb.
attacks by land and air against Poland, the Low
Countries, and France, relying upon fast move- blood, sweat, and tears Extreme effort and sac-
ment of armored columns deep into enemy terri- rifice, both mental and physical. The phrase is a
tory. When German bombers carried out mass loose quotation from a speech delivered by British
raids on London and other British cities the cam- prime minister Winston Churchill (1874–1965)
paign rapidly became known among the British as in the House of Commons on May 10, 1940, at a
“the Blitz.” Since the war, the term has been used point when Britain faced imminent invasion by
56
 Bob Acres

Nazi Germany: “I have nothing to offer but blood, cerated” (Lindsay Clarke, The Chymical Wedding,
toil, tears and sweat.” It has been suggested that he 1989).
may have been drawing on similar constructions
previously used by the poets Lord Byron and John blue bird of happiness The elusive source of hap-
Donne. “We’ve put blood, sweat and tears into piness. The phrase comes from the play The Blue
this campaign and now you’re dismissing it out of Bird (1908) by Maurice Maeterlinck, in which Tyl-
hand!” (Angela Wells, Viking Magic, 1993). tyl and Mytyl, the children of a poor woodcutter,
go in search of the blue bird of happiness. She
blood will have blood Violence breeds violence. sought in vain for the right man all her life, but the blue
In this form the proverb dates from the 16th cen- bird of happiness evaded her.
tury, but it is of biblical origin, appearing in Gene-
sis 9:6: “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall Bluto See popeye.
his blood be shed.” A variant form is blood for
blood. “It will have blood; they say blood will have Blyton, Enid See enid blyton.
blood” (William Shakespeare, Macbeth, 1606).
Boadicea See boudicca.
bloody shirt See waving the bloody shirt.
Boanerges (bobnerjeez) A fiery preacher or ora-
Bluebeard (bloobeerd) A man who murders his tor; any man with a tempestuous nature. The allu-
wives, or otherwise treats them badly. In the fairy sion is to the apostles James and John, the sons
tale (1697) by the French writer Charles Perrault of Zebedee, who in Mark 3:17 were dubbed
(1628–1703), Bluebeard is a rich but very ugly Boanerges—meaning “sons of thunder”—by Christ
noble with a blue beard who murders each of his in acknowledgment of either their impassioned
six wives in turn when he tires of them, keeping calls for retribution against the Samaritans after
their corpses in a locked room. His seventh wife, they rejected Christ or their generally turbulent
Fatima, is driven by curiosity to disobey her hus- temperaments. “At first she resisted, and told him
band’s instructions and looks inside the locked she was not used to be taken to task by her confes-
room, upon which Bluebeard threatens to kill her sors. But he overpowered her, and so threatened
too; she is saved from this fate by the timely arrival her with the Church’s curse here and hereafter,
of her two brothers, who rescue her and kill her and so tore the scales off her eyes, and thundered
husband. A morality tale warning women against at her, and crushed her, that she sank down and
giving in to their curiosity, the story may have grovelled with remorse and terror at the feet of
been inspired by the similarly bloodthirsty reputa- the gigantic Boanerges” (Charles Reade, The Clois-
tion of the historical Gilles de Rais (1404–40), a ter and the Hearth, 1861).
bearded Breton nobleman who was said to have
murdered over 140 children, or else by the fates of Bob Acres (aykerz) A natural coward, especially
the various wives of henry viii, who sported a a man who boasts of his own bravado until put
ginger beard. “Your tone would seem to imply that to the test. The allusion is to Richard Brinsley
I am some sort of Bluebeard who keeps her incar- Sheridan’s comedy The Rivals (1775), in which
57
Bob Cratchit

mild-mannered Bob Acres agrees to fight a duel forward . . .’ ” (Thomas Carlyle, Sartor Resartus,
for the hand of Lydia Languish, only to find his 1833–34).
courage “oozing out at the palms of his hands”
when he finally has to face his rival suitor. “ ‘If you boldly go where no man has gone before, to See
are busy, another time will do as well,’ continued star trek.
the bishop, whose courage like Bob Acres’ had
oozed out, now that he found himself on the Bolshevik (bolshbvik) Revolutionary or radical
ground of battle’ ” (Anthony Trollope, Barchester in nature. The original Bolsheviks were members
Towers, 1857). of Lenin’s Russian Revolutionary Party, who came
to power in 1917 in the wake of the overthrow of
Bob Cratchit (krachit) A loving but impover- the Russian monarchy. The name Bolshevik came
ished father. Bob Cratchit is the hapless clerk of originally from the Russian bol’she, meaning
Ebenezer scrooge in A Christmas Carol (1843) by “more.” It was inspired by the fact that at the party
Charles Dickens (1812–70). He receives only a conferences of 1902–03 there were more Lenin-
meager wage from his employer to support his ists present than supporters of other factions.
wife and five children, but does not allow his During the era of the Soviet Union, the term was
straitened circumstances to prevent him being a commonly applied to communists anywhere; in
loving and devoted husband and father, especially modern usage, any obstreperous person, particu-
to his sickly son Tiny Tim. The office was crowded larly one with Leftist leanings, may be labeled a
with a group of miserable Bob Cratchits clearly strug- Bolshevik, or bolshie. This announcement did not go
gling to make ends meet. down well with the Bolsheviks in the gallery, who began
throwing paper cups onto the heads of the delegates
Body-Snatchers, Invasion of the See invasion below.
of the body-snatchers.
Bonaparte See napoleon.
Boeotian (beeoshbn) Dimwitted, stupid, uned-
ucated. The allusion is to Boeotia, a rural region of Bond, James See james bond.
ancient Greece whose inhabitants were reputed to
be very slow witted (supposedly caused by the bone of my bones See flesh of my flesh.
cloyingly damp climate of their homeland). By the
same token any person suspected of lacking any bones, dry See valley of dry bones.
sensitivity toward music was accused of having
Boeotian ears. Contrary to their reputation, bonfire of the vanities A symbol of the destruc-
however, the Boeotians included among their tion of the follies and delusions of mankind. The
number such intellectual luminaries as Hesiod, phrase refers ultimately to the reformist preach-
Pindar, and Plutarch. “At the same time, who can ing of the radical Dominican leader Girolamo
avoid smiling at the earnestness and Boeotian sim- Savonarola (1452–98), who urged the people of
plicity (if indeed there be not an underhand satire Florence to purge themselves of material vanities
in it), with which that ‘Incident’ is here brought by throwing paintings, mirrors, musical instru-
58
 Borgias, the

ments, cards, rich clothing, etc., onto huge heaps grave affairs long since composed” (Charles Dick-
and setting fire to them. Savonarola’s extreme ens, David Copperfield, 1849–50).
views brought him into conflict with the pope and
resulted in riots throughout the city. Savonarola books, of making many See of making many
was eventually arrested, tortured, and hanged. books.
Tom Wolfe’s novel The Bonfire of the Vanities (1987),
filmed in 1990, makes fleeting references to the Boone, Daniel See daniel boone.
events surrounding Savonarola’s tempestuous
career. Some members of the Christian right call regu- Borden, Lizzie See lizzie borden.
larly for a modern bonfire of the vanities.
boreal (boreebl) Pertaining to the north; cold,
Bonnie and Clyde (bonee, klid) Archetype of a bleak. The word has its origins in Boreas, who was
pair of outlaws, one male and one female. The identified in Greek mythology as the god of the
original Bonnie and Clyde were Bonnie Parker north wind. He was the son of Astraeus (one of the
(1911–34) and Clyde Barrow (1909–34), who Titans) and Eos (the goddess of the dawn) and the
embarked on a four-year career of murder and brother of Zephyrus (the west wind), Notus (the
bank robbery in the southwestern United States in south wind), and Eurus (the east wind). He was
the early 1930s. They were eventually ambushed said to live in a cave on Mount Haemus in Thrace.
and shot dead by Texas Rangers in Louisiana in “He knew, and she knew, that, though the fascina-
May 1934. Their bloodthirsty reign of terror was tion which each had exercised over the other—on
subsequently romanticized in the 1967 film Bonnie her part independently of accomplishments—
and Clyde, in which they were played by Faye Dun- would probably in the first days of their separation
away and Warren Beatty. The notion that the pair be even more potent than ever, time must attenu-
were lovers, as portrayed in the 1967 film, is prob- ate that effect; the practical arguments against
ably erroneous, as Clyde was homosexual. The pair accepting her as a housemate might pronounce
ruled the playground like an underage Bonnie and Clyde, themselves more strongly in the boreal light of a
threatening to pinch and slap anyone who did not hand remoter view” (Thomas Hardy, Tess of the
over their pocket money. D’Urbervilles, 1891).

book of life Life itself, the experience of living, Borgias, the (borzhbz) A family with a reputation
or a record of how a life has been spent. The origi- for ruthlessness and unscrupulous behavior. The
nal Book of Life, in which the names and deeds of allusion is to the historical Borgia family, who
those who will be saved on judgment day are wielded immense power in renaissance Italy.
listed, is described in Revelation 3:5, 20:12–15, Chief among them were Pope Alexander VI
and 21:27. It is also sometimes called the book of (1431–1503) and his children Cesare Borgia
fate. “Now, Mr. Copperfield, I hope that you will (1476–1507) and Lucrezia Borgia (1480–1519).
not render it necessary for me to open, even for a The fondness of the Borgias for disposing of ene-
quarter of an hour, that closed page in the book of mies by making them take pledges in poisoned
life, and unsettle, even for a quarter of an hour, wine prompted the metaphorical glass of wine
59
Boris Karloff

with the Borgias, signifying a “fatal honor” of but was ultimately stabbed to death by a fellow
some kind. Other evils associated with the family inmate. After what she had been told about her daugh-
included various acts of treachery, murder, and ter’s new boyfriend she had expected a cross between
incest, although they were also noted patrons of Quasimodo and the Boston Strangler.
the arts and many of the accusations leveled
against them were probably the inventions of their Boston Tea Party An act signalling the start of a
rivals. “I watched her recoiling from that poulet rebellion. The Tea Act of 1773 allowed the East
en casserole, as if it had been something dished up India Company to ship tea to America at advanta-
by the Borgias” (P. G. Wodehouse, Cocktail Time, geous tax rates, to the detriment of American
1958). merchants, who were deprived of any say in the
levying of such taxes. In 1773 outraged patriots
Boris Karloff (kahrlof) A person with a menac- disguised themselves as Native Americans and
ing, ugly appearance. The allusion is to the Holly- boarded British ships in Boston, tipping their car-
wood movie actor Boris Karloff (William Henry goes of tea into the harbor. This act presaged the
Pratt; 1887–1969), who starred in Frankenstein outbreak of the American Revolution, which
(1931) and The Mummy (1931) among numerous began two years later. This open act of defiance
other black-and-white horror movies, often heav- reminded some observers of the Boston Tea Party.
ily made up. He was so badly beaten up that after the
fight he looked like Boris Karloff. Boswell (bozwel) A person who records the
events of another’s life, especially one who knows
born-again Of or relating to conversion to a par- his subject intimately. James Boswell (1740–95)
ticular cause, often specifically referring to a was the Scottish writer who compiled a detailed
renewed zeal for the Christian faith. The term has and illuminating Life of the celebrated lexicogra-
biblical origins, appearing in John 3:3 in Christ’s pher Samuel Johnson (1709–84), recording his
explanation to Nicodemus that only by being conversations and describing his travels around
reborn spiritually could he reach heaven: “Verily, the British Isles. Published in 1791, Boswell’s Life
verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, of Samuel Johnson set the standard for all subse-
he cannot see the kingdom of God.” “They take the quent biographies. He played Boswell to the rock star’s
risk of financial insecurity in order to be born Johnson, recording every quip that fell from his lips.
again workers” (Guardian, December 7, 1984).
bottomless pit A person, project, or other entity
Bosch, Hieronymus See hieronymus bosch. that consumes an apparently endless supply of
money or other resources; a pit or hole that seems
Boston Strangler (bostbn) Archetype of a vicious to have no end. In its original biblical context the
serial murderer. The Boston Strangler was Albert phrase refers to the pit of hell (Revelation 9:1–2,
DeSalvo (1933–73), who strangled 13 women in 11), variously identified elsewhere by such epithets
Boston, Massachusetts, between June 1962 and as the Abyss or the pit of the dragon. “Now, what is
January 1964, causing widespread panic. He was Costaguana? It is the bottomless pit of 10 per cent
eventually caught and sentenced to life in prison, loans and other fool investments. European capital
60
 Brady Bunch

has been flung into it with both hands for years” commonly believed to be the seat of a person’s
(Joseph Conrad, Nostromo, 1904). emotions, as illustrated by 1 John 3:17: “Whose
hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have
Boudicca (boodikb) Archetype of a formidable need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion
woman. Boudicca (sometimes less accurately from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?”
called Boadicea) was a queen of the Iceni tribe of Other examples include 2 Corinthians 6:12;
eastern England, who rose up in revolt against the Colossians 3:12. Jeremiah in his sorrows laments,
Roman occupation. She sacked Colchester. Lon- “My bowels! My bowels!” (4:19), and Job in his
don, and St. Albans before being defeated by the mental suffering similarly complains, “My bowels
Roman legions under Suetonius Paulinus. She boiled” (30:27). Thus, to shut up the bowels of
committed suicide by taking poison in a.d. 62. She compassion is to behave without compassion or
stormed into the party like some Boudicca on a chariot. mercy. “It is the proper language—working upon
her father’s bowels of compassion. Fathers always
Bountiful, Lady See lady bountiful. have bowels of compassion at last” (Anthony Trol-
lope, Ayala’s Angel, 1881).
Bounty, the See captain bligh.
boycott (boikot) To shun someone or something.
Bovary, Madame See madame bovary. The allusion is to Captain Charles Boycott (1832–
97), a land agent of County Mayo who treated his
bowdlerize (bodlbriz, bowdlbriz) To expurgate a Irish tenants very harshly, becoming highly unpop-
piece of writing by removing any obscene or other ular. In 1880 his disgruntled tenants, their fami-
controversial content. The reference is to the lies, and most of the rest of the local population
retired British physician Dr. Thomas Bowdler adopted a policy of refusing to talk to him or deal
(1754–1825) who in 1818 published a 10-volume with him in any way until he agreed to reduce
edition of the works of William Shakespeare, with their rents, a tactic that became known as “boycot-
any vulgarity that might cause offense to contem- ting.” We have decided to boycott the store until they
porary readers removed or rewritten. The most take these publications off their shelves.
notorious of his changes included substantial cuts
to celebrated speeches made by Juliet and King Boy Wonder See batman and robin.
Lear. His version of Shakespeare’s plays became a
best-seller, as did his “improved” versions of other Bracknell, Lady See lady bracknell.
classics designed to be suitable for a family audi-
ence, but he is remembered today as the quintes- Brady Bunch (braydee) A group of wholesome
sence of censorious prudishness. He gave the all-American children. The allusion is to the U.S.
detective a bowdlerized account of what had taken place television series The Brady Bunch (1969–74), which
in the bedroom prior to the shooting. revolved around the suburban Brady family, com-
prising a couple and their six children (three each
bowels of compassion The source of a person’s from previous marriages). All the children were
sympathy or pity. In biblical times the bowels were lively, good-natured, and cheerful, embodying the
61
Braggadocio

way in which a certain stratum of middle-class How many goodly creatures are there here! / How
America of the period liked to see itself. Good- beauteous mankind is! O brave new world, /That
looking, clean-living, and always smiling for the cam- has such people in’t!” The negative overtones
eras, they were marketed as pop’s equivalent of the Brady connected with the phrase date from the publica-
Bunch. tion in 1932 of the Aldous Huxley novel Brave New
World, in which the author depicts a nightmarish
Braggadocio (bragbdosheeo) Boastfulness, or a future. “Our lives in this brave new world will be
person who boasts a lot. The allusion is to Edmund tough, my friends” (Gareth Roberts, The Highest
Spenser’s The Faerie Queene (1590, 1596), the char- Science, 1993).
acters of which include the boastful Braggadoc-
chio (a name arrived at through the combination Bray, Vicar of See vicar of bray.
of “braggart” and the suffix -occhio, meaning “big”).
The word “brag” referred originally to the discor- bread alone, by See man cannot live by bread
dant braying of a trumpet. Spenser is thought to alone.
have based the character on a real person, the
French nobleman the duc d’Alençon. “It might bread and circuses Food and entertainment as
amuse him to rub salt into her wound, to display means to keep the masses content. The cynical
that notches-on-the-bedhead braggadocio shared notion that a populace provided with plenty of free
by so many of his fellows” (Stella Shepherd, Black food and entertainment (panem et circenses) would
Justice, 1988). never rise up in revolt was familiar to the ancient
Romans, as evidenced by the writing of the satirist
brand of Cain See mark of cain. Juvenal (a.d. c. 55/60–127): “People long eagerly
for two things . . . bread and circuses.” Successive
brave men before Agamemnon, there were (agb- emperors sponsored spectacles in the circuses of
memnon) No person, place, or era has a monopoly Rome in the belief that these superficial palliatives
on achievement or glory. The saying is a quotation would preserve them from the anger of the mob
from the Odes of the Roman poet Horace (65–8 over more serious issues. TV dinners and Monday
b.c.), whose original Latin version ran “Vixere fortes night football, it has been cynically suggested by observers,
ante Agamemnona.” In Greek mythology, Agamem- are the bread and circuses with which the masses are kept
non was the king of Mycenae who led the Greeks in their place in modern society.
during the Trojan War. The current national squad are
being hailed as the best ever to represent the country, but bread cast upon the waters See cast thy bread
there were brave men before Agamemnon. upon the waters.

brave new world A greatly changed new situa- bread of affliction Suffering or trouble. This
tion or prospect. The phrase is a quotation from metaphor is biblical in origin, appearing in 1 Kings
William Shakespeare’s play The Tempest (1611), in 22:27 and in 2 Chronicles 18:26: “Feed him with
which miranda exclaims, on laying eyes on other bread of affliction and with water of affliction.”
human beings for the first time: “O, wonder! / “When I reflect, Brother Toby, upon Man; and take
62
 bricks without straw

a view of that dark side of him which represents ‘Break a leg’ ” (Simon Brett, Murder Unprompted,
his life as open to so many causes of trouble— 1984).
when I consider, brother Toby, how oft we eat the
bread of affliction, and that we are born to it, as to break Priscian’s head (prishbnz) To break the
the portion of our inheritance—I was born to rules of grammar. The allusion is to Priscianus
nothing, quoth my uncle Toby, interrupting my Caesariensis, a Roman grammarian of the sixth
father—but my commission” (Laurence Sterne, century a.d. “Some free from rhyme or reason,
Tristram Shandy, 1759–67). rule or check, / Break Priscian’s head and Pega-
sus’s neck” (Alexander Pope, The Dunciad, 1728).
break a leg! Good luck! The allusion is to the
world of the theater, in which the phrase is a tradi- breath of life Life or something considered as
tional expression of good luck to someone about essential as life itself. According to the book of
to go on stage. Various origins for the expression Genesis, God brought Adam to life literally by
have been suggested. These include the general breathing life into him: “And the LORD God
notion that wishing a person well simply invites formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed
the fates to interfere, therefore wishing a person into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became
ill should make it less likely that anything bad will a living soul” (Genesis 2:7). “Ah, but she won’t
happen. The expression may, on the other hand, abandon you. Poetry and art are the breath of life
have its origins in the Elizabethan theater, specifi- to her. It is poetry you write, Mr. Winsett?” (Edith
cally in the kneeling of actors to pick up coins Wharton, The Age of Innocence, 1920).
tossed onto the stage by an appreciative audience
or in the bending of the leg when taking repeated Brechtian (brekteebn) Of or relating to the plays
bows in response to enthusiastic applause. A less of German playwright Bertolt Brecht (1898–
plausible theory links the saying to the assassina- 1956). Through such plays as Mother Courage and
tion of abraham lincoln in his box at Ford’s Her Children (1939) and The Caucasian Chalk Circle
Theater in Washington, D.C., in 1865 and the fact (1944), Brecht became well known for his didactic
that as he leapt to the stage his assassin, actor John approach to the theater and for his Marxist ideas,
Wilkes Booth, broke his leg (see also one’s name is as well as for his espousal of techniques designed to
mud). Equally colorful is the link suggested with restrict the emotional response of an audience at
the story of English actor Samuel Foote (1720–77) the expense of the underlying message. “Modernist
who was granted a valuable royal patent to per- cinema is cast in a Brechtian mould of distantiation
form spoken drama at the Haymarket Theatre in and bears formalist characteristics” (Scott Lash,
London as compensation for breaking a leg (which Sociology of Postmodernism, 1990).
then had to be amputated) in the course of bois-
terous horseplay with the duke of York: the patent bricks without straw Work that is expected to be
enabled Foote to make his fortune, giving him done under difficult conditions or without the nec-
cause to be grateful for what might otherwise have essary tools or materials. The phrase refers to the
been a disastrous setback. “Charles wanted to say biblical incident in which Pharaoh refused to pro-
something to help, but all he could think of was vide the Hebrews with the straw they needed to
63
Brideshead

make bricks, insisting that they find it themselves: Johnson) whose relationship blossoms during meet-
“And Pharaoh commanded the same day the task- ings at a suburban railroad station. The real station
masters of the people . . . saying,Ye shall no more used for the film, in the English town of Carnforth
give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: in Lancashire, is a place of pilgrimage for the many
let them go and gather straw for themselves” (Exo- fans of the movie. We had a brief encounter a few years
dus 5:6–7). Bricks made with mud from the Nile ago, but haven’t seen much of each other since then.
had to include straw to prevent them from crack-
ing as they dried. The union complained that as a result Brigadoon (brigbdoon) Idealized vision of a
of the cutbacks, their members were effectively being asked rural village, especially one that seems cut off
to make bricks without straw. from the realities of everyday life. The fictional
Scottish village of Brigadoon is the setting for the
Brideshead (bridzhed) A magnificent stately 1947 musical of the same title, by Frederick Loewe
home, a symbol of the high English aristocracy. and Alan Jay Lerner. Possibly inspired by Brig o’
Brideshead is the name of the palatial home of the Doon in Ayrshire, the village in Brigadoon is curi-
lordly Flyte family in Evelyn Waugh’s novel Brides- ously divorced from life in the real world, being
head Revisited (1945). When the novel was televised subject to a magic spell that means it comes alive
in 1981, the role of Brideshead was taken by Castle for just one day every hundred years. “It’s a bit like
Howard in Yorkshire. The view was all very Brides- coming back to Britain and finding you’ve com-
head, couples in evening dress sauntering between the fol- mitted yourself to living in Brigadoon” (Ann
lies above the shining lake, on which the swans floated. Granger, A Season for Murder, 1991).

bridge too far, a A step that when taken proves to Brigitte Bardot (brijit bahrdo) A beautiful, sexu-
be one too many. The allusion is to Cornelius ally alluring blonde, especially one who enjoys the
Ryan’s book A Bridge Too Far (1974), filmed in 1977, status of a sex symbol. Brigitte Bardot (b. 1934)
which relates the events surrounding the disastrous became an international star after appearing in such
Allied advance into the Netherlands in 1944. The films as And God Created Woman (1956) and was one of
phrase itself was supposedly first spoken by Gen- the most widely recognized faces of the late 1950s
eral Frederick Browning in response to Field Mar- and early 1960s, appearing in movies, pin-ups, and
shal Montgomery’s plans for the capture of 11 glossy magazines. His second wife was a Brigitte Bardot
bridges, including that at Arnhem: “But, sir, we with long blonde locks and a sultry, pouting face.
may be going a bridge too far.” This latest acquisition
may ultimately prove a bridge too far for the company. brimstone and fire See fire and brimstone.

brief encounter A short-lived love affair or other broad is the way See strait and narrow.
relationship. The allusion is to the 1945 romantic
film Brief Encounter, written by Noël Coward and Broadway (brahdway) The U.S. popular the-
directed by David Lean, which told the story of the ater. The Broadway district of New York City is
ill-starred and ultimately unfulfilled romance of famous for its theaters, which over the years have
a couple (played by Trevor Howard and Celia hosted countless musicals and other large-scale
64
 Buckingham Palace

productions. In modern usage, the name is often Brothers Grimm See grimm’s fairy tales.
applied more generally to the theatrical world as a
whole. Broadway itself, otherwise known as the brother’s keeper See my brother’s keeper.
great white way, is a street that runs through the
West Side of Manhattan. She dreamed of making a Brown, John See john brown.
name for herself in Broadway musicals.
Bruce, Robert See robert the bruce.
Brobdingnagian (brobdingnageebn) On a vast,
gigantic scale. The land of Brobdingnag, in which Bruce Wayne See batman and robin.
all the inhabitants are 60 feet tall, is one of the
places visited by Lemuel gulliver in Jonathan bruised reed See broken reed.
Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels (1726). It has been sug-
gested that the name came about as an anagram of Brummell, Beau See beau brummell.
“grand big nob(le).” “Death or injury lies in wait
for the imprudent in Brobdingnagian chasms Brute See et tu, brute?
below” (Eric G. Holland, Coniston Copper, 1986).
See also laputa; lilliputian; yahoo. Bucephalus (byoosefblbs) Archetype of a noble,
courageous horse. Bucephalus was the name of the
Brodie, Miss Jean See miss jean brodie. horse that Alexander the Great rode in the course
of his celebrated military campaigns. Legend has it
broken reed A weak or damaged person or thing. that only Alexander proved capable of breaking
The phrase is biblical in origin. In Isaiah 36:6 King the horse, whose name—from bous, meaning “ox,”
Hezekiah is advised not to trust the Egyptians: “Lo, and kephale, meaning “head”—referred to its
thou trustest in the staff of this broken reed, on resemblance to a bull. “Close-reefing top-sails in a
Egypt; whereon if a man lean, it will go into his gale, there he was, astride the weather yard-arm-
hand, and pierce it.” In Matthew 12:20 Christ end, foot in the Flemish horse as ‘stirrup,’ both
echoes this passage in his words “A bruised reed hands tugging at the ‘earring’ as at a bridle, in very
shall he not break.” “ ‘God help thee, my son! He much the attitude of young Alexander curbing the
can help when worldly trust is a broken reed.’— fiery Bucephalus” (Herman Melville, Billy Budd,
Such was the welcome of the matron to her unfor- 1924).
tunate grandson” (Sir Walter Scott, The Black Dwarf,
1816). Buckingham Palace (bbkingbm) A large and
magnificent home. Buckingham Palace in London
Bronx cheer (bronks) A “raspberry,” a derisive is the official residence of the British monarchy. It
noise made with the tongue and lips. The Bronx was named after the first duke of Buckingham,
district of New York is one of the rougher areas of who built the original palace in 1703, and became
the city, long notorious for the vulgar behavior of a royal residence when bought by George III in
its inhabitants. The only response to my request was a 1762. In modern usage, homes may be compared
Bronx cheer from one of the teenagers. with Buckingham Palace ironically to highlight
65
Buck Rogers

their relatively humble character. It’s very cozy, but Cody’s stagename recalled his past as a buffalo
it’s hardly Buckingham Palace. hunter, in which role he was said to have killed
nearly 5,000 buffalo over an 18-month period to
Buck Rogers (bbk rojerz) A person who makes supply railroad workers with meat in the 1870s.
use of futuristic technology, or the technology His prowess as a rider and marksman brought him
itself. The archetypal space hero Buck Rogers, Buffalo Bill status locally.
created by Philip Francis Nowlan, made his first
appearance in a space adventure story in the maga- build a better mousetrap To come up with some-
zine Amazing Stories in 1928. A year later, drawn by thing that is sure to prove a success. The philoso-
Dick Calkins, he became the star of his own long- pher and essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82)
running comic strip Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, is credited with formulating this phrase to express
which continued until the late 1960s, by which the truth that if an idea is good enough it is bound
time he had become a universally recognized sym- to enjoy success. He used it in one of his lectures:
bol of science fiction. The futuristic adventures of “If a man can write a better book, preach a better
Buck Rogers were also brought to life on the radio sermon, or make a better mousetrap than his
and in the cinema, with Rogers himself played by neighbor, though he builds his house in the woods
former swimmer Buster Crabbe. They selected for the world will make a beaten path to his door.” It’s
the young couple a shiny silver Buck Rogers toaster. just as true today as it ever was—if you want to make
your fortune all you have to do is build a better
buck stops here, the There is no one else to whom mousetrap.
responsibility can be passed. The expression sup-
posedly has its roots in the game of poker, in which Bulge, Battle of the (bulj) The struggle to stay
players formerly placed a buckhorn knife on the slim. The allusion is to the so-called Battle of the
table to remind players whose turn it was to deal Bulge that took place in the Ardennes region of
next. The phrase “to pass the buck,” meaning “to Belgium and Luxembourg in December 1944
pass responsibility to someone else,” dates back to when the German armed forces launched an unex-
the 19th century. In the 1940s, President Harry S. pected counterattack against the Allies in the clos-
Truman kept a sign on his desk reading “the buck ing stages of World War II. The Allies were pushed
stops here” to remind himself that he bore ultimate back by the determined armored assault until a
responsibility for decisions to be made. Running your “bulge” in the front line some 60 miles deep had
own company can be very satisfying and rewarding, but opened up. It was not until the end of January
you have to remember that if anything goes wrong, the 1945 that the German advance was reversed and
buck stops here. the bulge was flattened out. The phrase has since
been taken up in the world of dieting to describe
Buffalo Bill (bufblo) Archetype of a dashing the unending battle of many people to keep flabbi-
cowboy figure. William Frederick Cody (1846– ness at bay. This new product could prove a useful
1917) became internationally famous for his Wild weapon in the Battle of the Bulge for many people.
West Show, which toured the world with a cast of
sharpshooters, cowboys, and Native Americans. Bull, John See john bull.
66
 burden of Sisyphus

bull of Bashan (bashbn) A very strong or fero- bunker mentality (bunker) A defensive state of
cious man; a cruel tyrant. Og was a brutish giant mind. The expression dates from World War II,
who ruled Bashan, an area east of the Sea of Gali- when millions of people were forced to seek
lee and famous for its cattle (Deuteronomy 32:14; shelter from bombing and artillery shelling in
Psalm 22:12; and Ezekiel 39:18). Og and all his fortified underground dugouts called bunkers.
followers were killed in battle against Moses and With the Russians on the outskirts of Berlin,
the Israelites (Deuteronomy 3:1–11). Among the Adolf hitler himself was driven into his bunker,
trophies taken by the Israelites after the battle was where he was seemingly driven to paranoid mad-
Og’s huge iron bedstead, which measured nine by ness and eventually suicide by the imminence of
four cubits (around 13 by 16 feet). To roar like a the threats surrounding him. After such an extended
bull of Bashan means to make an excessive noise. run of defeats, the team management have surrendered
“. . . man and steed rushing on each other like to bunker mentality and are now obsessed with damage
wild bulls of Bashan!” (Sir Walter Scott, Ivanhoe, limitation.
1819).
bunkum (bunkbm) Nonsense, empty talk. The
Bunbury (bunbbree) A fictitious friend, espe- word “bunkum” originated in the first half of the
cially one invented for convenience. Bunbury is 19th century, prompted by a speech to Congress
the name given to the fictitious, ailing friend made by one Felix Walker, who represented the
invented by Algernon Moncrieff in Oscar Wilde’s district of Buncombe in North Carolina. Such was
comedy The Importance of Being Earnest (1895) as an the inanity and dullness of Walker’s speech,
excuse to make himself absent from town when he addressed to the people of Buncombe, that ever
has appointments he would like to avoid, particu- afterward any insincere, meaningless speech
larly with his aunt lady bracknell. I think I may became known as “buncombe” or “bunkum.” “De
need to invent a Bunbury in order to avoid to get out of mortuis nil nisi bonum, and all that bunkum”
this meeting. (Stella Shepherd, Black Justice, 1988).

Bunker, Archie See archie bunker. bunnyboiler See fatal attraction.

Bunker Hill (bunker) An opening skirmish, espe- Bunyan, Paul See paul bunyan.
cially one that proves a source of inspiration to a
cause. The allusion is to the Battle of Bunker Hill, burden of Isaiah (izayb) A prophecy of disaster;
one of the first battles of the American Revolu- a complaint against hardships imposed by others.
tion, which took place during the siege of Boston The reference is to isaiah’s prophecy against
on June 17, 1775. The American forces put up a Babylon, as described, for example, in 13:1. He
spirited defense before being driven from Bunker seemed weighed down, as if with the burden of Isaiah,
Hill by the British, having run out of ammunition. by this realization of the inevitable catastrophe to
Though defeated, the Americans took great heart come.
from the encounter. This turned out to be the women’s
movement’s Bunker Hill. burden of Sisyphus See sisyphean.
67
Buridan’s ass

Buridan’s ass (bbridbnz) A person who finds it symbol of the Virgin Mary. “I think, sir, when God
impossible to choose between two alternatives. The makes His presence felt through us, we are like
allusion is to the French philosopher Jean Buridan the burning bush: Moses never took any heed
(c. 1300–c. 1358), who conceived the notion of an what sort of bush it was—he only saw the bright-
ass that finds itself unable to choose between equally ness of the Lord” (George Eliot, Adam Bede,
attractive heaps of hay and therefore starves to 1859).
death. He was like Buridan’s ass, torn between the two
women and thus fated to lose both of them. burnt offering A jocular reference to an over-
cooked meal. The allusion is to the various offer-
Burke and Hare (berk, hair) Bodysnatchers. ings of animals killed and ritually burned, as
William Burke (1792–1829) and his accomplice described in the Old Testament. These included
William Hare (d. 1860) became notorious as sup- the offering made to God by Noah in Genesis
pliers of cadavers for dissection by the Edinburgh 8:20: “And Noah builded an altar unto the
surgeon Dr. Robert Knox. Their activities eventu- LORD; and took every clean beast, and of every
ally attracted the attention of the authorities, who clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the
uncovered the fact that in their search for fresh altar.” “The sleep-walker had wakened to bitter
bodies the pair had been guilty of 15 murders. knowledge of love and life, finding himself a fail-
Hare was spared the death penalty after turning ure in both. He had made a burnt offering of his
King’s Evidence, dying many years later, but Burke dreams, and the sacrifice had been an unforgiv-
was hanged. The modern demand for genetic material able hurt to Mary” (Booth Tarkington, The Tur-
raises the ugly prospect of a generation of latter-day moil, 1915).
Burke and Hares.
bury the dead See let the dead bury the
burning bush A source of revelation, especially dead.
one of a miraculous nature. The allusion is to the
biblical episode concerning the burning bush from Busby Berkeley (buzbee bahrklee) A spectacu-
which God addressed Moses, as related in Exodus lar choreographed sequence in a movie or stage
3:2: “And the angel of the LORD appeared unto show. The U.S. movie director and choreogra-
him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; pher Busby Berkeley (William Berkeley Enos;
and he looked, and behold, the bush burned with 1895–1976) is usually remembered for the care-
fire, and the bush was not consumed.” The passage fully synchronized kaleidoscopic dance sequences
goes on to detail God’s instructions to Moses to in such movies as 42nd Street (1933) and Gold Dig-
lead the Israelites out of Egypt and guide them to gers of 1933 (1933). “ ‘A Busby Berkeley line-up in
the Promised Land. The bush has been tentatively front of his bed couldn’t wake Sam in the middle
identified as a bramble or blackberry bush. The of the night’ Clare said” (Shirley Conran, Crimson,
name is now applied to several shrubs or trees 1992).
with bright red fruits or seeds, as well as to a num-
ber of plants with bright red foliage. In medieval bushel, hide one’s light under a See hide one’s
times a burning bush was commonly adopted as a light under a bushel.
68
 Byronic

buskin Symbol of tragic drama. The buskin, or to have died in a shoot-out with soldiers in Bolivia
cothurnus, was originally a style of boot with a in 1909. A romanticized version of their story was
thick sole that was conventionally worn by per- presented in the classic Western movie Butch Cas-
formers of tragic roles in the Greek and Roman sidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), in which the out-
theater to give actors a few inches of extra height laws were winningly played by Paul Newman and
and thus contribute to the grandeur of their per- Robert Redford. With those hats on they look like
formance. “But in that bitter tirade upon Chantilly, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. See also wild
which appeared in yesterday’s ‘Musee,’ the satirist, bunch.
making some disgraceful allusions to the cobbler’s
change of name upon assuming the buskin, quoted Butler, Rhett See gone with the wind.
a Latin line about which we have often conversed”
(Edgar Allan Poe, “The Murders in the Rue by bread alone See man cannot live by bread
Morgue,” 1841). See also sock. alone.

Buster Keaton (buster keetbn) Archetype of an by Jove ( jov) Exclamation of surprise or admi-
inventive physical comedian. Buster Keaton ration. The allusion is to the chief Roman god
(1896–1966) is remembered as one of the most Jupiter, whose Latin name was Jovis. Jupiter was
gifted clowns of the early silent-movie industry, traditionally regarded as a source of good humor,
famous for his deadpan expression and for per- hence the related term jovial, meaning “jolly” or
forming his own death-defying stunts. “He gained “good-humored.” “ ‘Oh, by Jove!’ said Captain
a reputation as the Buster Keaton of the cricket Donnithorne, laughing. ‘Why, she looks as quiet
world, a man who rarely seemed to have any as a mouse. There’s something rather striking
expression on his face and who was not one for about her, though’ ” (George Eliot, Adam Bede,
the excited cavortings that greet the fall of a 1859).
wicket; yet behind the mask a good deal of thought
was given to his bowling, and he was liked and Byronic (bironik) In a grand, dark, romantic,
respected by his fellow players” (Gerry Cotter, passionate manner. The British poet George Gor-
England versus West Indies, 1991). don, Lord Byron (1788–1824) became one of the
most celebrated men of his age through such epic
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (buuch works as Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage (1812–18).
kasidee, sundans) Archetypal outlaws of the Wild Both in his writing and in his personal life, Byron
West. Robert LeRoy Parker, otherwise known as was renowned for his tempestuous, passionate
Butch Cassidy, and Harry Longbaugh (or Long- character. He had several scandalous love affairs
abaugh), otherwise known as the Sundance Kid and caused a sensation wherever he went before
(having robbed a bank in Sundance, Nevada) ultimately dying in Greece after committing him-
entered folklore by virtue of the crimes they com- self to the fight for Greek independence. “But civil
mitted in the late 19th century and their inventive strife and political violence, the quick and easy
attempts to evade the posse that pursued them. expedients of the gun and the bomb, already
Forced south by their pursuers, they are believed had for him a romantic and almost Byronic aura”
69
by their fruits ye shall know them

(F. Selwyn, Hitler’s Englishman, 1987). See also mad, by the skin of one’s teeth See skin of one’s
bad, and dangerous to know. teeth, by the.

by their fruits ye shall know them See false Byzantine (bizbnteen; bizbntin) Labyrinthine,
prophet. intricate, convoluted, complicated. The allusion is
to the intrigue and deviousness that characterized
by the rivers of Babylon (babilon) In exile from
political and bureaucratic dealings in the Byzan-
a cherished but far-distant place or time. The
phrase comes from Psalm 137:1, in which the tine Empire between the time of its foundation in
Israelites in exile in Babylon lamented their lost the fourth century a.d. and its dissolution upon
homeland of zion: “By the rivers of Babylon, there invasion by the Turks in 1453. It took the detectives
we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered some considerable time to unravel the Byzantine convo-
Zion.” The refugees, like the Israelites who wept by the lutions of the case, but in due course they conceded
rivers of Babylon, were inconsolable in their lamenta- reluctantly that they had been pursuing the wrong
tions for their lost homeland. man.

70
ååååå C å
cabal  (​ kbbal)  ​  ​A group of close advisers or con- s­ hoes—and ­ ships—and sealing ­ wax— / Of
spirators, a junta. It is popularly believed that the ­cabbages—and kings.’ ” The phrase was later
word dates from the 17th century, and that it adopted by O. Henry (William Sydney Porter;
referred originally to a group of ministers who 1862–1910) as the title of a volume of other-
controlled Britain under Charles II, being formed wise unconnected short stories (1904). For many
from the initials of their names (Clifford, Ashley, years he wrote a cabbages and kings article in the
Buckingham, Arlington, and Lauderdale). In 1672 paper in which he discussed anything that took his
this group of men acted entirely without the con- fancy.
sent of Parliament when they entered a Treaty of
Alliance with France, thus leading to war with Cadillac  ​(kadilak)  ​  ​An expensive, luxurious
Holland. In fact, the word made its first appear- automobile, or anything that is considered the
ance in En­glish some 50 years earlier, when it was best of its kind. The original Cadillac car was
incorporated into the language from the French assembled by General Motors at its factory in
cabale. The ultimate origins of the word lie in the Cadillac, Michigan. Since then the term (also
Hebrew cabala, which refers to a collection of rendered as Caddy) has been applied more
writings conveying the mystical secrets of the widely to luxury cars in general and is also used
Torah. “This was not a powerful cabal, and they in nonautomotive contexts. This is the Cadillac of
had little expectation of early success” (James rock bands.
Hinton, Protests and Visions, 1989).
Cadmean letters  ​(kadmeebn)  ​  ​The 16 letters of
cabbages and kings    A wide and contrasting the Greek alphabet. They ­ were named after the
range of subjects. The phrase, which implies that legendary Cadmus, king of Phoenicia and Tele-
the subjects named are so disparate that any con- phassa in Greek mythology, who founded the city
nection between them would be nonsensical, of Thebes and was credited with introducing the
comes originally from the poem “The Walrus alphabet to Greece from Phoenicia. By the end of
and the Carpenter” in Lewis Carroll’s Through the term all these young scholars are expected to be
the ­Looking-­Glass (1872): “ ‘The time has come,’ familiar with the Cadmean letters and other basics of
the Walrus said, / ‘To talk of many things: / Of rhetoric.

71
Cadmean victory

Cadmean victory See pyrrhic victory. victorious faithful. See also caesar is not above the
grammarians; caesar’s wife must be above
caduceus (kbdooseebs) Emblem of the medical suspicion; cesarean section; i came, i saw, i
profession: a staff entwined with two serpents. In conquered.
classical mythology the caduceus was carried by
Hermes (or Mercury) as a symbol of his role as caesarean section See cesarean section.
messenger of the gods. Such staffs were also tra-
ditionally carried by Greek heralds and ambassa- Caesar is not above the grammarians (seezer)
dors on peace missions. According to legend, the No one, however exalted his or her rank, can be
mere touch of this staff could put a person to excused for bad grammar. The reference harks
sleep or revive a corpse. Its adoption as a symbol back to the legend of the Roman emperor Tiberius,
of medicine relates to its similarity to the staff who was once corrected in his grammar. A court-
of aesculapius. “I had not hopped far before I ier purportedly stated that as the emperor had said
perceived a tall young gentleman in a silk waist- the mistake, the slip would henceforth be consid-
coat, with a wing on his left heel, a garland on his ered good Latin. A grammarian present, however,
head, and a caduceus in his right hand” (Henry immediately objected, reminding the emperor, “Tu
Fielding, A Journey from this World to the Next, enim Caesar civitatem dare potes hominibus, verbis non
1743). potes” (“Caesar, you can grant citizenship to men,
but not to words”). The chief editor sighed and with a
Caesar (seezer) An emperor, dictator, or other rueful smile crossed out what he had written. Even Cae-
powerful ruler or military commander. The allu- sar is not above the grammarians.
sion is to the Roman general and statesman Gaius
Julius Caesar (100–44 b.c.), who conquered Gaul Caesar’s wife must be above suspicion (seezerz)
and Britain before returning to Rome and becom- People who occupy prominent social positions
ing the effective sole ruler of the Roman state need to maintain unsullied reputations.The expres-
from 49 until his death. He made many important sion alludes to the story of Julius Caesar’s second
reforms before being assassinated by a group of wife, Pompeia, who around 62 b.c. became
senators who feared he had become too powerful. embroiled in rumors that she was involved in an
After his death, his adopted son and heir Gaius adulterous affair with the notorious philanderer
Octavius (later called Augustus) took the name Publius Clodius. Disguised as a woman, Publius
Caesar to help legitimize his reign, and subse- Clodius had apparently infiltrated the all-female
quently all Roman emperors up to Hadrian rites held at Caesar’s house in honor of the god-
adopted Caesar as a title. The title was revived by dess Bona Dea and there attempted to seduce the
rulers of the Holy Roman Empire in the 10th cen- emperor’s wife before being discovered. Although
tury and became transformed into kaiser by the the accusations remained unsubstantiated and
German monarchy. It was also adopted by the Rus- there was no reason to believe Pompeia had
sian royal family, in the form czar, and by the Arabs, responded to the advances of Publius Clodius,
as qaysar. The fanfare played, the crowd cheered, and Caesar still insisted on divorcing her on the
Caesar stepped up to the microphone to address the grounds that even the suggestion that she might be
72
 Calchas

guilty was damaging to him. Thus, any person in the name of the city, after the name of his son,
such an elevated position may be reminded that Enoch.” The settlement was founded with the best of
they must be like Caesar’s wife—free of all taint motives but like Cain’s city soon became a notorious den
of misdeed. “I am as free as the air. I feel myself of iniquity.
as far above suspicion as Caesar’s wife” (Charles
Dickens, Bleak House, 1852–53). cake, let them eat See let them eat cake.

Caiaphas (kaybfas) Archetype of a ruthless, hyp- cakes and ale The material pleasures of life. The
ocritical politician. Caiaphas appears in the Bible phrase occurs in William Shakespeare’s play Twelfth
as a Jewish high priest who tries Jesus (John Night (1601): “Dost thou think, because thou art
18:14–28) on the grounds that it is “expedient for virtuous, there shall be no more cakes and ale?” It
us, that one man should die for the people, and was used as the title of a 1930 novel by W. Somer-
that the whole nation perish not” (John 11:50). set Maugham and is also sometimes encountered
“Leaving Kennetbridge for this place is like com- in the expression “Life is not all cakes and ale,”
ing from Caiaphas to Pilate!” (Thomas Hardy, Jude meaning that no person’s life is without its
the Obscure, 1895). moments of hardship. “So supposing you never
marry, and if you go on being so fussy you proba-
Cain and Abel (kayn, aybbl) Archetype of two bly never will—are there to be no cakes and ale?”
brothers whose relationship ends in violent dis- (Lynne Reid Banks, The L-Shaped Room, 1960).
agreement. The allusion is to the story of Cain and
Abel, related in Genesis 4:1–16, which details Calamity Jane (kblamitee) A reckless, adventur-
how Cain, the first son of Adam and Eve and ous female, or one who predicts or seems prone
described as a “tiller of the ground,” came to mur- to accidents and other misfortunes. The allusion
der his brother Abel, a shepherd, through envy: is to the frontierswoman Martha Jane Burke (c.
“And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it 1852–1903), who became famous for her riding
came to pass, when they were in the field, that and shooting skills while working (often dressed
Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew as a man) as a teamster supplying mining camps
him” (Genesis 4:8). “Cain’s envy was the more vile during the gold rush that swept the Black Hills of
and malignant towards his brother, Abel, because Dakota in the 1860s and 1870s. Her nickname
when his sacrifice was better accepted there was Calamity Jane arose from the fact that she is sup-
nobody to look on” (Francis Bacon, “On Envy,” posed to have threatened “calamity” to any man
1601). See also cain’s city; mark of cain; my who approached her with a view to romance. His
brother’s keeper; raise cain. daughter came home with minor scrapes and scratches so
often the rest of the family knew her as Calamity Jane.
Cain’s city (kayns) A city with a reputation for
corruption and evil. The allusion is to the city sup- Calchas (kalkas) Archetype of a wise prophet.
posedly founded by Cain after he was banished by In Greek mythology, Calchas was a soothsayer
God for the murder of his brother Abel. According who advised the Greeks during the Trojan War. It
to Genesis 4:17, Cain “builded a city, and called was Calchas who recommended the sacrifice of
73
Caleb

Iphigenia to appease Artemis before the Greek Prospero’s daughter miranda, but is helpless
fleet set sail, persuaded Agamemnon to surrender against Prospero’s magical powers. His name may
his prize Chryseis to her father in order to halt a have been suggested by the Romany kaliban, mean-
plague sent by Apollo, and advised the Greeks to ing “blackener,” or may have come about through
build the trojan horse. He died of a broken heart juggling the letters of “cannibal.” The streets were
after Mopsus proved himself superior in his skills full of drunken Calibans.
as a prophet of future events. The president will miss
his closest aide, who has acted as Calchas to the party for Caligari, Doctor See doctor caligari.
over a decade.
Caligula (kbligyoolb) Archetype of a cruel and
Caleb (kayleb) A faithful servant. According to eccentric ruler. Gaius Caesar (a.d. 12–41), nick-
Numbers 13:6 and 32:12, Caleb was one of those named Caligula, ruled as emperor of Rome for a
chosen by Moses to spy out the land of Canaan. Of relatively short time (37–41) and quickly became
the 12 men sent, only Caleb and Joshua returned notorious for his unpredictable and vicious nature.
with a favorable report. For his loyal ser vice Caleb Among his excesses, he declared himself a god,
was eventually granted Hebron as his inheritance. made his horse Incitatus a consul, and ordered his
“It is for you to say, with the faith of a Caleb, ‘Give army to collect seashells. His reign ended prema-
me this mountain’ ” (F. B. Meyer, Joshua, 1893). turely when he was murdered. This fledgling Cal-
igula of the new Asia is full of surprises, even renaming
calends (kalendz) The first day of the month. the days of the week according to personal whim.
The calends, or kalends, (meaning “proclamation
day”) had par ticular significance for the ancient Calliope See muses.
Romans and was so called because it was origi-
nally marked by high priests calling the people Calpurnia (kalperneeb) Archetype of a devoted
together to hail the new month and announcing wife, who is concerned for her husband’s welfare.
the festivals and sacred days to be observed in the The wife of the Roman emperor Julius Caesar,
coming weeks. She celebrates the calends each month Calpurnia was greatly troubled by various por-
by clearing everything off her desk and concentrating on tents of death that appeared to threaten her hus-
new projects. See also at the greek calends. band. Caesar, however, ignored her warnings and
was duly murdered by members of the senate in
calf, fatted See kill the fatted calf. 44 b.c. Like Caesar’s Calpurnia, she seemed to realize
the danger her husband was in but could find no way to
calf, golden See golden calf. make him change his plans.

Caliban (kaliban) A brutish, uncivilized man. calvary (kalvbree) A place or experience that
Caliban is the stupid, resentful, unkempt, and causes intense suffering, especially mental anguish.
monstrous son of the witch Sycorax in William In the Bible, Calvary is identified as the hill in
Shakespeare’s play The Tempest (1611). He rails Jerusalem upon which Christ was crucified (Luke
against his master prospero and lusts after 23:32). The name comes from the Latin calvaria,
74
 camel: go through an eye of a needle

itself a translation of the Greek kranion (meaning who had inflicted the first wound. The three opera-
“skull”). Its other names include Golgotha (from tives privately agreed never to let up on their pursuit of
the Aramaic gulguta, or “skull”) and place of skulls the gangsters, viewing the investigation as a type of mod-
(Matthew 27:33; Mark 15:22; John 19:17). The ern Calydonian boar hunt.
actual site of Calvary is disputed, with some iden-
tifying it with a vaguely skull-shaped hill near the calypso (kblipso) Popular style of West Indian
Garden of Gethsemane and others indicating the ballad, characterized by syncopated percussion
site of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Legend and topical lyrics. It is thought to have been named
has it that the skull of Adam was kept at the church. after Calypso, a sea nymph of Greek mythology
“The horse, a dangerous animal . . . whose mar- who fell in love with Odysseus and detained him
tyrdom, and man’s shame therein, he has told for seven years on the island of Ogygia. There,
most powerfully in his Calvary, a tale with an edge Odysseus spent his nights as Calypso’s lover but
that will cut the soft cruel hearts and strike fire passed his days in longing for his wife, Penelope.
from the hard kind ones” (George Bernard Shaw, Ultimately, Odysseus refused Calypso’s offer of
Captain Brassbound’s Conversion, 1900). immortality if he would remain with her on the
island forever, and on the command of Zeus,
Calvinist (kalvinist) Of a joyless, puritan Calypso allowed him to continue his journey home
nature, according to a strict moral code. The to his wife. The island Ogygia is sometimes tenta-
allusion is to the teachings of the French-born tively identified as Gozo, near Malta. Tonight the
Protestant theologian Jean Calvin (1509–64), strains of the calypso seemed to lack their usual cheerful-
who stressed the authority of the Bible and the ness, reminiscent even of the original Calypso pining for
importance of personal discipline in daily life and the absent Odysseus.
recommended the pursuit of thrift, industry, and
sobriety. “My Afrikaner grandfather was fond of camel: go through an eye of a needle A feat that
repeating that a man needs six hours, a woman is considered very difficult, if not impossible to
seven, and a bloody fool eight hours’ sleep—a achieve. The reference is to the words of Christ
sentiment which nicely incorporated both his related in Matthew 19:23–24, Mark 10:23–25,
simple male chauvinism and a Calvinist abomi- and Luke 18:24–25, describing the challenge
nation of indulgence” (Jacob Empson, Sleep and faced by the rich man who wished to enter heaven:
Dreaming, 1989). “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say
unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into
Calydonian boar hunt (kalbdoneebn) An epic the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you,
pursuit of a ferocious prey. The original Calydo- It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a
nian boar hunt was a chase in which Meleager, the needle, than for a rich man to enter into the king-
ruler of ancient Calydon, and various other heroes, dom of God” (Matthew 19:23–24). One theory
including Jason and Theseus, set off in pursuit of a suggests the imagery used by Christ was intended
massive boar that had been sent by Artemis to rav- as a reference to a gate called the “needle’s eye”
age the land. Meleager himself finally succeeded in that was so narrow a camel—the largest animal in
killing the beast and presented its head to Atalanta, ancient Palestine—could not pass through it. “It is
75
Camelot

as hard to come as for a camel / To thread the down to the window” (Elizabeth Gaskell, North
postern of a small needle’s eye” (William Shake- and South, 1854–55).
speare, King Richard II, 1595). “It is easier for a
cannibal to enter the Kingdom of Heaven through Camille (kbmeel) A prostitute with a heart of
the eye of a rich man’s needle than it is for any gold. The title character of the 1848 novel La
other foreigner to read the terrible German script” Dame aux camélias by Alexandre Dumas fils, which
(Mark Twain, Notebook, 1898). is known as Camille in some English adaptations,
she is a Parisian courtesan who renounces her
Camelot (kamblot) A place of government or former life to be with her lover Armand, but is
an inner circle of advisers or colleagues. The allu- then persuaded to abandon him in order to pro-
sion is to Camelot, the legendary court of king tect his reputation. Tragically, she dies of tubercu-
arthur in English folklore. The home of the losis shortly after a tearful reconciliation with
knights of the round table, it was envisioned as Armand, who has just learned of her sacrifice. She
a palace in which the ideals of medieval chivalry felt like the fictional Camille, sacrificing herself for
were celebrated and defended. Its site is variously love.
identified with Cadbury Castle in Somerset or
Camelford in Cornwall, among other possible Camp David (dayvid) A country retreat, partic-
locations. The name later came to be strongly ularly one associated with political negotiations.
associated with the short-lived administration The allusion is to the U.S. presidential retreat at
(1961–63) of President John F. Kennedy, which Catoctin Mountain Park, Maryland, to which vari-
ended with the assassination of this dashing, ous presidents over the years have invited promi-
modern-day King Arthur in Dallas. Significantly, nent foreign statesmen and stateswomen for
Kennedy’s period in office coincided with the private top-level discussions (notably the Camp
success on broadway of the Lerner and Loewe David agreements between Israel and Egypt in
stage musical Camelot, which was reportedly a 1978). It was first used for such purposes by
great favorite of the president and his wife. The Franklin D. Roosevelt, who called it shangri-la;
name Camelot itself comes from the Celtic word it acquired the name Camp David in 1953 when
cant, meaning “circle” or “edge.” You need to have Dwight D. Eisenhower renamed it after his grand-
the right connections to be admitted to this par ticular son David. What this country needs is a Camp David
Camelot. where international issues could be discussed and
resolved.
Camilla (kbmilb) Personification of a fast run-
ner. Camilla was identified in classical mythology Cana, marriage in See water into wine.
as a Voscian princess and a servant of Diana. She
was described as being so fleet of foot that she Canaan, land of See promised land.
could run over a field of corn without bending
the stalks and could cross the sea without getting Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? See
her feet wet. “Margaret ran, swift as Camilla, good thing come out of nazareth.

76
 Captain Ahab

canary in a coal mine A sign of imminent danger. Candide, he strove to find something positive in every
The allusion is to a former practice whereby min- disaster that befell him. See also panglossian.
ers took canaries into mines to warn them of the
presence of poisonous gases, the birds being more candle under a bushel See hide one’s light
susceptible to the effects of such gases than the under a bushel.
humans, giving them time to escape if a bird died.
This decline in consumer sales could be a canary in a Cannae (kanee) A disastrous defeat that brings to
coal mine warning of a loss of public confidence in gov- an end a run of previous successes.The allusion is to
ernment policy. the battle of Cannae that took place in 216 b.c. dur-
ing the Second Punic War between Rome and Car-
Canary Wharf (kbnairee worf) The financial estab- thage. The Roman army had won the First Punic
lishment in the United Kingdom. Canary Wharf is War, but after the Carthaginian general Hannibal
the name of the area surrounding the skyscraper invaded Italy, Rome was soundly defeated and suf-
called Canary Wharf Tower in London’s Dock- fered heavy losses at the village of Cannae in south-
lands, which since redevelopment in the 1990s has eastern Italy. The Roman generals Lucius Aemilius
become home to the head offices of various major Paulus and Gaius Terentius Varro, who had made the
financial and business companies. It’s anyone’s guess reckless decision to attack the center of the Car-
what they will make of this announcement in Canary thaginian force (thus allowing their enemy to encir-
Wharf. cle them), spent the rest of their lives in disgrace,
and the name of the battle became forever associ-
Candid Camera A situation in which unsuspect- ated with catastrophic defeat. After so many years in
ing people are caught unawares and exposed to undisputed power, this electoral disappointment is already
humiliation or embarrassment. The allusion is to a being described as the party’s Cannae.
popular long-running television program first
screened in the 1950s in which ordinary people Canossa, go to See go to canossa.
were secretly filmed in unexpected situations.
Everything was so bizarre that for a minute I thought I Canute, King See king canute.
was on Candid Camera.
Caped Crusader See batman and robin.
Candide (kandeed) Stereotype of a naive opti-
mist. The allusion is to Candide, ou l’Optimisme Capone, Al See al capone.
(1759), a satirical novel by Voltaire in which the
author lampoons the gullible innocence of the Captain Ahab (ayhab) A person who is obsessed
central character Candide, a young man who (until to the point of madness in pursuing a par ticular
experience teaches him otherwise) bears all mis- goal. The original Captain Ahab was the captain of
fortunes philosophically, encouraged by his tutor the whaling ship Pequod in Herman Melville’s 1851
Dr. Pangloss into believing that “all is for the best novel Moby-Dick, who is determined to have his
in this best of all possible worlds.” Like Voltaire’s revenge upon the white whale that cost him his leg

77
Captain Bligh

many years before. He stood on the bow of the vessel, powers after meeting a wizard, he changes into a
like Captain Ahab, and announced that he would not eat superhero whenever he utters the word shazam
or sleep until he had received an apology. See also moby (an acronym composed of the first initials of the
dick. classical heroes Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus,
Achilles, and Mercury). We never thought we would
Captain Bligh (bli ) Archetype of a pitiless mas- get to see the president, but our guide turned out to be a
ter or employer. Captain William Bligh (1754–c. Captain Marvel.
1817) was the commander of the Bounty, which
was taken over by its crew (objecting to the harsh Captain Oates (ots) A person who heroically
discipline Bligh imposed) on its way to the South sacrifices himself or herself to save others. The
Sea Islands in 1787. In what was to become the allusion is to Captain Lawrence Oates (1880–
most notorious of all mutinies at sea, the tyranni- 1912), who was a member of Captain Scott’s
cal Captain Bligh and several other members of doomed expedition to the South Pole in 1912.
the crew were overpowered by the mutineers (led Suffering badly from frostbite, and concerned that
by Fletcher Christian) and set adrift in a small his incapacity would prevent his companions from
boat. The rest of the crew eventually sought safety reaching safety when caught in a blizzard, Oates
on remote Pitcairn Island, and Captain Bligh man- walked out of the tent to die in the snow with the
aged to get back to England, where he brought memorable last words: “I am just going outside
charges against the mutineers. He regarded his work- and may be some time.” His gesture failed to save
force with the same lack of compassion as Captain the rest of the expedition, but has been celebrated
Bligh. ever since as the quintessence of heroic self-
sacrifice. When he realized that his girlfriend was in
Captain Hook A piratical villain, or a roguish love with his best friend he resolved to behave with the
person who lacks a hand. Captain Hook is the gallantry of a Captain Oates. See also scott of the
wicked pirate captain in J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan antarctic.
(1904), whose one aim in life is to defeat his
enemy peter pan, whom he blames for the loss of Captain Queeg (kweeg) A tyrannical but cow-
his hand (bitten off by a crocodile and replaced ardly leader or boss. Captain Queeg is the vicious
with a metal hook). With that evil smirk and artificial but cowardly commander of the minesweeper
hand he looked more like Captain Hook than a captain Caine in the 1954 movie The Caine Mutiny, based
of industry. on a 1951 novel by Herman Wouk. Played in the
movie by Humphrey Bogart, Queeg is revealed as
Captain Kirk See star trek. a petty-minded bully whose bravado quickly disin-
tegrates when he is faced with a real challenge to
Captain Marvel (mahrvbl) A person who can his authority. It was no fun working for a Captain
seemingly achieve superhuman feats. Captain Queeg who insisted upon knowing where every item of
Marvel was one of the most popular of the super- stationery had gone to and who threatened his under-
heroes to feature in Marvel Comics, making his lings with dismissal for the smallest infringement of his
debut in 1940. Having acquired his superhuman rules.
78
 carpetbagger

Capua corrupted Hannibal (kapyoob, hanibbl) Carmen (kahrmbn) A passionate, reckless femme
Decadence will ruin anyone. The reference is to fatale. Carmen is the gypsy girl who is the focus of
the winter the Carthaginian leader Hannibal spent the action of the 1846 novel Carmen by the French
in the Italian city of Capua, which was renowned writer Prosper Mérimée (1803–70), brought to
as a center of idleness and luxury, during his cam- life in 1875 as an opera by Georges Bizet. Car-
paign on the Italian mainland. Until then he had men’s tempestuous career in love famously ends
been victorious everywhere; afterward he failed with her being stabbed to death by her jilted lover
to reach anew the same degree of success. As Don José. Carmen herself could not have made a more
heavyweight champion it seemed for a time that he dramatic entrance.
would never be defeated, but just as Capua corrupted
Hannibal, soft living fatally undermined his stamina in Carnaby Street (kahrnbbee) The British fashion
the ring. world, particularly that of the 1960s. Carnaby
Street in central London was the location of sev-
Capulet See plague on both your houses, a. eral influential boutiques whose customers
included rock stars and many other well-known
cardigan (kahdigbn) A knitted sweater, but- public faces. It had declined in importance by the
toned at the front. The garment was named after mid-1970s. “The trendies of Carnaby Street
the seventh earl of Cardigan (1797–1868), who flounced around in military uniforms, sporting
was commander of the Light Brigade on the day flowers of peace where medals once had hung”
it was committed to a disastrous charge against (Simon Brett, Murder Unprompted, 1984).
Russian guns at the Battle of Balaclava in 1854,
during the Crimean War. Many of the British carpe diem (kahrpay deebm) Make the most of
troops wore such garments to keep out the bitter one’s opportunities, as they may not come again;
cold during the Crimean campaign. “Ahead of seize the moment. The slogan comes from the Odes
him a morose-looking man in a cardigan was of the Roman poet Horace (65–8 b.c.), in which
sorting through slabs of meat in plastic contain- he wrote: “carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero”
ers” (Nigel Williams, The Wimbledon Poisoner, (“enjoy today, trusting little in tomorrow”). It is
1990). also rendered as seize the day and take time by
the forelock. “When a man had nothing left in life
Carey Street (kairee) Bankruptcy. Carey Street except his dinner, his bottle, his cigar, and the
in the City of London was the location of the city’s dreams they gave him—these doctors forsooth
Bankruptcy Court, hence “to be in Carey Street” must want to cut them off! No, no! Carpe diem!
meant “to be bankrupt.” The connection is some- while you lived, get something out of it” ( John
times made with the expression in Queer Street, Galsworthy, The Forsyte Saga, 1922).
which also means “bankrupt” or “short of funds,”
but this would appear to have different origins, in carpetbagger An unprincipled opportunist. The
the word “crooked” or “cross.” The sixth earl squan- word made its first appearance in the years fol-
dered the family’s fortunes and ended up in Carey lowing the U.S. Civil War, when the ravaged
Street. southern states provided rich pickings for
79
carry coals to Newcastle

politicians and traders who arrived from the even of the existence of God. He is best remem-
north with no more than a carpet traveling bag of bered for his formulation of the statement cogito
personal belongings. They quickly acquired an ergo sum, which is translated as “I think, therefore
unenviable reputation for corruption, selfishness, I am.” “This Cartesian illusion is directly linked
and greed. The term has since been applied to with the universal belief that ‘we’ (people like us)
political candidates who have no real connection can be distinguished from ‘they’ (people who are
with the area they seek to represent. Shares in the like us in external form but not like us in their
company have been pounced on by carpetbaggers hoping inner essence)” (Edmund Leach, Social Anthropol-
to make an easy profit. ogy, 1986).

carry coals to Newcastle See coals to new- Carthaginian peace (kahrthbjineebn) A peace
castle. treaty or other agreement that is extremely harsh
and punitive for the loser. The allusion is to the
Carry Nation (karee) A supporter of the tem- state of affairs that existed following the Punic
perance movement. Carry Nation (1846–1911) wars fought between Carthage and Rome. Having
became a dedicated crusader against the drinking suffered defeat in the First and Second Punic
of alcohol after her first marriage was wrecked Wars, Carthage lost various colonial territories,
by her husband’s alcoholism. As leader of the but the North African state was still substantially
Women’s Christian Temperance Union, she cam- intact. The third war, however, ended with the
paigned to have the illegal saloons of Kansas Romans invading the African mainland and set-
closed, even wielding a hatchet herself to destroy ting siege to Carthage itself. The city fell after
bars until arrested and imprisoned for destruc- two years and was utterly devastated, never to
tion of property. She stormed into the bar like Carry regain its past glory. The Carthaginian peace imposed
Nation herself, overturning tables and scattering star- on Germany after World War I sowed the seed for the
tled partygoers. growth of nationalism in that country. See also punic
faith.
carry one’s cross See bear/carry/take one’s
cross. Cartland, Barbara See barbara cartland.

Carson, Kit See kit carson. Carton, Sydney See it is a far, far better thing
that i do.
Carter, Nick See nick carter.
caryatid (kareeatid) An architectural column in
Cartesian (kahrteezeebn) Of or relating to the the shape of a female figure. Such columns were a
theories of French philosopher and mathematician feature of many ancient Greek temples. They were
René Descartes (1596–1650). Descartes argued named after the women of Caryae in Laconia,
that it was possible to apply mathematical logic to which had unwisely sided with the Persians against
any field of human knowledge, using it to satisfy the Greeks at the battle of Thermopylae. The vic-
himself of the existence of the material world and torious Greeks subsequently ravaged Caryae and
80
 Caspar Milquetoast

carried off the women as slaves.To emphasize their Lawrence Thayer, first published under this title in
subservience to Greece, the sculptor Praxiteles the San Francisco Examiner in 1888, which tells the
used these women as models for pillars in the tale of Mighty Casey, star of the Mudville baseball
place of conventional columns. “As they stepped team, whose overconfidence leads him to strike
out into the darkness, a sheet of rain was driven in out on the crucial last pitch in a vital game: “Oh
upon their faces, and the hall lamp, which dangled somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining
from the arm of a marble caryatid, went out with bright. / The band is playing somewhere, and
a fluff ” (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Round the Red somewhere hearts are light; / And somewhere men
Lamp, 1894). are laughing, and somewhere children shout, / But
there is no joy in Mudville; Mighty Casey has struck
Cary Grant (karee grant) A debonair, handsome out.” There is no joy in Mudville—the new president is
man in the mold of U.S. film actor Cary Grant turning out to be another Casey at the bat.
(1906–86). Cary Grant was actually born in Bris-
tol, England, under the name Archibald Leach. He Casey Jones (kaysee) A locomotive driver, espe-
became the quintessence of the suave romantic cially one of stalwart, heroic character. The origi-
hero in such films as Bringing up Baby (1938), To nal Casey Jones was U.S. locomotive engineer
Catch a Thief (1954), and North by Northwest (1959). John Luther Jones (1864–1900) whose courage
She had dreamed of marrying a Cary Grant type, but saved the passengers of the Cannonball Express
ended up an embittered spinster surrounded by cats. when it crashed between New Orleans and Chi-
cago, at the cost of his own life. The incident was
Casanova (kasbnovb) A prolific seducer of the inspiration for a number of folk ballads and
women. Giovanni Jacopo Casanova de Seingalt even a television series of the 1960s. The new owner
(1725–98) was a Venetian adventurer and conman of the miniature railway explained that he had always
who acquired a notorious reputation as a libertine fancied himself as a Casey Jones.
whose many sexual conquests were recorded
(with varying degrees of reliability) in his scan- Caspar See magi.
dalous Mémoires (1826–38). Casanova traveled
extensively throughout Europe, and his colorful Caspar Milquetoast (kasper milktost) A timid
reputation did not prevent him from being person. Caspar Milquetoast was the creation of
appointed to the respectable posts of director of U.S. cartoonist H. T. Webster, who introduced
the state lottery in Paris and librarian to Count him in the cartoon The Timid Soul in the New York
Waldstein in Bohemia. “I don’t pretend to be a World in May 1924. A hesitant, easily put-upon
monk, exactly, but I’m no Casanova, either” (Elea- middle-aged man with a droopy white mustache
nor Rees, Hunter’s Harem, 1992). See also don and pince-nez, he is one of the world’s most long-
juan; lothario. suffering victims. “Milktoast” is toast soaked in
milk, a bland foodstuff recommended for small
Casey at the bat (kaysee) A hero who against all children and invalids. There was no way a proud
expectation fails to deliver at the crucial moment. woman like her would ever fall for a Caspar Milquetoast
The allusion is to a popular poem by Ernest like him.
81
Cassandra

Cassandra (kbsandrb) A prophet of doom, spe- phrase is of theatrical or cinematic origin, refer-
cifically one whose prophecies are ignored but ring to the (largely mythical) couch upon which
who is later proved correct. The allusion is to Cas- aspiring young actresses were supposedly encour-
sandra, the daughter of King Priam of Troy, who aged to demonstrate their talents to directors cast-
was granted prophetic powers by Apollo but later ing plays or films. “She described the Hollywood
fated never to be believed as punishment for her of the late 1940s as ‘an overcrowded brothel’ but
having refused his advances. Consequently, when was no stranger to the casting couch herself ”
she foretold the fall of Troy no one heeded her (Robin Smith, The Encyclopaedia of Sexual Trivia,
warnings. After the fall of Troy, Cassandra was 1990).
taken by Agamemnon to Greece, where she proph-
esied Agamemnon’s death but was again ignored. cast in one’s teeth To insult; to revile; to throw a
Ultimately, she and Agamemnon were murdered reproof at someone. The idiom comes from Mat-
by Clytemnestra. “But Cassandra was not believed, thew 27:44: “The thieves also, which were cruci-
and even the wisdom of The Jupiter sometimes falls fied with him, cast the same in his teeth.” “All his
on deaf ears” (Anthony Trollope, Barchester Towers, faults observed, / Set in a notebook, learn’d and
1857). conn’d by rote, / To cast in my teeth” (William
Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, 1599).
Cassidy, Butch See butch cassidy and the sun-
dance kid. cast into Dante’s Inferno See dante’s inferno.

Cassidy, Hopalong See hopalong cassidy. cast into outer darkness See outer darkness.

Castalian spring (kastayleebn) A source of inspi- cast money changers out of the temple To criti-
ration. The allusion is to a sacred spring on Mount cize or take action against inappropriate commer-
Parnassus that was believed by the ancient Greeks cialism. The allusion is to the biblical episode in
to bestow the gift of poetry upon anyone who which Christ ejected the money changers from the
drank from its waters. “The Aeneid, you know, Temple, which had become a place of business, as
begins just as he says an epic ought not to begin; related at Matthew 21:12–13: “And Jesus went
and the Aeneid is the greatest Latin epic. In the into the temple of God, and cast out all them that
next place the use of Modesty is to keep a man sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the
from writing an epic poem at all but, if he will tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them
have that impudence, why then he had better have that sold doves, and said unto them, It is written,
the courage to plunge into the Castalian stream, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye
like Virgil and Lucan, not crawl in funking and have made it a den of thieves.” The money changers
holding on by the Muse’s apron-string” (Charles had originally been allowed into the Temple to
Reade, Hard Cash, 1863). See also parnassian. facilitate the selling of doves for ritual sacrifices
and the payment of Temple taxes by exchanging
casting couchThe exchange of sexual favors for Roman currency for Hebrew coinage. The accoun-
employment opportunities or other benefits. The tants rule Hollywood, and there is little likelihood that
82
 Catherine wheel

anyone will succeed in casting these money changers out pleasantly surprised to find his generosity was paying
of the temple. See also den of thieves. dividends.

cast of thousands A large number of people catbird seat An advantageous position. The
involved in a par ticular project. The phrase comes phrase was popularized by radio sportscaster Red
from publicity releases for movies of the 1920s, Barber (1908–92), who claimed to have borrowed
specifically one for the first screen version of Ben it from a fellow poker player. The catbird (Dume-
Hur (1925), which boasted “a cast of 125,000.” “A tella carolinensis) is related to the mockingbirds and
cast of thousands may have to be cut to seven” has a distinctive catlike cry. The team are well and
(Stafford Whiteaker, A Career in Advertising and Pub- truly in the catbird seat now.
lic Relations, 1986).
Catch-22 (twenteetoo) A situation in which one
Castor and Pollux (kastor, polbks) Archetypes of outcome depends on another, which itself depends
devoted brothers. Castor and Pollux were identi- upon the first outcome, and thus cannot be
fied in Greek mythology as twin brothers, some- resolved. The allusion is to the novel of the same
times called the Dioscuri. As the son of the god title by Joseph Heller (1923–99), published in
Zeus and the mortal Leda, Pollux enjoyed the gift 1961. At the heart of the novel are the attempts of
of immortality, but Castor, being the son of Leda Captain Yossarian, an officer in the U.S. Air Force
and the mortal Tyndareus, was mortal. When Cas- stationed in Italy during World War II, to avoid
tor died, Pollux asked to be allowed to die with taking part in further suicidal missions by pre-
him so that they might not be parted. Zeus granted tending he is mad. His campaign falters when his
his wish and placed the two brothers in the sky as superiors argue that by trying to escape such dan-
stars (in the constellation of Gemini). Like Castor ger he is merely demonstrating his sanity (as made
and Pollux, the brothers were inseparable as teenagers clear in regulation 22 laid down by the military
and maintained this closeness well into adulthood. bureaucracy): “There was only one catch and that
was Catch-22 which specified that concern for
cast pearls before swine See pearls before one’s own safety in the face of dangers that were
swine. real and immediate was the process of a rational
mind.” “Asserting herself as a conceptual artist,
cast the first stone See let him who is with- considering all her work as creative, whether
out sin cast the first stone. working with other people or developing ideas for
further projects, Jane nevertheless sees spending
cast thy bread upon the waters To give gener- time on other people’s creativity as a Catch-22
ously, as acts of generosity or kindness will be situation” (S. Townsend, Women’s Art, 1992).
rewarded eventually. The sentiment comes from
Ecclesiastes 11:1: “Cast thy bread upon the waters: catcher in the rye See holden caulfield.
for thou shalt find it after many days.” He little
expected that he would ever benefit from this casting of Catherine wheel (kathrin) A small circular fire-
bread upon the waters, but many years later he was work that spins rapidly on a pin, shooting out
83
Cathy

bright sparks. The firework refers to the death of voyage home. Odysseus was told that on no
Saint Catherine of Alexandria, who was executed account should the cattle be harmed, but when
in Alexandria around a.d. 310. Born into a wealthy Odysseus temporarily left his hungry men in order
Egyptian family, she converted to Christianity and to pray to the gods, they killed and ate some of the
was put on trial for her faith. Her eloquence at her cows. The sun god vented his rage by killing them
trial resulted in the conversion of 50 pagan all but Odysseus and destroying their ship. Like the
philosophers, all of whom were subsequently put ancient Greeks who were all slaughtered for eating the
to death on the orders of the emperor Maxentius. cattle of the sun, those who were tempted to help them-
Catherine refused to renounce her faith and was selves during the power failure have paid heavily for
sentenced to be tortured to death on a spiked their crimes.
wheel (hence the name of the modern firework).
When this wheel broke she was beheaded. The Caulfield, Holden See holden caulfield.
Catherine wheel spun several times then flew off the
fence at high speed, making the guests scatter in all cave of Trophonius (trbfoneebs) A cause of
directions. depression or fear. According to Greek mythol-
ogy, Trophonius was an architect who was deified
Cathy See heathcliff. after his death and worshiped at a cave near Leb-
adeia in Boeotia. Those who entered the cave to
Cato (kayto) Archetype of an austere moralist consult his oracle were said to be so overawed by
and critic. Marcus Porcius Cato (234–149 b.c.) the place that they never smiled again. Thus, any
was a Roman statesman and writer who was well person who seems unusually gloomy or scared
known for his contempt for decadence and his may be said to have visited the cave of Tropho-
implacable hatred of Carthage, which he believed nius. “The gardens were arranged to emulate
should be destroyed because of the threat it posed those of Versailles. . . . There is the Trophonius’
to Rome’s future prosperity (see delenda est cave in which, by some artifice, the leaden Tri-
carthago). His grandson, Marcus Porcius Cato tons are made not only to spout water, but to
(95–46 b.c.), was also a statesman, who in his turn play the most dreadful groans out of their lead
became well known for his opposition to Catiline conches” (William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity
and Caesar. In modern usage, any person who Fair, 1847–48).
becomes known for strictness of habits or blunt-
ness of speech may be dubbed a Cato. For years the Cecil B. DeMille (dbmil) Archetype of a movie
paper has acted Cato, calling for an end to the contem- mogul. Cecil B. DeMille (1881–1959) was one of
porary obsession with celebrity culture. the first generation of great movie directors,
responsible for such epics as The Ten Commandments
cattle of the sun Something forbidden that if (1923) and The Greatest Show on Earth (1952). The
enjoyed will bring disaster upon the guilty party. ambitious scope of his movies made his name syn-
The allusion is to Greek mythology and the cattle onymous with cinematic spectacle on a vast scale.
on the Island of the Sun, upon which Odysseus His name is often invoked in a quotation from the
and his crew landed in the course of their long 1950 film Sunset Boulevard, in which Norma
84
 cesarean section

Desmond delivers the celebrated line “Mr. DeMi- center cannot hold, the
See things fall apart,
lle, I’m ready for my close-up now.” “He was a the center cannot hold.
fabulous showman, the Cecil B. DeMille of the
dinner party trail, equally happy embracing Henry central casting A source of personnel who con-
Kissinger or Liza Minnelli or Andy Warhol or Eliz- form exactly to what is expected. The allusion is
abeth Taylor, who was one of the more celebrated to Central Casting, an organization set up in 1926
of his many lovers” (William Shawcross, The Shah’s to supply extras for Hollywood movies. “All black
Last Ride, 1989). suede shoes and double-breasted pinstripe, he
seemed central casting’s idea of the ideal Estab-
Celestial City Heaven. The allusion is to John lishment man” ( Jeremy Paxman, Friends in High
Bunyan’s religious allegory pilgrim’s progress Places, 1990).
(1678, 1684), in which the Celestial City is identi-
fied as Christian’s ultimate destination. According Cephalus See unerring as the dart of pro-
to Bunyan, the Celestial City is made of pearls and cris.
precious gems, and the streets are paved with gold.
“And it was as if she had glimpsed the celestial city Cerberus (serbbrbs) A guardian; a watchkeeper.
knowing that she could never enter in” (Winifred The allusion is to the fierce three-headed dog that,
Beechey, The Reluctant Samaritan, 1991). according to Greek mythology, guarded the
entrance to the underworld. It has been suggested
centaur (sentor) One of a race of mythical that the legend of Cerberus may have been inspired
creatures having the head, arms, and torso of a by the ancient Egyptian practice of guarding graves
man and the lower body and legs of a horse. Cen- with dogs. “When a woman knows that she is
taurs belonged to Greek mythology and were guarded by a watch-dog, she is bound to deceive
deemed to represent the bestial aspects of human her Cerberus, if it be possible, and is usually not
nature, although later tradition generally depicts ill-disposed to deceive also the owner of Cerberus.
them as benevolent, gentle creatures. They may Lady Glencora felt that Mrs. Marsham was her
have been inspired by the appearance of the Cerberus” (Anthony Trollope, Can You Forgive Her?
ancient Thessalians who were the first to tame 1864). See also labors of hercules; sop to
horses and learn how to ride. According to leg- cerberus.
end, the centaurs were defeated in battle by the
human Lapiths, an epic encounter depicted in the cesarean section (sbzaireebn) A surgical incision
celebrated friezes that decorated the Parthenon. through the abdominal and uterine walls to allow
“He was dressed in a Newmarket coat and tight- for the delivery of a baby. This procedure (also
fitting trousers; wore a shawl round his neck; spelled caesarean section and often referred to
smelt of lamp-oil, straw, orange-peel, horses’ simply as a cesarean) traces its name back to the
provender, and sawdust; and looked a most Roman emperor Julius Caesar (100–44 b.c.), who
remarkable sort of Centaur, compounded of the was reputed to have been born in this way. Medical
stable and the play-house” (Charles Dickens, Hard experts however, have questioned whether Cae-
Times, 1854). See also chiron. sar’s mother could possibly have survived such an
85
c’est la guerre

operation given the limited knowledge of medical chain reaction A series of changes set in motion
practitioners of the day, and the word, instead, by a single event. The term was first used to
may come simply from caesus, past participle of describe chemical or nuclear reactions around the
the Latin caedere (meaning “to cut”). The cesarean 1930s, but since the 1970s has come to be applied
section left a long vivid scar that did not fade with in a much wider range of contexts. This move led to
time. a chain reaction that resulted in hundreds of employees
changing their job descriptions.
c’est la guerre (say la gair) Such things must be
expected in these par ticular circumstances. The Chamber of Horrors A place full of horror or
allusion is to World War I, when the phrase unpleasantness, or what is found there. The allu-
(meaning “it is the war” or “that’s war”) was sion is to the Chamber of Horrors, the most popu-
widely quoted among members of the French lar part of the Madame Tussaud’s waxworks
military and civilian establishments, who were exhibition in London, where wax figures of noto-
increasingly inclined to blame any misfortune rious murderers, torturers, etc., are displayed.
upon the war. It was similarly used by British “About a week after he had taken the stable, a
soldiers fighting in France during World War I, Land Rover swept round the drive at high speed
and later during World War II, and has since been and disgorged its chamber of horrors—his family”
employed throughout the English-speaking world (Jean Bow, Jane’s Journey, 1991).
as an excuse for (or as a general expression of
resignation in the face of) any setback or disap- Chan, Charlie See charlie chan.
pointment caused by prevailing circumstances.
“C’est la guerre,” he said with a shrug of the shoulders. Chandleresque (chandlbresk) In a manner rem-
“You must expect prices to rise when supplies are so iniscent of the detective thriller novels of Ray-
scarce.” mond Chandler (1888–1959). Chandler’s stories,
many of which were subsequently made into
c’est magnifique, mais ce n’est pas la guerre (say successful Hollywood movies, have a dark,
manifeek may sb nay pa la gair) It is a grand but brooding atmosphere and even the heroes are
futile or misdirected gesture. The phrase (mean- cynical about the corrupt and violent world they
ing “it is magnificent, but it is not war”) was first inhabit. Stylistically, the term suggests a bleak,
uttered by the French general Pierre Bosquet in realistic tone interspersed with unexpectedly
reference to the dashing but disastrous charge lyrical and even poetic images and turns of
of the light brigade at the Battle of Balaclava phrase, often inspired by the argot of the street.
on October 25, 1854. “Another leading pacifist, He hailed from a Chandleresque background of slum
Cyril Joad, put the same point more succinctly: tenements and sinister back alleys. See also philip
‘Ce n’est pas magnifique, mais ce n’est pas la marlowe.
guerre’ ” ( James Hinton, Protests and Visions,
1989). Chaney, Lon See lon chaney.

cestus See aphrodite. Chang and Eng See siamese twins.

86
 charity covers a multitude of sins

chaos (kayos) A state of disorder or confusion. Charge of the Light Brigade A heroic but
The word is Greek; in Greek mythology it doomed, even tragic, gesture against impossible
described the state of the universe prior to the odds. The allusion is to the cavalry charge made by
birth of the gods. Chaos itself was personified as the British Light Brigade against Russian batteries
the parent of Night and of Erebus (representing at the Battle of Balaclava on October 25, 1854,
darkness). “. . . order began to emerge from chaos during the Crimean War. The charge, which was
and the vision of a home made happy and comfort- the result of a catastrophic misunderstanding of
able by her skill and care came to repay and sustain orders, caused the deaths of 247 of the 637 sol-
her” (Louisa May Alcott, An Old Fashioned Girl, diers who took part in it and was vividly com-
1870). memorated in a poem written that same year by
Alfred, Lord Tennyson, entitled simply “The
Chaplinesque (chaplinesk) In a manner reminis- Charge of the Light Brigade.” “Although you have
cent of silent-movie star Charlie Chaplin (Sir not been in the manager’s seat very long, you have
Charles Spencer Chaplin; 1889–1977). Compari- done nothing to alter my original opinion that
sons to Chaplin usually involve reference to the your appointment makes about as much sense as
celebrated tramp character in which he appeared the Charge of the Light Brigade” (M. Gist, Life at
in many of his earlier movies. Such comparisons the Tip, 1993). See also c’est magnifique, mais ce
may be inspired by echoes of his physical appear- n’est pas la guerre; ours not to reason why.
ance in the role, complete with baggy trousers and
battered derby hat, or by a perceived connection chariot of fire An apparently miraculous mean of
with the hapless but likable persona of his most overcoming a natural obstacle or other difficulty.
famous creation. He cut a Chaplinesque figure with The allusion is to the “fiery chariot” that trans-
his ill-fitting suit and shy demeanor. ported elijah to heaven, as recorded in 2 Kings
2:11: “Behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and
Chappaquiddick (chapbkwidik) A scandalous horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and
event in the past that continues to blight a person’s Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.” With a
present reputation. The allusion is to Senator Ted last wave to the admiring crowd she leapt onto the bike,
Kennedy (b. 1932), who on July 19, 1969, drove gunned the engine, and moments later was roaring off
his car off a bridge on the island of Chappaquid- toward the horizon on this veritable chariot of fire.
dick in Massachusetts. Kennedy was found guilty
of leaving the scene of the accident, which resulted charity covers a multitude of sins Those who are
in the death by drowning of his 28-year-old pas- of a kind and loving disposition will forgive the
senger Mary Jo Kopechne. The shadow cast by the wrongdoing of others; sometimes used to state
incident is thought to have ended Kennedy’s that such charity may also be a cloak for bad behav-
chances of standing for the presidency of the ior or a sign of a guilty conscience. The proverb
United States and has remained a permanent blot comes from 1 Peter 4:8: “And above all things
on his public record. This unfortunate episode looks have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity
set to become a Chappaquiddick that will haunt the shall cover the multitude of sins.” Sometimes the
party for years to come. phrase is encountered with other words replacing
87
Charlemagne

charity, such as beauty covers a multitude of physique and resembled once more the puny youth of his
sins. “ ‘John is so sensible, I’m afraid he will think early years.
I’m stupid if I ask questions about politics and
things.’ ‘I don’t believe he would. Love covers a Charles Manson (mansbn) Archetype of a
multitude of sins, and of whom could you ask deranged serial killer, especially one who is
more freely than of him?’ ” (Louisa May Alcott, addicted to drugs. Charles Manson (b. 1934) was
LittleWomen, 1868–69). the charismatic leader of an informal “cult” family
which, in August 1969, went on a drug-fuelled
Charlemagne (shahrlbmayn) Archetype of a killing spree in Beverly Hills. The so-called “Man-
wise, chivalrous ruler. Charlemagne (742–814), son gang” entered the home of film director
otherwise called Charles the Great, became the Roman Polanski and there viciously murdered his
first Holy Roman Emperor in 800, and he and the pregnant wife, actress Sharon Tate, and four oth-
adventures shared by the paladins who joined his ers. Another spate of murders followed two nights
court inspired many legends (see roland). Char- later before the gang were captured and sentenced
lemagne himself was said to be at least eight feet to death; their sentences were later commuted to
tall and immensely strong, being able to bend life imprisonment. The police are anxious to find and
three horseshoes at once with his bare hands. arrest the man before he turns into another Charles
“. . . at all events Steelkilt was a tall and noble Manson.
animal with a head like a Roman, and a flowing
golden beard like the tasseled housings of your last Charlie Chan A person of Chinese descent, espe-
viceroy’s snorting charger; and a brain, and a cially one who proves both resourceful and well-
heart, and a soul in him, gentlemen, which had mannered. The original Charlie Chan (properly,
made Steelkilt Charlemagne, had he been born Inspector Charles Chan) was a Chinese detective
son to Charlemagne’s father” (Herman Melville, created in 1925 by U.S. novelist Earl Derr Big-
Moby-Dick, 1851). gers. He featured in six novels and was the star of
numerous movies of the 1930s and 1940s. A
Charles Atlas (atlbs) A man with a well- native of Honolulu, Chan was distinguished by his
developed physique, a bodybuilder. The original witty aphorisms and unfailing courtesy. He was
Charles Atlas (Angelo Siciliano; 1892–1972) was rumored to have been based upon a real Hawaiian
a U.S. bodybuilder who transformed himself from police detective, one Chang Apana. The bureau
an underweight weakling into “the world’s stron- badly needed a Charlie Chan who knew his way around
gest man.” Subsequently he became widely known the immigrant Chinese community and understood the
through advertisements for a bodybuilding course cultural issues involved in the case.
that he promoted under the slogan “You too can
have a body like mine.” His name deliberately Charon (karbn) Personification of death; a fer-
evoked comparison with the Greek Titan atlas, ryman. According to Greek mythology, Charon
especially as depicted in books of maps, support- was the name of the ferryman who rowed the
ing the sky or the world itself on his muscle-bound dead across the rivers Styx or Acheron to Hades,
shoulders. As an old man he lost his Charles Atlas the abode of the dead. He was conventionally
88
 Chekhovian

depicted as a hideous old man dressed in rags. In after the emperor’s downfall (perseverance that
ancient times a coin, known as Charon’s toll, was led to Chauvin himself being lampooned in vari-
often placed in the mouth of a corpse prior to ous popular plays and becoming a laughingstock
burial as payment to Charon, to ensure the on both sides of the Atlantic). The term was origi-
deceased was seen safely into the underworld. nally applied to exaggerated patriotic feeling for
“There stands a gig in the gray morning, in the one’s country, but has since been extended to
mist, the impatient traveller pacing the wet shore blind belief in various other things, notably (in the
with whip in hand, and shouting through the fog phrase male chauvinism) the assumption of male
after the regardless Charon and his retreating ark, superiority over females. “His chauvinism and
as if he might throw that passenger overboard and arrogance sent a shiver up my spine” (Peter Lewis,
return forthwith for himself; he will compensate The Fifties: Portrait of a Period, 1989).
him” (Henry David Thoreau, A Week on the Concord
and Merrimack Rivers, 1849). Checkpoint Charlie A military or police check-
point. The original Checkpoint Charlie was one of
Charybdis See between scylla and charybdis. the few crossing-points between East and West
Berlin during the cold war. Located at the junc-
Chatterley, Lady See lady chatterley. tion of Friedrichstrasse and Kochstrasse, it was the
only crossing-point in the berlin wall that was
Chaucerian (chahrseereebn) Of or relating to the open 24 hours a day and became notorious as the
literary works or world of English poet Geoffrey scene of various spy exchanges and other cloak-
Chaucer (c. 1343–1400). The term is applied and-dagger activities in popular thrillers of the
especially to works that are distinctly ribald in period. The original buildings that constituted the
nature, reflecting the outrageous events depicted actual checkpoint (on the U.S. side little more
in “The Miller’s Tale” and other stories that form than a wooden shed) were removed after reunifi-
Chaucer’s celebrated Canterbury Tales (c. 1387). cation of Germany in 1990, but a copy of the
His sense of humor verged on the Chaucerian and simple shed was later reinstated on the site as a
included frequent references to parts of the anatomy that tourist attraction. The school decided to set up a
are usually left out of the conversation in more refined Checkpoint Charlie where students could be checked for
circles. knives and other weapons.

chauvinism (shovinizbm) Blind patriotism, or Chekhovian (chekoveebn) Reminiscent of the

the taking of a superior attitude toward others. themes or writing style of the Russian playwright
The allusion is to Nicolas Chauvin of Rochefort, Anton Chekhov (1860–1904). In his plays, which
a French soldier who fought under Napoleon include The Three Sisters (1901) and The Cherry
Bonaparte, to whom he was deeply devoted, in Orchard (1904), he dealt with such themes as
the early 19th century. He is reputed to have been unfulfilled yearning, frustration, and the decline
wounded 17 times in the ser vice of his emperor, of the Russian aristocracy. The building was infused
but never to have faltered in his fanatical loyalty, with a Chekhovian melancholy that spoke evocatively of
continuing to sing his commander’s praises even a lost empire.
89
Chernobyl

Chernobyl (chernobbl) A nuclear accident, in Wonderland (1865). The Cheshire Cat is remark-
especially one on a large scale. The reference is to able both for its wide smile and (in Carroll’s work)
the nuclear power station at Chernobyl in the for- for its ability to vanish repeatedly until all that is
mer Soviet Union, which exploded on April 26, left is its grin. A person who smiles broadly, espe-
1986, resulting in around 250 (indirectly, possibly cially at some private joke or satisfaction, is likely
many more) deaths, the evacuation of a substantial to be said to grin (or smile) like a Cheshire Cat.
area of what is now Ukraine, and radioactive Though made famous by Carroll, the Cheshire Cat
contamination of large parts of Europe. The reac- was not his invention, being referred to in litera-
tor itself was subsequently encased in concrete to ture of the late 18th century, and possibly earlier.
prevent further radioactive leaks. The incident, It has been suggested that the concept of the
which remains the worst nuclear accident ever to Cheshire Cat may derive from the custom of
take place, is often referred to in discussions of the stamping Cheshire cheeses with the image of a
dangers of nuclear power, but is also invoked in grinning cat. She came into the kitchen, smiling like a
wider contexts. Some claim that the influence of televi- Cheshire Cat and brandishing the letter that said she’d
sion has led to western civilization facing a cultural won a scholarship.
Chernobyl. See also china syndrome; meltdown;
three mile island. chiaroscuro (keearbskooro) Light and shade,
especially in paintings. From the Italian for “light-
cherub (cherăb) A sweet, angelic child. The dark,” the term became current during the
word was used in the Bible to refer to a class of renaissance with reference to contemporary
angels attending upon the throne of God in heaven painting but has since been applied more widely.
(for example, Ezekiel 10:2–7). They are generally “But I was getting a trifle chilled—just a trifle, you
represented in art as plump, winged babies. “To know, and on this beautiful day—he waved a
think o’ that dear cherub! And we found her wi’ gloved hand at the brilliant sky and the buildings,
her little shoes stuck i’ the mud an’ crying fit to dazzling in a chiaroscuro of stone and snow, the
break her heart by the far horse-pit” (George Eliot, snow making the grey stone look black, the stone
Adam Bede, 1859). making the snow blindingly pure” (Peter Carter,
Bury the Dead, 1986).
che sarà, sarà (kay sbrah sbrah) Whatever will be,
will be. This familiar acceptance of the inevitable, chicken in every pot, a The prospect of prosper-
in Italian, was the motto of the dukes of Bedford, ity for all. The first expression of this assurance to
although it became more widely familiar in the a whole nation appears to date from the late 16th
form que sera, sera in the 1950s as the title of a century, when Henry IV of France told the French
popular song by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans and people: “I wish that there would not be a peasant
recorded by Doris Day. It wasn’t what I wanted, but so poor in all my realm who would not have a
che sarà, sarà. chicken in his pot every Sunday.” Centuries later,
in 1928, the phrase became linked with U.S. pres-
Cheshire Cat (chesher) Resembling in some way idential candidate Herbert Hoover—although in
the Cheshire Cat in Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures fact he never actually said it in quite this form.
90
 children’s hour

During the depression, when hard times came to millions, Idylls of the King (1859–85) by Alfred, Lord Ten-
many recalled how he had promised a chicken in every nyson, which contains the lines: “For why is all
pot and a car in every garage. around us here / As if some lesser god had made
the world, / But had not force to shape it as he
Chicken Little An alarmist, especially one who would.” The phrase has since come to be applied
spreads fear and despondency on very little evi- more widely to any group considered disadvan-
dence. The allusion is to a nursery tale character, a taged or inferior in some way. “Brian was so thor-
chicken otherwise called Chicken-Licken, who oughly weak that marriage to Evelyn, dire as it
after being hit on the head by an acorn tells every- was, was better than no framework to his life,
one that the sky is falling down. The creatures since his working-class parents were children of a
who hear this are thoroughly alarmed and fall easy lesser god” (Jean Bow, Jane’s Journey, 1991).
prey to a cunning fox, who lures them all into the
dubious shelter of his den. The president cursed him children of light Those who are enlightened or
for being a Chicken Little and banned him from the Oval otherwise alive to virtue, culture, faith, etc. The
Office. phrase is biblical in origin, appearing in Luke 16:8
and John 12:35–36 when Christ addresses those
Childe Roland to the dark tower came (child attending the feast of the Passover: “Yet a little while
rolbnd) An acknowledgment of peril on is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light,
approaching a hazard of some kind. The line is a lest darkness come upon you . . . While ye have
quotation, which appears as the title of a poem light, believe in the light, that ye may be the chil-
written by Robert Browning in 1855 and, before dren of light” ( John 12:35–36). “But the heart of
that, in a passage from William Shakespeare’s trag- man is the same everywhere, and there are the chil-
edy King Lear (1605): “Child Rowland to the dark dren of this world and the children of light there as
tower came; / His word was still ‘Fie, foh, and well as elsewhere. But we’ve many more Method-
fum, / I smell the blood of a British man.’ ” Shake- ists there than in this country” (George Eliot, Adam
speare in turn was referring to an ancient Scottish Bede, 1859).
ballad in which the Childe (apprentice knight)
Roland (variously identified as a son of king children’s hour A period during which the inter-
arthur or a nephew of charlemagne) is helped ests or influence of children, or people acting in a
by merlin to rescue his sister from a castle in childish manner, are perceived to be predominant.
which she has been imprisoned by fairies. “Childe The allusion is to a popular BBC children’s radio
Roland to the dark tower came,” he muttered as he lifted program with this title, broadcast between 1922
the latch with trembling fingers. See also roland. and 1964. It featured such long-term favorites as
presenter Uncle Mac (Derek McCulloch; 1897–
children of a lesser god People with disabilities. 1967) and the fictional occupants of Toytown, nota-
The phrase became well known as the title of a bly Larry the Lamb.The title was actually a quotation
1979 play by Marc Medoff (b. 1940) about the from the poem Birds of Passage (1860) by H. W.
relationship between a deaf girl and a speech ther- Longfellow: “Between the dark and the daylight /
apist. The ultimate origin of the expression lies in When the night is beginning to lower, / Comes
91
children’s teeth set on edge

a pause in the day’s occupations, / That is known China syndrome A theoretical scenario in which
as the Children’s Hour.” It was children’s hour in the a nuclear meltdown in the United States would
conference chamber, with delegates spouting much hot result in the radioactive material burning its way
air and very little sense. through the earth’s core and reemerging in China,
on the other side of the world. This alarming pos-
children’s teeth set on edge How a person sibility was raised in a film starring Jane Fonda and
behaves reflects on the rest of his or her family or Jack Lemmon, The China Syndrome, which was
associates. The image appears in Jeremiah 31:29– released in 1979, the same year as the nuclear
30, in which this piece of proverbial wisdom is accident at three mile island; it appeared to be
refuted in favor of each person being responsible even closer to becoming a reality following the
for his or her own behavior: “In those days they chernobyl disaster in 1986. The phrase is some-
shall say no more, The fathers have eaten a sour times applied in nonnuclear contexts. This error by
grape, and the children’s teeth are set on edge. But the department could trigger a China syndrome that
everyone shall die for his own iniquity.” It is also burrows its way through the whole government
included in Ezekiel 18:2–3. When, as a young man, structure.
he was faced with having to answer for his progenitor’s
controversial policy, it was a case of the father having Chinese wall See great wall of china.
eaten a sour grape and the children’s teeth being set
on edge. Chingachgook See last of the mohicans.

chimera (kimirb) An idle fancy; a fantastic, wild, chinless wonder An ineffectual, typically dim-
or implausible product of the imagination. The witted, upper-class male. The expression, which
allusion is to a fire-breathing monster of Greek appears to date only from the 1960s, was probably
mythology, described as having the head of a lion, inspired by the “Boneless Wonder,” the name under
the body of a goat, and the tail of a serpent. She which circus contortionists were traditionally
was killed by the arrows of Bellerophon, mounted billed. A receding chin has long been interpreted
on the winged horse Pegasus. The creature’s name as a sign of pusillanimous character, just as a jut-
may have been borrowed from that of a volcano ting jawline has been seen as a sign of physical and
similarly named in Lycia; flames shot forth from mental strength. “She’d been waylaid within ten
its summit, while lions prowled its upper slopes feet of the front door, which didn’t surprise me,
and goats and snakes lurked lower down. The by a chinless wonder in a baggy suit and powder
name subsequently came to be used to describe blue trainers (nobody wears trainers with a suit
any fabulous creature comprising the body parts any more)” (Mike Ripley, Just Another Angel,
of several different animals. By extension, any- 1989).
thing unlikely or fantastical may be described as
chimerical. “. . . her spontaneous appeal to that chips with everything Summary of the tradition-
sacred name dissolved his chimera; and let him see ally insular, culturally unambitious attitude of the
with his eyes, and hear with his ears” (Charles British working class. Best known as the title of a
Reade, The Cloister and the Hearth, 1861). 1962 play by Arnold Wesker (b. 1932), the phrase
92
 Christie, Agatha

refers to the popularity of chips (French fries) Matthew 22:14: “For many are called, but few are
among the working class in the postwar period, chosen.” “He considered the years to come when
when they were served as an accompaniment to Kim would have been entered and made to the
almost any kind of dish. In his play, Wesker Great Game that never ceases day and night,
lamented this lack of a sense of adventure in ordi- throughout India. He foresaw honour and credit in
nary British working-class life: “You breed babies the mouths of a chosen few, coming to him from
and you eat chips with everything.” This survey shows his pupil” (Rudyard Kipling, Kim, 1901). See also
that the popular “chips with everything” image of the chosen people.
British working class has changed little over the years.
chosen instrument A person entrusted with a
Chiron (kiron) Archetype of a wise teacher. par ticular responsibility. The phrase appears in
According to Greek mythology Chiron was unique Acts 9:15, in which God tells Ananias that he has
among the centaurs in being wise and kind in selected Paul to represent him among men: “Go
nature. He was skilled at hunting and in various thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear
arts and in his turn served as tutor to many heroes, my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the
including Achilles and Jason. When accidentally children of Israel.” “I was wondering, in my own
hit by a poisoned arrow fired by his friend Hercu- mind, whether the day of his downfall had come at
les while in battle with the other centaurs, Chiron last, and whether you were the chosen instrument
chose to die and passed his immortality on to Pro- for working it” (Wilkie Collins, The Woman in
metheus. His name is preserved today as that of a White, 1860).
minor planet between Saturn and Uranus discov-
ered in 1977. “Something less unpleasingly oracu- chosen people A group of people considered
lar he tried to extract; but the old sea Chiron, select or particularly marked out. In the Bible
thinking perhaps that for the nonce he had suffi- the phrase is associated with Israel, and in the
ciently instructed his young Achilles, pursed his New Testament the church: “But ye are a chosen
lips, gathered all his wrinkles together, and would generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a
commit himself to nothing further” (Herman Mel- peculiar people” (1 Peter 2:9). “The folk here
ville, Billy Budd, 1924). are civil, and, like the barbarians unto the holy
apostle, hae shown me much kindness; and there
Chloe (kloee) A rustic maiden; a shepherdess. A are a sort of chosen people in the land, for they
character of the same name appears in the Greek hae some kirks without organs that are like ours,
pastoral romance Daphnis and Chloe by the Greek and are called meeting-houses, where the minis-
writer Longus, who lived in the third century a.d. ter preaches without a gown” (Sir Walter Scott,
Asleep on the haystack, her flock idly grazing all around, The Heart of Midlothian, 1818). See also chosen
she seemed a true Chloe, as though she had lived in the few.
country all her life. See also daphnis and chloe.
Christian See pilgrim’s progress.
chosen few A select group of people who enjoy
par ticular favor. The expression comes from Christie, Agatha See agatha christie.
93
Christmas, Father

Christmas, Father See santa claus. Cincinnatus (sinsinatbs) Archetype of a great

man in retirement. Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus
Churchillian (cherchileebn) In a manner remi- (c. 519–438 b.c.) was a Roman general and
niscent of the British war time leader Sir Winston statesman who was widely admired for his fru-
Churchill (1874–1965). The word is variously gality and integrity. Assuming dictatorial powers,
employed with reference either to his policies or, he saved Rome when it was threatened by invad-
more often, to his phlegmatic, determined charac- ing armies on two occasions (in 458 and 439
ter or distinctive speaking manner, preserved in b.c.) but each time surrendered his powers as
recordings of his many celebrated speeches and soon as the danger had passed and returned to
broadcasts during and after World War II. “ ‘We live quietly on his farm. Many celebrated public
shall nevah surrendah!’ came a Churchillian voice figures, including George Washington and
from the lads” (Bette Howell, Dandelion Days, Napoléon Bonaparte, have been dubbed a Cin-
1991). See also we shall fight them on the cinnatus for their time after giving up their pow-
beaches. ers and going into retirement. The city of
Cincinnati in Ohio was named after the Society
Ciceronian (sisbroneebn) Eloquent; erudite.The of the Cincinnati, made up of retired officers
word alludes to Marcus Tullius Cicero (106–43 who had served in the Continental army in the
b.c.), the Roman consul, orator, and writer who American Revolution, that offered help to the
was widely admired for his eloquence and the dependents of fallen comrades. The name was
purity of his Latin prose style. According to Plu- transferred to the two-year-old city of Losantiv-
tarch, he was given the name Cicero—from cicer ille in 1790 by General Arthur St. Clair, presi-
(meaning “wart”)—because of the lump on the dent of the Cincinnati society and first governor
end of his nose. By extension, a person who guides of the Northwest Territory. “How rude you look,
sightseers around museums or similar places may pushing and frowning, as if you wanted to con-
be called a cicerone. Epitaphs for the great man in the quer with your elbows! Cincinnatus, I am sure,
national newspapers emphasized his power as a speaker would have been sorry to see his daughter behave
and included extracts from some of his more Ciceronian so” (George Eliot, Middlemarch, 1871–72).
pronouncements.
Cinderella (sindbrelb) A neglected or under-
Cimmerian (simireebn) Very dark or gloomy. funded person or thing. The allusion is to the tradi-
According to Greek mythology, as recorded by tional fairy tale about Cinderella, a young girl who
Homer (eighth century b.c.) the Cimmerians were is mistreated by her stepsisters (see ugly sisters)
a tribe who inhabited a land of perpetual gloom until enabled by her fairy godmother to go to
situated at the remotest edge of the world and the royal ball and there win the heart of prince
neighboring Hades itself. “A kind of landscape and charming. The story most familiar today is of
weather which leads travellers from the South to French origin, appearing in Charles Perrault’s
describe our island as Homer’s Cimmerian land, Contes du temps passé (1697), but versions of the
was not, on the face of it, friendly to women” tale are common to many other cultures. A Cin-
(Thomas Hardy, The Return of the Native, 1880). derella story is one in which a person who has
94
 city on a hill

previously failed to make much of an impact is Cisco Kid (sisko) Archetypal cowboy hero. The
suddenly transformed into a great success. “This Cisco Kid first appeared in the guise of a Mexican
was another powerful signal that primary educa- bandit in a short story by O. Henry called “The
tion had ceased to be the Cinderella of the educa- Caballero’s Way” in 1907. Depicted as a Wild West
tion ser vice in Leeds” (R. Alexander, Policy and version of robin hood, he went on to appear in a
Practice in Primary Education, 1992). host of early silent movies, radio shows, and televi-
sion series. In that big hat and that shirt he looks just
Circe (sersee) A dangerous temptress. According like the Cisco Kid.
to Homer’s Odyssey (c. 700 b.c.), Circe was a beau-
tiful enchantress of the island of Aeaea who was in cities of the plain See sodom and gomorrah.
the habit of transforming men who approached
her palace into swine. Several of Odysseus’s com- Citizen Kane (kayn) Archetype of a hugely
panions suffered such a fate but Odysseus remained wealthy but personally troubled tycoon. The 1941
immune to Circe’s power with the help of Hermes, movie Citizen Kane, starring Orson Welles as news-
who advised him to protect himself by eating some paper proprietor Charles Foster Kane, was con-
of a mysterious herb called “moly,” and obliged her troversially based upon the life of publishing
to restore his men to their original form. Odys- magnate William Randolph Hearst (1863–1951)
seus subsequently remained with the enchantress and regularly tops polls as the greatest movie ever
for a year, during which time he visited the under- made. The press have decided to depict him as a second
world with her assistance, before continuing on Citizen Kane, but the truth is more complicated than
his voyage. “Wolf Larsen it was, always Wolf that. See also rosebud.
Larsen, enslaver and tormentor of men, a male
Circe and these his swine, suffering brutes that city of refuge A place of safety from one’s ene-
grovelled before him and revolted only in drunk- mies. The allusion is to Exodus 21:13 and Joshua
enness and in secrecy” (Jack London, The Sea-Wolf, 20:3, which describe how Moses and Joshua
1904). named six cities of refuge “that the slayer that kil-
leth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee
circle the wagons To form a defensive posture thither: and they shall be your refuge from the
against a threat of some kind. The phrase dates avenger of blood” (Joshua 20:3). People who had
back to the pioneering journeys undertaken by committed accidental homicide were admitted to
migrants to the American West in the 19th cen- one of these walled cities (Ramoth, Kedesh, Bezer,
tury, when wagon trains were customarily drawn Shechem, Hebron, and Golam) in order to evade
up into circles for defense each night to guard those who might seek vengeance. “He has been
against attack by hostile Native American tribes. deprived of his city of refuge, and, in my humble
The image of pioneers resisting attack from within opinion, has suffered infinite wrong!” (Nathaniel
their circles of wagons became a standard image of Hawthorne, The House of the Seven Gables, 1851).
Western movies in the 20th century. The White
House has decided to circle the wagons against this sus- city on a hillUtopia; a utopian community or
tained media attack. shining example of some kind. The phrase comes
95
Clark Gable

from Christ’s Sermon on the Mount: “Ye are the Cleopatra’s nose (kleeopatrbz) An apparently
light of the world. A city that is set on an hill insignificant thing that is actually of extreme
cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, importance and has major consequences. The
and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; phrase was popularized by the French philosopher
and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Blaise Pascal (1623–62), who speculated how his-
Let your light so shine before men, that they tory would have been different if Cleopatra VII
may see your good works, and glorify your (69–30 b.c.) had not been so beautiful, reflecting
Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14–16). in his Pensées: “If the nose of Cleopatra had been
Most of her followers eagerly accepted her vision of a shorter, the whole face of the earth would have
city on a hill where all might live in harmony been changed.” It was the beauty and charm of the
together. queen of Egypt that beguiled both Julius Caesar
and Mark Antony and thus exerted a profound
Clark Gable (gaybbl) A suave, good-looking influence on the history of the ancient world. As
man. The U.S. movie star Clark Gable (1901– it was, both Caesar and Mark Antony offered
60) was Hollywood’s most celebrated leading Cleopatra military assistance and thus preserved
man during the 1930s and 1940s, appearing in her throne from the rival claim of her brother.
such epics as Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) and Some historians have, however, questioned the
gone with the wind (1939). He was renowned accuracy of modern assumptions about Cleopa-
for his romantic good looks, though critics lam- tra’s beauty, pointing out that the few surviving
pooned him for his big ears and bad breath. Her contemporary portraits of her suggest she was
husband’s not unattractive, but he’s no Clark Gable. somewhat plain, with prominent cheekbones. It
See also frankly, my dear, i don’t give a seems strange, looking back, how that one detail, like
damn. Cleopatra’s nose, decided everything that was to follow
later.
Clark Kent See superman.
cliff-hanger A point in a story or series of events
clay in the potter’s hand Easily led; malleable; where the outcome teeters on a knife-edge and is
pliable. The phrase is biblical in origin, appearing as yet unknown. The allusion is to early silent
at Jeremiah 18:6, in which God’s influence on movie serials in which the hero was often left in a
earth is likened to a potter shaping clay: “As the perilous situation, such as clinging to a cliff top, to
clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand.” be resolved in the next episode. The device later
The soldier easily roused the mob to fury, working them became a favorite ploy of radio drama serials and
like clay in the potter’s hand. television soap operas. “It is a good ‘cliffhanger’
scene at the end of Book V, as Pippin falls in the
clean the Augean stables See labors of black blood of the troll, to have his fate decided by
hercules. events of which we have no knowledge” (T. A.
Shippey, The Road to Middle-Earth, 1982).
Cleopatra See antony and cleopatra; cleopa-
tra’s nose. climb Parnassus See parnassian.
96
 cloud no bigger than a man’s hand

Clio See muses. the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of
Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they
clockwork orange A person who has been brain- were afraid.” The rest of the family was surprised to
washed to fit into society. The allusion is to the find this matriarch, despite her years, clothed and very
1962 Anthony Burgess novel (and 1971 movie) A much in her right mind.
Clockwork Orange, which depicts the violent may-
hem caused by a rebellious gang of teenagers who Clotho See fates.
are eventually subjected to forcible conditioning
designed to adjust their antisocial characters. Bur- cloud by day, pillar of fire by night Unfailing
gess himself adapted his title from a cockney guidance or advice. The phrase comes from Exo-
expression, queer as a clockwork orange, mean- dus 13:21–22, which relates how the Israelites
ing “homosexual.” She felt as if the family was turning were guided on their journey from Egypt to
her into a clockwork orange who no longer had ideas of Canaan by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of
her own. fire by night. “When I was a boy, I always thought a
pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night
close encounter Intimate contact of some kind, was a pit, with its steam, and its lights, and the
especially with alien beings. The allusion is to the burning bank,—and I thought the Lord was always
1977 movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind, at the pit-top” (D. H. Lawrence, Sons and Lovers,
directed by Steven Spielberg, in which human 1913). See also pillar of fire.
beings and aliens come into direct contact for the
first time. A close encounter of the first kind cloud cuckoo land A realm of fantasy or foolish-
involves a sighting of a UFO, a close encounter of ness; something that exists only in the imagina-
the second kind involves an alien landing, a close tion. The phrase has its origins in the comedy The
encounter of the third kind involves actual con- Birds, by the Greek playwright Aristophanes (445–
tact, and a close encounter of the fourth kind c. 388 b.c.): It is the name of an imaginary city
involves abduction by aliens. The phrase is now built by the birds where two Athenians hope they
commonly used to describe any kind of meeting, will be able escape the attentions of the legal
whether with aliens, people, animals, or sensa- authorities who are pursuing them. If they think I’m
tions. “The pain is severe and no predator would going all that way just to be bored to death then they’re
risk a second close encounter with these snakes” living in cloud cuckoo land.
(Desmond Morris, Animal Watching—A Field Guide
to Animal Behaviour, 1991). cloud nine See on cloud nine.

clothed and in one’s right mind Fully aware and cloud no bigger than a man’s hand A relatively
ready to perform any undertaking. The phrase insignificant portent of something much greater
alludes to an exorcism carried out by Christ on a about to happen. The phrase alludes to 1 Kings
man possessed by demons, as related at Luke 8:35: 18:44–45, which describes how, having defeated
“Then they went out to see what was done; and the prophets of Baal, Elijah eagerly awaits the
came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom coming of rain in response to his prayers. The rain
97
Clouseau, Inspector

duly arrives after Elijah has dispatched his servant Trojan War. With the help of her lover Aegisthus,
to keep watch from Mount Carmel a seventh time: she murdered Agamemnon in his bath upon his
“And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he return from the war in revenge for the sacrifice of
said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the her daughter Iphigenia, who had been put to death
sea, like a man’s hand . . . And it came to pass . . . to appease the goddess Artemis after the Greek
that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, fleet was becalmed at Aulis. She, in her turn, was
and there was a great rain.” “The prospect was murdered by her son Orestes. The duchess turned
bright, and the air sunny. In the midst of all which out to be a Clytemnestra in disguise, plotting a bloody
there rose in the horizon a cloud, like that seen by revenge upon her husband.
Elijah’s servant, a cloud no bigger than a man’s
hand” (Charles Reade, Put Yourself in His Place, coals of fire See heap coals of fire.
1870).
coals to Newcastle Something taken to a place
Clouseau, Inspector See inspector clouseau. where it is already in plentiful supply. Newcastle
upon Tyne, in the northeast of England, lies at the
cloven hoof An evil nature; some physical indi- center of what was the thriving British coal indus-
cator of such a nature. According to the law as try, and thus to carry coal there would have been
laid down by Moses, only animals with cloven pointless. The expression dates from the 17th cen-
hoofs were suitable as food or as sacrificial offer- tury. Providing the Inuit with ice-making machines is
ings (Deuteronomy 14:3–8). The devil was con- rather like carrying coals to Newcastle.
ventionally depicted by medieval artists as having
cloven hoofs, a detail probably borrowed from coat of many colors A multicolored garment.
pagan gods, hence the modern significance of the The original coat of many colors was the coat pre-
term. According to popular belief, the devil, no sented by Jacob to his favorite son, Joseph, as a
matter his disguise is unable to hide his cloven sign of his special love for him, as related in Gen-
hoofs and can always be detected in this way. To esis 37:3: “Now Israel loved Joseph more than all
show the cloven foot means to reveal a base his children, because he was the son of his old age:
motive or innate wickedness. Several people who and he made him a coat of many colours.” The gift
witnessed the great man’s actions that evening privately made Joseph’s brothers so jealous that they stole
agreed that they might have caught a first glimpse of the coat, stained it with blood, and told their father
his cloven hoof. that Joseph had been killed by wild animals, while
selling Joseph into slavery. In some translations the
clowns, send in the See send in the clowns. coat is perhaps more accurately described as being
a long robe with sleeves or a richly ornamented
Clytemnestra (klitemnestrb) Archetype of a robe. His mother’s latest acquisition was a truly hideous
vengeful mother or faithless wife. In Greek coat of many colors, guaranteed to cause alarm wherever
mythology Clytemnestra was the daughter of Leda she dared to wear it.
and King Tyndareus of Sparta and became the wife
of Agamemnon, leader of the Greeks during the Cockaigne See land of cockaigne.
98
 cold war

cock and bull story An unbelievable story. Vari- is to a comic novel of the same title by the British
ous suggestions have been made as to the origins novelist Stella Gibbons, published in 1932. The
of this phrase. It may allude to the various medi- plot, which parodied the genre of rustic novels
eval fables in which cocks and bulls commonly then fashionable, revolves around the arrival of a
feature, or it may be a reference to the fact that lively young woman in the bleak surroundings of
many English pubs, where tall stories abounded, Cold Comfort Farm, home to the eccentric
were called the Cock or the Bull. Perhaps signifi- Starkadder clan. “The decor expresses an uneasy
cantly, in Stony Stratford, Buckinghamshire, travel- marriage between Cold Comfort Farm, the house
ers by coach formerly swapped stories with each behind the garage in The Big Sleep, and the Hole-
other as they exchanged coaches between the Cock in-the-Wall gang’s hideaway on the morning after
and Bull inns. “Nobody believes this cock and bull the shoot-out” (Ellen Galford, The Dyke and the
story about the sacking incident” (M. Kilby, Man at Dybbuk, 1993). See also something nasty in the
the Sharp End, 1991). woodshed.

cockatrice (kokbtris) A monster who can kill Colditz (koldits) A forbidding, prison-like build-
with a single glance; by extension, a dangerous, ing. Colditz Castle, not far from the German city
treacherous person. The cockatrice was a legendary of Leipzig, became notorious as a high-security
serpent hatched by a serpent from a cock’s egg. It prison for captured Allied officers during World
could kill any enemy with a single glance or with its War II. The many ingenious escape attempts
breath. The creature appears in Isaiah 11:8, 14:29, (some successful) devised by the inmates inspired
and 59:5 and also in Jeremiah 8:17. “This will so books and the popular television series Colditz
fright them both that they will kill one another by (1972–74). “This Colditz estate is to be pulled
the look, like cockatrices” (William Shakespeare, down” (Beatrix Campbell, Wigan Pier Revisited,
Twelfth Night, 1601). See also basilisk stare. 1985).

Cockpit of Europe Belgium and the surround- cold war A state of mutual hostility between two
ing region of northwest Europe. This nickname parties, short of actual confrontation. The original
alludes to the area’s long history as the scene of cold war broke out between the Soviet Union
armed conflict between the major nations of (together with its communist satellite states) and
western Europe, from medieval times to World the United States (together with the rest of the
War II. Important battles fought in the region free, capitalist West) at the end of World War II and
have included waterloo (1815) and the somme lasted until the collapse of the Soviet regime in the
(1916). The shape of the modern world was decided in late 1980s. Contact between the two blocs was
the Cockpit of Europe. See also flanders. restricted, and both sides sought to undermine
their opponents through propaganda, spying, and
cogito ergo sum See cartesian. economic pressure. The term is thought to have
been coined in 1947, suggested by former news-
Cold Comfort Farm An untidy, comfortless paper editor Herbert Bayard Swope for a speech
place, especially one in a rural setting. The allusion delivered by U.S. politician and economist Bernard
99
coliseum

Baruch (1870–1965): “Let us not be deceived— colophon (kolbfon) A publisher’s emblem, tradi-
we are today in the midst of a cold war.” “At least tionally placed at the end of a book. The allusion is
the easing of the cold war lessened Anglo- to the ancient Ionian city of Colophon, whose
American tensions over trade with communist horsemen were renowned for turning the tide of
countries” (C. J. Bartlett, The Special Relationship, battle with last-minute charges. By the same
1992). See also berlin wall; checkpoint char- token, to add a colophon means to add the finish-
lie; come in from the cold. ing stroke. “Master Gridley took out a great vol-
ume from the lower shelf,—a folio in massive
coliseum (kolbseebm) A large theater or other oaken covers with clasps like prison hinges, bear-
building used for entertainment, sports, and ing the stately colophon, white on a ground of
other events. The original Colosseum was the vermilion, of Nicholas Jenson and his associates”
vast amphitheater in Rome that was begun by (Oliver Wendell Holmes, The Guardian Angel,
the emperor Vespasian and completed by Titus 1887).
in a.d. 80. The venue for a wide variety of
entertainments, ranging from gladiatorial com- colossus (kblosbs) Something that is very large
bats and naval battles to executions, the Colos- in size. The reference is ultimately to a huge statue
seum was so named in reference to a huge statue of ancient Egypt, described by the Greek historian
(colossus) of Nero that once stood nearby. In this Herodotus (c. 484–c. 430/420 b.c.) but is more
utopia every town was well furnished with facilities usually associated with the Colossus of Rhodes, a
for public entertainment, including at least one major massive bronze statue of Apollo that formerly
coliseum for the perfor mance of spectacles on a large stood at the entrance to the harbor of Rhodes.
scale. Erected around 292–280 b.c., it was destroyed by
an earthquake in 225 b.c. The modern conception
Colonel Blimp A hidebound old soldier, or any- that the statue actually bestrode the harbor
one who is pompously at odds with new methods entrance is thought to be erroneous. In due course
or thinking. Colonel Blimp was a creation of the word came to be applied to any large statue
British cartoonist David Low in the London Eve- and may now be used to refer to any person or
ning Standard in the years following World War I thing of impressive size, reputation, power, etc. “I
and was later the subject of a popular but contro- found the wall—it was only a foot or two beyond
versial film, The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp my reach. With a heave I had my foot on the spike,
(1943), which incurred the wrath of prime min- and turning, I had both hands on the opposite wall.
ister Winston Churchill, who feared that by criti- There I stood, straddling like a Colossus over a
cizing senior military figures it would damage waste of white waters, with the cave floor far
war time morale. “The grand council of the move- below me in the gloom” (John Buchan, Prester John,
ment was dominated by retired military officers 1910). See also eighth wonder of the world.
of the Colonel Blimp type, die-hard conserva-
tives, landed gentry and emancipated middle- Columbus (kblbmbbs) Archetype of a great
class women” (R. Thurlow, Fascism in Britain: explorer, especially one who discovers what many
1918–1985, 1987). considered a new world. The Italian explorer
100
 Conan the Barbarian

Christopher Columbus (1451–1506), a native of Irving Layton, in looking back over the period, ‘I
Genoa, is generally identified as the discoverer of had a very sharp feeling in the early fifties that
the American continent (although the Vikings may poetry in Canada had come in from the cold and
have got there centuries earlier), setting foot on was starting to gain momentum’ ” (Loranne S.
the Bahamas in 1492 in the course of a voyage paid Dorman and Clive L. Rawlins, Leonard Cohen:
for by Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain. NASA has Prophet of the Heart, 1990).
assumed the mantle of the modern world’s Columbus.
comforter, Job’s See job’s comforter.
come, let us reason together An appeal to some-
one to come to terms, especially someone who comin’ in on a wing and a prayer Narrowly suc-
might otherwise be considered beyond salvation. ceeding in making it back to safety. The allusion is
The phrase is a quotation from Isaiah 1:18: “Come to a song written by Harold Adamson and Jimmy
now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: McHugh in 1943, during World War II, about a
though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as pilot struggling to land a badly damaged plane:
white as snow; though they be red like crimson, “Tho’ there’s one motor gone, we can still carry
they shall be as wool.” Management has made friendly on / Comin’ in on a wing and a pray’r.” With their
overtures to the union, clearly believing that a “come, let best player injured, the team is comin’ in on a wing and
us reason together” approach will do them more good in a prayer.
the long run than being belligerent.
Comstockery (komstokbree) Censorship of lit-
comédie humaine (komaydee yoomen) The erature and the arts. The word was inspired by the
human condition. Employed in its original French campaigning efforts of Anthony Comstock (1844–
form (meaning “human comedy”), the expression 1915) to oppose obscenity in the arts and in the
was applied by the French novelist Honoré de Bal- wider community in his role as secretary of the
zac (1799–1850) to his epic series of 90 novels, New York Society for the Suppression of Vice, a
which encompassed the whole breadth of human position he occupied for 42 years. Among his tar-
society as he perceived it in the first half of the gets in the literary world were the works of
19th century. Scenes like this are shocking and unex- George Bernard Shaw, who responded in 1905 by
pected, but such is the extraordinary and unpredictable coining the word “Comstockery.” This proposed new
nature of the comédie humaine. law against the distribution of mildly pornographic
advertising smacks of Comstockery.
come in from the cold To return from a state of
exile, isolation, or peril far from safety. The Conan the Barbarian (konbn) Archetype of a
expression has been especially associated with muscle-bound, unsophisticated warrior-hero of
the world of espionage since the publication of the limited intelligence. He made his first appearance
cold war spy thriller The Spy Who Came in from in the 1930s in short stories written by Robert E.
the Cold by John Le Carré in 1963, which related Howard for Weird Tales magazine and later became
the events surrounding the return of a British agent a popular comic-strip hero. He was brought to the
from East Germany. “Said his friend-cum-mentor, big screen in the movies Conan the Barbarian (1982)
101
Concordia

and Conan the Destroyer (1984), both of which the opportunity on the grounds that he might be
starred former bodybuilder arnold schwar- tempted to forget his principles. To work in such
zenegger in the title role. Visiting the former heavy- company and not be tempted to try one’s luck with one of
weight champion was like having tea with Conan the the ladies would require the continence of a Scipio.
Barbarian.
cook someone’s goose To spoil someone’s
Concordia (konkordeeb) Personification of peace. chances or plans. The allusion is allegedly to an
Concordia was identified in Roman mythology as episode in the reign of Eric IV of Sweden, who
the goddess of peace and harmony. The warring surprised his enemies by marching his small army
parties quickly reached a compromise and for a time out to attack their town. His enemies expressed
Concordia reigned over the entire scene. their scorn at this temerity by hanging a live goose
from their battlements to provide Eric’s men with
Connecticut Yankee (kbnetikbt) Someone or a target. Eric responded by telling his opponents
something that is out of place and time, an anach- he would cook their goose, and then set about lay-
ronism. The allusion is to the novel A Connecticut ing waste to the surrounding region. His enemies
Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1889) by U.S. writer soon gave in, and Eric cooked and ate their goose.
Mark Twain (1835–1910), which relates the The management planned to develop a new range of
experiences of a Connecticut factory worker after products, but their rivals cooked their goose for them.
he is struck on the head with a crowbar and wakes
to find himself transported back in time to the Cook’s tour An excursion or roundabout jour-
court of king arthur. He enjoyed playing a Con- ney, especially one that allows for only a cursory
necticut Yankee to the people of the remote tribes he look at local places of interest. British missionary
encountered in the Amazon rainforests. Thomas Cook (1808–92) was a pioneer of the
travel industry, arranging his first excursion in
consider the lilies See lilies of the field. 1841 in order to get customers from Leicester to
Loughborough for a temperance meeting. He went
Contemptibles, Old See old contemptibles. on to arrange numerous similar trips, dubbed
Cook’s tours, both within the United Kingdom
continence of Alexander See alexander the and to the continent of Europe. They made a quick
great. Cook’s tour of the theater.

continence of a Scipio (sipeeo) Self-restraint or copperhead A secret enemy or traitor, especially

moral integrity; the ability to refuse temptation. one who operates covertly and undetected. The
According to Roman legend, the Roman general term copperhead, which first appeared in this
Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus (237–183 b.c.), sense in the New York Tribune on July 20, 1861,
who led the Roman army against the Carthagin- was applied to Northerners who secretly favored the
ians during the Second Punic War, was once Southern cause during the U.S. Civil War of the
offered the chance to meet a beautiful princess 1860s, although it had previously been variously
whom his men had taken prisoner but declined employed to describe the original Native American
102
 Coriolanus

inhabitants of the United States and the country’s be enjoyed by only a few. This is a quotation
early Dutch colonists. The term ultimately alludes from the Epistles of Horace (65–8 b.c.). Corinth,
to the venomous copperhead snake which, unlike which was famed for its great wealth, was
the rattlesnake, lacks a rattle that might warn of its deemed difficult to get to either because of the
presence. There are too many copperheads in the party expense required to travel there or because it
to keep big secrets from leaking to the press. was awkwardly situated between two seas. As a
young man he had dreamed of making his million,
Cordelia (kordeeleeb) Archetype of an ideal, lov- but it is not for every man to go to Corinth. See also
ing daughter. Cordelia is the youngest of the king’s corinthian.
three daughters in William Shakespeare’s tragedy
king lear (1605) she is the only one to tell her Corinthian (kbrintheebn) Licentious, dissolute.
father the truth and the only one to offer the king The lax morals of the inhabitants of Corinth were
comfort after he goes mad. She is also admired for widely known throughout the ancient world. The
her soft and gentle voice. In the end she proved a word Corinthian also denotes the most richly deco-
Cordelia to her father’s deranged and dispossessed Lear. rated of the five orders of Greek architecture. “He
never passed the line which divides the spruce
cordon bleu (kordon(g) blb) Of the highest stan- vices from the ugly; and hence, though his morals
dard, especially as regards cooking. A French term had hardly been applauded, disapproval of them
meaning “blue ribbon,” it referred originally to the had frequently been tempered with a smile. This
blue ribbon from which French knights of the treatment had led to his becoming a sort of
Order of the Holy Ghost suspended the order itself. regrater of other men’s gallantries, to his own
The knights were famous for their superb dinners, aggrandizement as a Corinthian, rather than to the
hence the link with high cuisine. In modern usage, moral profit of his hearers” (Thomas Hardy, Far
however, the phrase is often applied to matters from the Madding Crowd, 1874). See also doric;
unrelated to cookery. The race established itself as a ionic; tuscan.
cordon bleu event attracting the cream of society.
Coriolanus (koreeolaynbs) Archetype of an arro-
cordon sanitaire (kordon(g) sanitair) A barrier gant politician. According to Roman legend,
created around a par ticular area that is considered Gaius Marcus Coriolanus was a Roman general
infectious in some way. A French phrase meaning who threatened to lead his army against Rome in
“sanitary line,” it was originally applied to areas the fifth century b.c. until dissuaded from so
that had to be put in quarantine to prevent the doing by his mother and wife. His contempt for
spread of disease. In modern usage, the expression the public in general was memorably depicted in
is applied more widely, especially in international William Shakespeare’s play Coriolanus (1608), in
politics. A cordon sanitaire has been placed around which he was portrayed lamenting the fact that he
several countries considered ripe for revolution. was obliged to recruit popular support for his
cause. The press was unforgiving in its accounts of the
(korinth)
Corinth, it is not for every man to go to minister’s arrogance, calling him a Coriolanus for his
Some things, such as great wealth, are fated to time.
103
corners of the earth

corners of the earth The remotest, most distant ambergris should be found in the heart of such
parts of the globe. The notion that the earth has decay; is this nothing? Bethink thee of that saying of
corners comes from Isaiah 11:12, which describes St. Paul in Corinthians, about corruption and incor-
how God will “assemble the outcasts of Israel, and ruption; how we are sown in dishonour, but raised
gather together the dispersed of Judah from the in glory” (Herman Melville, Moby-Dick, 1851).
four corners of the earth.” “ ‘I can run out of the
house,’ cried her ladyship, wildly. ‘I can fly to the Corybantian (koreebanteebn) Wild, ecstatic,
uttermost corners of the earth; but I can not hear noisy, or unrestrained in manner. The allusion is
that person’s name mentioned!’ ” (Wilkie Collins, to the Corybantes of Greek mythology, who were
Man andWife, 1870). attendants of the goddess Cybele and were well
known for their frenzied rituals, which featured
cornucopia (kornbkopeeb) A great abundance of the repeated crashing of cymbals and wild danc-
something; a plentiful supply, especially of food ing. Legend had it that the infant Zeus escaped
and drink. The reference is to Greek mythology death at the hands of his father when his crying
and one of the horns of Amalthea, the goat that was drowned out by the noise made by the Cory-
suckled Zeus. Zeus presented the horn to the bantes. “Again, at Eleusis, home of Ceres, I see
daughters of Melisseus, king of Crete, and it over- the modern Greeks dancing, I hear them clapping
flowed immediately with whatever food or drink their hands as they bend their bodies, I hear the
its owners desired. Also known as the horn of metrical shuffling of their feet. I see again the
plenty, the cornucopia subsequently became a wild old Corybantian dance, the performers
symbol of plenty widely used in art and literature. wounding each other” (Walt Whitman, Leaves of
“The last time they had had a big basket with them Grass, 1855).
and all their Christmas marketing to do—a roast
of pork and a cabbage and some rye bread, and a Corydon (koridbn) A rustic or shepherd. A love-
pair of mittens for Ona, and a rubber doll that sick shepherd of this name appears in Virgil’s
squeaked, and a little green cornucopia full of Eclogues (42–37 b.c.). “ ‘Gad, what a debauched
candy to be hung from the gas jet and gazed at by Corydon!’ said my lord—what a mouth for a
half a dozen pairs of longing eyes” (Upton Sinclair, pipe!’ ” (William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair,
The Jungle, 1906). 1847–48).

corruptible and incorruptible That which is Coryphaeus (korifeebs) A leader, especially the
flawed may yet prove perfect. The expression most active member of a board, expedition, etc.
comes from 1 Corinthians 15:42–44, 52–54, in The term was originally reserved in ancient Greek
which Paul discusses the resurrection, through theater for the leader of the chorus. By extension,
which the weak and perishable body is made strong the leading dancer of a ballet troupe may some-
and imperishable: “It is sown in corruption, it is times be termed a Coryphée. This Coryphaeus dom-
raised in incorruption: it is sown in dishonour, it is inated the meeting, and by the end of the evening few of
raised in glory” (1 Corinthians 15:42–43). “Now the directors had any doubts about which way they
that the incorruption of this most fragrant should vote.
104
 Creature from the Black Lagoon

Cosa Nostra See mafia. count the cost To consider the advantages, dis-
advantages, or risks before deciding to do some-
Costello, Lou See abbott and costello. thing; consider the possible effects or results of
something. The expression comes from Jesus’
cothurnus See buskin. words as recorded in Luke 14:28: “For which of
you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down
Cotton Mather (maTHer) Archetype of a strict, first, and counteth the cost, whether he have suf-
intolerant Puritan. The writer and clergyman ficient to finish it?” You must count the cost before you
Cotton Mather (1663–1728) was a committed make up your mind to take off a year from school to
Puritan, although he probably does not deserve travel around Europe.
the reputation for rigid intolerance that is now
associated with his name. Her father was a Cotton court of the Gentiles Those people who are not
Mather who did not smoke, drink, or think anyone in his Jews, not one of God’s chosen. The court of the
family should have a good time. Gentiles was a feature of Herod’s Temple and is
described in Josephus and the Mishnah; it is
counsel of perfection A commendation of alluded to in Revelation 11:2, and since it was
something beyond a minimum; an unattainable where the money changers carried on their busi-
ideal. The phrase alludes to the biblical episode ness, it is also referred to indirectly in Matthew
in which Christ told a rich young man what he 21:12. In biblical times Jews were tried by their
needed to do in order to reach heaven: “Jesus own court in the Jewish Temple, while others
said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and appeared before court of the Gentiles. Such a supe-
sell that thou hast, and give to the poor . . . rior attitude was unlikely to be welcome in the court of
But when the young man heard that saying, he the Gentiles. See also chosen people.
went away sorrowful, for he had great posses-
sions” (Matthew 19:21–22). Advocating better Cousin Itt See addams family.
manners among sports fans smacks of a counsel of
perfection. cover a multitude of sins See charity covers a
multitude of sins.
Count of Monte Cristo, the (montay kristo) A
person who seeks revenge for wrongs done to Cowardly Lion See friend of dorothy.
him or her in the past. The 1844 novel The Count
of Monte Cristo by the French writer Alexandre Crane, Ichabod See ichabod crane.
Dumas père (1802–70) recounts the adventures of
Edmond Dantès, who is framed for crimes he did Cratchit, Bob See bob cratchit.
not commit and then seeks to have his revenge
after spending 20 years in prison. He fancied him- Creature from the Black Lagoon A person of
self as a cheap version of the Count of Monte Cristo, monstrous appearance. The reference is to the clas-
wanting to rid the world of the lowlife who had put him sic 1954 horror movie The Creature from the Black
away. Lagoon, which features a monster that is half man
105
Cressida

and half fish. “God alone knew what she must look Croesus See as rich as croesus.
like—a creature from the black lagoon probably—
and suddenly, unexpectedly, she began to chuckle” Cronos (kronus) Personification of time. Cronos
(Emma Richmond, A Stranger’s Trust, 1991). (also rendered as Cronus or Kronos) was identi-
fied in Greek mythology as the youngest of the
Cressida See troilus and cressida. Titans, a son of Uranus and Gaea and the equiva-
lent of the Roman Saturn. Entrusted with the
Cretan bull See labors of hercules. government of earth, he presided over a golden
age. He devoured his own children by Rhea
Crichton, Admirable See admirable crichton. because of a prophecy that one of them would
overthrow him but failed to kill his son Zeus, who
Crippen, Doctor See doctor crippen. tricked him into disgorging his siblings. He was
defeated in battle by his offspring and imprisoned
critical mass The point at which a buildup of in Tartarus. They hoped to get to the ancient ruins in
elements triggers a par ticular event. The allusion time to see the dawn, but it seemed that Cronos had
is to nuclear physics, in which the term refers to decreed against them as the sky was already growing
the amount of material needed to set in motion a pink to the east.
sustained nuclear chain reaction. He hoped to
build up a critical mass of support that would make his crooked shall be made straight Things will be
claim to the candidacy impossible to resist. made right in the end. The phrase appears in Isaiah
40:4, which foretells how all will be made well at
Crockett, Davy See davy crockett. the coming of the Messiah: “The crooked shall be
made straight, and the rough places plain.” It is
crocodile tears Insincere, hypocritical tears. The also quoted in the New Testament in Luke 3:5. It is
allusion is to the traditional story that the croco- hoped that through the introduction of these new stan-
dile makes pitiful sobbing sounds to deceive its dards the crooked shall be made straight and perfor-
prey into coming close enough to be snatched up mance will be improved across the board.
in its jaws, a practice mentioned in William Shake-
speare’s play Henry VI, Part II (1590): “As the Crosby, Bing See bing crosby.
mournful crocodile / With sorrow snares relent-
ing passengers.” The crocodile is also said to crossing of the Red Sea A miraculous escape,
continue weeping as it consumes its prey, a belief especially one made with divine assistance. The
possibly inspired by the fact that a gland in the top allusion is to the crossing of the Red Sea by the
of the crocodile’s mouth releases tears while the Israelites from Egypt to Sinai, under the guidance
creature is eating. “In a few days Riddle’s body of Moses. According to the biblical narrative, the
might be found and the two women would almost waters of the Red Sea parted at Moses’ command
certainly arrange an elaborate funeral which they but closed behind them, blocking the Egyptians
would attend and shed a few crocodile tears” who followed in pursuit (Exodus 14:21–30). A
(W. J. Burley, Wycliffe and the Scapegoat, 1987). path through the rain suddenly opened up for them and
106
 crumbs that fall from the rich man's table

they dashed for it, like the Hebrews at the crossing of the King of the Jews!” (See also Mark 15:17 and John
Red Sea. 19:2–5.) He wore his injured pride like a crown of
thorns, appealing for sympathy from anyone who would
cross over Jordan To die and enter heaven. The hear his story.
reference is to the biblical episode in Joshua 3
describing how the Israelites invaded Canaan Cruella De Vil (krooelb db vil) A ruthless, cold-
under the leadership of Joshua. When they came hearted woman, especially one who behaves cru-
to the Jordan River the water parted as promised elly toward animals. Cruella De Vil is the evil
by God (verse 7) to allow the Israelites to cross villain in Dodie Smith’s novel The Hundred and One
into Canaan, the promised land. The old lady Dalmatians (1956), which was later made into two
crossed over the Jordan last night, and the family is highly successful Walt Disney movies (1961 and
therefore in mourning. 1996). Dressed entirely in black and white, she
covets the black-and-white dalmatian fur she needs
cross the Rubicon (roobbkon) To take an irrevo- to make herself a spotted fur coat. Once confirmed
cable step, especially a decision from which there as head of the organization she stopped behaving like
is no going back. Under the laws of ancient Rome Mary Poppins and turned into Cruella De Vil.
it was illegal for a military commander to lead
troops over the Rubicon River, which divided crumbs that fall from the rich man’s table The
Cisalpine Gaul from Italy. (Such a measure was meager benefits that are left to the poor after the
intended to prevent any wayward general seizing rich have taken their fill of something. The expres-
power by force.) In 49 b.c. Julius Caesar defied sion is biblical in origin, appearing in the Gospels.
the prohibition by leading his army over the Rubi- It features, for example, in the story of the Gentile
con, went on to defeat Pompey in the ensuing woman who professes her faith in Christ with the
civil war, and became the effective head of state. words, “Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the
If he had failed, he would have faced the death crumbs which fall from their masters’ table” (Mat-
penalty. With this act the state legislature has crossed thew 15:27). (See also Mark 7:24–30.) In Luke
the Rubicon.There is no going back now. See also die is 16:20–21, it appears in the story of the beggar
cast, the. Lazarus: “And there was a certain beggar named
Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores.
Crow, Jim See jim crow. And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell
from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs
crown of thorns A symbol of great suffering and came and licked his sores.” ‘I mean that I am con-
humiliation. According to the biblical account of tent to give what I have given and must always
Christ’s crucifixion, Jesus was forced to wear a give, and take in payment those crumbs that fall
crown of thorns in mockery of his claim to be from my mistress’s table, the memory of a few
king of the Jews, as related in Matthew 27:29: kind words, the hope one day in the far undreamed
“And when they had platted a crown of thorns, future of a sweet smile or two of recognition, a
they put it upon his head . . . and they bowed the little gentle friendship” (H. Rider Haggard, She,
knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, 1887).
107
Crusoe, Robinson

Crusoe, Robinson See robinson crusoe. delaying tactics against the invading Carthagin-
ian armies of Hannibal, avoiding any direct con-
crying in the wilderness See voice crying in the frontation. Initially held in contempt for his
wilderness. apparent cowardice, Fabius eventually won hero
status after the wisdom of his policy was real-
cry of blood See blood crieth from the ized. The managing director’s colleagues privately
ground. dubbed him cunctator because of his reputation for
putting things off time and time again. See also
Cui bono? (kwee bono) For what purpose? For fabian.
whose benefit? This legal phrase is of Roman ori-
gin, being attributed ultimately to the Roman Cupid (kyoopid) Personification of love. The son
judge Lucius Cassius Longinus Ravilla (fl. second of Aphrodite, Cupid was the god of love in Roman
century b.c.), who was in the habit of posing this mythology and the equivalent of the Greek god
question in cases brought before him. “ ‘And may I Eros. He was usually depicted as a winged naked
not paint one like it for you?’ ‘Cui bono? No’ ” boy, sometimes blindfolded, carrying a bow from
(Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre, 1847). which he fired arrows of desire. To play Cupid
means to act as matchmaker, while Cupid’s bow
cult of personality The redefinition in totalitar- describes the shape of the upper lip in humans.
ian states of a national leader as a semireligious “And off I started, cursorily glancing sideways as I
figure. The expression was first uttered, in refer- passed the toilet-table, surmounted by a looking-
ence to Joseph Stalin, by Soviet president Nikita glass: a thin irregular face I saw, with sunk, dark
Khrushchev in a speech made to the 20th Party eyes under a large, square forehead, complexion
Congress on February 25, 1956. Other substantial destitute of bloom or attraction; something young,
cults of personality sprang up around Mao Zedong but not youthful, no object to win a lady’s love, no
in China and Kim Il Sung and his son Kim Jong Il butt for the shafts of Cupid” (Charlotte Brontë,
in North Korea. “So developed did the cult of per- The Professor, 1857).
sonality in Northern Nigeria become that even in
dealing with rude and warlike pagans it was bad cup is full See my cup runneth over.
form to stoop to securing their acquiescence in
the will of the government by resort to force” cup runneth over, my See my cup runneth
(Kathryn Tidrick, Empire and the English Character, over.
1992).
cup that cheers, the A cup of tea, in contrast to a
Cumaean sibyl See sibyl. drink of alcohol. The allusion is to the poem The
Task (1783) by William Cowper (1731–1800):
cunctator (kbnktaytor) Delayer; someone who “And, while the bubbling and loud-hissing urn /
employs delay as a tactic. The title is most closely Throws up a steamy column, and the cups, / That
associated with Quintus Fabius Maximus (d. 203 cheer but not inebriate, wait on each.” “ ‘Well, are
b.c.), the Roman general who cunningly adopted yer comin’ or ain’t yer?’ he asked after a long and
108
 cut the Gordian knot

noisy sip at the cup that cheers” (M. Kilby, Man at Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull. Subsequent analysis
the Sharp End, 1991). of the encounter has suggested that the defeat
resulted largely from confusion and recklessness
curate’s egg Something that is good in some among the army’s officers; despite this the clash is
parts but bad in others. The allusion is to a cartoon cherished in the national imagination as a gener-
published in Punch magazine in November 1895, ally heroic affair. He was tempted to stage a Custer’s
in which a ner vous young curate sharing breakfast Last Stand against the demands of the rest of the family,
with his bishop is asked about his egg: “ ‘I’m afraid but eventually wisely decided to back down.
you’ve got a bad egg, Mr. Jones.’ ‘Oh no, my Lord,
I assure you! Parts of it are excellent!’ ” The official customer is always right, the It is good policy to
report into the civil administration was a curate’s egg, agree with the customer, or do what he or she
some departments coming out well, but others being wants, if only in order to retain his or her future
revealed to have major deficiencies. custom. This familiar commercial slogan was
devised originally in 1909 by U.S.-born H. Gor-
curse God and die See job’s wife. don Selfridge (1858–1947) for his famous London
department store Selfridge’s, the staff of which
curse of Cain See mark of cain. were sternly forbidden to argue with customers,
whoever was really in the right. It has since been
curse the day I was born An expression of despair adopted as a principle if not a slogan by many
at the situation one finds oneself in. The expression other commercial ventures. “In education no
comes from Job 3:1–11, in which Job laments the single customer is always right, people aren’t all
pain he suffers from the boils with which he is looking for the same things” (Mike Sullivan, Mar-
afflicted: “After this opened Job his mouth, and keting your Primary School, 1991).
cursed his day . . . Let the day perish wherein I
was born, and the night in which it was said, There cuts, death by a thousand See death by a thou-
is a man child conceived . . . Why died I not from sand cuts.
the womb? Why did I not give up the ghost when I
came out of the belly?” At this latest blow the general cut the Gordian knot (gordeebn) To take a direct
loudly cursed the day he was born and retired to his room, route in solving a complex problem. The allusion
where he remained for the next three days, sulking. is to the story of the intricate knot with which
Gordius, a peasant who became king of Phrygia,
Custer’s Last Stand (kustbz) A heroic but futile attached his wagon to the yoke. It was said that any
last stand made against overwhelming odds. The person who could untie the knot would become
allusion is to the Battle of Little Bighorn in ruler of all Asia. When Alexander the Great was
Montana on June 25, 1876, during which the cel- presented with the challenge of unloosing the knot
ebrated General George Armstrong Custer he simply cut through it with his sword. “When he
(1839–76) and his 200 men of the Seventh Cav- became prime minister last April, Koizumi was
alry were annihilated by a strong force of Chey- supposed to be the clean-up kid who would cut
enne and Sioux Indians under the leadership of through Japan’s Gordian knot of bureaucratic
109
cutting-room floor

inertia and political torpor to bring about reform” with strong Catholic opposition in Paris. When
(GuardianWeekly, February 14, 2002). “ ‘Is not such Henry contemplated destroying Paris, his advis-
the doom of all speculative men of talent?’ said ers dissuaded him with the argument that he
she. ‘Do they not all sit wrapt as you now are, cut- would simply be damaging his own interests if
ting imaginary silken cords with their fine edges, he thus “cut off his nose to spite his face.” Henry
while those not so highly tempered sever the conceded and decided to revert to Catholicism in
everyday Gordian knots of the world’s struggle order to reclaim the city. When her agent announced
and win wealth and renown?’ ” (Anthony Trollope, that he would no longer be handling her money-
Barchester Towers, 1857). spinning tours it was felt that he had cut off his nose to
spite his face.
cutting-room floor The trash can or other desti-
nation where rejected ideas, things, etc., are Cyanean rocks See symplegades.
dumped. The allusion is to the movie industry and
the process of editing footage down into a finished Cybele (sibilee) Personification of the Earth or
movie in the days before computerization, when of nature. Cybele was identified as the Phrygian
the pieces of film not needed were cut out and goddess of nature, equivalent to the Greek Rhea
literally ended up on the cutting-room floor. The or Demeter. Her worshipers were noted for their
term is now widely used in noncinematic con- orgiastic rites, which included much spilling of
texts. She was very annoyed when she found that all her blood. “He had scarce finished his story, when a
suggestions for future expansion had been left on the most violent noise shook the whole house . . .
cutting-room floor. The priests of Cybele do not so rattle their sound-
ing brass” (Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, 1749).
cut off at the pass To intercept someone or
something at a point further on. The allusion is to cyclopean (siklopeebn) Anything one-eyed or
Western movies and the often-filmed horse chases limited in vision; a building style characterized by
through wild country in which such a line might the use of large undressed blocks of stone. The
be delivered. It enjoyed renewed coverage in 1973 allusion is to the Cyclops of Greek mythology, one
when it was heard being used by President Rich- of a breed of giants (Cyclopes) with only one eye,
ard Nixon in the watergate tapes. The phrase is located in the middle of the forehead. The poet
also encountered in the form head off at the Hesiod (c. 800 b.c.) said there were just three
pass. He was cut off at the pass by his superiors as soon Cyclopes, who were cannibals and lived in Sicily
as they were told what he had in mind. and the western coast of Italy. Others claimed they
lived on volcanoes, forging thunderbolts for Zeus,
cut off one’s nose to spite one’s face To do and that Mount Etna was their chief abode. To
something against one’s own interests. This them were attributed various massive edifices
expression is French in origin and is sometimes erected by otherwise unknown hands in prehis-
associated with the French nobleman Henry of toric times. The word itself comes from the Greek
Navarre. In 1589, the Protestant Henry ascended kuklos (meaning “circle”) and ops (meaning “eye”).
the throne of France, in which role he was faced “He had forgotten that the dead seldom plan their
110
 Cyrano

own houses, and with a pang he discovered the Cynthia (sintheeb) Personification of the Moon.
name he sought on the cyclopean base of a granite As a surname of Artemis and Diana in classical
shaft rearing its aggressive height at the angle of mythology, Cynthia was so called after Mount
two avenues” (Edith Wharton, The Touchstone, Cynthius in Delos, where she was reputed to have
1900). See also polyphemus. been born. In Elizabethan times the name became
one of the epithets by which several leading poets
cynic (sinik) A person who is inclined automati- addressed Elizabeth I (1533–1603). The pale orb of
cally to think the worst of people or things. The Cynthia dominated the scene, casting a wan glow over
word was originally applied, for obscure reasons, the lawns leading down to the river.
to the followers of the Greek philosopher Antis-
thenes (c. 445–c. 360 b.c.), whose number Cyrano (sirbno) A tragicomic figure, especially
included Diogenes (411–322 b.c.). One sugges- one with a large nose. The reference is to the
tion is that the group acquired the name from eponymous hero of Edmond Rostand’s verse
kunikos (meaning “doglike”), a reference to their drama Cyrano de Bergerac (1897), a multitalented
coarse manners, while another has it that they cavalier with a big nose. The play centers on Cyra-
used to meet in a school called the Kunosarges no’s heroic self-sacrifice when he discovers that
(meaning “white dog”). The Cynics rejected the Roxanne, the woman he loves, is in love with
conventions and standards of society and instead someone else. The character of Cyrano was based
emphasized self-discipline of the individual. “There on a real person, the French writer and soldier
is very little intelligent design in the majority of Savinien Cyrano de Bergerac (1619–55), whose
marriages; but they are none the worse for that. adventurous life included fighting more than 1,000
Intelligence leads people astray as far as passion duels and success as a playwright. With his romantic
sometimes. I know you are not a cynic” ( Joseph persona and misshapen nose he was constantly likened to
Conrad, Chance, 1914). Cyrano de Bergerac.

111
å D ååååå
Dada (dahdah, dada) In the arts, characterized 1970s that lovingly and comically dramatized the
by outrageous eccentricity and rejection of con- misadventures of a Home Guard platoon. The rail-
vention. The Dada movement developed as a chal- way is manned by a Dad’s Army of volunteer rail enthusi-
lenge to the complacency of art critics and asts, most over the age of 60.
middle-class society in general in the wake of
World War I, led by such innovative surrealist art- Daedalian (didayleebn) Skillful, ingenious, or
ists as Salvador Dali (1904–89) and Man Ray labyrinthine. The adjective, also encountered in
(1890–1976). The name of the movement was the variant forms Daedalean or Daedalic, refers
chosen by the Alsatian artist Hans (or Jean) Arp to the legendary Athenian craftsman Daedalus,
(1887–1966), who decided upon it by stabbing a who was renowned for his skill as an inventor and
French dictionary with a knife and thus picking engineer. Having fled his native Athens after mur-
out the French word for “hobby-horse.” The term dering his pupil Talos in a fit of professional jeal-
Dadaist (or Daliesque) may be applied today to ousy, he was employed by King Minos of Crete
any instance of apparently outlandish or nonsensi- and built the wooden cow with which Queen
cal thinking or behavior. He awoke unrefreshed after Pasiphae coupled and consequently gave birth to
eight hours of disturbing Dadaist nightmares. the monstrous Minotaur. Daedalus also designed
the labyrinth at Knossos in which the Minotaur
Dad’s Army A group of men, or people generally, was imprisoned until its eventual destruction at the
who are considered too old to act in a competent hands of Theseus. The outraged King Minos, real-
manner. The allusion is to the Home Guard that izing that Theseus could never have escaped from
was assembled by the British government to defend the labyrinth without the help of its creator, had
the country from German invasion during World Daedalus and his son Icarus confined there, know-
War II. Though evidently as willing and courageous ing that not even they could find the way out with-
as troops in the other armed forces, many Home out aid. Daedalus, however, overcame the problem
Guard recruits were too old to fight in the regular by designing two pairs of wings with which he and
army, hence their reputation for bumbling feeble- his son were able to soar into the air and escape
ness. The nickname Dad’s Army was later taken up from Crete. Unfortunately, Icarus ignored his
as the title of a popular BBC television series of the father’s warning not to fly too high as the heat of
112
 Damon and Pythias

the sun’s rays would melt the wax holding the sense of degradation even from the humblest ser-
wings together, and the lad plummeted into the vice, for money so earned and paid sweetens the
Aegean Sea and was drowned. Daedalus completed daily bread it buys, and makes the mutual obliga-
his flight safely and found refuge at the court of the tion a mutual benefit and pleasure” (Louisa May
king of Sicily. As further proof of his ingenuity, Alcott, An Old Fashioned Girl, 1870).
Daedalus was also credited with the invention of
the saw, the ax, and the gimlet, among other Daliesque See dada.
devices. The engineers were confronted by a problem of
such Daedalian complexity that for a time it seemed a Dallas (dalbs) The glossy, cutthroat, superficial
solution would be beyond any of them. world of multimillionaire wheeler-dealing. The
allusion is to the highly popular U.S. television
Dagon (daygon) A sea monster or whale. In the series Dallas, which ran from 1978 to 1991 on the
Bible, Dagon is a Philistine god, possibly with a strength of barely credible melodramatic plots and
human upper half and fishlike lower half (Judges the glitzy, bitchy romantic relationships of J. R.
16:23–24 and 1 Samuel 5:1–5). Other authorities and Sue Ellen Ewing and the other central charac-
do not consider him to be a fish god but rather a ters. It was like a scene out of Dallas, with rival lovers
storm or grain god, since Dagon is related to a slugging it out in the swimming pool as their respective
Hebrew word for “grain.” Samson destroyed the wives shrieked their anger at being ignored.
temple to Dagon at Gaza, and Dagon himself died
when the ark of God was brought to his house, his Damascus, road to See road to damascus.
body being found next morning with severed head
and hands. John Milton, meanwhile, in Paradise Lost Damien (daymeebn) Archetype of a badly
(1667) identifies Dagon as one of the fallen angels. behaved or evil young boy. Damien Thorn was the
“In fact, placed before the strict and piercing truth, name of the central character (actually the Anti-
this whole story will fare like that fish, flesh, and christ) in the 1976 horror film The Omen and its
fowl idol of the Philistines, Dagon by name; who sequels. Everyone thought her son was a sweet child, but
being planted before the ark of Israel, his horse’s he turned out to be a real Damien who took advantage of
head and both the palms of his hands fell off from anyone who showed him kindness.
him, and only the stump or fishy part of him
remained” (Herman Melville, Moby-Dick, 1851). Damocles, sword of See sword of damocles.

daily bread The income or sustenance necessary Damon and Pythias (daymbn, pitheeas) The
in order to live. The phrase has its origins in the archetype of perfect friendship. Damon and Pyth-
Lord’s Prayer, where it appears in the form of the ias (or Phintias) were two close friends who lived
petition “Give us this day our daily bread” (Mat- in Sicily under the tyrannical rule of Dionysius of
thew 6:11). “. . . these true gentlefolk showed Syracuse in the fifth century b.c. Pythias was a phi-
Polly their respect and regard, put many pleasures losopher and follower of Pythagoras who found
in her way, and when they paid her for her work, himself under a death sentence on charges of trea-
gave her also the hearty thanks that takes away all son. Dionysius agreed to the condemned man’s
113
damsel in distress

request to be allowed to go home to settle his colonel in the Interplanetary Space Fleet, Dan Dare
affairs on condition that he find someone willing battled the Mekon and other formidable foes on
to take his place if he did not return by the due Venus and elsewhere. In modern usage, the name
date. Damon immediately volunteered to take his tends to be applied facetiously. He was a bit of a Dan
friend’s place, and Pythias set off for home. When Dare in his youth, but you wouldn’t think it to look at
Pythias was delayed on his return, it seemed him now.
Damon would have to be executed in his stead,
but at the last moment Pythias rushed back to save danegeld (dayngeld) Payment made to ward off
his friend’s life. Dionysius was deeply moved by a threat of some kind. The word was coined in the
the pair’s willingness to sacrifice themselves for 10th century to describe the payments made by
each other and, having pardoned Pythias, asked to the English on the orders of their king, Ethelred II
be allowed to participate in their friendship. “Papa, (978–1016), to appease the Danes, who otherwise
I am really longing to see the Pythias to your threatened to extend their settlements in England.
Damon. You know, I never saw him but once, and In the event, the policy failed to work, and Ethel-
then we were so puzzled to know what to say to red was forced to flee the country in 1013.
each other that we did not get on particularly well” Danegeld continued to be collected under Canute
(Elizabeth Gaskell, North and South, 1854–55). See and subsequent kings even though the threat from
also david and jonathan. the Danes no longer existed. The shopkeepers carried
on paying danegeld to the mafia for decades before
damsel in distress A female in apparent need of plucking up the courage to put up some resistance.
assistance. The allusion is to the archetypal story
of a fairy-tale heroine being rescued from danger dangerous age, a A time in life when a person is
by her hero-lover, typically in the form of a deemed particularly susceptible to various temp-
knight in shining armor. The word damsel tations or otherwise likely to behave unpredict-
itself comes from the Old French damoisele, which ably. The phrase is associated chiefly with the age
described the feminine equivalent of a damoisel of 40, although it may be equally validly applied
(squire). “I’ve never met Sir Brian or Sir Oliver to any other period in a person’s life, as illus-
and have only met Sir Bernard a few times, but I trated by the title of the 1967 Dudley Moore film
instinctively feel that all six would lay down their Thirty is a Dangerous Age, Cynthia, which did much
lives without hesitation for a damsel in distress” to popularize a saying that was already fairly well
(Marti Caine, A Coward’s Chronicles, 1990). known. The ultimate source may be a book enti-
tled Den farlige alder (“The Dangerous Age”) by
dance of death See danse macabre. the Danish writer Karin Michaelis, published in
1910. “Thirteen is a dangerous age: nothing is
Dan Dare Archetype of a dashing male hero, espe- more subtle. The boy, inspired to play the man, is
cially one connected with space flight. The original beset by his own relapses into childhood, and
Dan Dare was the hero of a long-running boys’ Hedrick was near a relapse” (Booth Tarkington,
comic book series created by Frank Hampson, The Flirt, 1912). See also life begins at forty;
which began in 1950 and finally ended in 1967. As a seven-year itch.
114
 Dante and Beatrice

Daniel Boone (boon) Archetype of a pioneer Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions” (Daniel
frontiersman. Daniel Boone (1734–1820) res- 6:16). Daniel’s courage and faith is rewarded when
ponded to the lure of the wilderness at an early age God saves his life by sealing the lions’ mouths so
and spent his life helping to open up the unex- they cannot eat him. By the same token, a den of
plored regions of Kentucky and Missouri. He also lions signifies any situation in which a person finds
served in the U.S. militia and defended the many himself or herself surrounded by others who mean
settlements he had helped to found against attack the person harm. Finding himself suddenly surrounded
by Native American tribes. Her father emerged from by rogues and bandits of all description, the journalist
the store wearing a Daniel Boone hat and leather jacket. quickly appreciated that he was like Daniel in the
lions’ den.
Daniel come to judgment, a (danybl) A person
who reaches a wise conclusion about something danse macabre (dahns mbkahbrb) A series of
that has left others bewildered, especially one who events seemingly moving inexorably toward
displays wisdom beyond his or her years. The allu- destruction and death. The danse macabre (or
sion is to the biblical Daniel, as described in Daniel dance of death) was a well-known motif of medi-
5 (where he explained the meaning of the writ- eval art, typically depicting a skeletal figure of
ing on the wall). The phrase in its modern form Death leading a string of mortals away to the
comes from William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of grave. The motif became widespread throughout
Venice (c. 1596), in which Shylock hails Portia with Europe with the eruption of the Black Death in
the following words: “A Daniel come to judgment! the middle of the 14th century. The countries of the
yea a Daniel!/O wise young judge, how I do hon- Middle East seem to be engaged in a danse macabre that
our thee!” In a story related in the apocryphal can only end in bloodshed.
book of Susanna the youthful Daniel successfully
defends Susanna against the accusation of being Dante and Beatrice (dantay, dontay; beebtris) An
found committing adultery in the shade of a tree idealized, unfulfilled, platonic romance. The allu-
by asking her two accusers what kind of tree it sion is to the Italian writer Dante Alighieri (1265–
was. The two men give different answers and 1321) and Beatrice Portinari (1266–90), the
Susanna’s innocence is proved. By much the same beautiful young girl with whom the writer fell
token any judge who earns respect for his great hopelessly in love on first seeing her in 1274, when
wisdom might be referred to simply as a Daniel. both were still children. Dante’s love for Beatrice
It was in this moment of crisis that this young prodigy remained pure and unblemished, although he had
really proved himself a Daniel come to judgment. little chance to express it and she went on to
marry an Italian nobleman and died in her twen-
Daniel in the lions’ den (danybl) A person who is ties. She remained for Dante an unattainable ideal
in a position of great danger. The phrase alludes to and the subject of some of his greatest poetry. “But
the biblical story of Daniel in which the Hebrew Will wanted to talk with Dorothea alone, and was
prophet is accused of defying the rulers of Babylon impatient of slow circumstance. However slight
and is thrown into a cage full of hungry lions: the terrestrial intercourse between Dante and
“Then the king commanded, and they brought Beatrice or Petrarch and Laura, time changes the
115
Dante’s Inferno

proportion of things, and in later days it is prefer- nymph who attracted the amorous attentions of
able to have fewer sonnets and more conversation” the god Apollo. He pursued her until she called
(George Eliot, Middlemarch, 1871–72). on the other gods to help her and was transformed
by them into a laurel, or bay, tree. Apollo swore
Dante’s Inferno (dantayz, dontayz) A place of that from thenceforth he would wear bay leaves in
terrifying heat, violence, or demonic confusion. tribute to her. “A spasm passed through Grace. A
The Italian writer Dante Alighieri (1265–1321) Daphnean instinct, exceptionally strong in her as
has been celebrated for generations for his vivid a girl, had been revived by her widowed seclu-
depiction of hell in Inferno, the first part of his epic sion” (Thomas Hardy, The Woodlanders, 1887).
poem La Divina Commedia (The Divine Comedy;
1307–21). His descriptions of the infernal regions Daphnis and Chloe (dafnis, kloee) An archetypal
to which condemned souls are doomed had a pro- pair of young lovers. A celebrated ancient Greek
found effect upon the medieval imagination and pastoral romance relates how Daphnis and Chloe
remain influential today, as much for their poetical fell in love and eventually married. Their story was
qualities as for their theological content. To be cast subsequently retold in Allan Ramsay’s Gentle Shep-
into Dante’s Inferno is to be thrown, actually or herd (1725) and Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-
metaphorically, into a seething cauldron of fire or Pierre’s Paul et Virginie (1787), as well as the ballet
confusion and horror. Anything that is reminiscent Daphnis et Chloe (1912), with music by Maurice
of Dante’s vivid imaginings may be similarly Ravel and choreography by Michel Fokine. A cou-
dubbed Dantean or Dantesque. As he opened the ple sauntered among the trees and flowers, for all the
door to the blast furnace it was like stepping into Dante’s world like a latter-day Daphnis and Chloe. See also
Inferno. chloe.

Dan to Beersheba, from (dan, beersheebb) Every- Darby and Joan Archetype of a comfortable,
where; from one end of a kingdom to the other. devoted, elderly married couple. They first
The biblical town of Dan was located in the north appeared as characters in a ballad by Henry
of Canaan and marked the northern limit of Woodfall, published in the Gentleman’s Magazine
ancient Israel, while Beersheba was situated on the in 1735: “Old Darby, with Joan by his side, /
southern limit of the kingdom. The phrase appears You’ve often regarded with wonder: / He’s drop-
in Judges 20:1, in which the Israelites are described sical, she is sore-eyed, / Yet they’re never happy
as being “gathered together as one man, from Dan asunder.” The characters may have been based on
even to Beer-sheba.” News of his downfall spread real people, John Darby being the man under
quickly, and soon everyone from Dan to Beersheba knew whom Henry Woodfall served an apprenticeship,
that his star had been eclipsed. although another tradition identifies them as a
Yorkshire couple. “He found her at home, and
Danvers, Mrs. See mrs. danvers. with her was her husband. ‘Here is a Darby and
Joan meeting, is it not?’ she said, getting up to
Daphne (dafnee) The archetype of a woman welcome him” (Anthony Trollope, Phineas Finn,
who seeks to defend her chastity. Daphne was a 1869).
116
 darkness at noon

Darcy, Mr. See mr. darcy. sion is to the otherwise unidentified “Dark Lady
of the Sonnets” to whom William Shakespeare
Dare, Dan See dan dare. addressed some of his best-loved poetry of the
1590s, notably Sonnets 127–152: “Two loves I have
Dark Ages A period in which intellectual prog- of comfort and despair, / Which like two spirits so
ress has given way to ignorance and barbarism. suggest me still; / The better angel is a man right
The term was originally applied to the period of fair, / The worser spirit a woman colour’d ill” (Son-
history that extended from the end of the Roman net 144). She has been tentatively identified by
Empire in the fifth century a.d. to the medieval modern scholars as one of a number of real his-
period beginning around a.d. 1000, an obscure torical characters, including ladies by the name of
era of which relatively few historical records sur- Mary Fitton, Penelope Rich, Mrs. Davenant, and
vive. The term is generally avoided by modern his- Lucy Parker. The historian A. L. Rowse made out a
torians, who point out that the period in question strong case for her being Emilia Lanier, the daugh-
witnessed significant cultural advances and devel- ter of a Venetian court musician, who may have
opments in social organization. In modern usage, had an affair with Shakespeare around the end of
the term is often applied to people or practices 1592. Because of the strong suggestion of infidel-
that seem to belong to another outdated, unso- ity in the sonnets, the term “Dark Lady” is often
phisticated, or prejudiced time. The way he goes on applied to women who are suspected of being
about the evils of computers and the Internet, you’d think unfaithful to their husbands or lovers. It may also,
he was still living in the Dark Ages. however, be applied more broadly to any brunette,
or any woman with a dark complexion. Everyone
Darkest Africa The remotest, least-known parts likes her, but my wife thinks she may be a “Dark Lady”
of the African continent, where all is mystery and, who wouldn’t think twice about running off with some-
probably, horror. The phrase dates back to the early one else’s husband.
exploration of Africa by white adventurers, who
called the region the Dark Continent because so darkness See egyptian darkness.
little was known about it. The British explorer and
journalist Henry Morton Stanley (1841–1904) darkness, outer See outer darkness.
wrote books with the titles Through the Dark Conti-
nent (1878) and Through Darkest Africa (1890). darkness at noon The extinguishing of hope,
“Thus even in darkest Africa was the light of Ger- freedom, optimism, etc., especially through the
man civilization commencing to reflect itself upon agency of an oppressive regime. The allusion is to
the undeserving natives just as at the same period, a 1940 novel of the same title by Arthur Koestler
the fall of 1914, it was shedding its glorious efful- (1905–83), in which he depicted life under the
gence upon benighted Belgium” (Edgar Rice Bur- repressive Soviet regime in Stalinist Russia. He, in
roughs, Tarzan the Untamed, 1920). turn, may have borrowed the phrase from John
Milton’s Samson Agonistes (1671), which includes
Dark Lady A woman of mysterious nature or the line “O dark, dark, dark, amid the blaze of
identity, especially one who is unfaithful. The allu- noon,” or from William Cowper’s “The Progress of
117
dark night of the soul

Error” (1782), which has “Judgment drunk, and Darth Vader (dahrth vaydb) A thoroughly evil,
brib’d to lose his way / Winks hard, and talks of menacing person, sometimes with a slightly comi-
darkness at noon-day.” “She could not trust God, cal aspect. Helmeted and dressed entirely in black,
and in the bitterness of doubt her spirit was like Darth Vader was the archvillain in the original tril-
darkness at noon” (Os Guinness, Doubt, 1976). ogy of Star Wars films made by George Lucas,
beginning with Star Wars itself in 1977. The origi-
dark night of the soul A period of intense men- nal idea was that his name was a version of “dark
tal or spiritual anguish. The phrase, in its Spanish father” (it is ultimately revealed that he is the father
form La noche oscura del alma, was used by the of the young hero Luke Skywalker, lured to the
Christian mystic St. John of the Cross (1542–91) dark side). The name is sometimes applied to peo-
as the title of a religious treatise published around ple who have a similar rasping voice. Kitted out in
1578. The phrase originally denoted a time of his black bike gear he looked like a paunchy Darth
spiritual isolation through which a mystic might Vader, lacking only the long black cloak. See also evil
achieve union with God. Now, however, it refers empire.
to any period of deep depression or hopelessness,
as in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s famous line: “In a real Dartmoor (dahrtmor) A forbidding high-security
dark night of the soul it is always three o’clock in prison. Dartmoor Prison in Devon is one of the
the morning.” “And during his dark night of the most notorious of British prisons, being located at
soul while he was at Cuddesdon, part of the dark- Princetown in the middle of a windswept moor-
ness was the behavior of the House of Commons” land wilderness, which makes escape doubly diffi-
(Owen Chadwick, Michael Ramsey: A Life, 1991). cult. It was built to house French prisoners-of-war
during the Napoleonic Wars and has since housed
dark satanic mills An industrial setting, or many hard-bitten convicts. If the police find out
industry in general, especially with regard to what about this it’ll be Dartmoor for the lot of us.
may be seen as its dirty, inhuman nature. The
phrase was coined by the English poet William Darwinian (dahrwineebn) Of or relating to the
Blake (1757–1827) in what is now the much-loved evolutionary theories of the British naturalist
hymn ‘Jerusalem,’ which first appeared as part of Charles Darwin (1809–82). As proposed in his
the longer Milton (1804): “And was Jerusalem celebrated book On the Origin of Species by Means of
builded here / Among these dark Satanic mills.” Natural Selection (1859), Darwin emphasized the
Blake himself intended his lines to be a criticism role of the survival of the fittest in the course
not of England’s factories, but of England’s of evolutionary progress. In fact, similar theories
churches. He had never felt at home among the dark were already in circulation before Darwin, but it
satanic mills of the city and longed to escape to the rural was his book that brought them to public notice.
shires from which he had come. “So how did it come to evolve by slow, steady,
infinitesimally small Darwinian improvements?”
Darling, Grace See grace darling. (Richard Dawkins, The Blind Watchmaker, 1986).

D’Artagnan See three musketeers. Dastardly, Dick See dick dastardly.

118
 David and Jonathan

Daughter of Zion See zion. the evil spirit would have been exorcised without
the aid of the harp” (Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre,
daughters of Eve See eve. 1847). See also david and bathsheba; david and
goliath; david and jonathan; ewe lamb.
daughters of men Women. The phrase is biblical
in origin, appearing in Genesis 6:1–4 in the David and Bathsheba (dayvid, bathsheebb) A
course of a passage describing how men or possi- guilty or treacherous love affair. The allusion is to
bly angels began to couple with any woman they the biblical episode of 2 Samuel 11, 12, in which
chose: “When men began to multiply on the face King David falls in love with the beautiful Bath-
of the earth . . . the sons of God saw the daugh- sheba and arranges to have her husband, Uriah,
ters of men that they were fair; and they took sent into the heat of battle to be killed, leaving
them wives of all which they chose . . . and they David free to claim Bathsheba as his wife. The cou-
bare children to them, the same became mighty ple later have a child who dies. Psalm 51 records
men which were of old, men of renown.” “She David’s repentance. They looked as guilty as David
might have been—except for that something and Bathsheba, and it was not difficult to guess what
radiant in her that marked her apart from all the had been going on.
other daughters of men” (Joseph Conrad, The
Arrow of Gold, 1919). David and Goliath (dayvid, golibth) A contest in
which the two sides are unequally matched. The
David (dayvid) A person noted for his wisdom, allusion is to the biblical story of David, a humble
courage, chastity, or skill as a musician. In the but devout shepherd boy, who alone faces and
Bible David was a hero, born the son of Jesse, who defeats the Philistine giant goliath by killing him
slew the giant Goliath and eventually became king with a slingshot: “[David] smote the Philistine in
of Judah and Israel. According to the Gospel of his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead;
Luke, he was also an ancestor of Christ. His skill as and he fell upon his face to the earth” (1 Samuel
a harpist brought him the favor of Saul, who found 17:49). “It is David and Goliath; the man in over-
solace in his musicianship, as related in 1 Samuel alls against the suits in Brussels; UK sovereignty
16:23: “. . . when the evil spirit from God was versus burgeoning European power” (Guardian,
upon Saul, that David took an harp and played April 10, 2001).
with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well,
and the evil spirit departed from him.” The link David and Jonathan (dayvid, jonbthbn) The epit-
between David and chastity alludes to the story of ome of close friendship between two members of
the aged David sharing his bed with a young the same sex. The biblical hero David, Saul’s heir,
woman named Abishag so that she might chastely and Jonathan, the son of Saul, are described as
warm his body with hers: “The damsel was very inseparable companions: “It came to pass . . . that
fair and cherished the king, and ministered to him: the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of
but the king knew her not” (1 Kings 1:4). “You David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul” (1
make me feel as I have not felt these twelve Samuel 18:1). When Saul subsequently became
months. If Saul could have had you for his David, jealous of David, Jonathan attempted to mend
119
David and Nathan

relations between his father and his friend, and That was a day of infamy that no one around this table
when Jonathan was ultimately killed in battle, is ever likely to forget.
David uttered a sincere lamentation for him. The
pair were inseparable, like David and Jonathan. day of judgment See judgment day.

David and Nathan See ewe lamb. day of small things Apparently insignificant
details may in time prove to be the beginning of
da Vinci, Leonardo See leonardo da vinci. much greater things. The expression appears in
the Bible in Zechariah 4:10, in which God reas-
Davy Crockett (krokbt) The epitome of a rug- sures Zechariah after some of his people scoff at
ged, experienced backwoodsman. Davy Crockett the relatively unimpressive beginnings of his
(1786–1836) had many unlikely adventures dur- rebuilding of the Temple: “For who hath despised
ing the years he spent living in the wild frontier the day of small things? for they shall rejoice.” “I
lands of the American West, as recounted in his am but the incumbent of a poor country parish:
fictionalized autobiography, published in 1834. my aid must be of the humblest sort. And if you
One of the most celebrated pioneer frontiers- are inclined to despise the day of small things, seek
men of U.S. folklore, he was sent to the House of some more efficient succour than such as I can
Representatives in 1827 and ultimately died at the offer” (Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre, 1847).
Alamo in 1836. “That do-or-die Davy Blooming
Crockett spirit” (Jack Yeovil, Krokodil Tears, 1990). days of one’s life, all the For as long as a person
See also remember the alamo. lives. The expression comes from Psalm 23:6, in
which it appears in the form: “Surely goodness and
Day, Doris See doris day. mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I
will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”
day of infamy A day marked by an act of excep- That is something to remember all the days of one’s life.
tional evil or deceit. The allusion is to Sunday,
December 7, 1941, when the U.S. naval base at days of our years A person’s lifetime, emphasiz-
pearl harbor on Hawaii was unexpectedly ing the relatively brief time that mortals have on
attacked by Japanese aircraft. The attack was con- earth. The phrase comes from Psalm 90:10, where
demned the following day, when President Frank- it appears in the passage: “The days of our years
lin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945) addressed a shocked are threescore years and ten.” Modern science threat-
Congress: “Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a date ens to prolong the days of our years beyond anything our
which will live in infamy—the United States of forebears would have believed possible.
America was suddenly and deliberately attacked
by the naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.” D-day The day set for a par ticular event to take
Congress responded by consenting to a declara- place. The original D-day was June 6, 1944, when
tion of war. The phrase has since been used spar- the Allies launched the invasion of Europe by land-
ingly of other extreme events, most notably the ing troops on the Normandy beaches. The culmi-
terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 (see 9/11). nation of months of preparation, D-day is
120
 Dead Sea fruit

remembered as one of the most decisive dates in that Sheriff Wild Bill Hickok was holding when
world history. In fact, D-day was initially set for he was shot in the back in a Deadwood saloon on
June 5, but had to be postponed for 24 hours due August 2, 1876 (supposedly black aces and black
to adverse weather conditions. The D in D-day eights or, according to another tradition, two jacks
was an abbreviation of “Day.” Next Monday is D-Day and two eights). Ever since then a similar combi-
forWall Street. See also longest day. nation of cards has been called a “dead man’s hand.”
He froze when he saw that he had been dealt the fabled
dead . . . and never called me mother! An expres- dead man’s hand.
sion of mock dismay, as typified by melodramatic
19th-century drama and fiction. Though associ- dead man walking A person who is considered as
ated particularly with the hugely popular senti- good as dead. The phrase, which became more
mental novel east lynne (1861) by Mrs. Henry widely known through the 1995 film Dead Man
Wood, the line does not actually appear in the Walking, was traditionally called out by prison
original book, but was added in a successful 1874 guards escorting condemned prisoners from death
stage adaptation of the novel. The line occurs in a row to the execution chamber in U.S. prisons. In
scene during which a mother grieves over her modern usage, the phrase is sometimes applied to
young son, who has died unaware of his mother’s officials who are considered to be clinging to office
true identity. It was one of those “dead . . . and never long after their resignation or dismissal has become
called me mother!” performances that would never con- inevitable. Since that defeat the leader of the party has
vince any modern audience. been a dead man walking.

dead bury their dead, let the See let the dead dead parrot Something that is totally defunct.
bury the dead. The allusion is to the celebrated “dead parrot
sketch” first performed on British television in the
dead-end kids Youths who seem doomed to a 1970s by the monty python comedy team, in
disappointing future by virtue of their unpromis- which a disgruntled customer attempts to return a
ing, impoverished backgrounds. The allusion is to dead parrot to a pet store only to be met with the
a group of U.S. child actors called the Dead End store owner’s blank refusal to admit that the bird
Kids, who appeared in the role of street hooligans is actually dead. This policy is a dead parrot as far as
in a series of films during the 1930s, among them the rest of the government is concerned. See also sick as
Angels with Dirty Faces (1938). He was a dead-end kid a parrot.
in his youth but grew up to become one of the most influ-
ential men in the city. Dead Sea fruit A bitter disappointment or disil-
lusion. The allusion is biblical in origin, referring
dead lion See living dog is better than a to the fruit trees grown on the shores of the Dead
dead lion, a. Sea by the morally degenerate Sodomites. The
fruit of these trees was said to be beautiful to look
dead man’s hand A stroke of bad luck, or an at but bitter to the taste and “within full of ashes,”
unlucky omen. The allusion is to the hand of cards in the words of the French traveler Jean de
121
Dean, James

Thevenot (1633–67). It is also known by the name They keep telling me that death is nothing at all, but
apples of Sodom. “Like to the apples on the Dead people still look both ways when they cross the road.
Sea shore, / It is all ashes to the taste” (Lord Byron,
Childe Harold, 1817). Death, where is thy sting? Death is nothing to
fear. The expression comes from 1 Corinthians
Dean, James See james dean. 15:55, which questions the significance of mortal
death when compared with everlasting life in
Dear John letter A letter from a lover ending a heaven: “O death, where is thy sting? O grave,
relationship. The phrase dates from World War II, where is thy victory?” In modern usage, the phrase
when many men serving in the armed forces over- is best known for its inclusion in funeral ser vices.
seas received such letters from their sweethearts He died with a smile on his face, as if to say, “Death,
at home after the latter tired of their long separa- where is thy sting?”
tion. In modern usage, the term may also be
applied to similar letters of rejection from other death’s door, at At the point of death; very ill.
parties, such as employers. He had just received a The phrase derives from Miles Coverdale’s trans-
Dear John letter from head office, informing him that lation of Psalm 107:18, as found in the Book of
his services were no longer required. Common Prayer: “Their soul abhorred all manner of
meat: and they were even hard at death’s door.”
death by a thousand cuts A painful and pro- “He had had more than one attack of delirium tre-
longed process of destruction or humiliation. The mens after his father’s death, and had almost been
allusion is to a traditional method of execution at death’s door” (Anthony Trollope, Doctor Thorne,
developed originally in ancient China, which 1858).
involved the victim being slowly cut to pieces by
“a thousand knives.” This gradual reduction of public Deborah (debrb) A courageous woman, espe-
services is simply death by a thousand cuts. cially one noted for her virtue or devotion to God.
The original Deborah was a biblical prophet and
death is nothing at all Death is an insignificant judge who urged Barak to lead an army against the
event, which is not to be feared. The phrase is a invading Canaanites, spurring him on to victory at
quotation from a piece of writing by Henry Scott the Kishon River, a triumph she celebrated in a
Holland (1847–1918), which is often recited at memorable victory ode dubbed the “Song of Deb-
funerals: “Death is nothing at all. I have only orah” (Judges 5:1–31). “Stay, stay thy hands! Thou
slipped away into the next room. I am I and you art an Amazon / And fightest with the sword of Deb-
are you. Whatever we were to each other, that we orah” (William Shakespeare, HenryVI, Part 1, 1589).
are still. Call me by my old familiar name, speak to
me in the easy way which you always used . . .” deep calleth unto deep A metaphor evoking a
Scott Holland was a canon of St. Paul’s Cathedral profound spiritual or philosophical understanding
in London and the author of various sermons and between two individuals, parties, etc. The phrase
other writings. It has been suggested that he first comes from Psalm 42:7, which interprets water-
wrote these lines to be recited after his own death. falls or cataracts as representing the soul’s restless
122
 delenda est Carthago

yearning for God: “Deep calleth unto deep at the god of fear, son of Ares and Aphrodite. The spirit of
noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy bil- Deimos had possessed them and they charged as one for
lows are gone over me.” There existed an immediate the exit.
bond of mutual understanding between the two great
men, a vivid illustration of deep calleth unto deep. Deirdre (deerdrb, deerdree) The archetype of a
woman whose beauty causes only tragedy. Accord-
Deep Throat A covert source of information, ing to Irish legend, Deirdre was the daughter of a
usually otherwise unidentified. The original Deep storyteller whose beauty, it was predicted, would
Throat was the person who leaked information bring about the ruin of Ulster. King Conchobar’s
about the watergate scandal to Washington Post plans to marry her were disrupted when she
journalists Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward in eloped with Naoise, one of the three sons of
1972–74. In 2005 he was revealed as being Mark Usnech, and fled with him to Scotland. Conchobar
Felt, deputy director of the FBI. The code name lured them back with promises of forgiveness, but
itself was an allusion to the 1972 sex film Deep when they returned, he had the three brothers
Throat starring Linda Lovelace. What we need is a killed. Deirdre is variously said to have committed
Deep Throat on the inside of the organization to spill the suicide or to have died of grief a year later. Her
beans. See also all the president’s men. story was dramatized by both William Butler Yeats
(Deirdre, 1907) and John Millington Synge (Deirdre
Defarge, Madame See madame defarge. of the Sorrows, 1910). What with all her moaning and
grieving she’s a regular Deirdre and no mistake.
defenestration (deefenbstrayshbn) The act of
throwing someone or something out of a window. Delectable Mountains A place or situation that
The word came to prominence through its associa- offers a view of wonderful things almost within
tion with an incident involving a breakdown in reach. The allusion is to John Bunyan’s great reli-
relations between Roman Catholic and Protestant gious allegory pilgrim’s progress (1678, 1684),
members of the Bohemian National Council sit- in which Christian finally gets a view of the celes-
ting in the castle at Prague in 1618 prior to the tial city (heaven) from the peaks of the Delecta-
start of the Thirty Years’ War. Two of the Catholics ble Mountains. “We call this hill the Delectable
present were thrown out of the window by their Mountain, for we can look far away and see the
Protestant opponents, fortunately escaping seri- country where we hope to live some time” (Louisa
ous injury by landing in the moat. The incident has May Alcott, Little Women, 1868–69).
since become known as the Defenestration of
Prague. In modern usage the term has been used delenda est Carthago (delendb est kahrthahgo)
figuratively of the dismissal of a person from high Any obstacle that stands in the way must be
office. The senior management has been much reduced removed at all costs. This proverbial phrase is a
as a result of recent defenestrations. quotation from Cato the Elder (234–149 b.c.), who
took to ending every speech he made in the Roman
Deimos (daymbs) A personification of fear. In senate with these words after visiting Carthage in
Greek mythology, Deimos was identified as the 157 b.c. and realizing that it was becoming a
123
Delilah

serious rival to Rome. The president will not be moved century b.c. the pronouncements of the oracle at
on this issue. It’s a case of delenda est Carthago. Delphi became noticeably more specific, recom-
mending that the Greeks give up their hopeless
Delilah (dblilb) A seductive, treacherous woman; resistance against the Persians. When the Persians
a temptress. The biblical Delilah, whose name were subsequently defeated, the oracle was heav-
means “dainty one,” was a Philistine whore who at ily criticized, and future pronouncements were
the command of the Philistine leaders used her wisely delivered with more of their former ambi-
seductives wiles to trick samson into revealing the guity. The temple at Delphi was finally closed
secret of his great strength (his long hair) and then down in a.d. 390 on the command of the emperor
used this knowledge to bring about his ruin, hav- Theodosius. “. . . it was his wont to relapse into
ing his hair cut short as he slept in her lap, as grim silence when interrogated in sceptical sort as
related at Judges 16:4–20. “What is the good of to any of his sententious oracles, not always very
the love of woman when her name must needs be clear ones, rather partaking of that obscurity
Delilah?” (H. G. Wells, The Invisible Man, 1897). which invests most Delphic deliverances from any
quarter” (Herman Melville, Billy Budd, 1924).
deliver us from evil A prayer for protection
against harm. The expression comes from the Demeter (dbmeeter) A personification of fertil-
Lord’s Prayer: “And lead us not into temptation, ity. In Greek mythology, Demeter was a corn god-
but deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13). In mod- dess equivalent to the Roman Ceres. She was the
ern usage it is sometimes quoted ironically in the goddess of fruit, crops, and vegetation and the
form of a plea for relief from some minor irrita- mother of Persephone. When Persephone was car-
tion. “ ‘Lead us not into temptation but deliver us ried off to the underworld by hades, Demeter
from evil. But what is temptation? What is evil?’ ” threatened that the earth would remain barren
(Anthony Trollope, Barchester Towers, 1857). until Persephone was returned to her. It was even-
tually agreed that Persephone would spend nine
Delphic (delfik) Obscure in meaning; enigmatic; months of the year with her mother, when crops
ambiguous. The Delphic oracle was a shrine situ- would grow and plants would bear fruit, and three
ated at Delphi on the slopes of Mount Parnassus, months with Hades, when the earth would remain
thought by ancient Greeks to be the center of the barren. There was real warmth in the spring sunshine,
world. Here a priestess known as the Pythia, suggesting that Demeter had at long last been released
seated upon a tripod, communicated messages from the underworld and returned to the light.
from the god Apollo on a wide range of topics,
from domestic matters to international affairs, DeMille, Cecil B. See cecil b. demille.
often at the request of rulers or other powerful
political figures. Many of these pieces of advice Demon Barber of Fleet Street See sweeney
were obscure in meaning and open to a variety of todd.
interpretations, hence the use of the term Delphic
to describe anything that sounds important but is Demosthenic (demosthenik) Eloquent; persua-
in fact unclear in meaning. At one point in the fifth sive; possessing or showing great powers of
124
 Desdemona

oratory or eloquence. The Athenian statesman den of thieves A place where thieves or other
Demosthenes (384–322 b.c.) was greatly admired dishonest characters are likely to be found. Accord-
as an orator, although as a youth he struggled with ing to Matthew 21:13 Christ entered the Temple
a weak voice and stammer. He improved his speak- only to find that it had been taken over as a place
ing technique by such devices as learning to talk of business by money changers, causing him to
clearly with his mouth stuffed with pebbles and lament, “It is written, My house shall be called the
competing in volume with the sound of the waves house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of
crashing on the shore. Ultimately, his skill as an thieves.” Christ then overturned their tables and
orator proved his undoing after his criticisms of threw the money changers out of the Temple. In
Philip of Macedonia incurred the latter’s wrath modern usage the phrase is often applied to any
and he was obliged to kill himself by taking poison financial institution or business suspected of using
when the Macedonians invaded. “Those are dis- unscrupulous methods. “The ordinary of Newgate
tinctions which we hardly understand on this preached to women who were to swing at Tyburn
thick-headed side of the water. But demagogues, for a petty theft as if they were worse than other
democrats, demonstrations, and Demosthenic people,—just as though he would not have been a
oratory are all equally odious to John Eustace” pickpocket or shoplifter, himself, if he had been
(Anthony Trollope, The Eustace Diamonds, 1873). born in a den of thieves and bred up to steal or
See also philippic. starve!” (Oliver Wendell Holmes, Elsie Venner,
1861). See also cast money changers out of
denarius (denahreebs) Ready money; cash. The the temple.
denarius was the basic silver coin in ancient Rome.
I bet that car cost a pretty denarius. Denver boot A wheel clamp. Comprising a metal
clamp that fits around the tire of a car, the device is
Denmark, something is rotten in the state of
See commonly employed to immobilize vehicles that
something is rotten in the state of den- have been illegally parked until their owners have
mark. paid an appropriate fine. The name alludes to the
introduction of the first such clamps in Denver,
Dennis the Menace An unruly young boy. Den- Colorado, in 1949. His new car, which attracted atten-
nis the Menace made his first appearance in the tion with its whitewall tires and red paint job, fell victim
British children’s comic book The Beano in 1951 to the Denver boot far more frequently than any of his
and soon became a firm favorite. That same year previous cars.
he also made his debut in U.S. comic strips,
although depicted as blond and much younger depart in peace See nunc dimittis.
than the British prototype, who was distinguished
by his mop of thick black hair. Her boy is a real Den- Desdemona (dezdbmonb) Archetype of an inno-
nis the Menace, and destroys just about everything he cent female victim of intrigue and deceit. Desde-
lays his hands on. mona is the hapless wife of othello in William
Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello (c. 1603). Thanks to
den of lions See daniel in the lions’ den. the evil machinations of the treacherous Iago,
125
Desert Rats

Othello wrongly comes to believe that Desde- originally to the practice of Euripides (c. 484–406
mona has been unfaithful to him and murders her. b.c.) and other classical Greek dramatists of bring-
Her name is based on the Greek dusdaimon, mean- ing their plots to an artificial resolution in the final
ing “ill-fated.” She played Desdemona in this unhappy act through the sudden appearance on stage of a
sequence of events that resulted in all involved being god, who used his powers to make everything
exposed to public humiliation in the press. right. It is thought that such characters were low-
ered from above the stage using some kind of
Desert Rats A military force that specializes in mechanical device, hence “from a machine.” “Dr
operations in desert areas. The allusion is ulti- Gwynne was the Deus ex machina who was to
mately to the British Seventh Armoured Division, come down upon the Barchester stage and bring
which distinguished itself in action against the about deliverance from these terrible evils” (Anthony
German Afrika Korps in Libya during World War Trollope, Barchester Towers, 1857).
II. Members of the division wore a badge depict-
ing a desert rat ( jerboa). The nickname was subse- devil See satan.
quently applied to the Seventh Armoured Brigade,
which went on to see action in Bosnia and Iraq. A De Vil, Cruella See cruella de vil.
new generation of Desert Rats are adding fresh honors to
the regimental records. devil chained A potentially harmful individual,
creature, organization, etc., that has been placed
desert shall blossom, the The land will be under restraint. The expression alludes to the
returned to its rightful owners one day. The phrase image given to John of Satan being put in chains:
comes from Isaiah 35:1–2, which consists of the “And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent
prophecy that the Israelites shall one day reclaim which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a
their homeland in Zion: “The desert shall rejoice, thousand years” (Revelation 20:2). The vicious old
and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abun- man thrashed and strained in the arms that held him
dantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing.” This back, like a devil chained.
was originally a promise that the Babylonian exiles
would return to their homeland in Palestine, but devil’s advocate A person who takes an opposing
in modern times the prophecy has been quoted view in order to test the strength of an argument.
many times by those defending the controversial The phrase, which was originally rendered in Latin
extension of Israeli settlements into areas formerly as advocatus diaboli, was used as a title in the Roman
populated by Palestinians. The Israeli government has Catholic Church for an official who was appointed
promised that the desert shall bloom, but without detail- to seek out weaknesses in the cases of individuals
ing the cost they are prepared to pay in lives. proposed for beatification or canonization. In
modern usage, the term is often applied to any
deus ex machina (daybs eks makinb) An unex- person who adopts an unpopular or mischievous
pected or contrived solution to an apparently stance on something, usually motivated by the
insoluble difficulty. Literally translated from Latin urge to express a contrasting opinion to that gen-
as “a god from a machine,” the expression referred erally held. Her father liked playing devil’s advocate,
126
 Dickensian

suggesting all manner of outrageous reasons why some- quean they ca’ Diana Vernon (weel I wet they
thing that was perfectly obvious to everyone else could might ca’ her Diana of the Ephesians, for she’s lit-
not possibly be right. tle better than a heathen—better? she’s waur—a
Roman, a mere Roman)” (Sir Walter Scott, Rob
devils believe and tremble Even the most wicked Roy, 1817). See also artemis.
people have a conscience or lingering belief in
good that may trouble them. The sentiment diaspora (diaspbrb) The dispersion of people
appears in the Bible: “Thou believest that there is through migration or forced removal. The word
one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, was originally applied to the scattering of the
and tremble” (James 2:19). Fear convulsed the mur- Jews after the Babylonian exile. In modern usage
derer’s face when he was shown photographs of his victim, the word has been applied much more generally,
proving that even devils believe and tremble, as the say- though it is still often understood to refer specifi-
ing goes. cally to Jewish communities scattered throughout
the world. The extent of the Scottish diaspora means
Devil’s Island A forbidding place of confinement that a Scotsman abroad can be confident of finding
or isolation, from which a person may well not sympathetic hosts in any major city in the developed
return. The original Devil’s Island was an island off world.
the coast of French Guiana, which was formerly
the site of a notorious penal colony. Due to the Dick Dastardly (dastbrdlee) A villainous rogue,
harsh conditions on the island, many prisoners especially an incompetent one. Dick Dastardly
died there. The prison was closed in 1953 and the was one of the central characters in the Hanna-
island was remarketed as a tourist resort. He felt as Barbera television cartoon series wacky races.
if he was being sent to some remote Devil’s Island, and Sporting the long mustache of villains in 19th-
that soon no one back home would even remember his century melodrama, and assisted by his sniggering
name. but resentful dog-companion Muttley, Dick Das-
tardly sought to win each race by a range of devi-
Diana of the Ephesians (dianb, efeezhbnz) Some- ous ruses, all of which came disastrously undone.
one or thing that serves to distract attention from His escapades continued in the spin-off series The
the truth. According to Acts 19:24–28, Diana of Perils of Penelope Pitstop and Dastardly and Muttley in
the Ephesians was a fertility goddess with many their Flying Machines. He drove with total disregard for
breasts. Paul urged Diana’s worshipers to give her other road users, snarling at other drivers to get out of
up but met with objections from the local silver- the way like Dick Dastardly.
smiths, who were earning a great deal of money
selling trinkets at the temple of Diana. The follow- Dickensian (dikenzeebn) Reminiscent of the
ers of Diana shouted “Great is Diana of the Ephe- atmosphere, settings, themes, or style of British
sians,” and ever since then the phrase has been novelist Charles Dickens (1812–70). One of the
quoted in circumstances when a person stands most celebrated novelists of the Victorian era,
accused of being blinded by his or her own self- Dickens created a lively, vivid world that encom-
interest. “Then he wad rather claver wi’ a daft passed many aspects of life in 19th-century
127
Dick Tracy

England. Settings depicted in his many works feeling that their love was doomed from the start, like
ranged from the squalid slums and factories of Dido and Aeneas. See also aeneas.
major cities to scenes of pastoral charm. Charac-
ters varied from jolly squires and cheerful servants die is cast, the An irrevocable step has been
to starving orphans and villainous clerks and taken; there is no going back now. This common
thieves. In modern usage, the term “Dickensian” expression, in its Latin form alea jacta est, origi-
tends to be employed broadly to imply a pan- nated in a saying by Julius Caesar as he ordered his
oramic, detailed and colorful, even grotesque, army across the Rubicon River toward Rome in
satirical depiction of the real world, especially one 49 b.c., a step tantamount to an act of war. The
that harks back to the 19th century. “There is a reference is to gambling with dice (from the obvi-
Dickensian quality about Cairo: the dense narrow ous truth that once a die is thrown, the cast cannot
lanes, the rubbish and stench of the streets, the be taken back). “ ‘But I have no purpose of debat-
jostling crowds, the animals, the dramatic dispar- ing these points with you, my lord,’ waving his
ity between rich and poor, the spectacle of young hand, as if to avoid farther discussion; ‘the die is
children hard at work, the host of people scraping cast with you; allow me only to express my sor-
a living from the most menial of tasks: porters, row for the disastrous fate to which Angus
scavengers, match-sellers, bootblacks, water- M’Aulay’s natural rashness, and your lordship’s
carriers” (Stanley Stewart, Old Serpent Nile: A Jour- influence, are dragging my gallant friend Allan
ney to the Source, 1991). here, with his father’s clan, and many a brave man
besides’ ” (Sir Walter Scott, A Legend of Montrose,
Dick Tracy (traysee) Archetype of a tough police 1819). See also cross the rubicon.
detective. Dick Tracy made his debut in a U.S.
comic strip in 1931, drawn by Chester Gould. He die like Roland See roland.
was a tireless, square-jawed opponent of injustice
and wrongdoing, driven by the urge to avenge Dien Bien Phu (dyen byen foo) A disastrous mil-
himself upon the criminals for the kidnapping of itary defeat, especially one that is self-inflicted.
his girlfriend and the murder of her father. He Dien Bien Phu, in northern Indochina, was the
worked long into the night, doggedly poring over the site of a French fortification that fell to communist
details of the case like Dick Tracy. Vietminh guerrillas in May 1954 after a siege of
55 days. The defeat was blamed on overconfidence
Dido and Aeneas (dido, bneeas) An archetype of among the French commanders, who had failed to
tragic love. The love affair between the Trojan realize the threat posed by the guerrilla army and
adventurer Aeneas and Dido, queen of Carthage, had allowed their enemies to occupy the strongest
was told in Virgil’s Aeneid (29–19 b.c.). Dido fell positions. Spokesmen for the army are denying that this
in love with Aeneas after the latter was ship- reverse represents a Dien Bien Phu for U.S. forces.
wrecked off Carthage but was ultimately unable to
dissuade him from sailing on to Italy on the com- dies irae (deeayz eeray) A day of reckoning.
mand of Jupiter. After he left she committed sui- Latin for “day of wrath,” the phrase appears at
cide by throwing herself onto a pyre. One had the Zephaniah 1:15, in which Zephaniah foresees a
128
 Dionysian

“day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress,” gen- hollow formed in the palm of the hand when the
erally interpreted as a reference to the Day of fingers are unstraightened (a reference to the sim-
Judgment. Subsequently it became widely famil- ple lifestyle associated with the Cynics). “The
iar as the opening words of a medieval Latin hymn magistrate took the light out of the servant-maid’s
used in funeral and requiem masses. “One thing is hand, and advanced to his scrutiny, like Diogenes
certain,—that there is a mustering among the in the street of Athens, lantern-in-hand, and prob-
masses, the world over; and there is a dies irae ably with as little expectation as that of the cynic,
coming on, sooner or later” (Harriet Beecher that he was likely to encounter any especial trea-
Stowe, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, 1852). See also judg- sure in the course of his researches” (Sir Walter
ment day. Scott, Rob Roy, 1817).

Dietrich, Marlene See marlene dietrich. Diomedean exchange (diomeedeebn) A bargain

in which one side gets all the benefit. The phrase
different drummerSee march to the beat of a alludes to an episode in Homer’s Iliad (c. 700 b.c.)
different drummer. in which Glaucus and Diomedes exchange suits of
armor. Glaucus hands over a fine suit of armor “of
dii penates See lares and penates. gold divinely wrought,” whereas all Diomedes has
to offer is an almost worthless suit of brass armor
dilemma, horns of a See horns of a dilemma. “of mean device.” Also known as a Glaucus swap.
With the benefit of hindsight it seems clear that this was
Dillinger, John See public enemy number one. a Diomedean exchange, with the government getting
nothing out of it.
dinner of herbs See better a dinner of herbs
than a stalled ox where hate is. Diomedes See labors of hercules.

Diogenes (diojbneez) A seeker of truth and hon- Dionysian (dioneezheebn, dioneeshbn) Wild, fren-
esty, especially one who is cynical about his or zied, uninhibited, abandoned, orgiastic. In Greek
her chances of finding it. The original Diogenes mythology Dionysus was the son of Zeus and
(c. 412–320 b.c.) was a Greek philosopher who Semele and the god of wine, fruitfulness, and veg-
founded the Cynics, a school of philosophers etation, equivalent to the Roman Bacchus. It was
whose ideals included the pursuit of asceticism Dionysus who, according to myth, invented wine
and independence. According to tradition, he lived and developed the cultivation of grapes. The five
in an earthenware tub and carried a lantern in festivals held in Athens each year in his honor were
broad daylight to further his search for an honest notorious for the frenzied and licentious behavior
man. His name may also be encountered in that of of the celebrants, who indulged freely in drink and
the Diogenes crab, which is a West Indian hermit sex. These festivals gave birth to the Greek the-
crab that inhabits the abandoned shells of other ater. As a student he had pursued a Dionysian lifestyle,
creatures (reminiscent of the philosopher in his holding riotous parties and rarely spending an evening
tub), and also in that of the Diogenes cup, the at home.
129
Dioscorea

Dioscorea (dioskoreeb) A genus of plants belong- which has haunted it ever since, in his 1849 essay
ing to the yam family. It was named in honor of the “On the Nigger Question”: “The social science—
Greek physician Dioscorides Pedanius (c. a.d. 40– not a ‘gay science,’ but a rueful—which finds the
c. 90), who studied a wide variety of plants in secret of this Universe in ‘supply and demand’ . . .
order to gather information about their medicinal what we might call, by way of eminence, the dis-
properties while serving as a surgeon in the Roman mal science.” In coining the label, he may have
army. He was later recognized as one of the fathers been influenced by contemporary economists who
of modern botany. There are probably many more held the gloomy view that population growth
secrets to learn about Dioscorea. would outstrip food production. If we are to believe
the purveyors of the dismal science, we are heading for
Dioscuri See castor and pollux. another period of recession.

Dirty Harry A maverick policeman, or someone Disneyfication (diznifikayshbn) The trivialization

else who employs heavy-handed or ethically dubi- of historical fact or real places, people, etc., in
ous tactics to achieve his or her aims. The 1971 order to maximize their commercial appeal. U.S.
film Dirty Harry introduced the eponymous Harry filmmaker Walt Disney (1901–66) made his repu-
Callaghan, a self-willed San Francisco police tation with brilliant but often sentimentalized
inspector (played by Clint Eastwood) who thought cartoons and live-action films in which the less
nothing of breaking the rules in order to outwit pleasant or controversial aspects of nature or
criminals who might otherwise escape legal retri- human existence were either ignored or made more
bution. He continued to break the rules in a series palatable and unchallenging. The same approach
of sequels. We don’t approve of Dirty Harry tactics in typified the various Disney resorts that his corpora-
this company. See also go ahead, make my day. tion later built. Many critics have found fault with
the tendency of many commercial organizations
disciple A follower or pupil of a religious teacher to indulge in similar “Disneyfication” of historical
or other leader. The word is most familiar from its truth and the realities of life. As a scholar, I deplore
application in the Bible to the 12 apostles and to the Disneyfication of the slave issue in early American
followers of Christ more generally. “. . . the doc- history.
trine it contain’d was by degrees universally
adopted by the philosophers of Europe, in prefer- Disneyland (dizneeland) An unreal, fantasy
ence to that of the abbé; so that he lived to see world. The original Disneyland was a hugely popu-
himself the last of his sect, except Monsieur B—, lar amusement park opened by U.S. filmmaker
of Paris, his élève and immediate disciple” (Benja- Walt Disney (1901–66) in Anaheim, California, in
min Franklin, Autobiography, 1793). 1955. Featuring many of the fictional characters
made famous in the Disney films, Disneyland pre-
discord, apple of See apple of discord. sented a view of the world far removed from daily
reality. Its success over the decades has spawned
dismal science Economics. It was Thomas Car- many other similar parks all over the world. A
lyle (1795–1881) who gave economics this label, person “living in Disneyland” is someone who fails
130
 Doctor Kildare

to appreciate the true situation. If he thinks the Doctor Crippen (kripbn) A wife-murderer or
problem is going to go away by itself he’s living in other evil, criminally-minded person. American-
Disneyland. born London doctor Hawley Harvey Crippen
(1862–1910) hit the headlines in the United King-
Dives (diveez) A very rich man, especially one dom in 1910 when he was discovered to have
who is obsessed with material concerns and murdered his wife Belle, a former music-hall per-
ignores the interests of others. In the Bible, Christ former. After killing his wife with the poison hyo-
tells the story of a rich man named Dives who scine hydrobromide, dismembering her body, and
ignores the plight of the beggar Lazarus at his gate hiding the remains under the basement of their
and is consequently condemned to an eternity in home, Crippen attempted to flee the country with
hell while Lazarus goes to heaven (Luke 16:19– his mistress Ethel le Neve on board the cargo ship
31). The rich man is not actually named in the Montrose. He was arrested when the ship docked in
original text but acquired the name in the Latin Canada (thus becoming the first person to be
version of the New Testament, apparently from arrested as the result of messages sent by wireless
the Latin dives, meaning “rich.” “Remember, we are telegraphy), brought back to London, and hanged.
bid to work while it is day—warned that ‘the night Who would have thought from that quiet, charming
cometh when no man shall work.’ Remember the demeanor that we were dealing with a second Doctor
fate of Dives, who had his good things in this life” Crippen?
(Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre, 1847).
Doctor Dolittle (doolitbl) A person who is very
divided against itself See house divided against good with animals and seems to understand the
itself, a. way they think and behave. The allusion is to the
books of British writer Hugh Lofting (1886–1947)
divide the sheep from the goats See separate depicting the adventures of the animal-loving Dr.
the sheep from the goats. John Dolittle, who possesses the power to talk
with the various creatures that come to him for
Doctor Caligari (kaligahree) A mysterious vil- treatment.The books, published over three decades
lain. Doctor Caligari is an evil magician and hyp- from 1920 to 1952, have since inspired several
notist in the celebrated 1919 silent German films. The way she communicates with those horses, you
horror movie The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, in which would think she was Doctor Dolittle.
he was played by Werner Krauss. In the original
film, Caligari uses his powers of hypnotism to Doctor Fell, I do not like thee, See i do not like
make a sleepwalker carry out murders on his thee, doctor fell.
orders, but he is later revealed to be a character
in the dreams of a patient in the asylum for the Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde See jekyll and
insane of which Caligari is director. He felt as if his hyde.
fate was in the hands of a powerful Doctor Caligari, and
that he was powerless to resist any instructions he was Doctor Kildare (kildair) Archetype of a hand-
given. some, caring young doctor. In the U.S. television
131
Doctor Livingstone, I presume?

medical series Dr. Kildare (1961–66), he was played Sellers, who portrayed him as an ex-Nazi boffin
with suitable suavity by Richard Chamberlain. Say with an uncontrollable urge to bring about a cata-
what you like, but old Doc Stevens with his bald head strophic nuclear confrontation. Supposing a Doctor
and half-moon spectacles is no Doctor Kildare. Strangelove got in here and started pressing buttons? See
also doomsday machine.
Doctor Livingstone, I presume? (livingstbn) An
ironic greeting on meeting someone. The allusion Doctor Watson A devoted companion or assis-
is to the supposed words of greeting uttered by tant. The allusion is to the character of the name
the British explorer and journalist Henry Morton who is the right-hand man of the gifted detective
Stanley (1841–1904) on finally locating Dr. David sherlock holmes in the mystery stories of
Livingstone (1813–73) at Ujiji in central Africa in Arthur Conan Doyle. He has seen ser vice as a
1871, after the latter had been out of contact with medical officer with the British army in India
the rest of the world for some considerable time. before becoming Holmes’s amanuensis and chron-
Stanley’s words have since been lauded, or lam- icler of his many adventures. Every great detective
pooned, as a perfect example of British under- must have his Dr. Watson. See also elementary, my
statement and good etiquette, even in the most dear watson.
unlikely of circumstances. “Doctor Livingstone, I pre-
sume?” Charles giggled as he lifted the blanket covering Dodge City A lawless, dangerous, urban envi-
Edward’s head. ronment. The frontier town of Dodge City, Kan-
sas, had a notorious reputation as a haven for
Doctor Spock A child care expert. Dr. Benjamin gunfighters and other rough elements of the old
Spock (1903–98) challenged many established Wild West until finally cleaned up by Wyatt Earp
conventions concerning child care with his Com- in 1876. Take care—it’s like Dodge City out there.
mon Sense Book of Baby and Child Care (1946), which
became a best-seller and profoundly influenced Dogberry A petty bureaucrat, an officious per-
parents for years to come. His liberal views on son. The allusion is to the overbearing constable
discipline were especially controversial and were Dogberry in William Shakespeare’s Much Ado
blamed by many for a decline in behavior among About Nothing (1598) and his pompous but igno-
the young. As children they were brought up on the rant nature. Like Mrs. Malaprop in a much later
Doctor Spock model, but this did not mean they were generation of fictional characters, he is given to
allowed to do what they liked. using long words that he does not really under-
stand (see malapropism). The Dogberrys at City
Doctor Strangelove (straynjlbv) Archetype of a Hall proved to be of no use at all in offering any useful
mad scientist who is so obsessed with his work advice.
that he does not appreciate the possible conse-
quences of it. In the classic 1964 film comedy Dr. dog days The hottest days of summer. The con-
Strangelove: Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and cept is of ancient Roman origin, having its roots in
Love the Bomb, directed by Stanley Kubrick, the early astronomy and the fact that the star sirius,
eponymous scientist was brilliantly played by Peter the brightest star in the night sky and commonly
132
 dolce vita, la

called the dog star, rose with the Sun at this time you would wish to draw my attention?’ ‘To the
of year. Romans believed that the dog star, so- curious incident of the dog in the night-time.’
named because it was placed at the head of the ‘The dog did nothing in the night-time.’ ‘That was
constellation Canis Major (meaning “greater dog”), the curious incident,’ remarked Sherlock Holmes.”
added its heat to that of the Sun and exerted a The phrase subsequently provided the title of a
baleful influence upon human affairs, making mor- 2003 novel by Mark Haddon, The Curious Incident
tals drowsy and listless and bringing forth droughts of the Dog in the Night-Time. The nonappearance of the
and disease. Changes in the movements of the stars professor may prove to be the dog in the nighttime that
over the centuries mean that Sirius today rises solves this case.
some time later in the year in the Northern Hemi-
sphere. The long-standing difference of opinion ignited dog must be bad indeed that is not worth a bone,
once more during the dog days of summer, when the heat the See laborer is worthy of his hire, the.
made everybody irritable and argumentative.
dog returneth to his vomit, a Fools and criminals
dog has his day, every See every dog has his tend to be drawn irresistibly back to their follies
day. or crimes.This proverb is biblical in origin, appear-
ing in Proverbs 26:11, “As a dog returneth to his
dog in the manger, a A person who selfishly pre- vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly,” and in 2
vents others from enjoying what he or she cannot Peter 2:22. In modern usage the proverb is usually
enjoy himself or herself. The expression comes quoted with reference to criminals who cannot
from a fable by the Greek writer Aesop (620–560 resist returning to the scene of their crimes. The
b.c.) in which a surly dog sits on a pile of hay in a gang came back to the scene of the murder that very eve-
manger, preventing some cows from eating it, ning, drawn like dogs to their vomit.
even though he cannot eat it himself. “ ‘I suppose it
is wrong and selfish,’ he said. ‘I suppose I am a dog dogs of war Mercenary soldiers. The phrase
in a manger. But I do own that there is a consola- appears in William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar
tion to me in the assurance that she will never be (1599): “Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war”
the wife of that scoundrel’ ” (Anthony Trollope, and became doubly familiar to a more modern
The Last Chronicle of Barset, 1867). audience through the title of Frederick Forsyth’s
1974 thriller The Dogs of War, which recounted
dog in the nighttime, the A seemingly innocuous the involvement of a group of mercenaries in a coup
event that, by not happening, provides a vital clue in central Africa. The term is occasionally employed
in the solution of a crime or other mystery. The more widely, as in its original Shakespearean con-
allusion is to the short story “Silver Blaze” (1892) text, to describe the horrors of war generally. After
by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, in which the detective leaving the army he contemplated taking up a career as
sherlock holmes solves the crime by reasoning one of the dogs of war who drift from continent to conti-
that a dog did not bark when a racehorse was sto- nent in search of money and adventure.
len from some stables because it knew the person
stealing the horse: “ ‘Is there any point to which dolce vita, la See la dolce vita.
133
Dolittle, Doctor

Dolittle, Doctor See doctor dolittle. Napoleonic glories” (Andrew Shennan, De Gaulle,
1993). See also dulcinea; tilt at windmills.
Don Giovanni See don juan.
don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes
Don Juan (joobn, wahn) A serial seducer of Wait until the last moment before firing or other-
women. A figure of Spanish legend who fea- wise committing yourself. The allusion is ulti-
tures in numerous operas, plays, stories, and mately to a clash that occurred during the American
poems, Don Juan Tenorio (or Don Giovanni) is a Revolution near Charlestown Neck on June 17,
young nobleman of Seville, who in one version of 1775. Though outnumbered by the British forces,
the story is said to have seduced no less than 2,594 the Americans calmly held their fire on the orders
women in five countries. His undoing comes when of their commander, Colonel William Prescott
he seduces the young daughter of the commandant (1726–95), who told his men “Don’t fire until you
of Ulloa. The girl’s father objects, so Don Juan see the whites of their eyes.” The Americans suc-
kills him and then, in a fit of foolish bravado, invites cessfully threw back two assaults before being
a statue of the dead man to dine with him:The statue forced into retreat, having run out of ammunition.
duly answers the invitation and carries Don Juan off In photography as in warfare, don’t fire until you see the
to hell. Her brother is a regular Don Juan and no pretty whites of their eyes.
girl is safe with him. See also casanova; lothario.
don’t give up the ship Don’t give up the fight.
do not let your left hand know what your right This famous exhortation to keep fighting dates
hand is doing See left hand know what your back to June 1, 1813, when the U.S. frigate
right hand is doing, do not let your. Chesapeake found itself locked in a duel to the
death with the British ship HMS Shannon off the
Don Quixote (kihotee, kwiksbt) A dreamy, U.S. coast during the War of 1812. The U.S. cap-
romantic idealist, especially one with little grasp of tain, Commander James Lawrence (1781–1813),
practical realities. Don Quixote is the central char- was mortally wounded during the engagement
acter in the epic novel Don Quixote (1605, 1615) by and on being carried below deck urged his offi-
the Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra cers to resist the British boarding party that even
(1547–1616). Depicted as gaunt, dignified, and then was swarming aboard: “Don’t give up the
simple-minded, he embarks on an absurd heroic ship! Sink her! Blow her up!” Unfortunately, the
knightly quest to right wrong, mounted on the British took control of the ship before it could
broken-down old horse Rosinante and accompa- be destroyed by its crew—but Lawrence’s rally-
nied by his squire Sancho Panza. A person who ing cry entered U.S. history and his words are
evinces a similar taste for the romantically unrealis- often quoted in extremis. I know we’re eight points
tic may be summed up as quixotic. “De Gaulle was behind and the game is half over, but don’t give up the
often depicted as a Don Quixote tilting at wind- ship!
mills or King Canute trying to turn back the waves,
while the reality was that France was a middle- don’t go to bed angry See sun go down on
sized power with no prospect of returning to its one’s anger, don’t let the.
134
 Doris Day

Doolittle, Eliza See eliza doolittle. Dorian Gray (doreebn) A person who looks
unaccountably younger than his or her years. The
doomsday (doomzday) A final, terrible day of allusion is to Oscar Wilde’s novel The Picture of
reckoning, especially one marking the end of the Dorian Gray (1891), in which the eponymous
world. In Anglo-Saxon England the word doom Dorian Gray retains his youth while a portrait of
signified a “legal ruling,” but in modern usage the him in the attic steadily degenerates, reflecting his
word evokes images of the destruction accompa- dissolute life of vice and corruption. The manufac-
nying the end of the world as described in the turers of antiaging creams have turned their attention to
Book of Revelation. “ ‘I was all riled up, Anne, and the male market, targeting older men with advertise-
I said she might stay till doomsday if she waited ments that suggest anyone can be a Dorian Gray.
for that; and I stuck to it’ ” (Lucy Maud Mont-
gomery, Anne of Avonlea, 1909). See also judgment Doric (dorik) Simple, rustic, or uncouth. The
day. inhabitants of the mountainous region of Doris in
ancient Greece and their way of life (especially
doomsday machine (doomzday) A machine that the dialect of Greek that they spoke) were consid-
threatens to bring about the destruction of the ered simple and unrefined in comparison with
world. The concept was first voiced by U.S. math- other Greek peoples and their more sophisticated
ematician Herman Kahn in his book On Thermonu- lifestyles (see attic). The term Doric is still used
clear War (1960) and is particularly associated with today to imply a rustic, pastoral character, espe-
nuclear weapons and the threat of mutual destruc- cially in relation to rural dialects and the arts:
tion that they represent. Such a machine plays a Pastoral poetry is occasionally called the Doric
central role in Stanley Kubrick’s film doctor reed, for example. The Doric order in ancient
strangelove (1964). In the wrong hands such a Greek architecture was similarly denoted by its
device could become a doomsday machine that will kill strong and relatively plain, unsophisticated char-
us all. acter. “When, early in a summer afternoon, we
have been shaking the dust of the village from the
Dorcas Society (dorkbs) A women’s group that skirts of our garments, making haste past those
makes clothing for charity. These Anglican church houses with purely Doric or Gothic fronts, which
groups take their name from the biblical Dorcas have such an air of repose about them, my com-
(also called Tabitha), a Christian woman of Joppa panion whispers that probably about these times
who, according to Acts 9:39, was noted for her their occupants are all gone to bed” (Henry David
good works, which included making “coats and Thoreau, “Walking,” 1851). See also corinthian;
garments” for needy widows. When she died and ionic; tuscan.
was laid out for burial, Peter brought her back to
life through his prayers. “ ‘Do any of you wish to Doris Day Archetype of the indomitably cheerful
take articles home, to do at odd times?’ said Fan, girl-next-door. The U.S. actress and singer Doris
who was president of this energetic Dorcas Soci- Day (Doris Kappelhoff; b. 1924) starred in a series
ety” (Louisa May Alcott, An Old-Fashioned Girl, of uplifting film musicals and comedies of the
1870). 1940s and 1950s, becoming a symbol of healthy,
135
Dormouse

exuberant American youth. Her mother was the Doris guage by a totalitarian government in order to
Day type, a plump woman with rosy cheeks and an ever- subdue the population. The word “doublespeak”
present smile. does not appear in Orwell’s book, but was coined
by others in the early 1970s, who were inspired
Dormouse A sleepy, quiet individual. The allu- to combine the author’s doublethink and new-
sion is to the Dormouse in Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s speak to form a new word encompassing the
Adventures in Wonderland (1865), one of the char- meaning of both. “In this typical example of sci-
acters present at the Mad Hatter’s tea party. He entific doublespeak, the burden of proof is, as
repeatedly falls asleep, despite the efforts of the usual, thrown on to conservationists to show that
others to keep him awake by pinching him: “ ‘Wake a fishing technique has an unacceptable effect,
up, Dormouse!’ And they pinched it on both sides rather than on the fishing nations to show that the
at once. The Dormouse slowly opened his eyes. method is ecologically sound” (Michael Dono-
‘I wasn’t asleep,’ he said in a hoarse, feeble voice: ghue and Annie Wheeler, Dolphins: Their Life and
‘I heard every word you fellows were saying.’ ” Her Survival, 1990).
son was like the Dormouse, nodding off in a corner where
he wouldn’t be disturbed. doublethink The hypocritical holding of contra-
dictory ideas or beliefs at the same time, as
Dorothy, friend of See friend of dorothy. achieved through propaganda and political indoc-
trination. The phrase was introduced by George
Dotheboys Hall (dooTHbboiz) A school where Orwell in his futuristic novel Nineteen Eighty-Four
the pupils are subject to the harshest of discipline (1949). “Doublethink had entered so completely
and conditions. Dotheboys Hall is the name of the into Ceausescu’s soul by the 1980s that he could
fearsome private boarding school run by the brut- genuinely bask in what he took to be sincere affec-
ish Wackford Squeers and his wife in the novel tion at the same time as he knew how stage-
Nicholas Nickleby (1839) by Charles Dickens. The managed the whole event was” (Mark Almond,
outrage provoked by Dickens’s novel led to the The Rise and Fall of Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu, 1992).
closure of many such schools in real life. He remem- See also doublespeak; newspeak; thought
bered his school as a real-life Dotheboys Hall where the police.
boys suffered regular thrashings and other humiliations.
double whammy (wamee) A twofold blow, or
do thou likewise See go and do thou like- one with double the impact. Widely heard in the
wise. 1990s, the term double whammy (or even triple
whammy) provoked much debate as to its actual
doublespeak The use of language to conceal the meaning and origins. Perhaps its earliest appear-
truth. The origins of the word lie ultimately in ance was in the Al Capp comic strip L’il Abner in
George Orwell’s vision of a nightmarish future in July 1951, in which the character Evil-Eye
his novel Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949), in which he Fleegle explains what it means: “Evil-Eye Fleegle is
introduced the concepts of doublethink and th’ name, an’ th’ ‘whammy’ is my game. Mudder
newspeak to describe the dishonest use of lan- Nature endowed me wit’ eyes which can putrefy
136
 draconian

citizens t’ th’ spot! . . . There is th’ ‘single peace has settled on this land today and the sound of
whammy’! That, friend, is th’ full, pure power o’ one gunfire is heard no more. See also olive branch.
o’ my evil eyes! It’s dynamite, friend, an’ I do not
t’row it around lightly! . . . And, lastly—th’ down for the count Out of contention, finally
‘double whammy’—namely, th’ full power o’ both overwhelmed. The allusion is to boxing and the
eyes—which I hopes I never hafta use.” This flooring of a fighter in the ring as the seconds are
announcement of job losses is a double whammy for the counted out: he is declared the loser if he cannot
unions, who were already reeling from a loss of support rise before ten seconds have passed. The phrase is
among members. also commonly employed, sometimes in the vari-
ant form out for the count, to describe someone
doubting Thomas (tombs) A person who remains who has fallen asleep and is deemed unlikely to
unconvinced about something until firm proof is wake up any time soon. They got back late last night
proffered. The allusion is to the biblical Thomas, and are still down for the count.
the apostle who declined to believe in Christ’s
resurrection until allowed to see and touch Christ’s down the rabbit hole Into a weird or surreal situ-
wounds for himself: “But he said unto them, ation. The allusion is to Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s
Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, Adventures in Wonderland (1865), in which Alice
and put my finger into the print of the nails, and finds herself in a strange fantasy world after fol-
thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe” lowing the White Rabbit into its rabbit hole. He
(John 20:25). Christ eventually showed himself so felt like he had fallen down the rabbit hole when he real-
that Thomas might satisfy his doubts but rebuked ized just what was expected of him in his new role. See
him for his lack of faith. His uncle remained stub- also alice in wonderland.
bornly unconvinced and it seemed nothing would per-
suade this doubting Thomas. draconian (drbkoneebn, draykoneebn) Exces-
sively harsh or severe. The word alludes to Draco,
do unto others See golden rule. the lawyer who in 621 b.c. drew up the first writ-
ten code of justice for his fellow Athenians. The
dove of peace A symbol of peace and reconcilia- laws imposed in Draco’s name, supposedly writ-
tion. The association between doves and peace is ten in blood rather than ink, were notorious for
biblical in origin, arising from the story of the their severity, with the death sentence being
dove that was sent out by Noah to see if the Flood imposed for even relatively petty offenses, hence
was receding (Genesis 8:8–12). When the dove the modern use of the term draconian. In reality,
returned with an olive branch in its beak, Noah Draco’s code did not last very long, and in 590 b.c.
interpreted this as a sign that God was reconciled a less exacting code of laws was devised by the
with humankind once more and that the waters Athenian statesman Solon. Although popular in
were retreating. Because the Holy Spirit descended his own time for putting the law in some kind of
to Christ in the form of a dove at his baptism, the order, albeit harsh, Draco himself came to a pre-
bird may also be treated as a symbol of the Holy mature end when he was smothered under the
Spirit, purity, or divine inspiration. The dove of heaps of garments and flowers that admiring
137
Dracula

Athenians showered on him during a visit to the the Royal Navy, collectively known as dread-
theater. “Such an attitude should hearten China’s noughts. Faster and better armed than any other
draconian womb police, who have spent two ships then sailing the seas, the dreadnoughts out-
decades trying to control the nation’s burgeoning classed all opponents and triggered a naval arms
population through any means possible” (Time, race as other nations sought to match this new
July 30, 2001). threat. Since that era large naval vessels of various
kinds have often been referred to as dreadnoughts.
Dracula (drakyoolb) An evil-minded person The U.S. Navy will send in its dreadnoughts to dissuade
who drains others dry of money, ideas, etc. The powers in the region from starting anything.
evil Count Dracula was created by Bram Stoker in
his novel Dracula (1879), in which he is depicted as Dresden (drezdbn) Archetype of a city destroyed
a hypnotic bloodsucking vampire of Transylvania by war. The bombing of the historic city of Dres-
who can only be killed by having a stake driven den in eastern Germany by Allied aircraft on
through his heart or by exposure to sunlight. The February 13, 1945 remains one of the most con-
story inspired numerous films and Dracula has troversial episodes of World War II, especially since
long since entered modern world folklore as one the city had little military significance. Most of the
of the most terrifying yet strangely seductive of city was destroyed in the firestorm that resulted
supernatural monsters. Stoker is said to have from the bombing and many thousands of its citi-
drawn on various inspirations for his famous cre- zens were killed. No one wanted Sarajevo to be turned
ation, among them stories surrounding the his- into a second Dresden.
torical Transylvanian ruler Vlad the Impaler
(1470–76) and a visit to Slains Castle near Aber- Dreyfus, Alfred See j’accuse.
deen, which provided a model for Dracula’s castle.
In modern usage, anyone with a similar cadaver- drink hemlock To voluntarily sacrifice oneself by
ous complexion, black hair, and dark clothing may resigning, committing suicide, etc. The phrase
be likened to Dracula, regardless of his or her alludes to the death of the Athenian philosopher
actual character. “Under a massive front-page Socrates (469–399 b.c.), who was obliged to kill
headline, HUNT FOR DRACULA FIEND (Star), himself by drinking hemlock after speaking out
the report indicated that a 13-year-old was able to against the ruling elite in Athens and being sen-
tell detectives that her attacker ‘had short dark tenced to death at the subsequent trial. The head of
hair streaked with grey and deep-set eyes that the party took the honorable way out, drinking hemlock
made him “look a bit like Dracula” ’ ” (S. Walby and by giving up his post and throwing himself on the mercy
K. Soothill, Sex Crime in the News, 1991). of the press.

dragon’s teeth See sow dragon’s teeth. droit du seigneur (drwah db saynyer) A person’s
right to take the first share in something or have
dreadnought A powerful battleship. The launch- the first say. The allusion is to the (largely apoc-
ing of HMS Dreadnought in 1906 heralded the ryphal) belief that in certain medieval European
introduction of a whole new class of battleships in countries a feudal lord had the right to have sex
138
 Dunkirk

with the bride of any of his vassals on her wedding before his death in the final week of the war: “My
night. Nowadays, the term is applied to any per- friend, you would not tell with such high zest / To
son who exercises a privilege at the expense of children ardent for some desperate glory, / The
others, particularly when this is seen as being old Lie: Dulce et decorum est / Pro patria mori.” “My
overbearing or unjust. The director exercised his droit breast heaved—my form dilated—my eye flashed
du seigneur and took first choice of the company cars. as I spoke these words. ‘Tyrants!’ said I, ‘dulce et
decorum est pro patria mori.’ Having thus clinched
drop in the ocean A tiny or insignificant amount; the argument, I was silent” (William Makepeace
something that makes little real difference. The Thackeray, The Adventures of Major Gahagan,
phrase is biblical in origin, having its roots in Isaiah 1839).
40:15, which compares the relatively minor
importance of nations with the immense grandeur Dulcinea (dblsinayb) A sweetheart, especially one
of God: “Behold, the nations are as a drop of a of humble origins. Dulcinea is the name bestowed
bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the upon a pretty young village girl otherwise called
balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very Aldonza Lorenzo by the romantic idealist don
little thing.” “And what is our life? One line in the quixote, who conceives an unrealistic passion for
great story of the Church, whose son and daugh- her in the comic novel Don Quixote (1605, 1615)
ter we are; one handful in the sand of time, one by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. The name itself
drop in the ocean of ‘For ever’ ” (Charles Reade, is based on the Spanish dulce, meaning “sweet.”
The Cloister and the Hearth, 1861). “Well, sir, ‘come what come might,’ I stole under
cover of the darkness to the dwelling of my Dul-
dryad See nymph. cinea. All was quiet. At the concerted signal her
window was gently opened” (Washington Irving,
dry bones, valley of See valley of dry bones. Tales of a Traveller, 1824).

DuBois, Blanche See blanche dubois. Dunkirk (dbnkerk) A miraculous escape from
disaster, especially one involving the successful
dulce et decorum est pro patria mori (doolkay et retreat of a substantial armed force. The allusion
dekorbm est pro patreeb moree) It is sweet and is to the rescue of the surrounded British army
becoming to die for one’s country. This patriotic from Dunkirk, on the northeast coast of France,
sentiment is a quotation from the Odes of Horace in early June 1940 during World War II. Around
(65–8 b.c.). In modern times, however, the phrase 340,000 men were brought back to Britain, many
is frequently encountered as an ironic invocation of them in small boats sent over from the ports of
of the virtue of patriotic valor, sometimes in the southern England. The success of the operation
abbreviated form dulce et decorum est. It is meant that a German invasion of Britain would be
often associated with the slaughter of World War much more difficult. A substantial victory of sorts
I, having been taken up as the title of one of the was thus snatched from the jaws of defeat, and
most celebrated poems of Wilfred Owen (1893– ever since then, people in times of crisis have
1918), a description of a gas attack written shortly been urged to show some Dunkirk spirit. Not
139
dust, unto

since Dunkirk has such a large force been rescued from dust to dust See unto dust shalt thou return.
so extreme a crisis.
dybbuk (dibbk) A demonic spirit or machine
dust, unto See unto dust shalt thou return. that has the power to take over a person. The dyb-
buk appeared early in the annals of Jewish folk-
dust bowl The Great Plains area of the central
lore, being described originally as a type of
United States.The nickname was heard with increas-
malevolent wandering soul that could possess a
ing frequency from the 1930s, when the agriculture
of this prairie region was devastated by prolonged living person until formally exorcised. The term
drought, causing severe hardship to the local popula- became more widely familiar through the classic
tion. The term has since been applied to various Yiddish play The Dybbuk (1920) by Solomon Ansky.
parts of the world that have suffered similar droughts. His grandmother decided that his behavior was so untyp-
The Chinese government is concerned that environmental ical the only explanation was that he had been taken
changes may bring about dust bowl conditions. over by a dybbuk.

140
ååååå E å
Earhart, Amelia See amelia earhart. east is east and west is west Sometimes there is
no alternative but to accept the essential differ-
ears to hear The ability to hear or understand. ence between two parties. The phrase is usually
The phrase is biblical in origin, coming from Mat- (though not always) used in reference to the con-
thew 13:43, and on certain other occasions at the trasting cultures of Western and Eastern civiliza-
conclusion of Jesus’ parables: “Who hath ears to tions. It first appeared in Rudyard Kipling’s “The
hear, let him hear.” A misprint in an 1810 version of Ballad of East and West” (1892): “Oh, East is East,
the Bible that read “Who hath ears to ear, let him and West is West, and never the twain shall meet.”
hear” led to that version being known as the “Ears You’d think this kind of thing would be frowned upon
to Ear Bible.” “One of those wretches whose hearts anywhere in the world, but east is east and west is west, as
the Lord had hardened, who, having ears, heard they say.
not, having eyes, saw not, and who should find no
place for repentance though they sought it even East Lynne (lin) An overtly sentimental, melo-
with their tears” (Samuel Butler, TheWay of All Flesh, dramatic tale or situation. The novel East Lynne
1903). The headmaster said, “If any student has ears to (1861) by Mrs. Henry Wood told the tearjerking
hear, then will he please note the school rule that smoking story of a mother who deserts her family for a new
is strictly forbidden on all school premises at all times.” lover, but then returns in disguise to care for her
children. It was hugely popular with 19th-century
earthshaking Momentous; of fundamental impor- audiences both as a novel and a play, and though
tance. The notion that some events and ideas are so little read today is remembered as the archetype
important they make the earth shake has its roots of lachrymose melodrama. “Sa-a-ay, girl, this ain’t
in Greek mythology. The sea god Poseidon was goin’ t’ be no scene from East Lynne. Be a good
often referred to as “Earthshaker” because he could kid. The rest of the bunch can go” (Edna Ferber,
raise storms and tidal waves. Homer also identi- Dawn O’Hara, 1911). See also dead . . . and never
fied Poseidon as the god of earthquakes. This dis- called me mother!
covery could have earthshaking consequences for everyone
involved in deep space research. east of Eden (eedbn) A featureless, desolate
place or situation; a place of wandering or exile.
ease in Zion See at ease in zion. According to Genesis 4:16, it was to an area “on
141
eat crow

the east of Eden” that Cain was exiled after he than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry.” In
murdered his brother Abel. The phrase is best modern usage the phrase is equally likely to be
known today as the title of a 1952 novel by John quoted as a criticism of those who indulge in
Steinbeck that relates the events that unfold after worldly pleasures without thought for the future
Adam Trask moves to California with his warring and, paradoxically, as a justification by those mak-
sons Caleb and Aaron. He lives somewhere east of ing the most of an immediate opportunity to
Eden, out beyond the bounds of civilized society. See also indulge themselves in the knowledge that the
land of nod. chance may not be there for long. The sentiment
is often extended to eat, drink, and be merry,
eat crow To have to apologize or do something for tomorrow we die, as found in Isaiah 22:13
humiliating. The allusion is to a probably apocry- and 1 Corinthians 15:32. “Such a man, neverthe-
phal event that is said to have occurred during the less, was the Reverend Samuel Pentecost, and
War of 1812, in which a New Englander acciden- such a woman was the Reverend Samuel’s mother;
tally crossed the British lines while hunting and and in the dearth of any other producible guests,
shot a crow. A British officer took the American’s there they were, engaged to eat, drink, and be
gun from him and then forced him to take a bite merry for the day at Mr. Armadale’s pleasure
out of the crow as punishment for his trespassing. party to the Norfolk Broads” (Wilkie Collins,
When the American was given his gun back, he Armadale, 1866).
immediately pointed it at his tormentor and forced
him to eat what was left of the bird. The phrase has eater, out of the See out of the strong came
not been traced back further than the 1870s and is forth sweetness.
unlikely to be as old as it is sometimes claimed to
be. Another version of the story sets it in the time eat from the tree of knowledge See tree of
of the Civil War during the 1860s, with the two knowledge.
people concerned being a Federal soldier and a
Southern plantation owner. It looks like the manager Ebenezer chapel (ebbneezer) A Nonconformist
will be forced to eat crow if he is to keep his position. chapel. This informal title alludes to the biblical
episode related in 1 Samuel 7:12 in the course of
eat, drink, and be merry Enjoy yourself while which Samuel sets up a memorial stone in thanks
you have the chance. The expression comes from to God for his victory over the Philistines, giving it
the parable of the rich fool related at Luke 12:16– the name Ebenezer (meaning “stone of help”) and
21, in which Christ describes a rich farmer who explaining, “Thus far has the LORD helped us.”
stores up his wealth for future indulgence and The family attended the local Ebenezer chapel and took
dies before ever enjoying the benefits of it. The their religion very seriously.
parable serves as a warning to those who see the
enjoyment of material wealth rather than devo- ecce homo (ekay homo) A depiction of Christ
tion to God as the ultimate ambition of their lives. wearing a crown of thorns. A Latin phrase usually
The phrase also appears at Ecclesiastes 8:15 in the translated as “behold the man,” it appears in John
form “a man hath no better thing under the sun, 19:5 as the words spoken by Pontius Pilate when
142
 Egyptian darkness

he presented Christ to the people. In modern latest model looks like being damned as the Edsel of
usage, the phrase is sometimes applied in both its home breadmakers.
Latin and English forms more widely to any per-
son who is presently a subject of attention. “Ecce Eeyore (eeor) A person with a melancholic, pes-
homo!” exclaimed the bishop as the inspector entered the simistic nature. The original Eeyore was a gloomy
room. gray donkey in the Winnie-the-Pooh stories written
by A. A. Milne in the 1920s. Seemingly resigned to
echo A repetition of a sound or other radiation eternal disappointment in life, he was allegedly
when reflected by some solid medium; any repeti- inspired by Sir Owen Seaman (1861–1936), the
tion or imitation of an idea, event, etc. In Greek editor of Punch under whom Milne worked for
mythology, Echo was a mountain nymph who fell eight years. Her grandfather had always been a bit of
in love with the beautiful youth Narcissus but an Eeyore, pooh-poohing any expression of hope for the
wasted away when he ignored her until all that was future.
left of her was her voice. The echo of breaking glass
reverberated through the empty house. Egeria (bjeereeb) A woman counselor or adviser.
According to Roman mythology, the original Ege-
Eden, Garden of See garden of eden. ria was a nymph who gave valuable advice to Numa
Pompilius (753–673 b.c.), the second king of
Edison (edisbn) A brilliant inventor. Thomas Rome; thus, her name is sometimes cited in
Alva Edison (1847–1931) is famous for his many describing any female source of inspiration. “Thus,
epoch-making inventions, which included the false to his nation, yet true to the new Egeria of his
electric light, the telephone transmitter, and the thoughts and actions—traitor to the requirements
phonograph. On most occasions, however, his of vengeance and war, yet faithful to the interests
name is employed sarcastically to ridicule the of tranquillity and love—did he seek, night after
underachievements of those whose inventions fall night, Antonina’s presence” (Wilkie Collins, Anto-
well short of the original Edison’s record. The nina, 1850).
classroom was full of budding Edisons, none of whom had
the faintest idea of how to put their scintillating ideas Egyptian darkness (bjipshbn) Impenetrable dark-
into practice. ness. The phrase alludes to the all-enveloping
darkness that fell upon Egypt at God’s command,
Edsel (edsbl) A disappointing failure, an anticli- constituting the ninth of the 10 plagues with which
max. Edsel B. Ford (1893–1943) was the son of the Egyptians were afflicted, according to Exodus
the pioneer U.S. car manufacturer Henry Ford. In 7–12. The phrase may sometimes also describe
1957 much publicity attended the launch of a new deep melancholy or some other mental state mak-
Ford model, called the Edsel in honor of the ing a person’s thoughts inaccessible to others.
founder’s late son. Unfortunately, the new car “And one, more grave, lost in a man’s hat and
failed catastrophically to win favor and its name feather, walked in Egyptian darkness, handed by a
became a synonym for a disastrous flop, especially girl; another had the great saucepan on his back,
one that is announced with great fanfare. This and a tremendous three-footed clay-pot sat on his
143
Egyptian gold

head and shoulders, swallowing him so as he too Wigger’s school” (Wilkie Collins, Evil Genius,
went darkling led by his sweetheart three foot 1886).
high” (Charles Reade, The Cloister and the Hearth,
1861). See also ninth plague of egypt; plagues Einstein (instin) A person with a brilliant mind,
of egypt. especially one who excels in science. The German-
born U.S. physicist Albert Einstein (1879–1955)
Egyptian gold (bjipshbn) Something of value was the archetypal eccentric scientific genius,
whose theft or borrowing from its former owners making important breakthroughs relating to rela-
is felt to be justified on the grounds that it may tivity, space and time, and energy. In modern
now be put to better use. The phrase alludes to the usage, his name is usually invoked sarcastically to
theft of jewels and vessels of gold and silver from challenge someone’s intellectual pretensions: All
the Egyptians on the flight of the Israelites from right, Einstein, show us how it’s done if you’re so clever.
the country, as described in Exodus 12:35. Some
Christian theologians interpreted the episode as Elba A place of exile, especially one of a tempo-
justification for borrowing from pagan tradition rary nature. The island of Elba is located in the
anything that could be put to a better Christian Mediterranean west of Tuscany in Italy and is
purpose. This Egyptian gold was now put to much bet- famous chiefly as the place to which the deposed
ter use, funding the establishment of various small enter- French emperor napoleon was exiled in 1814.
prises throughout the region that otherwise might never He remained there for just 10 months before
have found backing. escaping and rallying his troops for his final cam-
paign (see hundred days), which ended at the
Egypt’s firstborn See plagues of egypt. Battle of waterloo in 1815 and was followed by
another (this time permanent) exile on the island
eighth wonder of the world An outstanding edi- of saint helena. Her disgraced husband was exiled
fice or achievement of some kind; alternatively and for the rest of the summer to his personal Elba, a resort in
ironically, a remarkable failure. The ancient world the Florida Keys.
boasted just seven wonders, as recorded by the
Greek historian Herodotus in the fifth century b.c. Eldorado (eldbrahdo) A source of immense
Although his was not the only list and there was wealth. Spanish conquistadors of the 16th century
some debate about what should be included prior were captivated by tales of a fabulous city or coun-
to medieval times, the list is now generally accepted try of gold supposedly located somewhere in Peru,
as including the Pyramids at Giza, the Hanging although repeated expeditions deep into the South
Gardens of Babylon, the Statue of Zeus at Olym- American jungle by both Spanish and English
pia, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Mauso- adventurers failed to reveal any such place. The
leum of Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes, and name Eldorado (meaning “the gilded one”) has
the Pharos of Alexandria. Many lists of remarkable since been applied to any source of fabulous riches
buildings or other feats have since been compiled and, more loosely, to any illusory paradise said to
following much the same pattern. “A handsome offer a life of ease and luxury. “Would it not be
man was an eighth wonder of the world, at Miss well to call Jack, and hear his account of the matter
144
 Elijah

once more, now we appear to be so near the Eldo- Elephant Man A grotesquely ugly individual.
rado of our wishes?” (James Fenimore Cooper, Jack The original Elephant Man was Joseph Merrick
Tier, 1848). (1862–90), whose facial deformities (probably the
result of the rare Proteus syndrome) made him a
Electra complex (blektrb) The subconscious sex- fairground attraction and the subject of consider-
ual attraction of a daughter to her father or a father able interest to the medical establishment of 19th-
figure, often to the exclusion of the mother. This century Britain. Awareness of the tragic life story
Freudian concept takes its name from the Greek of Joseph Merrick grew with the release of the
myth about Electra, which was brought to life in 1980 film The Elephant Man, and unwittingly pro-
great dramas by Aeschylus, Euripides, and Sopho- moted use of the epithet as a jocular insult directed
cles. Electra was the daughter of Agamemnon, at anyone with less than perfectly attractive looks.
king of Mycenae, and Clytemnestra. Electra helped He asked her to go out with him, but she said she
her brother Orestes kill their mother and her lover wouldn’t be seen dead with the Elephant Man.
after Clytemnestra had murdered their father. She
gave up on her psychoanalyst and stormed off in a high Eleusinian mystery (elyoosineebn) Any obscure
temper after he had the temerity to suggest she might be ritual or process. The original Eleusinian mysteries
suffering from some kind of an Electra complex. See also were the rituals observed in strict secrecy in honor
oedipus complex. of the corn goddess Demeter and her daughter
Persephone at Eleusis, near Athens. Only the par-
elementary, my dear Watson The conclusion ticipants knew what took place at the rituals. The
reached is obvious. This somewhat overused purpose of the rites was to ensure divine protection
expression alludes to the detective stories of Sir of crops in the year ahead. The rituals, which also
Arthur Conan Doyle, in which it is supposedly had significance for devotees of Dionysus, were
said by his observant sleuth sherlock holmes to eventually abolished by the emperor Theodosius
his slower-witted companion doctor watson, toward the end of the fourth century a.d. “They
typically decrying the latter’s astonishment at the were, and felt themselves to be, the only true
detective’s brilliant deductive powers. In reality, depositaries left of certain Eleusinian mysteries, of
the phrase does not appear in its popular form certain deep and wondrous services of worship by
anywhere in the Sherlock Holmes tales (although on which alone the gods could be rightly approached”
one occasion Holmes does remark “Elementary!” (Anthony Trollope, Barchester Towers, 1857).
to Watson, in the 1894 story “The Crooked Man”).
In its usual form the expression appears to date eleventh hour, at the See at the eleventh hour.
back to the 1929 film The Return of Sherlock Holmes,
which ends with the line “Elementary, my dear Elijah (blijb) A prophet, especially one who
Watson, elementary.” In modern usage, the phrase foresees coming disaster. The biblical prophet Eli-
is often employed with sarcastic intent after some- jah warned King Ahab of a forthcoming drought
one has made a completely obvious connection. Of (1 Kings 17:1) and mocked the king’s false proph-
course you have to turn the computer back on before the ets (1 Kings 18:27) and their god Baal before flee-
new program is installed—elementary, my dear Watson! ing the country. This Elijah on the loose stormed
145
Elijah’s fiery chariot

through the Capitol, haranguing any member of Con- novel Elmer Gantry by Sinclair Lewis about the
gress who ventured out of his or her office to see what the impact of a charismatic evangelist upon his legion
commotion was. See also chariot of fire; mantle of female admirers. His family had come under the
of elijah. disastrous influence of an Elmer Gantry who seemed bent
on parting them from their life savings.
Elijah’s fiery chariot See chariot of fire.
Elm Street See nightmare on elm street.
Elijah’s mantle See mantle of elijah.
Elvis the Pelvis See king, the.
Eliot Ness See untouchable.
elysian fields (blizhbn) Heaven, paradise, or
Elisha (blishb) A devoted follower; a disciple. some other idyllic place. Elysium (meaning “happy,
According to 2 Kings 2:13, Elisha was the son of a delightful”) was the name of paradise in Greek and
prosperous farmer who was made the heir of Eli- Roman mythology, a pastoral place situated “at the
jah when the latter rose to heaven in a fiery char- world’s end” and ruled by Rhadamanthus, judge of
iot. His name may also be invoked when a person the dead. At Elysium heroes could take their ease
is taunted of the grounds of baldness, Elisha being after death. It is described as a place of perpetual
himself bald headed. He was surprised to find that in springtime and sunlight, where there are no
the intervening years his cousin had lost all his hair and storms, rain, or snow. The name has since been
was now as bald as Elisha. featured in a number of addresses in the real
world, among them the Champs-Elysées in Paris
Elizabeth Bennet See mr. darcy. and the Elysian Fields district of New Orleans. “To
the eyes of the frequenters of these Elysian fields,
Eliza Doolittle (blizb doolitbl) A woman who where so many men and shadows daily steal recre-
seeks to transform herself socially. The allusion is ation, to the eyes of all drinking in those green
to the fictional character of the name created by gardens their honeyed draught of peace, this hus-
George Bernard Shaw in his play Pygmalion (1913), band and wife appeared merely a distinguished-
and later reintroduced in the musical based on looking couple, animated by a leisured harmony”
Shaw’s play, My Fair Lady (see pygmalion). Shaw’s (John Galsworthy, The Forsyte Saga, 1922).
Eliza Doolittle is a humble flower vendor who
becomes the subject of an experiment to pass her éminence grise (ayminahns greez) A guiding
off in polite society by working on her use of lan- hand behind the scenes, someone who exercises
guage. She rose like Eliza Doolittle from the gutter to real power from the shadows. Historically, the
the heights of society. phrase éminence grise (or “gray eminence”) came
to be associated particularly with François Joseph
Ellis Island See statue of liberty. Leclerc du Tremblay (1577–1638), a gray-habited
priest who served as right-hand man to Cardinal
Elmer Gantry Archetype of an evangelizing Richelieu in the first half of the 17th century and
preacher. The name is a reference to the 1927 was widely believed to wield considerable influence
146
 end is not yet, the

over the policies espoused by the cardinal in his was pendent from his belt” (James Fenimore Coo-
role as head of the French government. Since that per, The Last of the Mohicans, 1826).
time, the term (in both its English and its French
forms) has been routinely applied to people who empty the vials of one’s wrath See vials of
are suspected of exerting a controlling influence wrath.
out of the general public view. The press sought a
response from the president’s secretary, considered by empyrean (empireebn) Alternative name for
many to be an éminence grise behind the throne. heaven or the heavens. The Greek astronomer,
mathematician, and geographer Ptolemy (second
Emma Bovary See madame bovary. century a.d.) developed the theory that there are
five heavens, the fifth of which (the Empyrean) is
emperor’s new clothes Something that is the abode of God himself. This ultimate heaven is
accepted as real, though actually lacking any real- supposedly composed of elemental fire, hence its
ity at all. The allusion is to a fairy tale of the same name, derived from the Greek empuros (meaning
title written by the Danish writer hans christian “fiery”). In modern usage the word is often
andersen in 1836. The story relates how two employed in references to the sky. “She would be
cunning weavers fool their emperor into buying able to arrange her life as she pleased, to soar into
robes made of a fabric so fine it is impossible to that empyrean of security where creditors cannot
see, when actually the fabric is entirely nonexis- penetrate” (Edith Wharton, The House of Mirth,
tent. When the emperor parades in what he thinks 1905).
are his fine new clothes, most of the crowd
(warned that only stupid people unfit for office encomium (enkomeebm) A hymn of praise; a
cannot see the material) convince themselves that eulogy. The word is Greek in origin, being derived
indeed he looks very smart, wilfully ignoring the from komos (meaning “revel”). In ancient Greece
fact that he is naked. I have read the opposing party’s encomiums were usually delivered in praise of vic-
policies and as far as I am concerned it appears to be a tors of the Olympic Games as they were carried
case of the emperor’s new clothes. home in triumph. “He said the alliance was such as
he sincerely wished; then launched forth into a
empiric A person who pretends to be something very just encomium on the young lady’s merit”
he or she is not; a quack. The word was applied (Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, 1749).
originally to the school of medicine founded by
Serapion of Alexandria (c. 200–150 b.c.), who end is not yet, the There is more yet to happen
placed particular emphasis on observation and before something is finished. The expression is
experiment in treatment rather than on the opin- biblical in origin, appearing in Matthew 24:6:
ions of conventional medical authorities. This led “And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars:
to the practitioners of this school acquiring reputa- see that ye be not troubled: for all these things
tions as quacks. “He once more endeavored to pass must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” “ ‘I joke
the supposed empiric, scorning even the parade of very seldom,’ Blunt protested earnestly. ‘That’s
threatening to use the knife, or tomahawk, that why I haven’t mentioned His Majesty—whom
147
end of the beginning

God preserve. That would have been an exaggera- attracted the attention of the moon goddess Selene
tion. . . . However, the end is not yet. We were while sleeping on Mount Latmus. Having fallen
talking about the beginning’ ” ( Joseph Conrad, The passionately in love with Endymion, Selene begged
Arrow of Gold, 1919). Zeus to grant the youth a wish. Wishing to remain
perpetually youthful, Endymion asked for the gift
end of the beginning An event that signals the of eternal sleep. Selene was thus able to embrace
start of slow progress toward the eventual comple- him each night without him knowing. Today his
tion of something, though that may still be a very name is most familiar from the celebrated poem
long way off. The allusion is to a speech delivered Endymion (1818) by John Keats. Washed and restored,
by Winston Churchill on November 10, 1942, he looked like some young Endymion, so it was doubly
greeting news of the Allied victory against Nazi unfortunate when he turned out to have the table man-
Germany at El Alamein: “This is not the end. It is ners of a satyr.
not even the beginning of the end. But it is, per-
haps, the end of the beginning.” Churchill may have enemy of the people A person whose anarchic or
had in mind a speech delivered nearly 150 years reformist views place him or her outside popular
earlier by the French statesman Talleyrand, in society and thus vulnerable to official persecution.
which he greeted the news that Napoleon had been The allusion is to Henrik Ibsen’s 1882 play An
defeated in battle with the words “It is the begin- Enemy of the People, which concerns the efforts of a
ning of the end.” Well, we might have a long way to go, local doctor to close a profit-making municipal
but I think we can call this the end of the beginning. bath because of the risk it poses to public health.
The threat of financial collapse unites popular
end of the rainbow A distant, almost unreach- opinion against the doctor, who finds himself
able paradise where all the problems of life are rejected by the rest of society. “There was no one
finally solved. The allusion is to the traditional to understand; no one he could take into the con-
belief that a pot of gold lies buried at the point fidence of Decoud’s fate, of his own, into the
where a rainbow touches the earth, if only the secret of the silver. That doctor was an enemy of
viewer can get to it before the rainbow moves on. the people—a tempter . . .” ( Joseph Conrad, Nos-
The notion was substantially expanded in the 1939 tromo, 1904).
film The Wizard of Oz, which located the magical
land of Oz “somewhere over the rainbow.” She enforcer See murder, inc.
dreams that some day she will reach the end of the rain-
bow and she will be able to leave behind her troubled England expects It is a matter of honor to per-
past. See also wizard of oz. form the duty that presents itself. The allusion is
to the signal that Admiral nelson had hoisted
Endor, Witch of See witch of endor. from his flagship HMS Victory at the start of the
Battle of Trafalgar on October 21, 1805: “England
Endymion (endimeebn) The archetype of a expects that every man will do his duty.” In fact,
beautiful young man. In Greek mythology, Endy- Nelson’s original message had contained the word
mion was a handsome young shepherd who “confides,” but this was changed to “expects” as the
148
 epicurean

latter was much easier to convey using signal flags. man Ennius? Wagner presumably thought it was Hans
England Expects that Every Man will Do His Duty Sachs.
and Join the Army Today (World War I recruiting
poster). Enoch (eenok) An upright, virtuous man.
According to Genesis 5:21–24, Enoch was the
Enid Blyton (eenid blitbn) Childish or sickly father of Methuselah; he is described as one who
sweet in character. The allusion is to the best- “walked with God.” Enoch and Elijah were both
selling children’s novels of the British writer Enid taken away into the presence of God without
Blyton (1897–1968), creator of such characters as experiencing death (2 Kings 2:11; Hebrews 11:5).
Noddy and the famous five. Though decried by “. . . I, in whose daily life you discern the sanctity
critics and other adults for their simplistic, senti- of Enoch—I, whose footsteps, as you suppose,
mental style and unchallenging, unrealistic plots, leave a gleam along my earthly track, whereby the
her stories were hugely popular with children Pilgrims that shall come after me may be guided
around the world and are still widely read today. to the regions of the blest” (Nathaniel Hawthorne,
That film was a bit too Enid Blyton for me. The Scarlet Letter, 1850).

Enlightenment A liberal, tolerant mode of think- enter into one’s closet To retire to a private
ing. The Enlightenment was an intellectual and lit- place, especially for prayer or contemplation. The
erary movement of the 17th and 18th centuries phrase comes from Christ’s Sermon on the Mount,
that championed reason and freedom of thought as related in Matthew 6:6, in which Christ urges
in preference to more restrictive traditional the faithful to pray in private rather than in public,
approaches toward politics, religion, etc. Modern where they may be tempted to do so only to
Western civilization depends largely upon the ide- impress others: “. . . when thou prayest, enter
als of the Enlightenment, and the term is now into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door,
widely used in its allusive sense. This forward- pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father
looking policy is a product of modern Enlightenment which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” At
thinking. the bishop’s invitation the two men entered into his closet
so that their conversation might not be overheard.
Ennius (eneebs) Epithet sometimes applied to
a poet or writer considered to be the founder Eos See aurora.
of, or first outstanding figure in, a nation’s litera-
ture. The original Ennius (239–169 b.c.) was a epicurean (epikyooreebn) Having a refined taste
Roman writer who was dubbed the Father of in food and wine. The word alludes to the Greek
Roman Poetry by his admirers. Later writers con- philosopher Epicurus (341–270 b.c.), who encour-
sidered to share such a founding role included aged his followers to indulge in simple pleasures
England’s Layamon (fl. 1200) and Geoffrey Chau- with moderation and self-control, although his
cer (c.1340–1400), France’s Guillaume de Lorris suggestion that the pursuit of pleasure is the pri-
(fl. 1230) and Jean de Meun (c. 1240–c. 1305), and mary goal of life means that epicurean today is
Spain’s Juan de Mena (1411–56). Who is the Ger- often interpreted as signifying unrestricted
149
epiphany

hedonistic indulgence in physical pleasure. By the cantata, rather than written and read” (H. Rider
same token, any person who is believed to have Haggard, She, 1887).
discrimination in food matters may be described
as an epicure. “Rose knew very well that the Epi- e pluribus unum (ee plooribbs oonbm) Out of
curean philosophy was not the true one to begin many (made) one.This line from “Moretum,” a Latin
life upon, but it was difficult to reason with Char- poem attributed to the Roman poet Virgil (70–19
lie because he always dodged sober subjects and b.c.), is best known today as the motto on the seal
was so full of cheery spirits, one hated to lessen of the United States of America. “The more you
the sort of sunshine which certainly is a public examine the structure of the organs and the laws of
benefactor” (Louisa May Alcott, Rose in Bloom, life, the more you will find how resolutely each of
1876). the cell-republics which make up the E pluribus
unum of the body maintains its independence” (Oli-
epiphany (epifbnee) A revelatory appearance, ver Wendell Holmes, Medical Essays, 1883).
manifestation, or realization. In the Bible the
word is applied to the presentation of the infant Erato See muses.
Christ to the Three Wise Men (Matthew 2:11), as
commemorated by the Feast of Epiphany (com- Erebus (erebbs) Darkness. In Greek mythololgy
monly called Twelfth Night) on January 6. The Erebus was the personification of dark, the brother
word itself comes from the Greek epiphaneia of Nyx (night) and son of Chaos. His name was
(meaning “manifestation”). This epiphany was fol- later applied to the gloomy caverns through which
lowed by the most extraordinary and unexpected series the souls of the dead had to pass on their way to
of events. hades and eventually became more or less synon-
ymous with hell. “Walking to the taffrail, I was in
epithalamium (epithblaymeebm) A wedding time to make out, on the very edge of a darkness
song. In ancient Greece such songs were sung by thrown by a towering black mass like the very
young boys and girls outside the bridal chamber. gateway of Erebus” ( Joseph Conrad, The Secret
The genre was developed by such classical poets Sharer, 1912).
as Pindar and Sappho circa the sixth century b.c.
and was adopted many centuries later by such Erinyes See furies.
notable writers as Edmund Spenser, whose wed-
ding poem Epithalamion (1595) is counted among Eris See apple of discord.
his finest works. “And then, with one of those
extraordinary transitions of which I have already erotic Provoking sexual desire. The word comes
spoken, she again threw off her veil, and broke from the name of the Greek god Eros, who per-
out, after the ancient and poetic fashion of the sonified sexual love and whose name now repre-
dwellers in Arabia, into a paean of triumph, or sents the sexual instinct, or libido. Conventionally
epithalamium, which, wild and beautiful as it was, depicted as a blindfolded youth with wings and
is exceedingly difficult to render into English, and carrying a bow and arrows, Eros was the son of
ought by rights to be sung to the music of a Ares, the god of war, and Aphrodite, goddess of
150
 Ethiopian change his skin

love, and combined elements of both their charac- biblical in origin, appearing in Job 19:20 in the
ters. Equivalent to the Roman cupid, he fired following form: “I am escaped with the skin of my
arrows at both gods and men, thus causing them teeth.” The stuntman only escaped serious injury by the
to fall in love. The term erotic appears to have skin of his teeth, rolling aside as the tower came crashing
entered the English language around the middle of down on top of the place where he had been sitting.
the 17th century. Related words include erotica,
sexually provocative topics and material. The erotic Esther (ester) The archetype of a beautiful, vir-
content of the book caused a sensation at the time but tuous heroine. The biblical Esther was chosen to
seems fairly mild by today’s standards. become the queen of King Ahasuerus (Xerxes) of
Persia on account of her beauty (Esther 2:17). As
Errol Flynn (erbl flin) A dashing, romantic queen she protected the captive Israelites from
adventurer. Errol Flynn (1909–59) was a persecution by her husband, thereby becoming a
Tasmanian-born U.S. film actor who became Hol- heroine to the Jews. The name itself means “star”
lywood’s greatest player of romantic heroes in the and was probably originally derived from that of
1930s and 1940s, appearing in a variety of swash- Ishtar, the Babylonian goddess of love. “Mrs. van
buckling roles such as pirate captains and Robin der Luyden beamed on her with the smile of
Hood. His attempts to play the company’s very own Esther interceding with Ahasuerus; but her hus-
Errol Flynn backfired at the office Christmas party when band raised a protesting hand” (Edith Wharton,
he was chased out of the building by the financial direc- The Age of Innocence, 1920). See also for such a
tor’s drunken mother-in-law. time as this.

Erymanthean boar See labors of hercules. Estragon See waiting for godot.

Esau (eesah) A person who allows himself to be état c’est moi, l’ See l’état c’est moi.
parted with something of value without receiving
much in return. According to Genesis 25:24–34, Eternal City The city of Rome. This commonly
Esau foolishly sold his birthright to his treacherous heard nickname for Rome is of ancient origin,
twin brother, Jacob, in exchange for a dish of soup having been used by Ovid (43 b.c.–a.d. 17) and
or stew (see sell one’s birthright for a mess of Tibullus (c. 55–c. 19 b.c.), among other writers.
pottage). His name may also be applied to people “Then ensued an eager description, by the two
who are unusually hairy or red haired, Esau him- women, of what had been done, and what should
self being described in the Bible as “an hairy man” be done, to penetrate the thick wall of fees, com-
with red hair, while Jacob was smooth shaven. missions, and chicanery, which stood between the
“ ‘He’s of a rash, warm-hearted nature, like Esau, patrons of art and an unknown artist in the Eternal
for whom I have always felt great pity,’ said Dinah” City” (Charles Reade, The Cloister and the Hearth,
(George Eliot, Adam Bede, 1859). 1861).

To make a nar-
escape by the skin of one’s teeth Ethiopian change his skin See leopard cannot
row escape from something. The expression is change its spots, a.
151
E.T. phone home

E.T. phone home A reaction, impressed or other- Greek mathematician Euclid, who lived in Alexan-
wise, to some scientifically outlandish suggestion, dria in the third century b.c. Euclid’s teachings dom-
often relating to the possibility of communication inated geometry for some 2,000 years. Such was his
with and between alien life forms. The original dominance that for many years geometry itself was
E.T. (short for “extra-terrestrial”) was the bizarre informally known as Euclid. The term Euclidean may
but lovable space alien depicted in the 1982 Ste- also be interpreted more generally as meaning
ven Spielberg film E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial. “clearly presented” or “well ordered.” “Quoin is not a
Stranded on earth, E.T. befriends some human Euclidean term. It belongs to the pure nautical
children, who look after him until the opportunity mathematics. I know not that it has been defined
comes for him to “phone home” (a phrase he man- before” (Herman Melville, Moby-Dick, 1851).
ages to utter in strangled English) and be rescued
by his alien family. The professor argued that some euhemerism (yooheembrizbm) The belief that the
signals from deep space appeared to follow predeter- gods of mythology were derived from real historical
mined patterns—very E.T. phone home! characters. The word comes from the name of the
Sicilian Greek philosopher Euhemerus, who lived
Et tu, Brute? (et too brootay) Expression of in the fourth century b.c. and first suggested the
reproachful surprise at a betrayal (usually a rela- theory in his book Sacred History. According to Euhe-
tively minor act of disloyalty) by a friend or col- merus, the idea came to him after he read an inscrip-
league. The words, meaning “You too, Brutus?” tion supporting the theory on a gold pillar on an
were allegedly spoken by Julius Caesar when he island in the Indian Ocean. The discovery of the temple
discovered his close friend Marcus Junius Brutus did little to discourage those scholars who were passion-
(85–42 b.c.) among his murderers on the Ides of ately attached to the theory of euhemerism, the idea that
March in 44 b.c. According to Suetonius (a.d. c. the heroes of myth were based on real characters.
69–c. 122), Caesar actually spoke the line in Greek,
but the Latin form is more familiar today from its Eumaeus (yoomaybs) A swineherd. Going back
use in William Shakespeare’s tragedy Julius Caesar to Greek legend, the original Eumaeus was a slave
(1599–1600). “Some months afterwards, when the and swineherd under Ulysses. The pigs are kept in a
much-belaboured head of affairs was in very truth state-of-the-art piggery and tended by scientists, a far
made to retire, when unkind shells were thrown cry from the Eumaeus of legend.
against him in great numbers, when he exclaimed,
‘Et tu, Brute!’ till the words were stereotyped Eumenides See furies.
upon his lips, all men in all places talked much
about the great Gatherum Castle confederation” Euphorbia (yooforbeeb) A genus of plants of the
(Anthony Trollope, Framley Parsonage, 1861). spurge family. This popular ornamental plant takes
its name from Euphorbus, a Greek physician who
Eucharist See last supper. flourished in the first century a.d. Tradition claims
that the plant was named in honor of Euphorbus
Euclidean (yooklideebn) Of or relating to a sys- by one of his patients, King Juba II of Mauritania.
tem of geometry based on the discoveries of the She planted some Euphorbia around the front gate.
152
 Everyman

Euphrosyne See three graces. Eve (eev) The archetypal woman. According to
the Book of Genesis, Eve was the first woman,
Eureka! (yooreekb) Expression of delightful created by God as a companion for adam and
triumph at making a discovery of some kind or in named by Adam himself: “And Adam called his
reaching a solution to a problem. According to wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all
tradition, the Sicilian mathematician Archimedes living” (Genesis 3:20). The name Eve itself comes
(287–212 b.c.) uttered “Eureka!” (meaning “I from the Hebrew hawwah (meaning “life”). It was
have found it!”) after solving the problem of how Eve who succumbed to the persuasion of the ser-
to assess the amount of gold in a supposedly solid- pent to eat the forbidden fruit of the tree of
gold crown. The crown, made on the orders of knowledge and thus brought about the expulsion
Heiron II of Syracuse, was suspected of having of Adam and Eve from the garden of eden. The
been adulterated with cheaper alloys, the pres- Virgin Mary is sometimes referred to as “the new
ence of which could not be detected by visual Eve.” Woman in general are sometimes referred
examination or by weight. The king called on the to as daughters of Eve. “Joanna the faithless, the
mathematician to find a way to verify its content betrayer: Joanna who mocked him, whispered
without damaging the crown. As he lay in his bath, about him behind his back, trapped and tortured
Archimedes noticed how his body displaced some him. Joanna Eve” (Fay Weldon, The Cloning of
of the water and realized that the answer lay in Joanna May, 1989). See also adam and eve; adam’s
comparing the volume of water displaced by the rib.
crown and that displaced by the equivalent
even Homer nods See homer sometimes nods.
amount of pure gold when both were immersed,
as the density of gold was known to be different
Everest See mount everest.
to that of any other metal. If there was a differ-
ence between the two, the king had been
every dog has his day Even the most lowly and
cheated—as proved the case. “Eureka!” is also the
humble will eventually get their opportunity for
motto of California, recalling the gold rush that glory or success. This proverb has its roots in a
took place there. “In one place I suddenly found Roman saying and was popularly attributed to a
myself near the model of a tin-mine, and then by legend concerning the death (in 406 b.c.) of the
the merest accident I discovered, in an air-tight Greek playwright Euripides, who was reputedly
case, two dynamite cartridges! I shouted ‘Eureka!’ torn to pieces by dogs set upon him by his rivals
and smashed the case with joy” (H. G. Wells, The Arrhidaeus and Crateuas. “Let Hercules himself
Time Machine, 1895). do what he may, the cat will mew, and dog will
have his day” (William Shakespeare, Hamlet,
Euryalus See nisus and euryalus. c. 1600).

Eurydice See orpheus. Everyman The common man, the ordinary man
in the street. Everyman appeared as a character in
Euterpe See muses. English literature as early as the 15th century,
153
evil empire

probably for the first time in a morality play of I now rue mine’ ” (Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre,
around 1500 in which he is challenged by Death to 1847).
account for his life. “The immigrant is the Every-
man of the twentieth century” (Hanif Kureishi, Excalibur (ekskaliber) A mighty weapon wielded
The Buddha of Suburbia, 1990). by a righteous warrior. In English legend, Excali-
bur was the name of the magical sword given to
evil empire A hostile state that seems opposed to king arthur by the Lady in the Lake. Other
all the virtues of peaceful, democratic coexistence. versions of Arthurian myth identify Excalibur as
The phrase featured strongly in the star wars the sword that Arthur pulled from the stone, thus
films of George Lucas, beginning in 1977, in which proving his right to the English throne. In modern
it was applied to the alien empire controlled by usage the term has been applied to a wide variety
darth vader and other villains. During the 1980s of weapons and other tools, from space lasers to
the description was applied by U.S. president the humble telephone. “She held the pole two
Ronald Reagan to the Soviet Union and its satellite handed, as if administering the death thrust with
states (although he retracted the comparison after Excalibur, plunging it up and down in the soggy
the political reforms that took place in that part of mass with a ferocity that had little to do with get-
the world later in the decade). Since then it has ting the clothes clean” (A. B. Lancaster, The Ameri-
been revived periodically to condemn one unde- cas, 1984).
sirable regime or another, especially those with
territorial ambitions. North Korea has many of the exile See babylonian captivity.
attributes of the old evil empire that was the Soviet
Union. exodus A mass migration or departure. The
word comes from the Greek exodos (meaning
ewe lamb A greatly prized possession.The phrase “marching out”) and in the OldTestament describes
alludes to 2 Samuel 12:1–14, in which Nathan the departure of the Israelites from Egypt (Exodus
tells King David a parable about a rich man who 12:31) under Moses and their subsequent 40-year
seizes a poor man’s “little ewe lamb” that he has wanderings in the wilderness before coming to
nurtured as though it was his own daughter. When the promised land. “Away streamed the Mem-
David expresses his rage at this injustice, Nathan bers, but still the noble lord went on speaking,
accuses David of similar wickedness in having struggling hard to keep up his fire as though no
Bathsheba’s husband killed so that he can marry such exodus were in process” (Anthony Trollope,
her. Later, the child born to Bathsheba and David Can You Forgive Her?, 1864).
dies. “ ‘Jane, I never meant to wound you thus. If
the man who had but one little ewe lamb that was ex pede Herculem (eks peday herkyoolem) By
dear to him as a daughter, that ate of his bread and examining a small sample of something, much may
drank of his cup, and lay in his bosom, had by be learned about the whole. The phrase literally
some mistake slaughtered it at the shambles, he means “from the foot of Hercules” and alludes to a
would not have rued his bloody blunder more than calculation supposedly made by the Greek mathe-

154
 Eyre, Jane

matician Pythagoras (c. 580–c. 500 b.c.). In order eye hath not seen Something invisible to ordinary
to work out the height of the great hero Hercules, sight or not readily perceived by the senses. Paul
Pythagoras began by comparing the length of the uses the phrase in 1 Corinthians 2:9 in describing
average Greek stadium (600 feet) with that of the the wondrous rewards that God has prepared in
stadium of Hercules at Olympia and from this cal- heaven for those who are faithful to him: “But as it is
culated the size of Hercules’ foot, with which he written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither
would have paced out the distance. Having gleaned have entered into the heart of man, the things which
this information, it was relatively simple to calcu- God hath prepared for them that love him.” “Vast
late his height as there is a certain ratio between chain of being, which from God began, / Natures
foot size and height. An alternative phrase with aethereal, human, angel, man, / Beast, bird, fish,
much the same meaning is ex ungue leonem insect! what no eye can see, / No glass can reach!”
(meaning “from the claw of the lion”). “. . . and as (Alexander Pope, Essay on Man, 1733–34).
for Testacio, one of the highest hills in modern
Rome, it is but an ancient dust heap; the women of eyeless in Gaza (gahzb) Reduced to a state of
old Rome flung their broken pots and pans there, wretched helplessness in hostile surroundings. The
and lo—a mountain. ‘Ex pede Herculem; ex phrase alludes to the ill treatment suffered by sam-
ungue leonem’ ” (Charles Reade, The Cloister and son at the hands of the Philistines, who, according
the Hearth, 1861). to Judges 16:1–3 and 21, captured him and put out
his eyes before imprisoning him “with fetters of
extra mile See go the extra/second mile. brass” at Gaza. The image of the mighty Samson
thus pitifully reduced has since been variously
Exxon Valdez (ekson valdeez) An environmental adopted by writers over the centuries, from John
disaster, especially one involving a spillage of oil. Milton, who depicted Samson as “eyeless in Gaza at
The Exxon Valdez was a massive oil tanker that the mill with slaves” in Samson Agonistes (1671), to
went aground in Alaska’s Prince William Sound in Aldous Huxley, who wrote an autobiographical
1989, causing catastrophic damage to thousands of novel entitled Eyeless in Gaza (1936). “Ask for this
miles of shoreline. It has since become a bench- great deliverer now, and find him Eyeless in Gaza,
mark for all such environmental calamities. What at the mill with slaves. It is the same story. Great
the world really doesn’t need is another Exxon Valdez. power reduced to impotence, great glory to mis-
ery, by the hand of Fate . . .” (Anthony Trollope,
eye for an eye, an Retribution by extracting like The Last Chronicle of Barset, 1867).
for like. The phrase comes from Exodus 21:24:
“Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot eye of a needle See camel: go through an eye
for foot.” He was an old-fashioned judge who believed of a needle.
in an eye for an eye when it came to crimes against the
person. Eyre, Jane See jane eyre.

155
å F ååååå
Fabian (faybeebn) Cautious; avoiding direct con- House, the one person who can be relied on to give an
frontation. The word alludes to the Roman general honest appraisal of the situation.
Quintus Fabius Maximus (d. 203 b.c.), nicknamed
cunctator (delayer), who adopted the tactic of face that launched a thousand ships See helen
harassment instead of making a direct challenge of troy.
against the invading Carthaginian armies of Hannibal
during the Second Punic War.This policy of avoiding faction A minority group within a large body,
pitched battles provoked accusations of cowardice in especially one that holds dissenting views. The
Rome but ultimately proved successful. During the original factions were the chariot-racing teams,
American War of Independence, George Washing- or factiones, of ancient Rome. Identified by a par-
ton adopted a similar approach against the British ticular color, the factiones were well-organized
and was consequently known as the American Fabius. sporting enterprises, and each had a committed
In 1884 a group of British Socialists who preferred following, who in time came to wield consider-
to achieve their aims through democratic methods able political influence. The most famous were the
rather than through violent revolution opted to call Blues, who enjoyed the support of the aristocracy,
themselves the Fabian Society to emphasize their and the Greens, who were the most popular team
nonconfrontational Fabian tactics. The government among the general populace. On occasion, clashes
would appear to have adopted Fabian tactics in dealing between the factiones could lead to wider unrest,
with the threat posed by the unions. culminating in a full-scale riot in a.d. 509. “All
these things tended to make us excessively obnox-
Fabricius (fbbrishbs) Archetype of incorrupt- ious to the great sacerdotal clan, the most power-
ibility and honesty. Gaius Fabricius Luscinus (d. c. ful because the most united faction in the kingdom”
270 b.c.) was a Roman consul who became famous (H. Rider Haggard, Allan Quatermain, 1887).
for his refusal to accept bribes or in any other way
compromise his principles. He lived a frugal life Fagin (faygin) A villainous rogue, especially one
and left nothing to his daughters when he died, who corrupts the young. In the Charles Dickens
but the Senate decided to provide for their future. novel oliver twist (1837–38), Fagin is a cunning
He is widely regarded as the Fabricius of the White and evil old Jew who persuades the runaway
156
 Falernian

Oliver into joining his wily gang of young pick- these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”
pockets, but is eventually brought to justice and “Still—if I have read religious history aright—
executed. It is thought that Dickens based his faith, hope, and charity have not always been
memorable character on a real person, Isaac “Ikey” found in a direct ratio with a sensibility to the
Solomons (c. 1785–1850). His father’s an old Fagin three concords, and it is possible—thank Heaven!
who won’t rest until he’s got his hands on everything —to have very erroneous theories” (George
you’ve got. See also artful dodger. Eliot, Adam Bede, 1859).

Fair Deal A policy that offers the prospect of faith will move mountains With faith anything is
everyone being fairly treated. A favorite slogan of possible. This saying comes from Matthew 17:20:
modern politicians introducing new political solu- “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall
tions, it recalls the original Fair Deal introduced say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder
by President Harry S. Truman (1884–1972) in place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be
January 1949. Truman’s measures aimed to impossible unto you.” A variant form is faith can
improve the lot of the poorly paid and the poorly move mountains. She firmly believes that she can
housed as well as advancing the cause of civil rights make him change his ways, and faith will move moun-
and better social security. The governor unveiled his tains, so she may yet succeed.
Fair Deal apparently convinced that the press would
approve wholeheartedly. faith without works A person’s good intentions
are meaningless unless supported by good actions.
fairy godmother A person or organization that The phrase comes from the Book of James 2:14–
proves to be a generous source of much-needed 26: “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have
financial or other help. The fairy godmother is a works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I
stock character of fairy tales and pantomimes, the will show thee my faith by my works. . . . But wilt
most famous example being the fairy godmother thou know, O vain man, that faith without works
who provides cinderella with the clothes and is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by
magic coach she needs to attend the royal ball. works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the
“Mrs. Adams’s conception of a glue factory as a altar?” (James 2:14–21). The government has expressed
fairy godmother of this family was an absurd old good intentions but failed to do much about them, and
story which Alice had never taken seriously” critics have observed that it is a case of faith without
(Booth Tarkington, Alice Adams, 1921). works.

faith, hope, and charity The three theological Falernian ( fblerneebn) Of or having to do with
virtues (in contrast to the cardinal virtues of a wine of a superior quality. The term refers to a
prudence, temperance, fortitude, and justice). particularly fine wine that was made in the Faler-
Paul identifies the virtues in 1 Corinthians 13:13, nian region of Campania in Roman times. Its qual-
using “charity” as a synonym for “love” and sin- ities were praised by Horace and Virgil among
gling out charity as the most important of the others. “Sand-banks, marshes, forests, savages,—
three: “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, precious little to eat fit for a civilized man, nothing
157
Fall, the

but Thames water to drink. No Falernian wine fallen angel A person who has suffered a lapse in
here, no going ashore” ( Joseph Conrad, Heart of fortune or reputation. The original fallen angels
Darkness, 1902). were Lucifer and other rebels, who according to
Christian tradition tried unsuccessfully to over-
Fall, the A lapse from a previously happier throw God and were consequently consigned to
state. The allusion is to the Fall of the human hell, as related in Isaiah 14:12 and Revelation
race as described in the Book of Genesis, when 12:7–9. The term entered common currency after
adam and eve disobeyed God’s command not to the publication of Milton’s Paradise Lost (1667),
eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good which retold the story. “ ‘Mr. Finn knows,’ said
and evil (Genesis 3:6), so committing the first Lady Laura, ‘that since he first came into Parlia-
sin. As a punishment for their disobedience they ment I have always believed in his success, and I
were expelled from the Garden of Eden. “What have been very proud to see it.’ ‘We shall weep
Eve, what serpent hath suggested thee / To over him, as over a fallen angel, if he leaves us,’
make a second fall of cursed man?” (William said Lady Cantrip” (Anthony Trollope, Phineas
Shakespeare, Richard II, 1595). See also origi- Finn, 1869).
nal sin.
fall from grace To fall in status; to lose a privi-
fall among thieves To find oneself among bad leged position or favor. The expression comes from
company or at the mercy of wicked people. The Galatians 5:4, in which the Galatians are repri-
phrase comes from the parable of the good manded for relying on their own efforts to observe
samaritan, in which a man on his way from Jeru- the law rather than depending on God’s help:
salem to Jericho “fell among thieves, which “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whoso-
stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, ever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen
and departed, leaving him half dead” (Luke 10:30). from grace.” Few remember now how he dominated the
Her son was a harmless enough kid, but he fell among world of business prior to his sensational fall from grace.
thieves and by the time he was out of his teenage years
was well known to the local police. fall of a sparrow Even the most insignificant
events are not outside the care and knowledge of
fall by the wayside To give up or fail at some- God (or others in authority), who governs every-
thing; to become useless. The phrase is biblical in thing. The phrase comes from Matthew 10:29–31:
origin, appearing in the parable of the sower and “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one
the seed related in Matthew 13:4, which describes of them shall not fall on the ground without your
how some seeds inevitably fall by the wayside and Father. . . . Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more
fail to germinate. “While other internet bosses value than many sparrows.” He ran the estate with a
have fallen by the wayside, he remains in charge gimlet eye, to the extent that not even the fall of a spar-
after overseeing his company’s flotation and sale” row took place without his knowledge.
(Guardian, April 23, 2001). See also parable of
the sower. fall of Jericho See walls of jericho.

158
 famous for fifteen minutes

Fall of the House of Usher See house of Mr. Maxwell upon the first opportunity” (Sir
usher. Walter Scott, Waverley, 1814). See also wolf in
sheep’s clothing.
fall on stony ground To receive an unfavorable
reception; to be ignored or fail to prosper. The Falstaffian (folstafeebn) Of a jolly, roguish,
phrase appears in Mark 4:5–6, which relates the larger-than-life character. The allusion is to Wil-
parable of the sower and the seed: “And some fell liam Shakespeare’s Sir John Falstaff, a life-loving
on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and comical old knight who appears in The Merry
immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of Wives of Windsor (c. 1597) and Henry IV, Parts 1 and
earth: But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and 2 (1597). His death is also mentioned in Henry V
because it had no root, it withered away.” The young (c. 1598). The term is often applied to people who
woman made several suggestions at her first board meeting, share not only Falstaff’s cheerful, self-indulgent
but most of her ideas fell on stony ground. character and his love of wine and women but also
his impressive girth. With his vast paunch and ruddy
fallout The secondary consequences of some- cheeks, he cut a Falstaffian figure as he leaned on the bar
thing. The allusion is to the radioactive fallout that and regaled his companions with risqué stories.
results from the explosion of an atomic or nuclear
device, as a consequence of which particles of Famous Five Any five individuals whose shared
radioactive material are typically deposited over a adventures or interests make them an identifiable
wide area. The term is normally employed in the group. The original Famous Five were the children
context of events that are seen as disastrous or in Julian, Dick, Anne, and George, together with
some way unexpected or shocking. The fallout from George’s dog Timmy, whose adventures were
this shuffle of senior positions in the government will go recounted in a series of children’s novels by enid
on for months. blyton. The formula is sometimes varied in num-
ber to apply to groups of four individuals, thus the
false prophet A person who purports to speak equally alliterative Famous Four. Frank Sinatra,
the truth, but whose words are not in fact to be Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey
trusted. The phrase appears several times in the Bishop were the Famous Five who became known as the
Bible, for example, in Matthew 7:15–17: Rat Pack.
“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in
sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening famous for fifteen minutes The notion that in
wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do the modern media-driven age everyone will enjoy
men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? a brief moment of fame. The sentiment was first
Even so every good tree bringeth forth good voiced in 1968 by U.S. avant-garde artist and film-
fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil maker Andy Warhol (1928–87): “In the future
fruit.” “The clergyman had not, it would seem, everybody will be world famous for fifteen min-
forgot the observation which ranked him with utes.” The phrase fifteen minutes of fame refers
the false prophets of Dunbar, for he addressed to this transitory period in the public eye. “You

159
farewell to arms, a

know, the ‘Famous for fifteen minutes’ type” (Shaun ancient Rome as a symbol of their authority. These
Hutson, Heathen, 1993). comprised a bundle of rods tied with a red thong,
from which an ax projected. The fasces were subse-
farewell to arms, a A truce, a retreat from con- quently adopted as a symbol by Mussolini’s Fas-
flict. The allusion is to the novel A Farewell to Arms cists, who sought to make links between their
(1929) by Ernest Hemingway, which was based on movement and the glories of ancient Rome, and
the author’s experiences as an ambulance driver in the term soon came to be applied more widely to
World War I. The novel itself relates the disillu- other right-wing totalitarian organizations, politi-
sionment of an American medical officer serving cal parties, policies, and regimes, including Nazi
with the Italians and his subsequent desertion Germany. The rise of fascism and communism in the
from the army. His own farewell to arms took the form 20th century was the greatest disfiguring phenomenon
of a drunken party with his teammates after his last in international affairs.
game with the side.
fasten your seatbelts Prepare for troubled times
far, far better thing, a See it is a far, far better ahead. Originally an instruction to passengers on
thing that i do. aircraft to secure their seatbelts before takeoff or
landing or when flying into turbulence, the phrase
far from the madding crowd Away from the hus- featured memorably in the 1950 film All About Eve,
tle and bustle of modern life. Most people assume in which Bette Davis delivers the line “Fasten your
the allusion is to the Thomas Hardy novel Far seat belts. It’s going to be a bumpy night!” in antic-
From the Madding Crowd (1874), although Hardy ipation of a blazing row she is about to have with
himself borrowed the phrase ultimately from an upstart actress seeking to steal her role. If you’re
Thomas Gray’s Elegy Written in a Country Church- planning to go in there now before she’s had a chance to
yard (1751): “Far from the madding crowd’s igno- calm down you’d better fasten your seatbelt.
ble strife, / Their sober wishes never learned to
stray; / Along the cool sequestered vale of life / fast lane The most direct route to success, fame,
They kept the noiseless tenor of their way.” “Dur- wealth, etc. The allusion is to the lane on a high-
ing the next ecstatic ten minutes, with my hand way or expressway that is reserved for vehicles
pressed against my wildly beating heart, I planned overtaking slower traffic. The phrase is often
my wedding dress, selected with care and discrim- encountered in the expression life in the fast
ination my trousseau, furnished the rose- lane. “For them there was nothing tame about
embowered cottage far from the madding not living in the fast lane; nothing sanctimonious
crowd—and wondered why Father did not send about unconsciously keeping clear of the edge of
for me” (Eleanor H. Porter, Mary Marie, 1920). the cliff ” (Hugh Barty-King, The Worst Poverty,
1991).
fascism (fashizbm) Right-wing authoritari-
anism. The Fascist movement founded by Benito fatal attraction An obsessive or dangerous rela-
Mussolini in 1919 took its name from the fasces tionship. The allusion is to the 1987 film thriller
that were carried before the senior magistrates of Fatal Attraction, in which a deranged Glenn Close
160
 fatted calf, kill the

continues to pursue the married Michael Douglas often referred to as the Seven Last Words. The
after a short-lived affair. A woman who behaves in second of these, in which Christ requests forgive-
such a fashion may be called a bunnyboiler after a ness for those who have brought about his death,
notorious scene in the film in which a pet rabbit is runs: “Father, forgive them; for they know not
found in a pan of boiling water in the family home. what they do” (Luke 23:34). “Lo! where the cruci-
The police have had to deal with a number of fatal fied Christ from his Cross is gazing upon you! See!
attraction cases in the last few weeks. in those sorrowful eyes what meekness and holy
compassion! Hark! how those lips still repeat the
Fat Controller A person in charge, especially if prayer. ‘O Father, forgive them!’ Let us repeat it
he or she is large in size and officious in character. now, and say, ‘O Father, forgive them’ ” (H. W.
The original Fat Controller (initially called the Longfellow, Evangeline, 1847). See also know not
Fat Director) was the head of the railways fea- what they do, they.
tured in the Thomas the Tank Engine stories of the
Rev. W. Awdry (1911–97) and his son, the first of Father Time A very old person, or time itself.
which appeared in 1946. There’s room for only one Time is often personified as an old man with a
Fat Controller in this organization. long white beard, bearing an hourglass and a
scythe with which to “reap” lives when the allot-
Fates (fayts) The implacable divinities who are ted lifespans come to an end. The origins of this
commonly believed to control the lives of mortal image are obscure, but it was certainly widely
men and women. The Fates (also called the Moi- familiar by the 19th century at the latest. “Little
rae by the Greeks or the Parcae by the Romans) Father Time is what they always called me. It is a
were depicted in Greek and Roman mythology as nickname; because I look so aged, they say”
three sisters—identified as daughters of Night— (Thomas Hardy, Jude the Obscure, 1895). See also
who handled the thread of destiny (a length of grim reaper.
thread representing each individual life). Clotho
spun the thread at birth, Lachesis measured its fat of the land A life of luxury. The expression
length and determined the amount of luck the comes from Genesis 45:18, in which Pharaoh
person would enjoy, and Atropos cut it with her offered the brethren of Joseph the best treat-
shears at the moment of death. “ ‘Ah!’ He shivered ment: “I will give you the good of the land of
as one shivers at the thought of disaster narrowly Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land.” A per-
averted. ‘The fates were good that I only came son who is said to live off the fat of the land is
near it!’ ” (Booth Tarkington, His Own People, one who enjoys the best of everything. “By—,
1907). those fellows, who haven’t got a pound belong-
ing to them, think that they’re to live on the fat
Father Christmas See santa claus. of the land out of the sweat of the brow of such
men as me” (Anthony Trollope, Ayala’s Angel,
Father, forgive them Expression of exasperation 1881).
at the nonsensical actions of others. The allusion is
to the seven last sentences of Christ on the Cross, fatted calf, kill the See kill the fatted calf.
161
fatwa

fatwa (fatwb) An unarguable ruling passed tradition) were a feature of Roman mythology and
down by someone in authority, especially one that were apparently derived from Faunus, the god of
calls for the punishment of a named individual on nature and fertility and the Roman equivalent of
charges of heresy. The word is Arabic in origin and the Greek god Pan. They are generally depicted in
in its strictest sense refers to decisions made by art and literature as sprightly and mischievous. “As
Islamic religious leaders (see ayatollah). Since he stood there in the lamp-light, with dead leaves
the passing of a fatwa by Ayatollah Khomeini of and bits of bramble clinging to his mud-spattered
Iran in 1989, in which he called for the death of clothes, the scent of the night about him and its
the British writer Salman Rushdie in reaction to chill on his pale bright face, he really had the look
his controversial book The Satanic Verses (1988), it of a young faun strayed in from the forest” (Edith
has been widely assumed that all such edicts Wharton, The Reef, 1912).
demand the death sentence, although this is not
always the case. The state governor has delivered a fauna (fahnb) The native or indigenous animal
fatwa forbidding any state employee indulging in such life of a par ticular place or period of time. The
corrupt practices in the future. word comes from Fauna, the name of the sister of
Faunus, the Roman god of nature and fertility. It
fat years and lean years Periods of prosperity was first used in its modern sense by the Swedish
and misfortune, which tend to alternate. The botanist Linneaus in 1746. “ ‘You’ve never been to
phrase comes from Genesis 41:25–27, in which Kew?’ Denham remarked. But it appeared that she
Joseph interprets Pharaoh’s dream about seven had come once as a small child, when the geogra-
lean cows consuming seven fat cows as meaning phy of the place was entirely different, and the
that seven years of plenty would be followed by fauna included certainly flamingoes and, possibly,
seven years of famine. The family has known both fat camels” (Virginia Woolf, Night and Day, 1919). See
years and lean years but has always held together until also faun; flora.
now.
Fauntleroy, Little Lord See little lord
Faulknerian (fokneereebn) In a manner reminis- fauntleroy.
cent of the writing of the U.S. novelist and short-
story writer William Faulkner (1897–1962). Faustian bargain (fowsteebn) A deal made for
Faulkner’s themes included the past, race rela- short-term gain, without regard to the costs in the
tions, class conflict, sexual repression, and slavery. long term. The allusion is to the bargain Faustus
His style was typically elaborate, allegorical, and makes with the devil in Christopher Marlowe’s
hallucinatory. His prose was Faulknerian in its reso- play Doctor Faustus (1604), in which Faustus is
nance and scope, rich in characterization and sometimes granted his immediate desires in exchange for his
shocking in its violence. immortal soul. The story was later reworked by
various composers, notably Wagner, Berlioz, and
faun (fahn) A species of minor rural deity having Gounod. Also called a Faustian pact, the term is
the body of a man and the legs, tail, ears, and horns usually applied today to anyone who appears to
of a goat. Fauns (similar to the satyrs of Greek have sacrificed his or her morals for material
162
 Fester, Uncle

benefit. He made a Faustian bargain that appeased his every child had roughly the same amount and choice of
enemies but lost him his friends. food.

favonian (fbvoneebn) Of or relating to the west feet of clay A fundamental character flaw, espe-
wind. Favonius (or Favonianus) was the Roman cially one that is not immediately obvious in some-
name for the west wind, which for its relatively one or something that is otherwise greatly
gentle nature was considered favorable to living admired. The allusion is to Daniel 2:31–33, which
things. A warm, favonian breeze ruffled the grasses on relates a dream in which the Babylonian king
the hilltop and filled the sails of the ships in the bay. Nebuchadnezzar dreamed of a huge figure with a
head of gold, breast and arms of silver, belly and
Fawkes, Guy See gunpowder plot. thighs of brass, legs of iron, and feet of iron and
clay. When the feet are smashed by a stone, the
Fawlty Towers (foltee) A mismanaged organiza- whole statue falls. Daniel explained the image as a
tion or situation. The allusion is to the highly symbol of Nebuchadnezzar’s empire and the feet
acclaimed 1970s BBC television comedy series of clay as a representation of the inherent weak-
Fawlty Towers, which revolved around the chaotic ness that would lead to its collapse. For as long as
goings-on at a modest hotel run by a warring mar- anyone could remember the old man had been considered
ried couple named Fawlty in the English seaside the ultimate authority on such matters, but now he was
resort of Torquay. In homage to the irascible, hen- revealed to have feet of clay.
pecked hotel manager played by John Cleese, any-
one who behaves in a similarly manic fashion may Fell, I do not like thee, Doctor See i do not like
be labeled a Basil Fawlty. This place is like Fawlty thee, doctor fell.
Towers—nothing works and nothing happens when it is
supposed to. fell among thieves See fall among thieves.

fear and trembling, in See in fear and trem- fellow traveler A person who shares the same
bling. ideas or aims, but without necessarily being part
of any official movement representing such
fed with Saint Stephen’s bread See saint ste- notions. The term arose as a translation of the Rus-
phen’s loaves. sian word poputchik, which was first employed by
Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky to describe
feeding the five thousand The providing of food noncommunist writers who nonetheless sup-
or something else for a large number of people. ported the Russian Revolution of 1917. The term
The reference is to the miracle of the loaves and is often applied to communist sympathizers, typi-
fishes related in Matthew 14:13–21, in which cally with derogatory overtones. We suspect a num-
Christ miraculously fed a crowd of 5,000 people ber of fellow travelers have infiltrated the organization
with just five loaves and two fish—and had sev- over recent years.
eral baskets of food left over after all had eaten. It
was like feeding the five thousand, trying to make sure Fester, Uncle See addams family.
163
few are chosen

few are chosen See many are called, but few deliver you’ ” (Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom’s
are chosen. Cabin, 1852).

fiddle while Rome burns To occupy oneself with fifteen minutes of fame See famous for fifteen
trivialities while ignoring a much more serious minutes.
problem. The allusion is to the tradition that in
the year a.d. 64 the emperor Nero (who consid- fifth, take the See take the fifth.
ered himself a fine musician) played his fiddle
rather than take action to prevent the city of Fifth Avenue The epitome of elegance and
Rome from being destroyed in a disastrous fire. wealth. Fifth Avenue in Manhattan is the location
Rumors that Nero had started the fire himself to of New York’s most fashionable and exclusive
clear a large area for his own ambitious building department stores, among them Cartier’s and Tif-
plans added to the resentment felt against him fany’s, as well as many of the city’s finest houses
for this callousness (even though he was not and museums. With her furs and diamonds, she reeked
apparently in the city at the time the fire broke of the new American aristocracy and Fifth Avenue chic.
out), and his reign only lasted another four
years, despite his attempts to transfer the blame fifth column A subversive organization operat-
for the conflagration to the city’s Christian pop- ing secretly within a state. The original fifth col-
ulation. “[Prime Minister Tony] Blair fiddles umn was that formed by the fascists in Spain to
while Cumbria burns” (Guardian, April 2, undermine the Republican forces occupying
2001). Madrid during the Spanish Civil War of the 1930s.
Its name referred to the fact that there was a unit
field of blood See aceldama. of so-called fifth columnists working in coopera-
tion with the four military columns loyal to Gen-
fiery furnace A punishment that rebounds on the eral Franco that were approaching the capital, as
persons inflicting it while leaving its intended vic- made clear in a broadcast by the fascist general
tims unscathed. The allusion is to the biblical story Emilio Mola: “We have four columns on the battle-
of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who were field against you and a fifth column inside your
hurled into a fiery furnace on the orders of King ranks.” The expression became more widely known
Nebuchadnezzar after they refused to worship a as the title of a 1938 play by Ernest Hemingway,
golden idol set up by him. According to the who saw action during the war. There is a fifth col-
account given in Daniel 3, the three remained umn in the Congress working against the interests of lib-
miraculously unharmed by the flames, although eral democracy.
the people who threw them in were all scorched
to death. “Tom stood silent; at length he said, ‘Him fight like Kilkenny cats (kilkenee) To fight with
that saved Daniel in the den of lions,—that saves great ferocity to the very end. The allusion is to an
the children in the fiery furnace,—Him that incident that occurred among Hessian troops serv-
walked on the sea, and bade the winds be still,— ing in Kilkenny during the Irish Rebellion of 1798.
He’s alive yet; and I’ve faith to believe he can The bored troops amused themselves by tying the
164
 fin de siècle

tails of two cats together and then hanging them filthy lucre Money; material wealth. The phrase
up to fight. When an officer approached, one of appears in 1 Timothy 3:3, in which Timothy warns
the soldiers quickly severed the cats’ tails; when that leaders of the church should be “not greedy
asked about the two tails he held in his hand the of filthy lucre.” “Mrs. Dean was a very good
trooper explained that the cats had been fighting woman, but she had aspirations in the direction of
with such ferocity that they had consumed each filthy lucre on behalf of her children, or at least
other all but the tails. When the women realized how on behalf of this special child, and she did think it
they had been tricked they fought like Kilkenny cats. would be very nice if Frank would marry an heir-
ess” (Anthony Trollope, The Eustace Diamonds,
fight the good fight To pursue a goal (especially 1873).
a religious one) with determination and courage.
The expression comes from 1 Timothy 6:12: “Fight final solution An extreme measure taken to
the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, bring something to an end. The allusion is to the
whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed Final Solution devised in Nazi Germany to eradi-
a good profession before many witnesses.” The cate Europe’s Jewish population through system-
phrase is commonly applied to the struggle of life atic persecution and a policy of genocide. The
itself, and Paul, foreseeing his own death, wrote, “I phrase was apparently first employed, on January
have fought the good fight, I have finished my 20, 1942, by Nazi official Reinhardt Heydrich
course” (2 Timothy 4:7). “He did become member when reporting to Adolf hitler on the various
for East Barsetshire, but he was such a member— ways in which the populations under German
so lukewarm, so indifferent, so prone to associate control might be purged of “undesirable” ele-
with the enemies of the good cause, so little will- ments. The term remains highly contentious and
ing to fight the good fight, that he soon disgusted is generally only employed in relation to the most
those who most dearly loved the memory of the extreme and inhuman schemes. It has been sug-
old squire” (Anthony Trollope, Doctor Thorne, gested that the Serbs had in mind their own Final Solu-
1858). tion to eliminate those parts of the population that
came from a different ethnic background. See also
fig leaf Something that serves, usually inade- holocaust.
quately, to conceal a person’s weaknesses or inner-
most feelings. The allusion is to the fig leaves with fin de siècle (fan(g) db syeklb, fan db seeekbl) A
which Adam and Eve sought to conceal their period of decadent excess. The term originally
nakedness after tasting the fruit of the tree of alluded specifically to the last decade of the 19th
knowledge of good and evil and losing their inno- century, which witnessed something of a relax-
cence: “And the eyes of them both were opened, ation of the rules governing contemporary West-
and they knew that they were naked; and they ern culture and society and a growing willingness
sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves to challenge conventional ideas and codes of
aprons” (Genesis 3:7). This gesture was not well behavior. In modern usage, the expression has
received and was generally considered a very inadequate been applied less restrictively to allude to any time
fig leaf to cover up for past indiscretions. in which accepted moral standards are perceived
165
finest hour, their

as having been ignored, not necessarily coinciding fings ain’t wot they used t’be Things were much
with the end of a century. The occasion was celebrated better in the past. Although probably familiar long
with appropriate fin de siècle abandon. before the middle of the 20th century, the expres-
sion caught on after appearing as the title of a
finest hour, their See their finest hour. 1959 musical by Lionel Bart and Frank Norman,
portraying life among London’s poorer classes
finger in the dike An inadequate solution to a (hence the mock cockney spelling of the title).
serious problem. The allusion is to an old story Nowadays, the phrase has the status of a cliché
concerning the dikes that protected the Dutch expressing any nostalgic sentiment about past
lowlands from inundation by the sea and a tiny times. Years ago you could have stayed in the bar all
hole in the sea wall, which threatened a vast area night for just the price of a beer, but fings ain’t wot they
of land if it was allowed to develop into a major used t’be.
breach. Legend has it that the hole was spotted by
a small boy, who stuck his forefinger into it and Finn, Huckleberry See huckleberry finn.
thus kept the water back until help eventually
arrived. Although the boy’s action was sufficient fire and brimstone Zealotry threatening eternal
to save the whole country from disaster, in mod- damnation or other punishment by God. The
ern usage the image of a finger in a dike usually phrase is biblical in origin, appearing in the Book
emphasizes the apparent ineffectuality of measures of Revelation, where a lake of fire and brim-
being taken, or measures planned to be taken, to stone represents the agonies that guilty souls will
stave off trouble. The unions applauded the decision, suffer in hell. In Genesis 19:24 the sinful cities of
but many observers saw the move as simply putting a sodom and gomorrah are similarly punished
finger in the dike. with fire and brimstone (brimstone is an alternative
name for sulfur). In modern usage the phrase is
finger of God Divine guidance, power, or sometimes applied to the sermons of those preach-
authority. The phrase appears in Exodus 8:19 and ers who threaten their congregations with eternal
elsewhere in the Old Testament. The image of condemnation if they do not turn back to God.
God’s pointing finger has been variously “ ‘Deceit is, indeed, a sad fault in a child,’ said Mr.
employed as a symbol of divine creativity, guid- Brocklehurst; ‘it is akin to falsehood, and all liars
ance, and punishment. The similar expression will have their portion in the lake burning with
hand of God points to “God’s sovereign power fire and brimstone; she shall, however, be watched,
in creation and in his actions on his people’s Mrs. Reed’ ” (Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre, 1847).
behalf, especially in redemption. Also used as a
symbol of authority and in taking oaths” (NIV fireside chat A broadcast made by a president or
Thematic Reference Bible, p. 1,385), as in “Shall we other public figure in a calculatedly informal man-
receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not ner. The allusion is ultimately to the fireside chats
receive evil?” ( Job 2:10). Surely, if nowhere else, the first delivered in this style via national radio by
finger of God may be detected in the great paintings of President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933. They
the Renaissance masters. have since become a favored ploy of politicians in
166
 fisher of men

many countries, enabling them to ingratiate them- expressed in variant forms for hundreds of years
selves with the voting public by giving the appear- before this. These are very grand plans, but remember
ance of speaking personally, even confidentially, that you must first catch your hare.
with the listeners or viewers. Tony Blair surpassed
preceding prime ministers with his mastery of the sound- firstest with the mostest The surest route to
bite and the fireside chat. success is to get there quickest with the greatest
force. The allusion is said to be to the military
fire that is not quenched See worm that dieth strategy favored by the Confederate general
not. Nathan B. Forrest (1821–77) during the U.S. Civil
War, who allegedly advised his fellow officers to
first among equals A person who provides lead- git thar fustest with the mostest. If you lot want
ership for a group without being considered in any to have hot dogs at the party tonight, you will need to
way superior to other members of it. Originally get there firstest with the mostest.
familiar in its Latin form primus inter pares, it was
particularly associated with the knights of the first shall be last, the Those who are apparently
round table in Arthurian legend, among whom least deserving shall not necessarily be the last to
king arthur himself sat as an equal. The title has be rewarded. The expression is of biblical origin,
sometimes been applied to the leading figures of coming from Matthew 20:16, in which Christ is
Western democracies, such as the prime minister questioned about who most deserves everlasting
of the United Kingdom and the president of the life and is quoted as replying, “So the last shall be
United States. “At its best, the teaching situation first, and the first last.” The old rogue winked at me as
takes on much of the character of the research pro- he took his payment ahead of the captain, as if to remind
cess, with an open dialogue between the students the world that sometimes the last shall be first.
and teacher, the teacher being the first among
equals” (Ronald Barnett, The Idea of Higher Educa- fisher of men An evangelist. The phrase appears
tion, 1990). in Matthew 4:18–20 in references to Christ’s
recruitment of the disciples: “Jesus, walking by the
first base, get to See get to first base. sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called
Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into
first catch your hare There is a difficult but the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto
essential first step to perform, or obstacle to over- them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of
come, before you can achieve your ultimate objec- men. And they straightway left their nets, and fol-
tive. Most people mistakenly believe this to be a lowed him.” The pope, considered the heir of Peter
piece of wisdom extracted from Mrs. Beeton’s as the chief fisher of men, wears a fisherman’s ring
Book of Household Management (1851), but in fact it at his investiture. This ring is used for sealing papal
comes from a recipe described in The Art of Cookery briefs and is destroyed at the pope’s death. The
Made Plain and Easy (1747) by Mrs. Hannah Glasse: local populace soon tired of being berated by this offen-
“Take your hare when it is cased” (“cased” meaning sive fisher of men and returned to their homes, grumbling
“skinned”). In fact, similar sentiments had been at his insolence.
167
five thousand, feeding the

five thousand, feeding the See feeding the five Flash Gordon Archetype of a space hero. Flash
thousand. Gordon was the daredevil hero of a comic strip
first published in 1934, whose adventures against
flak Criticism or complaints. The word origi- such foes as Ming the Merciless were later
nated during World War II as an acronym for the brought to life both in the cinema and on televi-
German Fliegerabwehrkanone, referring to antiair- sion. His name today is chiefly used in gentle
craft fire. We got a lot of flak about that advertisement mockery of any man who behaves in an ostenta-
featuring three naked women and a sports car. tiously heroic or dashing manner or who clearly
sees himself as being in a heroic mold. I suspect he
flaming sword A highly effective weapon of thinks he’s Flash Gordon, with his shiny silver car and
some kind, especially one used to keep a person dazzling smile.
at bay.The allusion is to the flaming sword wielded
by God as he drove Adam and Eve out of the Gar- Flash Harry An ostentatiously dressed man. The
den of Eden and prevented their approaching the nickname became well known as that of the British
Tree of Life, as related at Genesis 3:24: “So he conductor Sir Malcolm Sargent (1895–1967), who
drove out the man; and he placed at the east of liked to dress fashionably, and subsequently as that
the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming of a comical cockney character in the saint trini-
sword which turned every way, to keep the way an’s film comedies of the 1950s. In modern usage,
of the tree of life.” Some swords with a wavy edge the term is sometimes extended to apply to anyone
are traditionally called flaming swords. “She had with an outspoken, boorish character. He’s a bit of a
felt lonely enough when the flaming sword of Flash Harry, with his kipper tie and check suits.
Nick’s indignation had shut her out from their
Paradise; but there had been a cruel bliss in the Fleet Street The British press establishment. The
pain” (Edith Wharton, Glimpses of the Moon, allusion is to Fleet Street in London, which until
1922). the 1980s was the location for many of the coun-
try’s leading newspaper publishers. The blame fell
Flanders (flanderz) The battlefields of the west- on Fleet Street for distorting the story of the woman’s
ern front in World War I. Although land battles disappearance.
fought during the war took place as far away as
Africa and the Middle East, those fought on the flesh is grass All living things soon perish, just as
western front are often considered generic of the grass is mowed down as hay. The phrase appears in
conflict as a whole. The region of Flanders in Isaiah 40:6–7: “And he said, What shall I cry? All
northwest Europe, where many of these battles flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as
took place, has become a synonym for the entire the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the
conflict. This region has a long history as a theater flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD
of war, and is sometimes referred to as the cock- bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.”
pit of europe. An entire generation perished in Flan- These verses are referred to in the New Testament
ders. See also passchendaele; somme, the; ypres. in 1 Peter 1:24. “All flesh is grass—an’ tesn’t no

168
 Florence Nightingale

bad thing—grass” (John Galsworthy, The Forsyte Flood An overwhelming, extraordinary inunda-
Saga, 1922). tion of water. The original Flood was sent by God
to punish the human race for the sinful ways it had
flesh is weak, the Humans are physically frail and fallen into. For 40 days and 40 nights the waters
find temptations of the flesh hard to resist. The covered the entire face of the world, but God
phrase comes from Matthew 26:40–41 and Mark allowed Noah and his family to survive by building
14:38, in which the disciples fall asleep in the Gar- an ark, in which they preserved every species on
den of Gethsemane despite Christ’s entreaties that earth (see Genesis 6–9). The Flood is recorded
they remain awake with him: “What, could ye not early in the Bible, and thus any reference to times
watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye before the Flood is understood to allude to the
enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is will- very earliest historical periods. It was a phenomenon
ing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:40–41). the like of which the world had not seen since before the
“You must not mark me. I feel called to leave my Flood.
kindred for a while; but it is a trial—the flesh is
weak” (George Eliot, Adam Bede, 1859). See also flora (florb) The native or indigenous plant life
spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak, the. of a par ticular place or period of time. The word
comes from Flora, the Roman goddess of flowers,
flesh of my flesh Offspring; children; one’s own youth, and spring, as depicted in Sandro Botticel-
creation. The phrase comes from Genesis 2:23, li’s famous painting Primavera. Her name derived
where God presented Adam with his companion from the Latin flos, meaning “flower.” “Nor less
Eve, fashioned from one of his own ribs. Adam the place of curious plant he knows; / He both his
responds with the words: “This is now bone of my Flora and his Fauna shows” (George Crabbe, The
bones, and flesh of my flesh.” “No woman was ever Borough, 1810). See also fauna.
nearer to her mate than I am: ever more absolutely
bone of his bone, flesh of his flesh” (Charlotte Florence Nightingale (florbns nitingayl) A nurse
Brontë, Jane Eyre, 1847). or other woman who dedicates herself to caring
for others. The historical Florence Nightingale
fleshpot Place where a person may indulge in sin- (1820–1910) was a British nurse, otherwise
ful luxury or self-indulgence. The term appears in known as the Lady with the Lamp, who orga-
Exodus 16:3, in which the Israelites protest against nized medical support for British troops fighting
Moses at the conditions they have to endure in the in the Crimean War in the 1850s, in the process
wilderness: “Would to God we had died by the hand doing much to promote standards in both mili-
of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by tary and, later, civilian hospitals. As founder of
the fleshpots, and when we did eat bread to the full: the nursing institute at St. Thomas’s Hospital in
for ye have brought us forth into the wilderness, to London, she is revered in the United Kingdom as
kill this whole assembly with hunger.” She did not like the founder of modern nursing. For more than 20
him to go on business trips abroad, fearing he might be years she played Florence Nightingale to her dying
lured to the fleshpots she had read about in magazines. father.

169
flotsam and jetsam

flotsam and jetsam Bits and pieces, a jumble of sion of the tale describes how God materialized on
unsorted things. The allusion is to the law of sal- the ship’s deck during the storm, only to be fired
vage relating to shipwrecks, which makes a dis- upon by the captain. As a result, the ghost ship was
tinction between debris from a ship that is found fated to wander the seas for ever. In the opera
floating in the sea (flotsam) and objects that are Richard Wagner later composed on the subject,
retrieved after having been deliberately thrown the ship is allowed to land once every hundred
overboard in an attempt to save the vessel ( jet- years, and the captain himself can only be saved
sam). In modern usage, the phrase is often from his terrible curse by the love of a woman.
applied to people who find themselves members Sightings of the Flying Dutchman are widely sup-
of the lowest ranks of society. “He sees man, posed by seafarers to be extremely unlucky, por-
especially ‘primitive’ man, as a rustic philosopher tending disaster. There are similar legends in other
of great intellectual ingenuity and artistic bril- parts of the world. “If he had had his way we would
liance, a wayward mentalistic beachcomber, end- have been beating up against the Nord-East mon-
lessly improvising dazzling new patterns of soon, as long as he lived and afterward, too, for
culture from the flotsam and jetsam of other civ- ages and ages. Acting the Flying Dutchman in the
ilizations” (I. M. Lewis, Social Anthropology in Per- China Sea!” ( Joseph Conrad, The Shadow Line,
spective, 1992). 1917). See also ancient mariner.

flower child A person who embraces the idealis- fly in the ointment A difficulty or flaw that con-
tic notions associated with the hippie movement stitutes a significant drawback in an otherwise ideal
of the 1960s. The flower power movement situation. The expression is biblical in origin, com-
emerged during the summer of 1967, especially in ing from Ecclesiastes 10:1: “Dead flies cause the
San Francisco, with thousands of young people ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking
extolling the virtues of peace and love and wear- savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputa-
ing flowers in their hair. When confronted with tion for wisdom and honour.” The fete went very well.
armed troops sent to maintain public order, hip- The only fly in the ointment was the poor weather.
pies famously spiked their guns with flowers.
Today, the term may variously imply an innocent Flynn, Errol See errol flynn.
idealism or simply a lack of contact with the reali-
ties of modern life. The leader of the protest group fold their tents like the Arabs To make a discreet,
portrays herself as an innocent flower child but is actu- unnoticed exit. The allusion is to H. W. Longfel-
ally a skilled and manipulative political activist. low’s poem “The Day is Done” (1844): “The night
shall be filled with music, / And the cares that
Flying Dutchman A cursed ship, or its captain. infest the day / Shall fold their tents, like the
The legend of the Flying Dutchman relates how its Arabs, / And as silently steal away.” After this humil-
captain, variously identified by the name Vander- iation they had no option but to fold their tents like the
decken or Falkenberg, made a pact with the devil Arabs.
in order to save his ship from foundering during a
storm off the Cape of Good Hope. Another ver- food of the gods See ambrosia; nectar.
170
 for such a time as this

foolish virgins See parable of the wise and besieged fortress: The chances of survival were
foolish virgins. slim, although honors were heaped upon any who
did survive a successful attack. Today the phrase
forbidden fruit Something that is especially (which is ultimately derived from the Dutch verlo-
desirable but prohibited. The phrase is commonly ren hoop, meaning “lost troop”) is often extended
applied to the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of to nonmilitary contexts. “Dreamers were for ever
Good and Evil described in Genesis 3:1–16, which the vanguard, or maybe for ever the forlorn hope”
Adam and Eve are forbidden to eat on God’s com- (Kim Newman, The Night Mayor, 1990).
mand. When on the prompting of the serpent
Adam and Eve disobey God’s order and eat the Forrest Gump A simpleminded innocent, typi-
fruit (commonly depicted as an apple or, in Islamic cally a man who finds himself unintentionally or
tradition, as a banyan, or Indian fig), they are unwittingly involved in momentous events or who
expelled from the Garden of Eden. (See also Prov- does great things by chance. The allusion is to the
erbs 9:17.) In the fuller proverbial form forbid- 1994 film of the same name starring Tom Hanks as
den fruit tastes sweetest, the implication is that a slow-witted Southerner who accidentally finds
something becomes infinitely more desirable sim- himself present at many of the most significant
ply because it is prohibited. “Then this spring, events of the 20th century. He was a kind of Forrest
three more newspapers—the Independent, the Gump, floating through life without ever realising the
Daily News and the Standard—nibbled the forbid- amazing effect he had upon the people he met.
den fruit, and got a heavy legal case for their pains”
(Guardian, July 13, 1987). for such a time as this At such a favorable oppor-
tunity, referring to the choice of a person who will
Forest of Arden (ahrdbn) A pastoral paradise, have a widespread, significant influence. This
providing a refuge from the cares of the real phrase alludes to an episode recorded in the book
world. The Forest of Arden was the setting of of Esther. Mordecai, a Jewish captive from Judah,
Shakespeare’s comedy As You Like It (c. 1600). held a post at the palace of King Ahasuerus
Shakespeare’s Forest of Arden constituted an ide- (Xerxes) of Persia at Shushan. When Queen Vashti
alized version of the real forest of the same name, disobeyed the king and was to be replaced, many
which was located north of his native Stratford- young girls from all over the kingdom were
upon-Avon. “The next moment they were in the brought to the palace to see whom the king would
spacious shade of a sort of Forest of Arden, with choose. Mordecai put forward his adopted daugh-
great groups of bossy trees standing apart, and ter Esther (also known as Hadassah) for the honor.
deer flashing by at the end of ferny glades” (Edith She was beautiful and was chosen by King Ahasu-
Wharton, The Refugees, 1919). erus to become queen; the king did not know that
she was a Jew. Haman, one of the king’s high offi-
forlorn hope A force of men that is sent into cials, was an anti-Semite and instigator of one of
action with little hope of survival. The allusion is the first pogroms against the Jews. Mordecai heard
to the groups of volunteers or picked men who about Haman’s plot to have all the Jews killed and
were first to storm a breach in the walls of a sent word to Esther, asking her to plead with the
171
Forth Bridge

king to save the Jews: “For if thou altogether hold- would lead to a major war between the opposing
est thy peace at this time, then shall there enlarge- factions.
ment and deliverance arise to the Jews from
another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall Fortuna (fortoonb) Personification of luck. For-
be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art tuna was identified as the goddess of fortune and
come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” good luck in Roman mythology, the equivalent of
(Esther 4:14). This was a life-threatening petition, the Greek Tyche. It seemed that Fortuna herself smiled
however, for one could only come into the king’s on the party the next day, and they made better progress
presence at his request, and unless the king held than they had done for many weeks past.
out his golden scepter to Esther she would die in
the undertaking. Esther asked that all the Jews fast Fortunate Islands/Isles See islands of the
for three days, and she went to the king, who blest.
spared her life. She invited him to several banquets
at her palace and included Haman in the invitation. forty acres and a mule A promise that is never
During these she exposed Haman’s treachery, he likely to be fulfilled. At the end of the U.S. Civil
was hanged, and the Jews were saved. The young War, freed slaves were promised 40 acres and a
man was unexpectedly chosen out of all his peers to mule with which to begin a new life as free citi-
become leader. His background equipped him perfectly zens of the United States, but such compensation
for the task: He had become a leader for such a time never actually materialized. The promise had orig-
as this. inally been made by General Sherman in 1865,
envisaging the division of land confiscated from
Forth Bridge See painting the forth bridge. Southern landowners, but it was later rescinded
by President Andrew Johnson. I opened the envelope
Fort Knox (noks) A place of great wealth, or and couldn’t help wondering what had happened to the
one that is very securely guarded or protected. forty acres and a mule that I had been promised.
The allusion is to Fort Knox in north Kentucky,
where the U.S. depository of gold bullion is forty days and forty nights See flood.
located. She fitted extra locks to all the doors after the
burglary—the place is now like Fort Knox. forum (forbm) A place or opportunity for dis-
cussion of a par ticular issue or issues. The word
Fort Sumter (sbmtb) A place where conflict alludes to the forum (meaning “public place”) of
first breaks out. The allusion is to the federal ancient Roman society, a large open space in the
garrison of this name in Charleston, South Car- center of a town or city that served as the market-
olina, where the first shots were fired in the U.S. place. It was here that much financial and legal
Civil War on April 12, 1861. The fort surren- business was transacted, and meetings would also
dered after a brief siege, and three days later be held on matters of public interest or concern.
President Lincoln called for volunteers to go The word itself comes ultimately from the Latin
into battle against the rebellious South. This inci- foris, meaning “outside.” The ruins of the most
dent, it was feared, would prove the Fort Sumter that famous forum of all, that of Rome, are preserved
172
 fourth estate

within the heart of the modern city. In modern metaphorically. “You’ll never grow old, Teacher,’
usage the word may be applied much more widely, said Paul. ‘You are one of the fortunate mortals
referring to any medium for discussion, such as a who have found and drunk from the Fountain of
magazine or television program, or in computing Youth,—you and Mother Lavendar” (Lucy Maud
to “virtual” meeting places on the World Wide Montgomery, Anne’s House of Dreams, 1917).
Web, where people interested in a par ticular sub-
ject may air their views. “What is called eloquence Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse Personifica-
in the forum is commonly found to be rhetoric in tions of war, famine, pestilence, and death. The
the study” (Henry David Thoreau, Walden, or Life in Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are described in
theWoods, 1854). the book of Revelation 6:1–8, in which John fore-
sees the end of the world. According to this
for whom the bell tolls All individuals are con- account, War rides a white horse, Pestilence (or
nected by their shared experiences and eventual strife) a red horse, Famine a black horse, and
fate. The phrase ultimately comes from John Don- Death a pale horse. “Malnutrition, malaria, infant
ne’s Devotions (1624): “Any man’s death diminishes mortality, an AIDS epidemic, with more than half
me, because I am involved in mankind; and there- a million people HIV positive; some 3 million
fore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it people driven out of their homes in a decades-
tolls for thee.” The expression is doubly familiar long civil war with the country’s large ethnic
today as the title of a novel (1940) written by minorities; rampant corruption, drug abuse and
Ernest Hemingway about the Spanish Civil War. the drugs trade, sexual exploitation, forced labour
His fate may seem bizarre, even funny, to us now, but we (you see the road gangs as you travel round the
should remember for whom the bell tolls . . . See also no country), banditry; and most recently, allegations
man is an island. of the systematic use of rape by army units, as a
weapon of war: every curse and plague of the
found wanting See writing on the wall. world, every horseman of the Apocalypse, seems
to be marching through Burma’s jungles” (Guard-
fountain of youth A source of perpetual youth. ian, July 11, 2002).
The notion of a fountain of youth dates back to
classical times. Legend had it that Alexander the fourth estate The press. The phrase is attributed
Great located the whereabouts of a fountain of to Irish statesman and philosopher Edmund Burke
youth and that both he and his soldiers enjoyed its (1729–97), who first used it to refer to British
benefits after bathing in its waters. Subsequently public opinion, as voiced by “the mob.” The other
such fountains were a subject of great fascination three estates, according to Burke, were the mon-
to medieval scholars and explorers, and many arch, the House of Lords, and the House of Com-
expeditions were mounted in search of such a mons, although other authorities identified them
marvel (including, most notably, the exploration as the Lords Spiritual (the clergy), the Lords Tem-
of the Florida Keys area by the Spanish explorer poral (the knights and barons), and the House of
Juan Ponce de León in the early 16th century). Commons. The French equivalents were the
In modern usage the phrase tends to be used clergy, the nobility, and the rest of the people. In
173
Francis of Assisi

modern usage, the fourth estate is the press, rep- frankincense, gold, and myrrh See magi.
resenting public opinion. “For the press, the loos-
ening of the relationship with politicians produced frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn I don’t
a dilemma: it aspired to greatness as the fourth care at all. The allusion is to one of the closing
estate and as an institution for political enlighten- scenes of the classic 1939 film gone with the
ment yet it had to pursue the mass audience in wind, in which Rhett Butler finally rejects the
order to survive commercially” (Ralph Negrine, self-absorbed Scarlett O’Hara’s desperate appeals.
Politics and the Mass Media in Britain, 1992). Addressed in the film by Clark Gable to Vivien
Leigh, the line differs from that in Margaret
Francis of Assisi (bseesee) A person who behaves Mitchell’s 1936 novel, on which the screenplay
in a saintly manner, especially toward animals. was based, which has it in the form: “My dear, I
The allusion is to Saint Francis of Assisi (1182– don’t give a damn.” Possibly the most famous quo-
1226), the founder of the Franciscan monastic tation from any film, the line had par ticular power
order, who was greatly revered for his holy ways in its time through its inclusion of a swearword,
and was canonized just two years after his death. defying contemporary rules about censorship in
He became particularly identified with nature the film industry. “Shall I wear my black dress to the
and was said to have preached to the birds and party, or the outfit I bought for Carol’s wedding?”
beasts, hence the modern application to people “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn!”
who are known to be fond of animals. He was a
Francis of Assisi who devoted his life to the animals in Fred Astaire (bstair) A brilliant dancer. The U.S.
his care. film actor and singer Fred Astaire (1899–1987)
achieved worldwide fame as the finest screen
Frankenstein (frankbnstin) A monstrous cre- dancer of his (or arguably any other) generation,
ation, often one that turns on its own master, or despite a notorious early audition notice that con-
its maker. The allusion is to Mary Shelley’s classic cluded “Can’t act. Slightly bald. Also dances.” His
horror story Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus name may be applied today to any male who
(1818), in which the scientist Victor Frankenstein exhibits talent as a dancer, especially one with the
constructs a living creature out of dead corpses, same air of elegance and sophistication that Astaire
only for the monster to turn on him and kill first himself exuded. The name of his dancing partner
him and then itself. The name of the monster’s in many films, Ginger Rogers (1911–95), is
creator is often confused with that of the creature sometimes similarly applied to gifted female danc-
itself, and allusions to Frankenstein may refer to a ers. He’s no Fred Astaire, but I need a partner for the
monstrous creation or the person responsible for dance and there’s no one else available.
creating it. The prefix “Franken-” is sometimes
used to create new words, typically referring to Freddy Krueger See nightmare on elm street.
freakish scientific innovations, as in Frankenfood
(describing genetically modified foodstuffs). He Fred Karno’s Army An incompetent organization
had created a Frankenstein that eventually destroyed his or group of people. The allusion is to a comedy
career. See also igor. troupe that enjoyed huge popularity on the British
174
 friend of Dorothy

music-hall stage in the early part of the 20th cen- ence to people whose hairstyle recalls the ton-
tury. Fred Karno was the pseudonym of Frederick sured haircut of the outlaw cleric. “His mature
John Westcott (1866–1941), leader of the troupe, face was more likely to remind the observer of
which specialized in lively slapstick routines. Dur- Friar Tuck’s jollity than of Lord Brougham’s long
ing World War I the troupe’s name was adopted as pointed nose” (Owen Chadwick, Michael Ramsey:
a jocular nickname for the British Army, the gen- A Life, 1991).
eralship of which was called into question by many
people both inside and outside the armed forces. Friday The sixth day of the week. It was called
Watching those people trying to sort out the computer Frigedaeg in Old English, having been named
was like watching Fred Karno’s Army. originally in honor of the Norse goddess Frig (or
Frigga), who was identified as the wife of Woden
Freudian (froideebn) Relating to the ideas of (after whom Wednesday was named) and the
Austrian neuropathologist Sigmund Freud (1876– mother of Thor (after whom Thursday was
1939), who established the basis for modern psy- named).Venerated as the goddess of married love,
choanalysis. His theories about psychological she in turn was linked with freyja, the Norse
problems, which placed great emphasis on child- goddess of love and fertility. Some people fear
hood experiences and repressed sexuality, were in Friday the 13th.
his day (and continue to be) very controversial.
Freud’s name is often invoked in discussion of psy- Friday, Man See man friday.
chological matters and more generally, often in
the phrase Freudian slip, which describes a slip friendly fire Criticism from a friendly source.
of the tongue that may reveal underlying uncon- Of military origin, the expression was introduced
scious desires or preoccupations. “Perhaps not let- in the Vietnam War to describe accidental firing on
ting you know the party was off was a Freudian troops fighting on the same side. The president
slip” (Robert Goddard, Hand in Glove, 1993). looked surprised and irritated to be subjected to friendly
fire from someone he clearly expected to defend the offi-
Freyja (frayb) Personification of fertility. Freyja cial position.
was identified in Norse mythology as the goddess
of prosperity and peace as well as love and fertil- friend of Dorothy (dorbthee) A homosexual.
ity. She was the wife of Odin and the Norse This euphemistic allusion is to L. Frank Baum’s
equivalent of Venus. It was a valley ruled by Freyja, children’s story The Wizard of Oz (1900) and its
the trees heavy with fruit and everything blooming in famous film adaptation (1939), in which a young
profusion. girl called Dorothy finds herself magically trans-
ported to the extraordinary land of Oz. The U.S.
Friar Tuck A fat, jolly person. Friar Tuck fea- actress and singer Judy Garland (1922–69), who
tures prominently in the legends surrounding the played Dorothy in the film, later became a favor-
English folk hero robin hood, in which he ite icon of the gay movement, hence this epithet
appears as a jovial and generously proportioned for anyone who is, or is thought to be, homo-
friar. His name is also sometimes invoked in refer- sexual. In the film, Dorothy’s loyal friends are the
175
frog prince

Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly contentious, although it is not infrequently applied
Lion. “Charlie strolled past me, his arm around a to any boss or other figure in authority who is per-
girl who had her tits hanging out, and he said, to ceived to act in a harsh or intolerant manner. Her
make her laugh, ‘Hurry up, Karim, you great father was the office Führer, who insisted upon complete
girl’s blouse, you friend of Dorothy’ ” (Hanif obedience from his underlings.
Kureishi, The Buddha of Suburbia, 1990). See also
wizard of oz. full monty (montee) The complete version or full
set of something. The origins of this term are
frog prince A person who undergoes a transfor- obscure and much debated, though it appears to
mation that reveals qualities not previously sug- date from around the middle of the 20th century.
gested by his or her appearance. The allusion is to The allusion may be to the British men’s outfitters
the traditional fairy tale The Frog Prince, in which a Montague and Burton, who were famous for their
prince is turned into a frog and can only regain his smart three-piece suits. Alternatively it may be a
original form when kissed by a princess. Her hus- reference to the Spanish card game monte or to
band turned out to be something of a frog prince, defying Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery (1887–
expectations by proving good company and, even more 1976), who was nicknamed Monty—hence, per-
impressively, useful around the house. haps, the use of the term to describe the full
English breakfast (which Monty used to enjoy
from Dan to Beersheba See dan to beersheba, every morning). The term gained new popularity
from. (and other connotations) after it was used as the
title of a 1997 film about a group of unemployed
from the mouths of babes come words of wisdom British workers who seek to raise money as strip-
See out of the mouths of babes and sucklings. tease artists. In their case, the term refers to full-
frontal nudity. She had the full outfit on, cowboy hat,
fruit of one’s labors The product of hard work. leather jacket, a pair of sixshooters, chaps—the full
The expression comes from Philippians 1:22: “But monty.
if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour:
yet what I shall choose I wot not.” It is a bitter thing Fu Manchu (foo manchoo) Archetype of a per-
to see the fruit of one’s labors ignored in such a manner. son from the East, especially one who is suspected
of being a villain. The evil Chinese doctor Fu Man-
fruits, know them by their See know them by chu, complete with drooping Fu Manchu mus-
their fruits. tache and inscrutable manner, appeared as a
criminal mastermind in stories by Sax Rohmer
Führer (fyoorb) A dictatorial person. The title (Arthur Sarsfield Ward; c. 1883–1959) first pub-
(meaning “leader” in German) was adopted by lished in the Story-Teller Magazine in 1912 and later
Nazi dictator Adolf hitler on replacing President in novel form and in films. Fu Manchu’s plans to
Hindenburg as German leader in 1934. Such was achieve world domination were thwarted time and
the barbarity and inhumanity of the regime over time again by his English nemesis Dennis Nayland
which he presided that even now the term remains Smith. “He had a bald spot, under a straggle of
176
 Furies

brown hair, and a ratty Fu Manchu moustache” sprung up from the blood of Uranus. Because it
(Kim Newman, Bad Dreams, 1990). was thought unlucky to allude to the Furies by
name, they were sometimes referred to euphe-
Furies Avenging spirits. The Furies, also known mistically as the Eumenides, meaning “Kindly
as the Erinyes, were depicted in Greek mythol- Ones.” The story of how they pursued Orestes for
ogy as three winged, snake-haired goddesses having killed his mother Clytemnestra is related
named Tisiphone, Alecto, and Megaera, who were in the play Eumenides by Aeschylus (525–456 b.c.).
merciless in their pursuit of unpunished crimi- “The Vengeance, uttering terrific shrieks, and
nals, especially those who had committed offenses flinging her arms about her head like the forty
against their own kin, blasphemed against the Furies at once, was tearing from house to house,
gods, or betrayed a guest or host. They were vari- rousing the women” (Charles Dickens, A Tale of
ously said to be the daughters of Gaea or to have Two Cities, 1859).

177
å G ååååå
Gable, Clark See clark gable. account given in Mark 5:1–17 and Luke 8:26–37,
Christ transferred demons that had possessed two
Gabler, Hedda See hedda gabler. men and made them mad. Under the influence of
the demons the swine rushed madly down a steep
Gabriel (gaybreebl) A messenger of God. The slope into the Sea of Galilee and was drowned. In
archangel Gabriel appears four times in the his dream he was hurtling with Gadarene haste into a
Bible, each time bringing a message from God, fire-brimmed pit, unable and even unwilling to stop. See
such as that to Zechariah in Luke 1:19: “I am also my name is legion.
Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and
am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee Gaea (jeeb) Personification of the Earth, espe-
these glad tidings.” His most notable appearance cially with reference to its ecology. In Greek
is in Luke 1:26–38, when he announces to Mary
mythology Gaea (also called Gaia or Ge) gave birth
the forthcoming birth of Jesus: “The angel
to the sky, mountains, and sea and became the
Gabriel was sent from God . . . Fear not, Mary:
mother of Uranus, who united with him to create
for thou hast found favour with God. And,
the Titans, the Cyclops, and the giants. The term
behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and
Gaea has now acquired a much wider meaning,
bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS”
signifying a worldview of environmental issues.
(Luke 1:26, 30–31). In Islamic tradition, it is
Gabriel who reveals the Qur’an to Muhammad.
Galahad (galbhad) A person of noble and virtu-
“Alida Fischer calls him Archangel Gabriel,
ous character. Sir Galahad was renowned as the
because his true self came out of its shell when
her son was arrested” (Alan Paton, Ah, but Your purest of the knights who formed the round
Land Is Beautiful, 1981). table of king arthur. Only Sir Galahad was
virtuous enough to find the holy grail, a fact
Gabriel’s trumpet See last trump. underlined by the fact that he alone could sit in
the Siege Perilous, a seat at the Round Table
Gadarene (gadbreen) Headlong; reckless; haste- reserved for the knight who would complete the
ful. The adjective alludes to the biblical story of quest for the Grail. In modern usage, his name is
the Gadarene swine to which, according to the usually bestowed upon someone who performs a
178
 Gallipoli

heroic rescue, typically of a damsel in distress. known to quote wearily when their doctors dis-
“Neil, who never thought of himself as in any agree. Some of the most interesting new medicines of
way a Galahad, or a knight errant in shining recent years have been of galenical origin.
armour, saving virgins under attack, neverthe-
less felt compelled to investigate, particularly gall and wormwood Spite; bitterness; feelings of
when the cry came again, more despairing than mortification. The phrase is biblical in origin: “And
ever” (Paula Marshall, An American Princess, I said, My strength and my hope is perished from
1993). the LORD: Remembering mine affliction and my
misery, the wormwood and the gall” (Lamentations
Galatea (galbteeb) The archetype of a beautiful 3:18–19). “It was gall and wormwood to his soul
woman. In Greek myth Galatea was the stone to see that splendid, highly-accomplished woman,
statue of a perfect woman as created by the sculp- once so courted and admired, transformed into an
tor Pygmalion, who had been repulsed by the active managing housewife, with hands and head
imperfections of mortal women. Aphrodite made continually occupied with household labours and
Pygmalion fall in love with his creation but finally household economy” (Anne Brontë, Agnes Grey,
took pity on his misery and brought the statue to 1847).
life. The concept of the artist constructing his ideal
woman is familiar in modern times from the play Gallio (galeeo) A person who seems completely
Pygmalion (1913) by George Bernard Shaw, which indifferent to something, especially a petty official
provided the basis for the popular stage and who refuses to concern himself with matters out-
motion-picture musicals My Fair Lady (1956 and side his immediate province. The historical Gallio
1964, respectively). “. . . with a sudden motion (c. 5 b.c.–a.d. 65) was the elder brother of the phi-
she shook her gauzy covering from her, and stood losopher Seneca and was proconsul of the Roman
forth in her low kirtle and her snaky zone, in her province of Achaia in 51–52. While serving in this
glorious, radiant beauty and her imperial grace, capacity he refused to listen to accusations made
rising from her wrappings, as it were, like Venus against the preaching of the apostle Paul because
from the wave, or Galatea from her marble, or a the charges against him related to Jewish, not
beatified spirit from the tomb” (H. Rider Haggard, Roman law (as related in Acts 18:12–13). “And
She, 1887). ne’er was there mair need of poorfu’ preachers
than e’en now in these cauld Gallio days, when
galenical A medicine derived from plant or ani- men’s hearts are hardened like the nether mill-
mal tissue. The word comes from the name of the stone, till they come to regard none of these
Greek physician Galen (a.d. 129–199), whose things” (Sir Walter Scott, The Heart of Midlothian,
ideas exerted a profound influence on the devel- 1818).
opment of medicine for more than 1,000 years.
Galen’s name also appears alongside that of the Gallipoli (gblipblee) The Allied campaign in the
equally renowned physician Hippocrates (c. 460– Dardanelles during World War I. Gallipoli is the
c. 377 b.c.) in the saying Galen says “Nay” and name of the peninsula on which the Allies landed
Hippocrates “Yea,” which patients have been in April 1915, only to find themselves under heavy
179
Gamaliel

fire from the Turkish defenders. After heavy losses adventures in the novels The Hobbit (1937) and The
the Allies finally withdrew in January 1916. Galli- Lord of the Rings (1954–55) by J. R. R. Tolkien. In
poli is sometimes referred to in connection with keeping with many other wizards of folklore and
other disastrous campaigns of various kinds. “Him- literature, Gandalf has a long white beard and
self the son of a South Wales miner, Kinnock com- wears a tall wizard’s hat. The old man raged with fury
pared Scargill with a world war general who at their disobedience and shook his walking stick at them
wanted ‘another Gallipoli’ ” (Kenneth O. Morgan, for all the world like a demented Gandalf.
The People’s Peace, 1990).
Gandhi (gahndee, gandee) A pacifist, especially
Gamaliel (gbmayleebl) A teacher, especially a one who is charismatic or inspirational. The allu-
religious teacher. The biblical Gamaliel was a sion is to Mahatma Gandhi (Mohandas Karam-
Pharisee rabbi, or doctor of law, and a mentor of chand Gandhi; 1869–1948), who advocated the
Paul, who claimed to have studied sitting “at the use of peaceful methods when campaigning for
feet of Gamaliel” (Acts 22:3). Gamaliel spoke up Indian independence from Britain in the 1940s.
in defense of Paul and his companions when they He was finally assassinated by a Hindu nationalist.
were put on trial and is traditionally supposed to He acted Gandhi to the hotheads who insisted that
have subsequently converted to Christianity. “No armed resistance was the only way forward.
man—that is, no gentleman—could possibly be
attracted to Mr. Slope, or consent to sit at the feet gang of four A group of four people acting
of so abhorrent a Gamaliel” (Anthony Trollope, together. The original Gang of Four were the lead-
Barchester Towers, 1857). ers of a Chinese political faction who tried (and
failed) to seize power in China on the death of
game as Ned Kelly See ned kelly. Mao Zedong in 1976. They included Mao’s widow
Jiang Qing. The term was subsequently applied to
gamesmanship The use of cunning, possibly ille- the four founders of the Britain’s Social Demo-
gal, strategies to achieve one’s aims. The allusion cratic Party in 1981. It is frequently employed in a
is to the book The Theory and Practice of Gamesman- critical fashion. We do not want this country to come
ship (1947) by Stephen Potter, in which various under the control of a U.S. Gang of Four.
methods of getting one’s way without actually
cheating are humorously described. “Let us say Gantry, Elmer See elmer gantry.
that, although not trapped in a fight for survival,
we are all still caught up in the ordinary competi- Ganymede (ganimeed) An exceptionally beauti-
tiveness of business, social gamesmanship, and ful youth. In Greek myth, Ganymede was a young
marriage” (A. C. Graham, Reason and Spontaneity, man from Phrygia who was selected by Zeus as
1985). the most beautiful of mortals and on his command
carried off by an eagle to serve as his cupbearer in
Gandalf (gandalf) A wise old wizard, or someone heaven. Ganymede is also the name of one of the
who has the appearance of one. Gandalf is the wiz- Galilean moons of Jupiter and is the largest satel-
ard who guides the heroes through their various lite in the solar system. “I don’t believe Ganymede
180
 -gate

cried when the eagle carried him away, and per- try to understand that it is real, that it is on the
haps deposited him on Jove’s shoulder at the end” earth, that it is not the Garden of Eden” (Mark
(George Eliot, Adam Bede, 1859). Twain, The Innocents Abroad, 1869).

Garbo (gahrbo) An enigmatic, reclusive woman, Gargantuan (gahrganchbwbn) Huge, on an enor-

especially a beautiful one. The Swedish-born U.S. mous scale. The word is an allusion to a legend-
film actress Greta Garbo (Greta Gustafsson; ary giant called Gargantua, who was famed in
1905–90) was famous both for her beauty and for Celtic or medieval mythology for his insatiable
her reluctance to accept the attentions of the appetite. He is familiar today as a character in the
world’s media, which remained fascinated by her 1534 satire Gargantua by the French writer Fran-
until her death after nearly 50 years in retirement. çois Rabelais (c. 1494–c. 1553). “It was not until
Impersonations of her almost invariably contain 1960 that the gargantuan task of demolishing the
the quotation, delivered in heavily accented English, attached asylum was undertaken and Forston
“I want to be alone”—a line from her 1932 film Manor returned to its original self as though
Grand Hotel. When it came to getting information out nothing had happened” (Lycett Green, The Per-
of her she turned out to be a second Garbo. fect English Country House, 1991). See also rabe-
laisian.
Garden of Eden (eedbn) Paradise or some other
unspoiled, idyllic place, or a state of perfect bliss Garibaldi (garbboldee) A revolutionary leader.
or innocence. The biblical Garden of Eden, from Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807–82) led his army of
which adam and eve were expelled after disobey- Red Shirts to victory in the struggle for Italian
ing God’s command not to eat from the Tree of independence and unification in the middle of the
the Knowledge of Good and Evil, is described 19th century. His name today is also associated
briefly in Genesis: “And the LORD God planted a with a style of loose-fitting red blouse, called a
garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the Garibaldi, and with the Garibaldi biscuit, a type
man whom he had formed. And out of the ground of currant biscuit that the Italian revolutionary
made the LORD God to grow every tree that is was said to be very fond of. Like other South Ameri-
pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of can countries, its history was transformed by the emer-
life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of gence of a homegrown Garibaldi figure.
knowledge of good and evil. And a river went out
of Eden to water the garden” (Genesis 2:8–10). Garnett, Alf See archie bunker.
The Hebrew word eden, incidentally, is usually
translated as “pleasure” or “delight.” Tradition vari- gasp, at the last See last gasp, at the.
ously places the historical site of the Garden of
Eden as being in Mesopotamia, Armenia, or some- -gate Suffix denoting a scandal of some kind.
where at the head of the Persian Gulf, possibly at The origin lies in the watergate political scandal
Eridu, where clay tablets have been found telling of the 1970s, which precipitated the downfall of
of a garden with a sacred palm tree. “Versailles! It President Richard Nixon. The suffix is usually
is wonderfully beautiful! You gaze, and stare, and employed in referring to political, administrative,
181
Gates, Bill

or financial scandals. The Irangate scandal led to the gay Lothario See lothario.
premature destruction of several prominent political
careers in 1986. Gaza, eyeless in See eyeless in gaza.

Gates, Bill See bill gates. Ge See gaea. tell it not in gath.

Gath, tell it not in See tell it not in gath. geese that saved the Capitol The bearers of a
timely warning that prevents disaster. The allusion
gather ye rosebuds Take advantage of opportuni- is to the story of the sacred geese that warned of a
ties when they present themselves, for they may Gaulish attack on the Capitoline Hill in 390 b.c.
not always be available. The expression is a quota- The Gauls had climbed unnoticed to the top of the
tion from the poem “To the Virgins, to Make Much hill before the cackling of the geese alerted Mar-
of Time” by the English poet Robert Herrick cus Manlius, who roused the garrison just in time
(1591–1674): “Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, / to drive off the attack. In gratitude, the Romans
Old Time is still a-flying; / And this same flower commemorated the event each year by carrying a
that smiles today / Tomorrow will be dying.” “Gather golden goose in procession to the Capitol. The two
ye rosebuds,” the old man was heard to mutter to his journalists were praised for their courage in pursuing the
best man as he led his youthful bride up the aisle. story, and their revelations were considered vital in stav-
ing off disaster. One paper even dubbed them the geese
Gatsbyesque (gatsbeeesk) In a manner reminis- that saved the Capitol.
cent of the central character in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s
novel The Great Gatsby (1925). Fitzgerald’s Jay Gehenna (gehenb) Hell or any wicked or
Gatsby, who is at once a romantic innocent and a unpleasant place. The name comes from the
bootlegger with dubious underworld connections, Hebrew ge-hinnom, meaning “valley of the son of
is a rich but enigmatic Long Islander whose wealth Hinnom,” which is identified in the Bible in Jere-
proves insufficient compensation for loneliness miah 7:31–32 as the place where the followers of
and an unrespectable background.The term “Gats- the god Molech sacrificed their children in fires at
byesque” may refer to the corruption that often a “high place” called Tophet (or Topheth). This val-
lies under apparently respectable appearances, to ley was located to the southwest of Jerusalem. It
the attempts of a self-made man to escape his past, became associated with burning, especially as a
or merely to the superficial gloss and extravagance site for the burning of the corpses of outcasts,
of the world in which the rich move. She was well which made it an effective analogy for the fires of
known for the Gatsbyesque parties she threw in her hell and of everlasting judgment. Go to Gehenna
upstate mansion. is accordingly an alternative to go to hell. “Down to
Gehenna or up to the Throne, / He travels fastest
gauntlet, run the See run the gauntlet. who travels alone” (Rudyard Kipling, The Story of
the Gadsbys, 1890).
gauntlet, throw down the See throw down the
gauntlet. Gekko, Gordon See gordon gekko.
182
 gentian

generation of vipers A band of evil, untrust- ance and assume the form of animals or humans;
worthy people. The phrase appears in Matthew they play a leading role in numerous folktales.
3:7 (“O generation of vipers, who hath warned Some are good natured and beautiful, but others
you to flee from the wrath to come?”) and Luke are hideously ugly and not to be trusted. “His clos-
3:7, attributed to John the Baptist, and in Mat- ing exclamation is jerked out of the venerable gen-
thew 12:34 and 23:33, where it is credited to tleman by the suddenness with which Mr. Squod,
Christ in his condemnation of the Pharisees and like a genie, catches him up, chair and all, and
Sadducees. Eyeing the gun with growing unease, the deposits him on the hearth-stone” (Charles Dick-
young man began to suspect he had fallen in with a gen- ens, Bleak House, 1852–53). See also aladdin’s
eration of vipers. lamp.

genesis A beginning; the origin of something. genius loci (jeenybs losi, jeeneebs lokee) The
The word comes from the Greek for “to be born” presiding spirit or deity of a par ticular place. The
and is best known as the name of the first book of notion that there are supernatural entities that
the Old Testament, which relates God’s creation watch over specific locations and need to be hon-
of the world. The genesis of the project goes back to ored and appeased was very familiar to the ancient
Duckworth’s work in the late 1990s. Romans, who named them so. The modern notion
of genius signifying intellectual brilliance is
Genghis Khan (gengis kahn) A person who derived from the related belief that each individual
behaves in a violent or barbaric manner. The Mon- has his or her personal guardian spirit who guides
gol leader Genghis Khan (c. 1162–1227) estab- them through life. Another facet of the belief sys-
lished an empire that extended from the Black Sea tem suggests that each person has both a good
in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east, in the genius and an evil genius who contend to influ-
process acquiring a reputation for ferocity and ence the individual’s thought and behavior. “His
brutality. His real name was Temujin; “Genghis sudden appearance was to darkness what the sound
Khan” means “king of the ocean.” People with of a trumpet is to silence. Gloom, the genius loci
extreme right-wing views are sometimes labeled at all times hitherto, was now totally overthrown,
as being to the right of Genghis Khan. The front less by the lantern-light than by what the lantern
room looked as if Genghis Khan had spent the night lighted” (Thomas Hardy, Far from the Madding
there. See also attila the hun; tartar. Crowd, 1874).

genie (jeenee) A supernatural or magical being gentian (jenshbn) A plant of the genus Gentiana,
who will grant a person’s wishes or carry out his with attractive blue (but also sometimes yellow,
or her commands and, by extension, a person who white, or red) flowers. The name is thought to
performs apparently impossible feats. The word have come from the Illyrian king Gentius, who
comes from the Arabic jinni, a species of demon in lived in the second century b.c. and is traditionally
Muslim mythology that inhabits the mountains supposed to have been the first person to employ
since long before the birth of Adam. The jinn are gentian flowers medicinally. The color of gentian
credited with the power to change their appear- flowers has also inspired the naming of a par ticular
183
Geppetto

shade of purple-blue as gentian blue. “ ‘Bother Gestapo (gbstahpo) A ruthless, bullying police
the woman!’ she thought. ‘I do want that gentian force or other authority. The allusion is to the
dress got ready, but now I simply can’t give it to Geheime Staatspolizei (“secret state police”),
her to do’ ” ( John Galsworthy, The Forsyte Saga, Gestapo for short, that served as the secret police
1922). of the German Nazi regime from 1933 to 1945. It
acquired a notorious reputation for its brutal
Geppetto See pinocchio. treatment of enemies of the state, among them
political opponents and Jews. The food Gestapo
Geronimo ( jbronimo) War cry commonly would never allow great stuff like that to be served up in
uttered on launching oneself into an exhilarating, school canteens.
even dangerous, activity. Geronimo (c. 1829–
1909) was an Apache chieftain who carried out Geste, Beau See beau geste.
raids on white settlers in Arizona and Mexico
before finally surrendering to the U.S. Army in Gethsemane (gethsembnee) A painful ordeal; a
1886. Legend has it that when cornered by a place of anguish or suffering. The Garden of Geth-
U.S. cavalry patrol at Medicine Bluffs, Okla- semane, at the foot of the Mount of Olives outside
homa, he yelled “Geronimo!” in defiance as he Jerusalem, was the place where Christ prayed
leaped on his horse into the river below. U.S. after the Last Supper on the night of his betrayal
paratroops in World War II, many of whom and arrest: “Then cometh Jesus with them unto a
trained near Medicine Bluffs, took to shouting place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disci-
the chief’s name as they leaped from their air- ples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder” (Mat-
craft into action. Geronimo’s actual Native thew 26:36). According to one tradition, it was in
American name, however, was Goyathlay. The Gethsemane that Mary was buried. The word itself
youth ran to the water’s edge and with an exuberant means “oil press” in Greek. That afternoon the sta-
“Geronimo!” hurled himself into the water. dium became the team’s Gethsemane, their ultimate
humiliation and yet the foundation of famous triumphs
gestalt (gbstolt, gbshtolt) A range of elements to come in the years ahead.
considered as part of a greater single context,
such as a personality or a period of history. The get thee behind me, Satan (saytbn) Do not try to
word is German, meaning “form, shape, configu- tempt me; I refuse to be tempted. This is a quota-
ration.” It was applied around 1950 to a new psy- tion from the Bible, appearing in Matthew 4:10
chotherapeutic approach developed by Fritz Perls and Luke 4:1–8, which both recount Christ’s reply
(1893–1970) and his wife Laura, though the term to the devil in the wilderness when the latter tries
has since escaped its confined association with psy- to lure him with promises of power over all the
chology. “A Gestalt is a mode of perception of a kingdoms of the world in exchange for his alle-
group of objects—say of the dots in a printed giance: “Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is writ-
picture—so that they are seen as one thing” (Ray- ten, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and
mond Tallis and Howard Robinson, The Pursuit of him only shalt thou serve” (Luke 4:8). The phrase
Mind, 1991). also appears in Matthew 16:23 as Christ’s reply
184
 giants in the earth

when Peter tries to persuade him against willingly uncertain. It may have come from the Italian for
going to crucifixion. “Get thee behind me, Satan,” “cannon factory,” there being a cannon factory
said the colonel as he hurried past the beckoning open beside the area of Venice in which the city’s Jew-
door of the saloon bar. ish population settled, or it may be a reference to
the Jewish quarter on the Venetian island of Il
get to first base To achieve the first stage of Geto. The term has since been applied to perse-
something. The allusion is to baseball, in which cuted populations of many different kinds, as well
first base is the first of four points that a batter as to other groups variously seen as being sepa-
must reach in order to score a run. The expression rated from the rest of society. In her spare time she
is commonly associated with lovemaking, “first was studying for a law degree, anxious to escape from the
base” being kissing or other foreplay preceding full financial-services ghetto.
sexual intercourse. “Real shame our movie never
got past first base” ( J. Cartwright, Masai Dreaming, giant A person or thing of exceptional size,
1993). importance, etc. The huge ogres of European
folklore are descended from a supernatural race in
Getty, Jean Paul See jean paul getty. Greek myth, identified as the offspring of gaea
(representing the earth) and uranus (represent-
Gettysburg Address (getizberg) The ideal of a ing the sky). According to legend, the giants, who
brilliant political speech. The Gettysburg Address had terrifying faces and serpents’ tails for legs,
was delivered by President abraham lincoln on rebelled against the gods on Olympus and waged
November 19, 1863, just four months after the war with them for 10 years before being defeated
bloody Battle of Gettysburg, arguably the most and killed or consigned by Zeus to Tartarus. One
decisive encounter of the U.S. Civil War. Only a suggestion is that the story of the epic struggle
few minutes long, Lincoln’s speech in honor of the between the gods and the giants was inspired by
dead buried on the battlefield entered popular volcanic eruptions. Stories about human-eating giants
mythology and is still seen as a standard by which are common to many cultural traditions, and many are
other political utterances may be measured: “We apparently of great antiquity.
here highly resolve that these dead shall not have
died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall giants in the earth The heroes of a bygone age,
have a new birth of freedom—and that govern- when humans were far more glorious beings than
ment of the people, by the people, for the people, they are today. The phrase is biblical, appearing in
shall not perish from the earth.” The new governor’s Genesis 6:4: “There were giants in the earth in
inaugural speech fell well short of the Gettysburg those days.” It is sometimes believed that after the
Address but it served to motivate the team around him. time of Adam and Eve’s expulsion from the Garden
of Eden the world was populated by a race of mag-
ghetto (geto) A neighborhood in which certain nificent giants called the Nephilim, who were pro-
parts of the population are obliged to live, either duced by the union of various heavenly beings with
by official order or because they cannot afford to human women. The terms Nephilim and giants are
live anywhere else. The origins of the word are also applied to some of the pre-Israelite inhabitants
185
Gibson girl

of Canaan (Numbers 13:33), who were also the biblical account of the apostles, who miracu-
referred to as the Rephaim/Rephaites and Ana- lously acquired the power to communicate in a
kim/Anakites (Deuteronomy 2:11; 3:11), and variety of languages during the Feast of Pentecost
Goliath was one of their descendants, but they are (as related in Acts 2:4–12); the apostle Paul also
not heard of after the time of David. The biblical refers to its use, with interpretation of tongues, in
references in Genesis 6:4 and Numbers 13:33 have 1 Corinthians 12 and 14. “Ane wad hae needed the
also led to the expression land of giants, “some- gift of tongues to ken preceesely what they said—
times used figuratively to refer to areas of great but I pelieve the best end of it was, ‘Long live Mac-
opportunity that contain apparently formidable Callummore and Knockdunder!’ ” (Sir Walter
difficulties” (Manser, King James Bible Word Book, Scott, The Heart of Midlothian, 1818).
p. 253). But things were different then, and there were
giants in the earth. G.I. Joe An enlisted man in the U.S. Army. The
nickname became widely known from 1942 after
Gibson girl An elegant young woman of the early it appeared as the title of a comic strip in the U.S.
20th century. The Gibson girl was named after her Army magazine Yank. G.I. was understood to stand
creator, U.S. artist and illustrator Charles Dana for “general issue” or “government issue,” although
Gibson (1867–1944), who was well known for his it may well have been borrowed originally from an
drawings of wasp-waisted young beauties of the industrial context, in which it stood for “galva-
1890s and 1900s, fashionably sporty and dressed nized iron” (many articles made from galvanized
in the latest styles. Her mother was a Gibson girl who iron being used by the military). Women serving
was often seen at fashionable Boston social gatherings. in the U.S. Army were dubbed G.I. Janes. In the
1960s G.I. Joe was also taken up as a brand name
Gideons (gideebnz) An interdenominational for a soldier doll figure widely sold to young boys
Christian organization that works to make the (though retitled Action Man in the UK). A couple
Bible available to as many people as possible through- of very drunk G. I. Joes rolled up at the bar around mid-
out the world. Founded in the United States in night, but were quickly removed by the military police.
1899 by three traveling businessmen—Samuel
E. Hill, William J. Knights, and John H. Gilded Age A time that is characterized by
Nicholson—the Gideon Society takes its name immorality and cynicism. The allusion is to an
from Gideon, the great Israelite soldier and judge 1873 novel of the same title by Mark Twain and
who led his people to victory over the Midianites, Charles Dudley, which was set in the period after
as recounted in Judges 6–7. The room was sparsely the U.S. Civil War, when vulgarity, materialism,
furnished, the only extras being a jug of water and a and corruption were seen as replacing more
Gideon Bible in the bedside cabinet. wholesome preoccupations and values. The collapse
of communism in Russia ushered in a gilded age in which
gift of tongues The ability to speak in many lan- billions were made by a greedy few.
guages without having previously learned them.
This ability, technically termed glossolalia, was a Gilderoy’s kite See higher than gilderoy’s
feature of early Christian worship and alludes to kite.
186
 give up the ghost

gild the lily To add more than is necessary to Giovanni, Don See don juan.
something that is already beautiful or otherwise
satisfactory. The expression comes from William Gipper, win one for the See win one for the
Shakespeare’s play King John (1595): “To gild gipper.
refined gold, to paint the lily, / To throw perfume
on the violet, / To smooth the ice, or add another girdle of Venus See aphrodite.
hue / Unto the rainbow, or with taper-light / To
seek the beauteous eye of heaven to garnish, / Is gird up thy loins To get ready for action; to pre-
wasteful, and ridiculous excess.” Offering sharehold- pare to apply oneself to a difficult task or to make
ers an extra dividend on top of the huge profits they had a journey. The phrase appears several times in the
already made was just gilding the lily. Bible, such as in 1 Kings 18:46, where Elijah gath-
ers up his long flowing robes and fastens (“girds”)
Gilead, balm in See balm in gilead. them with his belt (“girdle”) in order to run freely:
“And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he
Ginger Rogers See fred astaire. girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the
entrance of Jezreel.” “ ‘Yet,’ said the Rabbi, ‘take
Gin Lane A place or situation in which heavy courage, for this grief availeth nothing. Gird up
drinking and the problems associated with it are thy loins, and seek out this Wilfred, the son of
rife. The allusion is to a 1751 print by the British Cedric’ ” (Sir Walter Scott, Ivanhoe, 1819).
artist William Hogarth (1697–1764), in which he
depicted the social ills resulting from habitual Girl Friday A woman who takes on a range of
drunkenness in contemporary London. Hogarth’s duties, from housework to acting as a personal
model for his picture was the parish of St. Giles in assistant. The expression represents a female
London, where a quarter of all the residences equivalent of man friday, which was itself taken
were operating as gin shops by 1750. The second from the name of a character in Daniel Defoe’s
duke, legend has it, took a stroll up Gin Lane as a young novel Robinson Crusoe (1719). The phrase furnished
man and never returned. See also hogarthian. the title of the 1940 Cary Grant movie His Girl
Friday, but has largely fallen into disfavor in recent
Ginnungagap (ginbngbgap) A great void or abyss. years on the grounds of political incorrectness.
In Norse mythology, Ginnungagap is the name “You were just a junior, a sort of Girl Friday with
given to the endless void that is said to separate no qualifications, hoping to learn the ropes” (Jane
niflheim, a region of intense cold, and Muspel- Bauling, Ransacked Heart, 1993).
heim, a region of intense heat. Having no beginning
or end and no day or night, it was said to have git thar fustest with the mostest See firstest
existed long before the appearance of heaven and with the mostest.
earth. Into this purgatory, this spiritual Ginnungagap,
vanished all his ideals and hopes for the future. give up the ghost To die; to give in; to cease
working. The phrase appears in various forms at
Gioconda smile See mona lisa smile. several places in the Bible, as in Genesis 25:8,
187
give us this day our daily bread

which describes how “Abraham gave up the ghost, Mikhail Gorbachev, who favored greater freedom
and died in a good old age.” “Why died I not from from restraint in social and cultural affairs. The
the womb? Why did I not give up the ghost when I word glasnost (meaning “openness”) was often
came out of the belly?” (Thomas Hardy, Jude the used in conjunction with perestroika (meaning
Obscure, 1895). “restructuring”), which referred to economic and
political reform. He had declared a new policy of
give us this day our daily bread See daily bread. glasnost, which would allow every member of the family
to have their say.
gladiator A person who fights for or supports a
par ticular cause or campaign. Derived from the glass ceiling A level beyond which an employee
Latin gladius (meaning “sword”), the term was cannot hope to be promoted. The expression has
applied to the combatants who fought to the death its origins in the business world, in which context
with a range of weapons as a form of public enter- the term suggests the image of an invisible barrier
tainment in the arenas of ancient Rome. Gladiato- that can be seen through, making promotion seem
rial contests were eventually suppressed in the possible, but which impedes further upward prog-
Eastern Empire in a.d. 325 and in the West in a.d. ress. It is often applied in the world of work to
500. The two fighters squared up to each other like female employees, who feel that their sex prevents
gladiators on the sands of the Colosseum. them from reaching the highest levels. There was a
glass ceiling that she must break through if her dreams
Gladstonian (gladstoneebn) Relating to the poli- were to be realized.
cies or character of British prime minister William
Gladstone (1809–98). Gladstone was well known glass darkly, through a See see through a glass
for his rather stern and serious views as well as for darkly.
his devout religious faith and undoubted talents as
a statesman. Hence, a Gladstonian politician may glass jaw An inherent weakness that makes an
be one who is regarded as a heavyweight, with individual vulnerable to defeat by an opponent.
strongly-held views. “ ‘Perhaps then,’ said Viola, The phrase comes from boxing, in which it denotes
whose lips were still set in a Gladstonian expres- a fighter who is easily knocked out by a blow to
sion, ‘you will find it possible to bring my grand- the chin. His sensitivity to criticism turned out to be his
children along for me to have a look at’ (Robert glass jaw when he sought a career in public life.
Barnard, Posthumous Papers, 1992).
glass of wine with the Borgias See borgias,
glad tidings of great joy See good tidings of the.
great joy.
Glaucus (glahkbs) A person who is destroyed by
glasnost (glaznost) Relaxation of rules and his passion for something. In Greek mythology,
regulations. The term became widely familiar in Glaucus was a son of Sisyphus. Glaucus was devoted
the late 1980s as the official policy of the Soviet to his horses but could not be persuaded to breed
Communist Party under its general secretary them. This provoked the anger of Venus, who made
188
 go and sin no more

the horses tear their owner to pieces. Like Glaucus, brownie—a queer and unaccountable creature,
his passion for the turf proved his undoing. who must necessarily be looked at with wonder-
ing curiosity and repulsion, and with whom one
Glaucus swap See diomedean exchange. would be glad to make all greetings and bargains
as brief as possible, but who must be dealt with in
glory, in all one’s See in all one’s glory. a propitiatory way” (George Eliot, Silas Marner,
1861).
glory is departed, the The times are not what
they were; the golden age has passed. The expres- go ahead, make my day I would be only too
sion is biblical, appearing in 1 Samuel 4:21, where pleased to be challenged. The expression is a quo-
Phineas’s wife names her new baby Ichabod tation from the 1983 movie Sudden Impact, in
(meaning “inglorious” or “no glory”) after hearing which it is delivered by Clint Eastwood in the
that the Philistines have captured the Ark of the character of tough San Francisco detective Harry
Covenant and that both the child’s father and Callaghan facing a suspected killer and daring him
grandfather are dead. By the same token, the to raise his gun in an attempt to shoot it out. If you
name Ichabod has in times past been used as an want to fight me over this, then go ahead, make my day.
exclamation. “That pulpit would indeed be his See also dirty harry.
own. Precentors, vicars, and choristers might
hang up their harps on the willows. Ichabod! Ich- go and do thou likewise Do the same thing; act
abod! The glory of their house was departing from in a similar fashion. The expression is biblical,
them” (Anthony Trollope, Barchester Towers, 1857). appearing in Luke 10:37 in the parable of the
“And then, Ichabod! Ichabod! the glory will be Good Samaritan, where it is spoken by Christ and
departed from us” (T. H. Huxley, “A Liberal Edu- intended as encouragement to behave with the
cation,” 1899). same charity. In modern usage it often appears in a
rather more discouraging context in the form of
glory to God in the highest See goodwill to an euphemistic admonition to someone to go away
all men. or otherwise refrain from interfering or some
other action. I told that jerk to get lost, and if you’re
gnashing of teeth See weeping and gnashing sensible you’ll go and do thou likewise before I get really
of teeth. angry.

gnome (nom) A diminutive creature resembling go and sin no more You will not be punished for
an old, deformed man: A familiar character of what you have done but do not do wrong again.
fairy tale and legend, conventionally described as The expression comes from the biblical account of
living underground in mines or quarries, the the woman taken in adultery in John 8:5–12, in
gnome has obscure ancient roots and was probably which Christ forgives a woman who is faced with
named from the Greek genomos (meaning “earth death by stoning on charges of adultery. When
dweller”). “Hitherto he had been treated very Christ challenges any member of the mob who is
much as if he had been a useful gnome or not guilty of sin himself to cast the first stone, no
189
gobbledygook

one comes forward. The headmaster admonished translation of the Bible, begun in 1525, who
them both for about an hour, then considered they had settled on “God forbid” as his preferred English
been punished enough and told them to go and sin no translation (in spite of the fact that God is not
more. See also let him who is without sin cast mentioned in corresponding Hebrew and Greek
the first stone. idioms). “If this cleaving distrust from which I can-
not free myself should be in very truth the mute
gobbledygook (gobbldeegook) Indecipherable prophecy of evil to come—to come, I know not
nonsense. This word was coined in 1944 by Maury when—if it be so (which God forbid!), how soon
Maverick, a Texan lawyer and congressman who she may want a friend, a protector near at hand, a
objected to the long-winded jargon used by ready refuge in the time of her trouble!” (Wilkie
bureaucrats, and thus (intentionally or not) lik- Collins, After Dark, 1856).
ened it to the gobbling cry of turkeys. “The extract
reads as gobbledygook if it is read as a speech by god from a machine See deus ex machina.
one individual” (G. Yule and G. Brown, Discourse
Analysis, 1991). Godiva, Lady See lady godiva.

God and mammon See mammon. Godot See waiting for godot.

Godfather, The A person who exerts complete go down to the sea in ships To journey across
authority within a par ticular sphere. The term has the sea by boat. The expression is biblical in ori-
strong associations with the criminal world, spe- gin, appearing in Psalm 107:23: “They that go
cifically with the mafia, as reflected in Mario down to the sea in ships, that do business in great
Puzo’s best-selling novel The Godfather (1969) and waters; These see the works of the LORD, and his
the celebrated trilogy of movies based on it, wonders in the deep.” The phrase has become a
directed by Francis Ford Coppola. In modern cliché for the business of seafaring and was prob-
usage, therefore, a Godfather is a criminal leader ably the inspiration for the famous opening lines
who expects unquestioning obedience and devo- of John Masefield’s poem “Sea Fever” (1902): “I
tion from his underlings, who risk severe must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea
retribution for any act of rebellion. The local godfa- and sky.”
thers are rumored to be planning to get together to carve
up the gambling industry across the state. See also offer God protect me from my friends The biggest
you can’t refuse, an. threat comes from one’s friends, not one’s enemies.
The allusion is to a 1956 book of the same title by
God forbid May it never happen (used as a strong Gavin Maxwell about the Sicilian bandit Salvatore
exclamation of dissent). The phrase appears in the Giuliano (1922–50). Similar sentiments can be
Bible in Genesis 44:7 and in many subsequent pas- dated back much earlier in various forms, often
sages, usually as a translation of the Hebrew hali- followed or preceded by “I can protect myself from
lah, from the verb halal, meaning “to defile or my enemies.” “God protect me from my friends” muttered
pollute.” It was William Tyndale in his English the gang’s boss as he was led into the court.
190
 Gog and Magog

God save the king/queen Long live the king, or Godzilla (godzilb) A monstrous creature, per-
queen. This expression of loyalty to a reigning son, or object. The original Godzilla was a fero-
monarch is biblical in origin, appearing in 1 Sam- cious dinosaur awoken by hydrogen bomb tests
uel 10:24 as a shout of acclamation in honor of and transformed into a rampaging monster in a
Saul. Elsewhere in the Bible it appears with refer- long series of low-budget Japanese-made movies,
ence to Absalom, Adonijah, Solomon, and Joash in beginning with Gojira (1954), a U.S. version of
such forms as “may the king live”—the word God which was released in 1956 under the title
being too sacred to use. Today it is perhaps best Godzilla. The name of the creature resulted from
known as the title of the British national anthem. the combination of “gorilla” with the Japanese
With a shout of “God save the king!” the sergeant leapt kujira (meaning “whale”). This is the Godzilla of
into the throng of struggling bodies and was seen no state-of-the-art trucks.
more.
Goebbels (gerbblz) A propagandist, especially a
God’s in his heaven, all’s right with the world An despicable one. The reference is to Joseph Goeb-
expression of satisfaction with the general state of bels (1897–1945), who in 1933 was appointed
affairs. It is a quotation from the long poem Pippa minister of propaganda in Adolf hitler’s Ger-
Passes (1841) by Robert Browning (1812–61): many and subsequently used the various branches
“The lark’s on the wing; / The snail’s on the thorn: / of the media to propagate the hateful ideals of the
God’s in his heaven— / All’s right with the world!” Nazi regime. He committed suicide with his wife
In modern usage, the line is usually quoted sarcas- and children shortly before Berlin fell to the Allies.
tically, condemning a person suspected of harbor- The press office was accused of acting Goebbels in its
ing an unduly optimistic view of the world. She attempts to woo public favor on the issue of military
seems oblivious to her family’s problems: as far as she’s intervention.
concerned, God’s in his heaven, all’s right with the world.
See also i’m alright, jack. go forth and multiply See be fruitful and
multiply.
Godwin’s oath (godwinz) A protestation of inno-
cence that is immediately shown to be false. The go from strength to strength To become more
expression alludes to an oath made by Godwin, and more successful. The phrase comes from the
earl of Wessex (d. 1053), who at the end of a long Bible, where it appears in Psalm 84:7: “They go
career of political double-dealing and treachery from strength to strength, every one of them in
stood accused of murdering Edward the Confes- Zion appeareth before God.” Under their new captain
sor’s brother Alfred. He swore he was innocent of and coach the team is going from strength to strength.
the crime and added that heaven should strike him
down at once if this was not so. Without further Gog and Magog (gog, maygog) Godless forces
ado he choked to death on a piece of bread. This that threaten the end of the world through war.
promise proved to be like Godwin’s oath, quickly revealed Gog and Magog are identified in Revelation 20:8
to be as hollow as a drum and the exact opposite of what as the personification of nations at the farthest
was really intended. ends of the earth in the final apocalyptic conflict
191
golden age

between good and evil. (See also Ezekiel 38–39.) youth, while the evil days come not . . . or ever
Statues of Gog and Magog, depicted as giant war- the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be
riors, stood for many years outside the Guildhall broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain,
in London; these were destroyed by the Great Fire or the wheel broken at the cistern. Then shall the
of 1666 but replaced in 1709 and once more in dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit
1953 after their destruction during the bombing shall return unto God who gave it.” The image of
of London in 1940. “. . . it was shown that like- a broken bowl has long been a symbol of death: Its
ness in sound made them impossible: it was a association here with a cord may suggest that the
method of interpretation which was not tested by bowl in question is part of a lamp, which goes out
the necessity of forming anything which had when the cord breaks and the bowl falls. The
sharper collisions than an elaborate notion of Gog phrase is perhaps best known today as the title of
and Magog: it was as free from interruption as a the Henry James novel The Golden Bowl (1904). But
plan for threading the stars together” (George the golden bowl had been broken, and there was no rous-
Eliot, Middlemarch, 1871–72). ing the girl’s lifeless body.

golden age A period of history considered to have golden calf Money, riches, or material values.
been notably prosperous or creative.The golden age The description of the golden calf comes from the
of myth was a legendary era that marked the begin- biblical episode related in Exodus 32:1–14 in
nings of human history on earth, when humans which the Israelites worshiped such an idol, made
lived in idyllic harmony with nature and one by Aaron from golden earrings, in the absence of
another. (It was followed by the legendary silver Aaron’s brother Moses. In modern usage people
age and the historical Iron Age). Historical periods who place undue emphasis on the pursuit of mate-
commonly referred to as golden ages include that rial values may be accused of worshiping the
of Egypt (c. 1312–1235 b.c.), of Assyria (c. 700– golden calf. “The golden calf they worship at Bos-
600 b.c.), of Athens (443–429 b.c.), and of Persia ton is a pigmy compared with the giant effigies set
(c. a.d. 531–628). “ ‘I have brought you a book for up in other parts of that vast counting-house which
evening solace,’ and he laid on the table a new lies beyond the Atlantic; and the almighty dollar
publication—a poem: one of those genuine pro- sinks into something comparatively insignificant,
ductions so often vouchsafed to the fortunate public amidst a whole Pantheon of better gods” (Charles
of those days—the golden age of modern litera- Dickens, American Notes, 1842).
ture” (Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre, 1847).
Golden Fleece Something of great value that is
golden apple See apple of discord. much sought after but very hard to obtain. In the
Greek myth of Jason and the Argonauts, the
golden bowl Life, youth, or anything else that is Golden Fleece was a ram’s fleece of pure gold that
fragile or once lost cannot be regained. The image hung on an oak tree in a sacred grove in Colchis
of life as a golden bowl comes from the Bible, until Jason managed to carry it off. Australia is
where it appears in Ecclesiastes 12:1, 6–7: sometimes referred to as the “Land of the Golden
“Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy Fleece” because of its extensive production of
192
 Goliath

wool. “. . . a worn-out royal gun-brig condemned sion is the fairy tale Goldilocks and the Three Bears, in
to sale, to be had dog-cheap: this he proposed that which a young girl called Goldilocks innocently
they two, or in fact Boyd with his five thousand stumbles upon the house of the three bears and
pounds, should buy; that they should refit and arm there makes free with their porridge, chairs, and
and man it;—and sail a-privateering ‘to the East- beds before the outraged occupants return home
ern Archipelago,’ Philippine Isles, or I know not and she flees to safety. You can tell Goldilocks over
where; and so conquer the golden fleece” (Thomas there that she’s wasting her time if she thinks I’m going
Carlyle, The Life of John Sterling, 1851). to tell her my brother’s address.

golden rule The one principle or guideline that gold in them thar hills, there’s See there’s gold
should be followed at all times. The original in them thar hills.
Golden Rule was the advice given by Christ dur-
ing the Sermon on the Mount, as related in Mat- gold of Ophir (ofer) Something of the finest
thew 7:12: “Therefore all things whatsoever ye quality. In the Bible Ophir is the country from
would that men should do to you, do ye even so to which fine gold is imported to decorate the Tem-
them: for this is the law and the prophets.” Christ’s ple (1 Chronicles 29:4); thus, gold of Ophir was
Golden Rule may be rendered in a variety of ways, of the finest quality. His opinions are like the gold of
among them “treat others as you would like to be Ophir, and many admirers hang on his every word.
treated yourself ” and the succinct “do as you would
be done by.” “The golden rule is that there are no gold of Tolosa See he has got gold of tolosa.
golden rules” (George Bernard Shaw, “Maxims for
Revolutionists,” Man and Superman, 1905). Goldwynism (goldwinizbm) An unintentional
and usually humorous misuse of language. The
golden shower Money, especially in the form of allusion is to the Polish-born U.S. movie mogul
a bribe. The expression alludes to the Greek leg- Samuel Goldwyn (1882–1974), who founded the
end of Zeus and Danaë, in the course of which MGM film studio and became well known for his
Zeus gained access to Danaë, the beautiful daughter (sometimes apocryphal) gaffes when using the
of King Acrisius of Argos, by disguising himself as English language, among them “A verbal contract
a shower of gold and subsequently foiled the king’s isn’t worth the paper it’s written on,” “In two
attempts to protect his daughter’s chastity. As a words: im-possible,” and “Include me out.” Presi-
result of this union Danaë gave birth to Perseus. dent Bush became celebrated among journalists for his
“. . . he folds his arms about him, and sits in Goldwynism-laden pronouncements at the microphone.
expectation of some revolution in the state that
shall raise him to greatness, or some golden shower Golgotha See calvary.
that shall load him with wealth” (Samuel Johnson,
“Idle Hope,” Essays, 1753). Goliath (gblibth) A formidable opponent or
obstacle. The allusion is to the Philistine giant
Goldilocks (goldeeloks) A (generally sweet- Goliath, “six cubits and a span high,” in the biblical
natured) girl with flowing blonde locks. The allu- tale of david and goliath, as related in 1 Samuel
193
Golightly, Holly

17. Such was Goliath’s strength that the youthful alludes to the film itself, suggesting that some-
David was the only Israelite prepared to answer thing is romantically overblown: Her complaints
his challenge to single combat. “Violent crime and about her boyfriend were all very Gone With the Wind
AIDS are probably each of them individually big- as far as I was concerned. See also frankly, my dear,
ger Goliaths than ever apartheid was” (Christianity i don’t give a damn; tomorrow is another
and Renewal, September 2001). day.

Golightly, Holly See holly golightly. Goodfellow, Robin See puck.

Gollum (golbm) A repulsive, slimy person or good fight, fight the See fight the good fight.
creature. Gollum appears as a character in J. R.
R. Tolkien’s novels The Hobbit (1937) and The Lord good for nothing See salt of the earth.
of the Rings (1954–55), in which he is depicted
as a degenerate but pitiable creature who has good life, the A life of self-sustainability and
been debased as a result of his long-term posses- environmental responsibility. The phrase is partic-
sion of the precious ring that is the object of the ularly associated with a 1970s BBC television
heroes’ quest. His name has also been purloined sitcom of the same title, in which Richard Briers
to describe a wild throw in a game of frisbee. The and Felicity Kendal played Tom and Barbara
bar was usually peopled with a variety of gollums Good, a couple determined to abandon their for-
and other assorted white trash that rarely saw day- mer middle-class lifestyle and instead live a more
light. self-sufficient existence, growing their own food
and doing without many of the unnecessary and
Gomez and Morticia See addams family. wasteful luxuries of the modern world. In nonal-
lusive use the phrase has a very different meaning,
Gomorrah See sodom and gomorrah. referring to a life of luxury. More and more people
are opting out of the rat race in the hope of living the
Goneril See king lear. good life as smallholders.

gone with the wind Disappeared completely. The good neighbor policy Behaving well toward your
phrase first appeared in the poem “Num sum qua- neighbors. The original Good Neighbor Policy was
lis eram” (or “Cynara”) written in the 1890s by that adopted by the U.S. government in the 1930s
the British poet Ernest Dowson (1867–1900): “I with the aim of appeasing the fear of South Ameri-
have forgot much, Cynara! Gone with the wind.” can states that the United States intended to
The quotation is today best-known as the title of expand its influence over the whole of the Ameri-
the classic 1939 movie Gone With the Wind (based can continent, as made clear in the inaugural
on a 1936 novel of the same name by Margaret address of President Franklin D. Roosevelt in
Mitchell), which starred Vivien Leigh as Scarlett 1933: “In the field of world policy; I would dedi-
O’Hara opposite Clark Gable as her lover Rhett cate this nation to the policy of the good neigh-
Butler. In modern usage, the phrase sometimes bor.” The good neighbor policy observed by the two
194
 goodwill to all men

countries was set on one side when it became clear that good thing come out of Nazareth (nazbrbth)
only one of them could hope to attract significant UN Something good that comes from an unexpected
backing. source. The expression alludes to Christ, who
spent his childhood in Nazareth. The phrase
Good Samaritan (sbmairitbn) A person who appears in John 1:46, where Nathanael expresses
kindly and selflessly helps a stranger in distress or surprise upon learning that Jesus came from the
difficulty. The expression alludes to the parable insignificant town of Nazareth: “And Nathanael
that Christ told, recorded in Luke 10:25–37, said unto him, Can there any good thing come out
about a Jew who was brutally attacked while on of Nazareth? Philip said unto him, Come and see.”
his way from Jerusalem to Jericho and left for “She had almost fancied that a good thing could
dead. His plight was ignored by a priest and a come out of Nazareth—a charming woman out of
Levite who passed by on the other side without Tablothay’s Dairy” (Thomas Hardy, Tess of the
giving him any help at all. But later a Samaritan D’Urbervilles, 1891).
who happened by took compassion on the man,
and in spite of the fact that the Samaritans were good tidings of great joy Good news. The
open enemies of the Jews, the Samaritan looked phrase alludes to Luke 2:10, in which the angel
after him, paying an innkeeper to take care of of the Lord brings the good news of Christ’s
him. The phrase Good Samaritan does not, inci- birth to shepherds tending their flocks in the
dentally, appear in the actual text of the King field: “And the angel said unto them, Fear not:
James Bible (1611) and appears not to have for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy,
become an accepted translation until at least which shall be to all people.” Sometimes this
1640. “No one would remember the Good Samar- phrase is rendered as glad tidings of great joy,
itan if he’d only had good intentions. He had “. . . and though of the same religious senti-
money as well” (Margaret Thatcher, television ments as Mr. Treat, yet his attention was turned
interview, January 6, 1986). See also fall among to those glad tidings of great joy, which a Savior
thieves. came to publish” (Henry David Thoreau, Cape
Cod, 1865).
Good Shepherd Jesus Christ. Of many epithets
by which Jesus is referred to in the Bible, this one goodwill to all men Charitable feeling to all of
appears in John 10:11 and alludes to the image of humanity.This exhortation to the faithful to behave
Christ as a shepherd tending his flock. It evokes with generosity toward their fellow humans (espe-
the parable of the lost sheep related in Matthew cially during the Christmas season) has its origins
18:12–14, in which a shepherd goes to the aid of in Luke 2:14, in which the birth of Christ at Beth-
the single sheep that is lost, despite the fact that lehem is a cause of much rejoicing: “suddenly there
the other 99 sheep in his flock are all safely was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly
accounted for. The title is on occasion applied to host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the
anyone who assumes responsibility for the welfare highest, and on earth peace, good will toward
of others. I will put my faith in the Good Shepherd to men.” After all, it’s Christmas, the season of goodwill to
see us safely home. all men.
195
good works

good works Charitable acts; actions carried out Gordon, Flash See flash gordon.
to help others. The phrase appears several times in
the Bible, as in Acts 9:36: “Now there was at Joppa Gordon Gekko (geko) Archetype of an unprin-
a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by inter- cipled businessman. The original Gordon Gekko,
pretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of played by Michael Douglas, was a greedy, amoral
good works and almsdeeds which she did.” “ ‘I financial trader in the 1987 movie Wall Street. She
like to hear your adventures and good works so did not fancy the idea of trusting her modest inheritance
much,’ said Polly, ready to be amused by anything to the Gordon Gekkos on Wall Street.
that made her forget herself ” (Louisa May Alcott,
An Old Fashioned Girl, 1870). gorgon A monstrously ugly or frightening
woman. In Greek mythology, the Gorgons were
goody two-shoes A sickeningly well-behaved three loathsome sisters, with wings, sharp tusklike
person, someone who never does wrong or at teeth, brazen claws, and snakes for hair. The most
least gives the appearance of being saintly, despite famous of them was Medusa, whose ugliness was
suspicions that no one could be so perfect. The so extreme that anyone who saw her was immedi-
allusion is to a nursery story entitled The History of ately turned to stone. Medusa was beheaded by
Little Goody Two-Shoes published in 1765 and often Perseus; her sisters were immortal. “Her mother
attributed to English playwright Oliver Goldsmith is perfectly unbearable. Never met such a Gor-
(c. 1730–74). The central character in the story is gon . . . I don’t really know what a Gorgon is like,
an orphan girl called Margery Meanwell, who but I am quite sure that Lady Bracknell is one”
acquires the nickname Little Goody Two-Shoes (Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest,
after a benefactor takes pity on her and gives her a 1895).
pair of shoes. She goes on to enjoy a virtuous,
rewarding life filled with good works and is Gormenghast (gormbngast) A gloomy, fantasti-
greatly mourned at her death. “You say: Enough cal place, typically one with a labyrinthine layout
with these busybodies and goody two-shoes!” or unfathomable character. The allusion is to the
(Martin Amis, Time’s Arrow, 1991). vast castle that provides the setting for the trilogy
of novels by British writer Mervyn Peake (1911–
go over the top To go into battle or otherwise 68) comprising Titus Groan (1946), Gormenghast
enter the fray. The reference is to troops charging (1950) and Titus Alone (1959). The lives of the
over the top of the trenches of World War I. The inhabitants of the castle are bound by stifling tradi-
sense of the phrase over the top, sometimes tion, hence the application of the term Gormeng-
abbreviated to OTT, has since expanded to mean hast to any place or situation that is similarly
“extreme, exaggerated, excessive, outrageous.” overburdened or otherwise detached from the real
When it comes to decorating the Christmas tree, people world. The factory was a Gormenghast into which sun-
are often tempted to go over the top with tinsel and light very rarely penetrated.
baubles.
gospel Something undeniably true or accepted
Gordian knot See cut the gordian knot. as true; something strongly believed. The word
196
 Gothic

derives from an Anglo-Saxon translation of the was an act of folly that would not have looked out of
Latin evangelium as godspell, signifying “good tid- place in Gotham.
ings.” The biblical Gospels are the New Testament
books of the life of Christ, as written by Matthew, go the extra/second mile To make a special effort
Mark, Luke, and John. The word is often used as a to do something beyond the norm; to go beyond
synonym for the actual teachings of Christ or, the call of duty. The allusion is to Christ’s saying in
more specifically, the message of God’s salvation the Sermon on the Mount: “And whosoever shall
of humanity through the life, death, and resurrec- compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain”
tion of Christ (as in Romans 1:16). In modern (Matthew 5:41). “I was sort of lukewarm about
usage a gospel truth is something that is gener- the British before, but I’m more positive now
ally regarded as irrefutable, while any source or they’re willing to go the extra mile” (The New York
authority described as gospel is considered essen- Observer, October 12, 2001).
tial or reliable. “. . . the mere opportunity of
venting a little ill-nature against the offending go the way of all flesh To die or disappear finally.
Miss Price, and affecting to compassionate her The expression alludes to the biblical phrase
weaknesses and foibles, though only in the pres- “go the way of all the earth” in Joshua 23:14 and
ence of a solitary dependant, was almost as great 1 Kings 2:2. “And yet—what could one do? Buy
a relief to her spleen as if the whole had been them and stick them in a lumber-room? No; they
gospel truth” (Charles Dickens, Nicholas Nickleby, had to go the way of all flesh and furniture, and be
1838–39). worn out” ( John Galsworthy, The Forsyte Saga,
1906–21).
Gotham (gothbm) A village, town, or city of
fools. The residents of the English village of Gothic An essentially medieval style of art and
Gotham in Nottinghamshire were traditionally architecture whose characteristics include pointed
considered to be the epitome of slow-witted peas- arches, rich detail, and flamboyant decoration.
ants (medieval legend had it that they once tried The Gothic style was condemned by Renaissance
to capture a cuckoo by building a wall around it, artists and architects as primitive to the point of
only for the bird to fly over the top). Another old barbarism, hence the link with the warlike Goths,
tradition claims that the inhabitants of Gotham the Germanic people who destroyed many fine
(sometimes called the Wise Men of Gotham) works of art as they laid waste to much of the
were actually very cunning, only pretending to be Roman Empire between the third and fifth centu-
fools in order to escape their public duties, such as ries a.d. The style nonetheless became popular
paying tithes to the church. Washington Irving again during the Gothic Revival of the late 18th
(1783–1859) used the same name to mock the and 19th centuries. The term gothic also came to
follies of the residents of NewYork City, and in the be applied to a genre of literature characterized
20th century the name reemerged in that of by gloom and the grotesque that enjoyed a con-
Gotham City, home of the fictional superheroes siderable vogue during the Gothic Revival. Gothic
batman and robin and an allegory of the sinful, writers wrote macabre stories of horror, passion
violent, and chaotic modern urban metropolis. It and the supernatural against a backdrop of
197
go to Canossa

windswept moors, haunted castles, and other Götterdämmerung (gerterdembrung, gerterdam-

oppressive surroundings, and the term is used brung) The end of the world; any titanic clash or
today in discussing novels, films, etc. that have a climactic disaster resulting in a universal cataclysm
similarly brooding, melodramatic atmosphere. or the final destruction of a society or regime.
“Its whole visible exterior was ornamented with From the German for “twilight of the gods,” Göt-
quaint figures, conceived in the grotesqueness of terdämmerung is described in detail in Norse
a Gothic fancy, and drawn or stamped in the glit- mythology, which suggests that the world will
tering plaster, composed of lime, pebbles, and come to an end after a dreadful battle between the
bits of glass, with which the woodwork of the good and evil gods in which all the good gods will
walls was overspread” (Nathaniel Hawthorne, The die heroic deaths. A new world will then arise
House of the Seven Gables, 1851). See also american from the ashes of the old. Today the term is most
gothic. familiar from Götterdämmerung (1876), the last of
Richard Wagner’s four operas in the Ring cycle. If
go to Canossa (kanosb) To undergo humiliation, his life had been an opera he would have considered this
especially by subjection to a more powerful body. last blow a prelude to his own personal Götterdämmer-
The allusion is to the Holy Roman Emperor Henry ung. See also ragnarok.
IV, who in January 1077, having been excommuni-
cated by Pope Gregory VII (Hildebrand) for con- gourmand’s prayer The wish of diners that they
testing the pope’s power to create bishops, dressed could savor the taste of good food for longer. It is
as a penitent and stood for three days barefoot in rendered by Aristotle (384–322 b.c.) in his Ethics
the snow in the pope’s palace at Canossa in order in the form “O Philoxenos, Philoxenos, why were
to obtain forgiveness. The German chancellor Otto you not Prometheus?” Philoxenos was an epicure
von Bismarck famously resisted the church’s attempt to who wished to have the neck of a crane so that he
control secular affairs with the declaration “We will not might enjoy longer the taste of his food as he swal-
go to Canossa!” lowed it; Prometheus was the creator of humans,
who sadly did not include a cranelike neck in his
go to Gehenna See gehenna. final design. The meal that night was so good that I was
not the only diner to close his eyes in ecstasy and mutter
go to the ant, thou sluggard Don’t be lazy; stir to himself the gourmand’s prayer that it would never
yourself to action. This expression appears in come to an end.
Proverbs 6:6–9 as follows: “Go to the ant, thou
sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which go west, young man Go out to meet life’s chal-
having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth lenges. The expression alludes to the title of an
her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food editorial that appeared originally in the Terre Haute
in the harvest. How long wilt thou sleep, O Express in 1851, in which the young were encour-
sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?” aged to travel west to meet the challenge of open-
The foreman tipped the boy out of his hammock.“Go to ing up unsettled parts of the country. The call was
the ant, thou sluggard,” he said. “There’s work to be taken up by other newspapers and is often wrongly
done.” attributed to New York journalist Horace Greeley
198
 Grandma Moses

(1811–72). “Go west, young man,” he slurred, waving 4:30–32, and Luke 13:18–19 and used as a meta-
the bottle in the general direction of the ocean, “you’ve phor for the kingdom of heaven, which like a mus-
nothing to lose and everything to gain!” tard seed starts from the tiniest beginnings and
blossoms into a huge tree, with birds nesting on its
Grable, Betty See betty grable. branches. “It is compared also to leaven, to sow-
ing of seed, and to the multiplication of a grain
Grace Darling Archetype of a selfless young her- of mustard-seed; by all which compulsion is
oine. The historical Grace Darling (1815–42) was excluded; and consequently there can in that time
the daughter of a lighthouse-keeper off the north- be no actual reigning” (Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan,
east English coast who, in 1838, heroically assisted 1651).
her father in rescuing survivors from the Forfarshire
(which had run aground on the rocks of the Farne Grand Central Station A very busy place, espe-
Islands in a storm) by rowing out to them in a cially one that is thronged with people. The allusion
small boat. She was widely honored for her coura- is to Grand Central Station in New York City, which
geous act, even by Queen Victoria, before dying a is one of the busiest transport centers in the world.
premature death of consumption. Her status as a “The whole place was about as private as Grand
new Grace Darling came to an end after it was realized Central Station on Glasgow Fair Saturday” (Liz
that there hadn’t been any real danger at all. Lochhead, True Confessions and New Clichés, 1985).

Graceland A palatial home, especially one that is Grand Guignol (gron(g) geenyol) Bloodcurdling
expensively but tastelessly furnished. The allusion or gruesome in character. The reference is to a
is to the home in Memphis, Tennessee of pop star radical style of drama that became popular in the
Elvis Presley (see king, the), which was decorated French theater in the late 19th century. Such dra-
at huge expense and with substantial vulgarity by mas, which were named after the Théâtre de
its owner, and is now preserved in that state as a Grand-Guignol in Montmartre, Paris, where they
shrine to his memory. Her home turned out to be a were first staged in 1895, combined farce with
girly miniature Graceland, with pink pillars and a swim- scenes of brutal bloodletting, which included
ming pool in the shape of a poodle. among other extreme acts eye-gougings and
immersion in acid baths. “Under the glare of the
Graces See three graces. fluorescent light the whole bizarre scene, Ber-
owne’s sprawled body and severed throat, the
Gradgrind, Thomas See thomas gradgrind. clotted blood, the tramp propped like a stringless
marionette against the wall, looking for a moment
grail See holy grail. unreal, a Grand Guignol tableau too overdone and
too contrived to be convincing” (P. D. James, A
grain of mustard seed Anything that has small Taste for Death, 1989).
beginnings but grows into something much larger.
This striking image is biblical in origin, being Grandma Moses (grandmah moziz) In a tradi-
ascribed to Christ in Matthew 13:31–32, Mark tional rustic style. Grandma Moses (Anna Mary
199
grand slam

Robertson; 1860–1961) was a self-taught artist shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any
who became famous at the advanced age of 80 for likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or
her nostalgic paintings executed in a characteristic that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water
naive, primitive style. The fabrics on sale in the store under the earth” (Exodus 20:4). “ ‘Still, he who
had a rustic, Grandma Moses charm. would do justice,’ she proceeded, ‘will not forget
that the cunning of our hands was bound by the
grand slam The attaining of victory in every prohibition, “Thou shalt not make unto thee any
challenge contested. The expression comes from graven image, or any likeness of anything”; which
the game of bridge, in which a grand slam refers the Sopherim wickedly extended beyond its pur-
to the bidding and winning of all 13 tricks in a pose and time’ ” (Lew Wallace, Ben Hur, 1880).
single game. The term is particularly associated
today with the sporting world and is commonly Grave, where is thy victory? See death, where is
used of the achievements of teams or individuals thy sting?
who win all the major events in their par ticular
sport, such as tennis, golf, rugby, or soccer. Victory Gray, Dorian See dorian gray.
for the team here today would complete a grand slam in
all the trophy competitions at this level. gray eminence See éminence grise.

Grant, Cary See cary grant. greasy pole The path to promotion or success.
The allusion is to a popular sport dating back to
grassy knoll A source of perplexity or suspicion, the 19th century, in which two contestants
especially one suggesting some hidden mystery or mounted greased horizontal poles and attempted
official cover-up. The allusion is to the assassina- to knock each other off using pillows or other
tion of President John F. Kennedy (1917–63) in weapons. The modern allusive usage of the term,
Dallas on November 22, 1963 and the conspiracy however, suggests that it is a vertical (not horizon-
theories that developed over the years. One of tal) pole up which people ascend with difficulty,
these suggests that he was killed not by Lee Har- or with the ever-present danger of slipping down
vey Oswald firing from the Texas School Book again. “A friend of the Prince’s youth, Benjamin
Depository but by a second unidentified assailant Disraeli, was to explain with less elegance the rea-
firing from a grassy knoll overlooking the presi- son for his own arrival in power: ‘I have climbed to
dential route. The episode has turned into something of the top of the greasy pole’ ” (William H. C. Smith,
a grassy knoll, giving conspiracy theorists scope to sug- Napoleon III, 1991).
gest there may be more to the story than the government
are admitting. Great Depression A period of prolonged eco-
nomic gloom. The phrase is usually associated with
graven image A statue or other object that is the long-lasting economic depression that was
worshiped as a god or idol. The phrase appears triggered by the Wall Street Crash of 1929 (see
several times in the Bible but is best known from wall street), although it is sometimes applied to
the second of the Ten Commandments: “Thou other similar periods or, more generally, to any
200
 Great Train Robbery

period of low morale. His Great Depression began in fact, he may well have borrowed the line from a
the 1950s and lasted the next 40 years. See also black wrestler called George Raymond Wagner, who
monday. was also well known for his showmanship. As far as
disco-dancing goes, he’s the Greatest.
Great Divide A remote place, or a serious divide
between two parties or things, especially the greatest of these is charity See faith, hope, and
divide between life and death. The Great Divide is charity.
an alternative name for the Continental Divide or
the Rocky Mountain range that runs down the Greatest Show on Earth, The See p. t. barnum.
western side of the United States from Canada to
Mexico. “Like all the children born shortly after Great Leap Forward A substantial advance or
the Great War, we knew that to our parents, the great change of some kind. The original Great
war was the great divide” (Molly Horne, Life, Love Leap Forward was a package of economic and
and Laughter, 1989). social policies introduced by Chairman Mao
Zedong of China in 1958 to improve the lives of
greater love hath no man The sacrifice of one’s Chinese peasants. In the event, the policy proved a
own life or interests for the good of others is the complete failure and resulted only in a disastrous
supreme virtue.The expression appears in the Bible decline in the living standards of both the rural
in John 15:13, where Christ, in his last address to and the industrial populations. As a consequence,
his disciples, teaches that “Greater love hath no man the term today is often employed facetiously of
than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” some measure that appears to be, or has actually
“Greater love hath no man,” quipped their friend as he turned out to be, doomed to failure. The manager’s
stood up to accept the blame on their behalf. Great Leap Forward consisted of hiring two new players
and having the stadium repainted in garish colors.
Great Escape An apparently miraculous escape
in the face of overwhelming odds. The allusion is Great Train Robbery A robbery in which money
to the 1963 film The Great Escape, which depicted or other valuables are taken from a train. There
the mass escape of Allied prisoners-of-war from a have been numerous robberies from trains over
German prison camp during World War II. “The the years, many of which have been described as
journey represents the great escape from destruc- “great train robberies,” but the most infamous is
tion; it is begun in time and ended beyond it” that which took place in England at Cheddington,
(Marion Glasscoe, English Medieval Mystics: Games of Buckinghamshire, on August 8, 1963, when a gang
Faith, 1993). stole £2.5 million from a mail train. The gang
were eventually brought to justice, but much of
Greatest, the A person who is unsurpassed in his the money was never recovered. The ultimate ori-
or her field. The epithet is particularly associated gin of the term is, however, probably a 1903 silent
with the U.S. boxer muhammad ali (b. 1942), movie called The Great Train Robbery. To hear him go
who famously boasted, with some justification on you would think he had pulled off the Great Train
within the boxing sphere, “I am the greatest.” In Robbery.
201
Great Wall of China

Great Wall of China A formidable protective only for his dominance in the sport but also for his
barrier. The Great Wall of China, or Chinese arrogant manner and bad behavior outside the
Wall, was constructed along China’s northern ring. The fact that several such contenders were
borders during the fourth century b.c., and was roundly beaten by Johnson before he finally lost
substantially rebuilt during the Ming dynasty the title to Jess Willard in 1915 has lent the phrase
(1368–1644). Up to 30 feet in height and some (which is now applied without racist associations
4,000 miles in length, it is often referred to as the to people of any color) slightly pessimistic over-
only man-made object that can be seen from the tones. The survival of the expression long after the
Moon (although this is a myth and no astronaut events it refers to owes much to its use as the title
standing on the moon has ever claimed to have of a Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Howard Sack-
been able to make it out). The expression is some- ler about Johnson’s career, first performed in 1967
times employed today to refer to any barrier, real and filmed in 1970. “For NIREX, the great white
or illusory. “Her gaze fixed on her adversary, she hope of the nuclear industry’s waste management
had backed straight into what felt rather like a policy, this was hardly an auspicious start” (Crispin
human version of the Great Wall of China” (Elea- Aubrey, Melt Down: Collapse of a Nuclear Dream,
nor Rees, Hunter’s Harem, 1992). 1991).

Great White Father A person who is perceived Great White Way The theater district of broad-
to exercise a fatherly, usually positive, influence way in New York City. The expression is often
over a country, organization, movement, field, etc. assumed to relate to the stunning displays of elec-
The term appears to have first emerged in the tric advertisements and street lighting in the
early 20th century in popular novels set in the region of Times Square, though in fact it was orig-
Wild West, being introduced as an epithet describ- inally coined by journalists in December 1901 in
ing the U.S. president in terms that might be reports about a heavy fall of snow in the city. The
understood by Native Americans. It has since come inspiration was a novel set at the South Pole pub-
to be employed more widely, often facetiously. lished that year by Albert Bigelow Paine with the
“And no one in the administration ever—such is title The Great White Way. “Might I have seen you
the unfairness of life—quite achieved the renown on the Great White Way?” (P. Falconer, War in High
achieved by Lord Delamere as a great white father Heels, 1993).
to the Masai” (Kathryn Tidrick, Empire and the
English Character, 1992). Greek calends See at the greek calends.

Great White Hope A person or thing that is Greek chorus A group of singers or speakers
widely expected to succeed. The allusion is to who comment on the action taking place. In early
boxing in the early 20th century, when boxing fans Greek drama such a body of performers took a
and promoters eagerly awaited the emergence of a leading role as there were only one, two, or at
white boxer who might defeat the all-conquering most three individual actors on stage at any one
black world heavyweight titleholder Jack Johnson time. The same device has been used by dramatists
(1878–1946), a man who was much resented not through the centuries, although since Shake-
202
 gremlin

speare’s time the role has often been fulfilled by dying, and deathbed visions of pleasant fields have
one performer alone. “. . . it is always a source of long been one of the subjects of popular novels
pleasure and awe to me to remember that the ulti- and films. “But I’ve noticed that in these villages
mate survival of the Greek chorus, lost elsewhere where the people lead a quiet life among the green
to art, is to be found in the servitor answering the pastures and the still waters, tilling the ground
priest at Mass” (Oscar Wilde, De Profundis, 1905). and tending the cattle, there’s a strange deadness
to the Word, as different as can be from the great
Greeks bearing gifts See beware of greeks towns, like Leeds, where I once went to visit a
bearing gifts. holy woman who preaches there” (George Eliot,
Adam Bede, 1859).
Greek to me, it’s all See it’s all greek to me.
Greenwich Village (grenich) Fashionably uncon-
green-eyed monster Jealousy. The phrase was ventional, creative, or bohemian in character. The
coined by William Shakespeare in Othello (c. 1603), allusion is to the Greenwich Village (or, simply,
in which iago delivers the lines: “O! beware, my the Village) area of Lower Manhattan in New
lord, of jealousy; / It is the green-ey’d monster York City, which became the home of many radi-
which doth mock / The meat it feeds on.” Green cal artists, writers, and other bohemians in the
had been acknowledged as the color of envy long early 20th century and a focus of antiestablish-
before Shakespeare’s play, the action of which ment, liberal ideas in the 1950s and 1960s. Since
develops out of the jealous rage that Iago instils in then the area has also acquired a reputation as the
his supposed friend othello. “Discontent, hatred, home of a prominent gay community. With so many
anger, doubt, inferiority complexes, suspicion, leading American icons visiting, it was a little bit of
mistrust, envy, resentment, bitterness, animosity, Greenwich Village in the heart of old London town. See
vindictiveness, spite, irritation, annoyance, indig- also beat generation.
nation, malice, prejudice—these are all part of the
green-eyed monster called jealousy” (Stephanie Gregorian chant (grbgoreebn) A style of vocal
Spindler, Learn to Live, 1991). unaccompanied chant, best known as the official
liturgical plainsong of the Roman Catholic Church.
green pastures A place of ease and plenty, offer- It was named after Pope Gregory I (c. 540–604),
ing respite from the world. The image comes from who promoted the use of plainsong in liturgical
Psalm 23:1–3, in which David writes of God: “The ser vices during his papacy. Recordings of Gregorian
LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh chant have been a surprising best-seller in the past year
me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me or two.
beside the still waters; he restoreth my soul.” In
modern usage the phrase is most familiar from its gremlin A type of goblin or gnome that causes
inclusion in funeral ser vices, in which it may be machinery to go wrong or makes plans go astray.
interpreted as representing heaven. Shakespeare’s Gremlins probably made their first appearance in
character Falstaff in Henry V (1598–1599) is the 1920s and 1930s, when they were humor-
reported to have “babbled of green fields” as he lay ously identified by RAF personnel serving in India
203
Grendel

and the Middle East as the culprits who caused applies just as much in the world of fashion as it does
aircraft to malfunction. Various explanations for anywhere else.
the name of these mischievous creatures have
been suggested, including one that links it to Greta Garbo See garbo.
Fremlin’s beer. Gremlins in the electrical system
meant that the car had to start the race from the back of Gretchen (grechbn) Stock name for a German
the grid. girl or young woman. The name is well known as
that of the tragic, innocent young heroine in
Grendel (grendbl) A ferocious monster. In the Goethe’s Faust (1808), since when it has been often
epic Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf (c. 700) Grendel employed in the context of young girls destroyed
is a fearsome underwater monster descended from by love. “Kathy came downstairs with her long
Cain who repeatedly emerges from his lake at hair in what Helen called ‘the Gretchen style’: two
night to devour Danish warriors as they sleep in plaits pinned neatly on top of her head” (Adele
the banqueting hall of their king, Hrothgar. After Geras, The Green Behind the Glass, 1989).
12 years of these ravages the hero Beowulf of the
Geats arrives to fight Grendel, and after a long Gretna (gretnb) A runaway marriage, or the
struggle Beowulf manages to kill him by tearing place where it is performed. The Scottish village
off his arm, to general rejoicing. Grendel’s equally of Gretna Green, close to the English border, was
fearsome mother seeks to avenge her son, but one of the nearest places to which, in former
Beowulf follows her into the lake and kills her, times, underage English couples lacking the con-
too. Like some latterday Grendel he hauled himself out sent of parents could travel in order to obtain
of the water and bore down upon his opponent, growling marriages under Scottish law, which did not
menacingly. require a license, calling of the banns, or a priest.
Marriages at Gretna were performed with a mini-
Gresham’s Law (greshbmz) The theory that infe- mum of ceremony by the blacksmith (over his
rior goods or practices tend to drive out superior anvil), landlord, or other local official. The situa-
ones. The law is particularly associated with the tion changed in 1856, when a new law insisted
world of finance, in which it relates to the that at least one of the parties to the marriage had
replacement of “good” (intrinsically more valu- to have been resident in Scotland for 21 days
able) money by “bad” (intrinsically less valuable) beforehand, but Gretna remained attractive to
money as the better money is hoarded. Although eloping couples because minors still did not need
the phenomenon had been observed at an earlier to have parental consent. In 1969, however, Gretna
date by Copernicus among others, the law was finally fell into step with other places in the UK
named after English financier and merchant Sir when the legal age of consent to marriage was set
Thomas Gresham (c. 1519–79), founder of the at 18. Their parents refused to countenance the thought
Royal Exchange. In modern usage, the law may of marriage so they ran away to Gretna.
be quoted in relation to a wide range of topics,
from finance and trade to politics and art. Gresh- Grimm’s Fairy Tales A source of fantastical hor-
am’s Law insists that “bad drives out good” and this ror. The allusion is to the often gruesome fairy
204
 Grub Street

tales collected by the German folklorists and writ- groundhog day The sensation of having to live
ers Jacob Grimm (1785–1863) and Wilhelm through the same events over and over again. The
Grimm (1786–1859), known as the Brothers allusion is to the 1993 movie Groundhog Day, which
Grimm. First published in 1812–15, the stories stars Bill Murray as a television weather presenter
became the staple fare of nurseries throughout who finds himself having to relive the same day
the Western world, despite the often terrifying seemingly endlessly. The day in question is Febru-
witches, beasts, and giants depicted in them. The ary 2, known as Groundhog Day, when according
sight that met her eyes as she opened the door was like to tradition the groundhog emerges from its win-
something out of Grimm’s Fairy Tales. ter burrow to test whether spring has arrived: if
the creature returns to its burrow this is read as a
Grim Reaper Death. Since medieval times, death sign that winter will continue for another six
has been personified as a terrifying skeletal figure weeks. It was like groundhog day, with the same food
in a black hooded cloak, carrying a scythe with and the same people and the same conversations being
which to “reap” men’s lives. “Unfortunately, their repeated every lunchtime.
penchant for the invention of bizarre new ways to
tempt the grim reaper has filtered down to us, the groves of academe (akbdeem, akbdeem) Aca-
lower orders, and we now follow their example” demic circles in general or a college, university,
(Muriel Gray, The First Fifty, 1991). or other place of study or research. Academe
was the name of a public garden (with a grove)
grin like a Cheshire Cat See cheshire cat. in Athens, in which the Greek philosopher Plato
gave lessons. The garden itself had formerly been
Griselda (grizeldb) The ideal of a patient, owned by a citizen of the city called Academus.
uncomplaining wife. The allusion is to the heroine It seemed unlikely that the inspector, a diamond of the
called Griselda (or Patient Griselda) who roughest kind, would be familiar with the rules of
features in the final tale of the Decameron (1351– etiquette that governed this par ticular grove of
53) by the Italian writer Giovanni Boccaccio academe.
(1313–75) and also in “The Clerk’s Tale” from The
Canterbury Tales (c. 1387) by the English poet Geof- Grub Street Writing that is inferior in style and
frey Chaucer (c. 1343–1400). Griselda is depicted content. The allusion is to a former London street
as the wife of a rich nobleman, who tests her faith- that in the 18th century was home to numerous
fulness to him by pretending that he has killed impoverished “hack” writers seeking to make a
their children and is preparing to marry another precarious living from writing any kind of work
woman: she patiently remains true to her vows that might sell a few copies. The expression was
and is ultimately rewarded when her husband used in this sense by the lexicographer Samuel
admits his deception. If he thinks he has married a Johnson in his famous Dictionary of the English Lan-
Griselda who will put up with his infidelities, he will guage (1747–55) and by the writer George Gissing
soon discover that he is sorely mistaken. in the title of his novel New Grub Street (1891).
“But, oh, dear me! oh, Osiris, Termagaunt, and
Groucho Marx See marx brothers. Zeus! to think there are at least a dozen other
205
Grundy, Mrs.

ne’er-do-wells alive who would prefer to make a guillotine (gilbteen) A means of severing one
mess of living as a grand-duke rather than as a thing from another. The word is chiefly associated
scribbler in Grub Street!” ( James Branch Cabell, with the device proposed by Joseph-Ignace Guil-
The Certain Hour, 1909). lotin (1738–1814) for the convenient and painless
dispatching of convicted criminals and enemies of
Grundy, Mrs. See mrs. grundy. the state at the time of the French Revolution.
Ironically, Guillotin did not actually design the
Guantánamo (gwantanbmo) A high-security mil- machine that bears his name, but merely suggested
itary prison. The allusion is to the controversial that the state adopt the device, which was origi-
detention center that was established in 2002 at nally designed by a French surgeon called Antoine
the U.S. naval base at Guantánamo Bay in Cuba to Louis (1723–92). Louis’s device, first used in
house al-Qaida and Taliban suspects taken during 1792, comprised a heavy blade that descended
the so-called War against Terror declared after the rapidly upon the neck of the victim, severing the
attacks of September 11, 2001 (see 9/11). Rumors head from the body in a moment. The word “guil-
that the government is planning to build a new Guantá- lotine” has since been applied to less lethal devices,
namo to accommodate mafia bosses have been discounted such as machines for cutting paper, and it has also
by official sources. been used more broadly in connection with any
act of execution or with the curtailment of various
Gucci (goochee) Expensive and exclusive. Guccio kinds of activity. “This is usually done by a guillo-
Gucci (1881–1953) was an Italian designer whose tine that cuts back a bundle of a dozen or so plants
Gucci company became one of the leading names at a time, and it is not unusual to find the cut ends
in international fashion, selling expensive clothing chopped and bruised rather roughly” (Bill Swain,
and leather goods. The name of the company has Roses: Questions and Answers, 1990).
been used in various contexts over the years to
convey the notion of exclusivity and (sometimes) Guinevere, Queen See king arthur.
the sacrifice of content to superficial appearance.
We are witnessing the invasion of Washington by a gulag (goolag) A prison camp, especially one that
new generation of Gucci warriors. houses political prisoners. The word comes from
the Russian Glavnoye upravleniye ispravitel’no-
Guernica (gernikb) A military atrocity, especially trudovykh lagerey (meaning “Chief Administration
an instance of saturation bombing. The reference is for Corrective Labor Camps”). Many thousands of
to the village of Guernica, capital of the Basque prisoners died in the chain of such camps set up by
region of Spain, which was devastated by German the Soviet Union between 1930 and 1955. The
bombers on April 27, 1937 during the Spanish word has since been applied to any grim place of
Civil War. The incident was memorably depicted confinement. After this indiscretion he was confined to
by Pablo picasso in his painting Guernica. It is prob- the gulag that is the mathematics department.
ably an exaggeration to describe the incident as a second
Guernica, but the episode could have serious implications Gulliver (guliver) A widely traveled person,
for peace in the region. especially one made wiser (or more cynical) by his
206
 Gunpowder Plot

or her travels. Lemuel Gulliver is the central char- ing with a British regiment in India, as acknowl-
acter in the satirical novel Gulliver’s Travels (1726) edged by the narrator of the poem: “Though I’ve
by Irish writer Jonathan Swift (1667–1745). belted you an’ flayed you, / By the livin’ Gawd that
Gulliver visits a series of exotic lands and marvels made you, / You’re a better man than I am, Gunga
at the curious nature of their inhabitants who are Din!” Allusive use of the name is often in the con-
variously smaller, taller, more absent-minded, and text of this final line. “The cries of gratitude sounded
more bestial than he is himself, their bizarre nature from the car and heartfelt from Haverford, ‘You’re
forcing him to acknowledge the reality of man- a better man than I am, Gunga Din’ ” (John Mor-
kind’s own shortcomings. “I was a Gulliver, view- timer, Summer’s Lease, 1988).
ing a strange scene outside my experience” (Alfred
Wainwright, Wainwright in the Limestone Dales, gung ho (gung ho) Very eager or enthusiastic.
1991). See also brobdingnagian; laputa; lilli- The phrase was picked up as a slogan by a battalion
putian; yahoo. of U.S. Marines fighting in World War II. It was
based on the Mandarin Chinese king (“work”) and
Gump, Forrest See forrest gump. ho (“together”) and had previously been used as a
motivational slogan by the Chinese communists in
gunfight at the OK Corral A climactic confron- the 1930s. It is sometimes used of rash or exces-
tation between opposing parties; a showdown. sive enthusiasm in military contexts. “It also con-
The allusion is to the fabled gunfight that took tains in the character of Colonel Calloway, the
place between the notorious Clanton gang and world-weary Englishman responsible for alerting
the lawmen Virgil, Wyatt, and Morgan Earp and the innocent American writer of pulp novels to
Doc Holliday at the OK Corral in Tombstone, his former friend’s evil doings, a perfect symbol of
Arizona, on October 26, 1881. When the smoke Britain’s position after World War II, standing in
cleared, three of the Clanton gang were dead. the middle between battered Europe and gung-ho
The gunfight has long since entered the folklore America” (James Park, British Cinema: The Lights
of the Wild West and has been reenacted in that Failed, 1990).
numerous western movies. “At first I had
visions of an OK Corral shoot-out at High Noon Gunn, Ben See ben gunn.
between dozens of different security forces who
didn’t know each other, but in fact we worked it Gunpowder Plot A conspiracy to commit a major
out and there were no serious problems” (Har- act of treason, or failure to carry it out. The allu-
vey Thomas and Liz Gill, Making an Impact, sion is to the 1605 plot to assassinate James I of
1989). England by blowing up the Houses of Parliament
with gunpowder smuggled into the cellars of the
Gunga Din (gungb din) Stock name for a person building. The plot was conceived by leading Cath-
of Indian descent.The allusion is to the central char- olic radicals, including Guy Fawkes, but failed
acter in one of the poems from Rudyard Kipling’s after the plotters were discovered before they
Barrack Room Ballads (1892), an Indian water-carrier were ready to carry it out. The conspirators were
who is killed performing heroic actions while serv- all killed or captured and executed. London’s
207
guns before butter

Metropolitan Police have foiled a modern-day Gunpow- sidered among the most influential of the modern gener-
der Plot, thanks to information received from intelligence ation of management gurus.
sources.
Guy Fawkes See gunpowder plot.
guns before butter Luxuries must be sacrificed
to pay for what is necessary. The slogan dates back Gyges’ ring (gijeez) The power of invisibility.
to 1936, when it was adopted by the German Nazi According to Plato (c. 428–348/347 b.c.), Gyges
official Hermann Goering (1893–1946): “Guns was a Lydian shepherd of the seventh century b.c.
will make us powerful; butter will only make us who descended into a chasm in the earth, where he
fat.” We would all like to spend our taxes on hospitals and found a brazen horse. Inside the horse was the
the elderly, but in these difficult times when terrorists body of a giant, with a brazen ring on his finger.
threaten our very existence it is clearly a case of guns When Gyges slipped the ring on to his own finger
before butter. he found it made him invisible. He went on to use
the ring to make his fortune; usurp the reigning
guru (gooroo) A wise person, an expert. The king; marry his wife, Candaules; and with her
word is Indian in origin, referring to a Hindu reli- found a new dynasty. As if he possessed some electronic
gious leader. In modern usage, the word is used Gyges’ ring, he found he could roam wherever he liked on
more widely to refer to experts in a wide range of the Net without the slightest chance of his presence being
fields, from business to lifestyle. Her brother is con- detected.

208
ååååå H å
Hades (haydeez) The underworld or abode of sea after her husband died in a shipwreck. Both
the dead, according to Greek mythology. It took were transformed into kingfishers. “He knew the
its name from Hades, the brother of Zeus who world too well to risk the comfort of such hal-
became the lord of the dead and was the equiva- cyon moments, by prolonging them till they were
lent of the Roman Pluto. Hades was said to be a disagreeable” (Anthony Trollope, The Warden,
sunless void separated from the mortal world by 1855). Life in today’s universities seems a far cry from
the waters of five rivers, the chief of these being the halcyon days of the 1970s and 1980s when money
the Styx. The most guilty souls were consigned to seemed no object.
Tartarus, while those who were less guilty resided
in the asphodel meadows. The entrance to Hades half is more than the whole It is better some-
was guarded by the three-headed dog Cerberus. times to settle for a share of something rather than
“I’ll see you in Hades first,” quoth Sir Archibald defiantly. spend a great deal in trying to gain more. This pro-
See also elysian fields. verbial expression is supposed to have been first
uttered by the ninth-century b.c. Greek poet
Hagar See ishmael. Hesiod as advice to his brother Perseus when the
latter was considering fighting a legal battle over
halcyon days (halseebn) Happy, prosperous an estate, thereby risking most of it being frittered
times of peace and harmony. The word halcyon away on lawyers’ fees. The lawyers conferred, then
was the Greek name for the kingfisher (from hals, decided to settle on the grounds that half is sometimes
“the sea,” and kuo, “to breed on”), a bird whose more than the whole.
habits were shrouded in mystery in the classical
era. It was believed that kingfishers nested far out Halicarnassus See eighth wonder of the
to sea at the time of the winter solstice, when the world.
seas remained calm for 14 days so that the birds
could incubate their eggs on the waves. This halt and the blind See maimed, the halt, the
notion harked back to the legend of Halcyon, the blind, the.
daughter of Aeolus, god of the winds, who mar-
ried the mortal Ceyx and threw herself into the hamadryad See nymph.

209
Haman, hang as high as

Haman, hang as high as See hang as high as Hands, Israel See israel hands.
haman.
hands, wash one’s See wash one’s hands of.
Hamlet A tortured, indecisive person. The allu-
sion is to the central character in William Shake- handwriting on the wall See writing on the
speare’s tragedy Hamlet (c. 1600), otherwise wall.
referred to as the prince of Denmark, who
wants to avenge his father’s murder by killing the hang as high as Haman (haymbn) To suffer the
murderer, his uncle and stepfather Claudius, but fate that one has prepared for someone else. The
agonizes and procrastinates over the perfor mance phrase alludes to the biblical story of Haman,
and possible consequences of such action. Per- the favorite minister of King Ahasuerus (Xerxes)
haps the most celebrated of all Shakespeare’s of Persia who was outmaneuvered by Esther and
tragic heroes, Hamlet’s name has since been hanged on the very gallows he had built for the
applied to various individuals who have exhibited execution of his enemy Mordecai, Esther’s father
similar qualities of self-doubt. “Had he been so, (Esther 7:9–10). Esther’s triumph is commemo-
he would have hesitated, like Hamlet, and let rated by the Jewish festival of Purim, when
irresolution mar his purpose” (Oscar Wilde, Lord celebrants eat triangular pastries called haman-
Arthur Savile’s Crime, 1909). See also ophelia; taschen (meaning “Haman’s purses” in Yiddish).
polonius; something is rotten in the state “And they hanged Private Simmons—hanged
of denmark. him as high as Haman in hollow square of the
regiment; and the Colonel said it was Drink;
Hancock, John See john hancock. and the Chaplain was sure it was the Devil; and
Simmons fancied it was both, but he didn’t
hand, left See left hand know what your know, and only hoped his fate would be a warn-
right hand is doing, do not let your. ing to his companions” (Rudyard Kipling, “In the
Matter of a Private,” 1890).
hand, rightSee if thy right eye offend thee;
left hand know what your right hand is Hanging Gardens of Babylon See eighth won-
doing, do not let your. der of the world.

hand against every man See ishmael. Hannibal (hanibbl) A great military leader.
Hannibal (247–182 b.c.) was a Carthaginian
hand findeth to do, whatsoever thy See whatso- general who in 218 took the Romans by sur-
ever thy hand findeth to do. prise, leading his army over the Alps and ravag-
ing Italy, although he failed to take Rome itself.
hand offend thee, if thy right See if thy right Ultimately he was defeated by Scipio Africanus
eye offend thee. at Zama in 202. The general was revered by his
troops and was ready to lead them, Hannibal-like, over
hand of God See finger of god. the mountains.
210
 hard day’s night

Hannibal Lecter (hanibbl lekter) A cannibalistic out of the wood and show them the way home, or
serial killer. Originally the creation of U.S. writer else to the picturesque cottage made of bread,
Thomas Harris (b. 1940), Dr. Hannibal Lecter— cake, and candy into which the children are lured
dubbed Hannibal the Cannibal—is the sadistic by the witch. “And beyond that, some fairy-tale
psychiatrist-turned-killer who likes to eat parts of kind of Hansel and Gretel cottage full of apple
his victims in the 1990 movie The Silence of the trees and roses and Alex herself stooping under a
Lambs, in which he is consulted for information low lintel in a summery dress . . .” (Susannah
that might help in the detection of another serial James, Love Over Gold, 1993).
killer. He was played on screen to chilling effect in
this and various sequels by Anthony Hopkins, hav- happiest days of your life A person’s school
ing previously been played by Brian Cox in the years. The phrase was popularized as the title of a
1986 movie Manhunter. We are searching for a killer play (1948) by John Dighton, filmed in 1950,
who makes Hannibal Lecter look positively cuddly. which charted the confusions arising from a boys’
school and a girls’ school having to share the same
Hans Christian Andersen (andersbn) A dreamy, premises as a result of war time upheavals. The
unworldly, or otherwise distracted or ineffectual expression may, however, be somewhat older. “I
person. The allusion is to the Danish author Hans have never subscribed to the view that schooldays
Christian Andersen (1805–75), who was greatly are the happiest days of your life, but I do think
loved for his many classic fairy tales. In modern that student days are among the happiest” (Mairi
usage his name is often applied to people who are Hedderwick, Highland Journey, 1992).
not only perceived as being out of touch with the
real world but also suspected of having a fey, femi- happy as Larry See as happy as larry.
nine character. You won’t get any help from the fire
department—they are a real bunch of Hans Christian Happy Islands See islands of the blest.
Andersens. See also emperor’s new clothes; prin-
cess and the pea; ugly duckling. hara-kiri (harbkeeree, harbkiree) Suicide, or some
other self-damaging act. The phrase is Japanese in
Hansel and Gretel (hansbl, gretbl) A brother and origin and alludes to the ritual suicide by disem-
sister (or two other children) who appear to be bowelment sometimes carried out by disgraced
lost or adrift in a hostile world. The allusion is to aristocrats and soldiers. The original Japanese
the central characters in a traditional fairy tale term literally means “belly cut.” The Japanese
first published in the 19th century by the Brothers themselves, however, refer to the practice as sep-
Grimm (see grimm’s fairy tales), in which Han- puku. In modern English usage, the term is equally
sel and Gretel narrowly escape the clutches of a likely to be rendered as hari-kari or hari-kiri.
wicked witch after being abandoned deep in the He knew that by sending the letter exposing the scandal
forest by their loving father on the insistence of his he had committed professional hara-kiri.
evil wife. The allusion is often specifically to the
trail of breadcrumbs that the children leave behind hard day’s night An exhausting time. The allu-
them in the hope that this will guide them back sion is to the Beatles film A Hard Day’s Night
211
hard hat

(1964), the title of which supposedly originated as the hare and the tortoise as the more glamorous options
a remark made by drummer Ringo Starr after a often underperform compared to less exciting choices.
particularly demanding filming session. According
to some authorities, Starr was quoting from the Hari, Mata See mata hari.
Lennon–McCartney song of the same title, which
had presumably already been written by the rela- hari-kari See hara-kiri.
tively late point in filming at which Starr delivered
the line, or else from a poem by John Lennon. The harmless as doves See wise as serpents and
ultimate origin may, however, lie in a sentence harmless as doves.
from a short story called “Sad Michael,” which had
been published in John Lennon’s In His Own Harmonia’s necklace (hahrmoneebz) A posses-
Write in March 1964: “He’d had a hard day’s night sion that brings bad luck to its owner. The allusion
that day, for Michael was a Cocky Watchtower.” is to the necklace that King Cadmus gave to his
With the amount of work we have to clear it looks like bride, Harmonia, the daughter of Ares and Aphro-
it’s going to be a hard day’s night. dite. The necklace, which had been given to Cad-
mus by Hephaestus (Aphrodite’s former husband),
hard hat A person with conservative or reac- brought evil to all who owned it. After suffering
tionary views. The allusion is to the protective hel- many misfortunes Cadmus and Harmonia were
mets worn by construction workers and other changed into serpents by the gods, all of whom
people working in hazardous environments. The had attended the wedding. Like Harmonia’s necklace
phrase is of U.S. origin, and was inspired by the the property seemed to work like a curse on all who had
conservative attitudes that became associated with possession of it.
U.S. construction workers in the 1960s. We don’t
think the hard hats in Congress will agree to support this Harpagon (hahrpbgon) A miser. Harpagon is the
measure. name of the central character, a penny-pinching
misanthrope, in the classic comedy L’Avare (“The
Hardy, Andy See andy hardy. Miser”) by the French writer Molière (Jean-
Baptiste Poquelin; 1622–73). When confronted
Hardy, Oliver See laurel and hardy. with having to choose between his lover and his
money, he chooses the money. He was so mean with
hare and the tortoise A patient, methodical his money that his friends took to calling him Harpagon
approach may succeed better than a more hurried behind his back. See also scrooge.
one. The allusion is to the fable of the hare and the
tortoise attributed to the Greek writer aesop harpy (hahrpee) A predatory, grasping, shrewish
(c. 620–560 b.c.). The tale relates how the hare lost woman. In Greek mythology, Harpies (meaning
a running race to the much slower tortoise because “snatchers” or “robbers”) were loathsome mon-
he was so confident of victory that he decided to sters with the bodies of birds, the heads of women,
take a short rest before completing the course. and the claws of vultures. Variously given as one,
When it comes to investment policies it is often a case of two, or three in number, they were sometimes
212
 heap coals of fire

identified as personifications of the winds that other sports as well as in nonsporting contexts.
could carry people off or as the souls of the dead His success in the college poetry competition completed a
who looked for opportunities to snatch the souls hat trick of stiffly contested literary prizes.
of the living. They are best known from the adven-
tures of Jason and the Argonauts, in which they are haughty spirit before a fall See pride goeth
depicted perpetually seizing food prepared for the before a fall.
blind king Phineus. “Nothing short of the twelve
dollars and a half will satisfy this harpy, I perceive; have an ax to grind To have a grievance or an
and surely my reputation as judge is worth that ulterior motive for doing something. The allusion
trifle” (James Fenimore Cooper, The Pioneers, is to a traditional story sometimes attributed to
1823). American statesman and scientist Benjamin
Franklin (1706–90). According to this story, a
hasta la vista, baby See terminator, the. young man (perhaps Franklin himself ) was flat-
tered by the compliments of another man into
Hastings, Battle of (haystingz) A decisive helping him sharpen his ax on a grindstone, with
moment, or an event that happened so long ago the result that he was made late for school. As
that it is lost in the mists of time. The Battle of soon as the ax was fully sharp, however, and the
Hastings took place between an invading Norman older man had no more use for the boy, he offered
army led by William the Conqueror and the the lad no thanks and instead berated him for being
Anglo-Saxon forces loyal to Harold I on Senlac late for school. The expression has since been
Hill, near the town of Hastings on the southeast applied to anyone who is suspected of pretending
coast of England, on October 14, 1066. The death to be what he or she is not, or of saying what he or
of Harold and eventual Norman victory resulted she does not mean, in order to achieve some secret
in a fundamental transfer of power in Britain and purpose. “But then the Church came to the front,
greatly influenced the subsequent course of Euro- with an axe to grind; and she was wise, subtle, and
pean history. The encounter was said by some to be a knew more than one way to skin a cat—or a
20th-century Battle of Hastings. nation; she invented ‘divine right of kings,’ and
propped it all around, brick by brick, with the
hath shall be given, to him that See whosoever Beatitudes” (Mark Twain, A Connecticut Yankee in
hath, to him shall be given. King Arthur’s Court, 1889).

hatter, mad as a See mad as a hatter. Havisham, Miss See miss havisham.

hat trick A sequence of three successes in a row. Haw-Haw, Lord See lord haw-haw.
The allusion is to the now defunct custom among
cricketers of rewarding a bowler who has taken head off at the pass See cut off at the pass.
three wickets in successive balls with a new cap,
paid for by his club. The expression has long since To act with generosity or kind-
heap coals of fire
escaped its origins and is now widely employed in ness to someone who has behaved badly, thereby
213
heart of darkness

causing the person to realize the wrongdoing and fictional Heathcliff in Emily Brontë’s novel
experience pangs of remorse. The expression wuthering heights (1847), an unruly orphan
appears in the Bible in Proverbs 25:22 in the form: whose obsessive love for the haughty Cathy Earn-
“If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; shaw ends in tragedy for all concerned. In modern
and if be thirsty, give him water to drink: For thou usage, comparisons to the fictional Heathcliff and
shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the his unrealistic romantic ambitions are often dis-
LORD shall reward thee.” The same illustration is paraging in tone. They may, however, also be
referred to in Romans 12:20: “. . . for in so doing prompted by no more than a fancied physical resem-
thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not blance to Emily Brontë’s dark-complexioned,
overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” wild-haired hero. He stood on the edge of the cliff and
These generous compliments were almost more than she yelled his defiance like some demented Heathcliff.
could bear, each new expression of admiration heaping
further coals of fire upon her head. Heath Robinson (heeth robinsbn) Cobbled
together in a makeshift, unnecessarily complicated
heart of darkness The remotest depths of some- fashion. The reference is to the British cartoonist
thing, typically a place of death, horror, and William Heath Robinson (1872–1944) who was
depravity. The allusion is to the short novel Heart well known for his humorous pictures of absurd,
of Darkness (1902) by Joseph Conrad (1857– intricate machines designed to carry out the sim-
1924), which concerns a nightmarish journey plest of tasks. “Ironically this Heath Robinson
made into the deepest jungles of the Congo by a make-do also ended up contributing to the Dalek
man named Marlow in a bid to rescue a mysteri- myth” (J. Bentham, Doctor Who: The Early Years,
ous ailing ivory trader known as Mr. Kurtz, whom 1986).
he eventually locates surrounded by horror and
violence. The novel later provided the basis for the heaven The Christian paradise; any ideal place
1979 film Apocalypse Now. I have looked into the heart or situation. The biblical heaven is depicted as the
of darkness that is the contemporary medical establish- throne of God, accompanied by hosts of angels (as
ment, and I do not like what I found there. See also in Isaiah 6:1 and Revelation 4:1–11). The term is
horror, the horror!, the. also used more widely to refer to the sky above or
to the night sky with its stars and planets. “The
hearts and flowers Sentimentality. The allusion Brahmin legends assert that this city is built on the
is to a heart-jerking tune of the same title written site of the ancient Casi, which, like Mahomet’s
by Mary C. Brine in 1891, which was subsequently tomb, was once suspended between heaven and
much used by pianists as an accompaniment for earth” (Jules Verne, Around the World in Eighty
silent movies of the early 20th century. She loved Days, 1873).
the show, but her husband hated it and said it was all
hearts and flowers. heaven’s gate A place or situation in which a
person faces the possibility of imminent death.
Heathcliff (heethklif ) Archetype of a brooding, The phrase alludes to the story of Jacob, who on
passionate romantic hero. The allusion is to the waking from his dream about a ladder ascending
214
 Hecuba

to heaven exclaims, “Surely the LORD is in this Khartoum” (Lytton Strachey, Eminent Victorians,
place; and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and 1918).
said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other
but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven” hector To badger, bully, or intimidate others.
(Genesis 28:16–17). The enemy brought up some can- The word is an allusion to Hector, the hero of
non, and the general’s confidence faltered as he realized, Homer’s Iliad (c. eighth century b.c.), who led the
somewhat tardily, that they were trapped before heaven’s Trojans against the besieging Greeks. The son of
gate. King Priam and Hecuba, he was a courageous war-
rior and the personification of every virtue. He
Hebe (heebee) Personification of youth. In Greek died a hero’s death in battle against Achilles, but
mythology she is identified as the daughter of Zeus the latter dishonored his corpse, dragging it behind
and Hera and the cupbearer to the gods before his chariot and refusing it proper burial until the
being replaced by Ganymede. Another tradition gods intervened. His name was invoked to
has it that she lost her position after stumbling and describe brave and virtuous knights in medieval
falling while serving nectar to the gods. “Olivia, times, and it was only toward the end of the 17th
now about eighteen, had that luxuriancy of beauty century that it came to be applied in a negative
with which painters generally draw Hebe; open, sense, initially to gangs of wealthy young men who
sprightly, and commanding” (Oliver Goldsmith, called themselves “Hectors” and terrorized the
TheVicar ofWakefield, 1766). streets of London, frightening innocent passersby.
“. . . several personages, who would otherwise
Hecate (hekbtee) Personification of witchcraft have been admitted into the parlour and enlarged
and sorcery. In Greek mythology Hecate was a the opportunity of hectoring and condescension
moon goddess who ruled the underworld and by for their betters, being content this evening to
association the witches, ghosts, and world of vary their enjoyment by taking their spirits-and-
magic. She is often depicted with three heads as water where they could themselves hector and
she was identified with Selene in heaven, Artemis condescend in company that called for beer”
on earth, and Persephone in the underworld. (George Eliot, Silas Marner, 1861).
Drunken and screaming foul oaths, she erupted out of the
shadows like Hecate from the underworld. Hecuba (hekybbb) Personification of grief and
misfortune. In Greek legend, Hecuba was the sec-
hecatomb (hekbtom) A great sacrifice.The word ond wife of King Priam of Troy and saw many of
comes from the Greek hekaton, meaning “a hun- her sons (who included Hector and Paris) slain
dred,” and bous, meaning “an ox,” and referred one by one in the course of the Trojan War, as
originally to the sacrifice of 100 head of oxen in related by Homer in the Iliad (c. eighth century
religious rituals. “Thirteen years later the Mahdi’s b.c.). After the fall of Troy Hecuba was claimed as
empire was abolished forever in the gigantic heca- a slave by the victorious Odysseus. Her grief was
tomb of Omdurman; after which it was thought further intensified by the death of her daughter
proper that a religious ceremony in honour of Polyxena (sacrificed on the demand of the ghost of
General Gordon should be held at the palace at Achilles) and of her grandson Astyanax (murdered
215
Hedda Gabler

at the hands of the Greeks). Ultimately she was young man contributed allusions to the Hegelian
turned into a dog and threw herself into the sea. philosophy that momentarily confused the discus-
Grandmother took up her Hecuba pose of the mortally sion” (H. G. Wells, Ann Veronica: A Modern Love
aggrieved innocent bystander. Story, 1909).

Hedda Gabler (hedb gahbler) A neurotic, venge- hegira (hijierb, hejbrb) An exodus or any flight
ful, frenzied woman. The original Hedda Gabler to safety from oppression, especially from reli-
was the central character in Henrick Ibsen’s 1890 gious persecution, and by extension a change of
play Hedda Gabler, a restless, unfulfilled cynic who policy or other move designed to put a person in a
rejects marriage to the man she really loves and more favorable position. The term (meaning
ultimately kills herself after she finds she is preg- “departure”) originally denoted the flight of
nant by the husband she despises. When she heard Muhammad from Mecca to Medina in a.d. 622,
that her sister had got much better reviews than she had the date marking the foundation of the Islamic
she came over all Hedda Gabler and refused to speak to faith. The revolution prompted a hegira of refugees from
anyone for a week. the country under the threat of punitive action by the
new regime.
hedonism The belief that the pursuit of pleasure
or happiness is the aim of life. The word comes he has got gold of Tolosa (tolosb) A person who
from the Greek hedone, meaning “pleasure,” and obtains something by dubious means will not ben-
the concept was first developed by the Greek phi- efit from it. The allusion is to the sacking and loot-
losopher Aristippus (c. 435–c. 356 b.c.). “Yes: ing of the Temple of Apollo at Tolosa (Toulouse)
there was to be, as Lord Henry had prophesied, a by the Roman consul Caepio. The gold and silver
new Hedonism that was to recreate life and to save he looted was stolen from him in turn, and he and
it from that harsh uncomely puritanism that is hav- his men were defeated in battle in 106 b.c. with
ing, in our own day, its curious revival” (Oscar heavy losses. It was truly said of Dobbs as he faced death
Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray, 1891). at the hands of bandits that he had got gold of Tolosa.

Heep, Uriah See uriah heep. Heidi (hidee) A young girl with a sunny, opti-
mistic disposition, especially one of Swiss or cen-
Hegelian (hegayleebn) Relating to the concept of tral European descent or appearance. Heidi is the
progress being achieved through the clash of oppos- title character of a children’s novel by Johanna
ing ideas.The allusion is to the German philosopher Spyri, published in 1881. Undaunted by her
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770–1831), orphan background, Heidi leads an idyllic life after
who argued that only through the conflict of a settling in the Swiss Alps with her crusty old
proposition (thesis) and its antithesis could a syn- grandfather and her young companion Peter the
thesis be attained. His notion contributed to the goatherd. The name of Spyri’s much-loved young
development of the theory of dialectical evolution heroine actually means, in German, “noble sort.”
and formed part of the basis of the ideas of Marx “I had on this little dress, smock it was, with this
and Engels, among others. “The reddish-haired pretty embroidery all over the bodice, sort of
216
 Hellespont

Heidi, and Mum and I did my pigtails” ( Johnathan features included the spring of Aganippe and the
Neale, The Laughter of Heroes, 1993). fountain of Hippocrene, whose waters are sup-
posed to give poetic inspiration to those who
heil Hitler (hil hitler) Salutation implying that drink from them. “O for a beaker full of the warm
someone is behaving in a dictatorial manner. The South, / Full of the true, the blushful Hippocrene”
phrase (German for “hail Hitler”) was routinely (John Keats, “Ode to a Nightingale,” 1819).
chanted by the Nazi hirelings of Adolf hitler in
the 1930s and 1940s, often with the right arm Helios (heeleebs, heeleeos) Personification of the
raised in the Nazi salute. Nowadays, the phrase is Sun. Helios was the sun god of Greek mythology,
commonly addressed to anyone who is felt to be equivalent to the Roman Sol, and was convention-
throwing his or her weight around in an unwar- ally depicted driving his chariot from east to west
ranted fashion. As the managing director swept out across the sky, pulled by four white horses. Helios
with his entourage one of the junior secretaries was was directly overhead, and there was little shade from his
heard to breathe “Heil Hitler.” blazing heat to be had anywhere.

Helen of Troy (helbn, troi) Archetype of a beau- hell A place of suffering or other unpleasant-
tiful woman, especially one whose beauty influ- ness. According to Christian tradition, hell is the
ences the course of events. The daughter of Zeus place of eternal punishment intended for Satan,
by Leda, Helen was the sister of Clytemnestra, his demons, and human beings who choose to
Castor, and Pollux and won admiration as the most reject God. It is conventionally depicted as a vast
beautiful woman in the world. Many men com- burning pit; in Revelation 19:20 it is described as
peted for her hand, and it was agreed that who- “a lake of fire burning with brimstone.” “For them
ever was successful would win the right to be Methodisses make folks believe as if they take a
defended by all the others. Menelaus of Sparta was mug o’ drink extry, an’ make theirselves a bit
the lucky suitor, but after a few years of marriage, comfortable, they’ll have to go to hell for’t as
she was abducted and carried off by Paris to Troy. sure as they’re born” (George Eliot, Adam Bede,
The Greeks banded together to reclaim her and 1859).
laid siege to Troy. After 10 years Troy fell, and
Helen was restored to Menelaus in Sparta. Her Hellespont (helbspont) The strait (presently
beauty is legendary, and hers is often said to be called the Dardanelles) that separates Europe from
“the face that launched a thousand ships,” a Asia in Turkey and connects the Sea of Marmora
quotation from the play Doctor Faustus (1604) by with the Aegean Sea. Its name (meaning “sea of
Christopher Marlowe. She may have looked like a Helle”) is an allusion to an episode in the story of
real Helen of Troy, but she was the loneliest woman I the Golden Fleece, in which a girl named Helle
ever met. falls into this body of water from the back of an
airborne golden ram as she flees from her mother-
Helicon (helikon) A source of artistic inspira- in-law, Ino, and is drowned. I believe he would have
tion. According to Greek mythology, Mount Heli- swum the Hellespont to be with her, if only he had known
con in Boeotia was the home of the muses. Its what had happened. See also hero and leander.
217
Hellfire Club

Hellfire Club A group of people who are noted character he ranks next to him who made Hamlet.
for their riotous and unfettered debauchery and Had he been articulate, he might have sat beside
other outrageous behavior. The original Hellfire him. The only man who can touch the hem of his
Club comprised a group of English aristocrats led garment is George Meredith. Meredith is a prose
by Sir Francis Dashwood (1708–81) who held Browning, and so is Browning” (Oscar Wilde,
notorious orgiastic meetings at Medmenham Intentions, 1891).
Abbey in Buckinghamshire. The students had their
own Hellfire Club, at which they drank far too much and Henry VIII Archetype of a much-married man,
generally made idiots of themselves. especially one who disposes of his wives in a ruth-
less manner. Crowned king of England in 1509,
Héloïse See abelard and héloïse. Henry VIII ruled until 1574, during which time he
had a fundamental impact upon English history,
Hemingway A person (often a writer) or a writ- not least by breaking away from the Roman Cath-
ing style of a tough, masculine character. The allu- olic Church to create the Church of England. He
sion is to the U.S. novelist and journalist Ernest is usually remembered, however, as a larger-than-
Hemingway (1899–1961), whose life and writing life figure verging on a royal monster, who got
reflected his own rugged personality. As well as through no less than six wives, two of whom
being a keen big-game hunter and an aficionado of (Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard) he had
bullfighting and boxing, he was a heavy drinker beheaded. “He would be surrounded by his family
and witnessed fighting at close quarters in the and court just as Henry VIII might have been”
Spanish civil war and World War II. In his writing, (Patricia Holton, Mother without a Mask, 1991). See
he was characteristically blunt and direct, avoiding also bluebeard.
the use of long words and elaborate constructions.
With all those adjectives, and his tendency to use a hun- Henry Morton Stanley See darkest africa;
dred words when one would do, he’s certainly no Heming- doctor livingstone, i presume?
way. See also lost generation.
Hephaestus (hefestbs, hefeestbs) Personification
hemlock See drink hemlock. of skilled craftsmanship. In Greek mythology Hep-
haestus was the god of fire who served as black-
hem of his garment, touch the To show great smith of the gods and made the armor of Achilles.
reverence for someone; to demonstrate one’s faith He was the equivalent of the Roman god Vulcan.
in another’s abilities or gifts. The image of touch- The wrought ironwork of the gates marked their maker as
ing or kissing the hem of a person’s garment is a veritable Hephaestus.
biblical in origin, alluding to the story related in
Matthew 9:20–22, Mark 5:25–34, and Luke Hera (heerb) Archetype of a quarrelsome, vin-
8:43–48 of the sick woman who dared to touch dictive, jealous wife. In Greek mythology, Hera
the hem of Christ’s robe in the belief that he could was the wife and sister of Zeus and the equivalent
perform miraculous cures by mere touch. “Con- of the Roman Juno. She was identified as the
sidered from the point of view of a creator of daughter of Cronos and Rhea and by Zeus gave
218
 Hero and Leander

birth to Ares, Hebe, Hephaestus, and Eileithyia. who was the son of Hermes and Aphrodite.
Several legends concern her revenge for the vari- According to legend, Hermaphroditus rejected
ous love affairs of her husband. Hera herself would the suit of the nymph Salmacis when bathing in
have been proud of the way she nagged her husband her pool. She embraced him nonetheless and peti-
about his indiscretions. See also apple of discord. tioned the gods to keep them united permanently.
The gods granted her request, and the couple
Hercule Poirot (herkyool pwaro) An ace detec- became one entity incorporating both their gen-
tive. The brilliant Belgian detective Hercule Poirot ders. “Oh, it is pitiable to see him making of him-
was the invention of British crime writer agatha self a thing that is neither male nor female, neither
christie and appeared in an acclaimed series of fish, flesh, nor fowl—a poor, miserable, hermaph-
murder mysteries, many of which were later rodite Frenchman!” (Mark Twain, The Innocents
adapted for television and the cinema. To detect Abroad, 1869).
the killer he routinely consults what he calls his
little gray cells (that is, his brain). It would take a Hermes See hermetic; mercury.
Hercule Poirot to solve this enigma.
hermetic Airtight, usually referring to a seal.
Hercules (herkyooleez) A man who possesses The word has its origin in Hermes Trismegistus
great physical strength and courage. Hercules, or (meaning “Hermes, thrice-greatest”), which was
Heracles, was one of the most celebrated figures the name by which Greeks knew Thoth, the Egyp-
in Greek mythology, a demigod who was the son tian god of learning. It was also the name bestowed
of Zeus and the mortal Alcmena. He gave early upon a celebrated third-century b.c. alchemist
notice of his remarkable powers when as a babe in who was credited with using magic to invent the
arms he strangled two snakes placed in his crib by first airtight containers. On inspection it was found
Zeus’s jealous wife Hera, and went on to complete that the hermetic seal on the canister had been broken
the formidable series of challenges now dubbed and the contents contaminated.
the labors of hercules. When finally he died (see
shirt of nessus), his soul was taken to join the Hero and Leander (heero, leeander,) Archetypal
gods in heaven, where he was reconciled with young lovers of Greek legend. Hero was a beauti-
Hera and married her daughter Hebe. The adjec- ful young priestess of Aphrodite who became the
tive Herculean denotes a task demanding a prodi- lover of Leander, a young man who lived on the
gious effort or great strength. This Hercules of opposite side of the hellespont. Each night Lean-
wrestling has captured a second world championship title der swam across the strait to see Hero, guided by
in indefatigable style. the lantern she held for him. Unfortunately, one
night the light was extinguished by a storm, and
here come the cavalry See u.s. cavalry. Leander was drowned. Hero found his body on
the shore and in her grief threw herself into the
hermaphrodite A plant or animal that possesses sea, faithful to her lover even in death. Lord Byron
both male and female reproductive organs. The was among those subsequently inspired by the
word alludes to the Greek god Hermaphroditus, myth and famously re-created Hero’s swim across
219
Herod

the Dardanelles in 1810. Their tragic story gave the in the Bible in Proverbs 11:25: “The liberal soul
two lovers the status of a modern Hero and Leander. shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be
watered also himself.” “We have seen that the duties
Herod See out-herod herod. of bishop and pastor are to see and feed; and, of all
who do so it is said, ‘He that watereth, shall be also
Herodotus (herodbtbs) Herodotus (480–425 b.c.) watered himself.’ But the reverse is truth also. He
was a Greek historian who wrote some of the ear- that watereth not, shall be withered himself ” (John
liest chronicles and is remembered today for his Ruskin, Sesame and Lilies, 1865, 1871).
systematic collection and arrangement of material
and his testing of their accuracy. He was the Herodo- hewers of wood and drawers of water Those
tus of Napoleonic history, with scores of books and arti- who do hard, menial jobs. The phrase is biblical in
cles to his name. origin, appearing in a curse delivered by Joshua
against the Gibeonites, who had attempted to
Hesperus, wreck of the See wreck of the hes- deceive him into making terms with them by dis-
perus. guising themselves as strangers from a distant
country: “Now therefore ye are cursed, and there
Hestia See vesta. shall none of you be freed from being bondmen,
and hewers of wood and drawers of water for the
he that hath, to him shall be given See whoso- house of my God . . . And Joshua made them that
ever hath, to him shall be given. day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the
congregation” ( Joshua 9:23–27). “. . . what Roy
he that is without sin See let him who is with- Hattersley calls ‘the modern hewers of wood and
out sin cast the first stone. drawers of water’ ” (Guardian, June 30, 2001).

he that runs may read The meaning is so clear he who is not with me is against me Unless one
that it may be taken in at once. The expression supports a given person, cause, etc., one will be
alludes to the Old Testament book of Habakkuk considered to be opposing the person, cause, etc.
2:2, in which God addresses the prophet Habak- The phrase comes from the words of Jesus: “He
kuk as follows: “Write the vision, and make it that is not with me is against me” (Matthew 12:30).
plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.” Speaking at the election rally, the party leader tried to
“But thieves from o’er the wall / Stole the seed by rally his supporters with the words, “He who is not with
night. / Sow’d it far and wide / By every town and me is against me.”
tower, / Till all the people cried / “Splendid is the
flower.” / Read my little fable: / He that runs may hide one’s light under a bushel To be modest
read” (Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Enoch Arden, 1864). about one’s talents, abilities, virtues, etc. The
phrase comes from Christ’s Sermon on the Mount,
he that watereth Those who make the necessary in the course of which he compares the faithful to
effort are more likely to be rewarded. One of many a lit candle: “Ye are the light of the world. A city
parallel expressions of the same moral, it appears that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men
220
 hippie

light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a story “The Tin Star” (1947) by John W. Cunning-
candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in ham. “The auction ring of Ayr cattle market on
the house” (Matthew 5:14–15). A bushel is a unit 14th December, 1911, was arranged for the ‘high
of measurement traditionally gauged by using a noon’ of the dispute” (Andrew Boyle, Ayrshire Her-
wooden or earthenware container, thus, to be itage, 1990). Somewhat confusingly, drawing on
under a bushel signified being hidden from view. the image of the sun being at its zenith at noon and
“Now did the Reverend Samuel Pentecost, whose entirely ignoring the subtext provided by the clas-
light had hitherto been hidden under a bushel, sic film, the phrase may also be used to describe a
prove at last that he could do something by prov- time when things are at their most flourishing:
ing that he could eat” (Wilkie Collins, Armadale, “For all that, the Thatcher high noon seemed to
1866). show the balance between state power and indi-
vidual self-expression, in some key episodes, tilt-
Hieronymus Bosch (hbronbmbs bosh) Of a bizarre, ing against the individual or the dissenting
nightmarish character.The allusion is to the extraor- minority” (Kenneth Morgan, The People’s Peace,
dinary paintings of Dutch artist Hieronymus 1990).
Bosch (c. 1453–1516), whose works often
depicted the torments of damned souls in hell. hind of Arcadia See labors of hercules.
Even today his grotesque visions of weird animals
and demons provoke fascination and astonishment. hip and thigh, smite them See smite them hip
Each night he descended into a dreamworld that seemed and thigh.
to have been designed by Hieronymus Bosch.
hippie A person who favors a relaxed, tolerant,
higher than Gilderoy’s kite (gildbroi) Punished and peace-loving attitude to life in preference to
more severely than anyone else. The allusion is to a the hardheaded realities of the world around him
Scottish highwayman called Gilderoy, who was or her. The original hippies emerged during the
said to have been hanged higher than other crimi- late 1960s, when a whole generation identified
nals to reflect the seriousness of his crimes. “She itself with antiestablishment ideas and indulged
squandered millions of francs on a navy which she freely in rock music, drugs, and colorful fashions.
did not need, and the first time she took her new The word itself probably had its roots in the slang
toy into action she got it knocked higher than “hip,” meaning “fashionable.” The term, often in
Gilderoy’s kite—to use the language of the Pil- the derogatory phrase long-haired hippie, has
grims” (Mark Twain, Innocents Abroad, 1869). since been applied more widely to anyone who is
suspected of a dreamy, idealistic view of life or of
High Noon A climactic test or confrontation. espousing in some way the ideals of the hippie era.
The allusion is to the 1952 Western movie of the “Perdita, however, was deeply embarrassed to see
same title, in which a small-town marshal played her mother arriving in unsuitably colourful clothes
by Gary Cooper ventures out to fight a deadly gun and dripping wet hair, like a superannuated hippie”
battle with four outlaws arriving on the noon (Jilly Cooper, Polo, 1991). See also flower child;
train. The film in its turn was based on the short woodstock.
221
Hippocrates

Hippocrates See galenical; hippocratic oath. the dreadful threat of widespread nuclear destruc-
tion, though it may also be employed in a range of
Hippocratic oath (hipokratik) The ritual prom- other contexts. “To limit poetry is a Hiroshima of
ise traditionally made by doctors on qualifying the human spirit” (Edmund J. Smyth, Postmodernism
for medical practice to the effect that they will and Contemporary Fiction, 1991).
observe the highest ethical standards and observe
the confidentiality of their patients. Hippocrates his master’s voice An authority that must be
(c. 460–c. 370 b.c.) was a Greek physician who obeyed. The allusion has its roots in an advertise-
for his 87 treatises on medical practice is remem- ment for the Victor record company that featured
bered today as the father of medicine. Students a fox terrier listening to the sound coming from
under Hippocrates were believed to take such an an old-fashioned phonograph horn (later updated
oath. The name of Hippocrates is also preserved as a gramophone horn), above the slogan “His
in Hippocrates’ sleeve, a square piece of flannel master’s voice.” In real life the dog, named Nipper,
folded into a triangle and used to strain liquids. had been owned by the brother of an English artist
Many doctors practicing today have only a hazy notion called Francis Barraud, the painter of the picture
of what the Hippocratic oath really says, although used in the original advertisement. When Nipper’s
they are aware of the seriousness that it has for master died, the terrier was handed over to Fran-
patients. cis Barraud together with some wax cylinders on
which his brother’s voice had been recorded.
Hippocrene See helicon. Whenever these were played, Nipper focused hard
on the horn from which his dead master’s voice
hippogriff (hipogrif ) Symbol of love. In Greek emanated, giving Barraud the idea for his famous
mythology, the hippogriff was a winged horse, the painting. In modern usage, the phrase is typically
offspring of a griffin and a filly. Her head swam with muttered (with varying degrees of resentment) in
emotion: The winged hippogriff of love had planted its apology when having to break off to do the bid-
hooves in her heart. ding of someone else. The phrase (and dog logo) is
still present in the record industry, albeit in trun-
Hippolyta See amazon; labors of hercules. cated form, in the name of the HMV music and
video stores. I’d love to stop and chat but I’d better
Hiroshima (hirbsheemb, hbroshimb) A place that answer his master’s voice.
has been devastated by a nuclear explosion. The
city of Hiroshima in Japan was largely obliterated hit below the belt To act in an underhand man-
when the U.S. Air Force dropped an atom bomb ner against an opponent. The allusion is to prize-
on it on August 6, 1945, the first instance of such a fighting and the stipulation in the queensberry
device being used in war. Over 160,000 people rules, which govern the sport of boxing, that it is
died and, after a second bomb was dropped on illegal to punch an opponent below the waist belt.
Nagasaki four days later, the Japanese govern- Something that is below the belt is thus some-
ment surrendered. Since then the name of Hiro- thing of an unfair or illicit nature. “That was below
shima has been widely understood to represent the belt, but instead of stopping there while she
222
 Hoffa, Jimmy

was still in one piece, she drove on in a high, hec- bullies suspected of abusing positions of authority
toring voice, ‘Don’t you think your daughter being routinely labeled a Hitler, or a little Hitler.
deserves a little rest instead of going home to slave I will not be pushed around by a little Hitler who has far
for you after she’s been working all week?’ ” less experience and fewer qualifications than I have. See
(Pamela Scobie, A Twist of Fate, 1990). also bunker mentality; führer; heil hitler;
holocaust; mein kampf.
Hitchcockian (hichkokeebn) After the style of
British-born film director Alfred Hitchcock. Hobbesian (hobzeebn) Relating to the philo-
Alfred Hitchcock (1899–1980) was well known sophical ideas of English political philosopher
for making hugely suspenseful thrillers in a dis- Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679). Hobbes argued that
tinctive personal style. Audiences learned to men are naturally brutish and given to violence,
expect surprising twists in the plots of his films as and need to curb their natural impulses through
well as fleeting appearances by Hitchcock himself good government. Life, he famously concluded, is
in the guise of a passer-by or a member of the pub- otherwise “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.”
lic. Some people, however, are more likely to be The term Hobbesian is usually employed in refer-
described as Hitchcockian in reference to their ence to underlying aggressive tendencies. “Trust, as
generous girth or imperturbable demeanor (both such, is not an element in Hobbesian human nature”
traits associated with the famous director) rather (R. S. Woolhouse, The Empiricists, 1988). See also
than to their grasp of macabre film-making. “The nasty, brutish, and short.
film recovers only in the brilliantly Hitchcockian
scene when Michael, in a crowded theater, pre- Hobbit A small person. The Hobbits, a diminu-
tends to believe that the blowing, twisting red tive race of people with large, hairy feet who live
ribbons behind a vindictive ballerina (Tamara Tou- in burrows underground, are the heroes of J. R. R.
manova) really are the fire that they represent” (D. Tolkien’s novels The Hobbit (1937) and The Lord of
Millar, Special Effects: Cinema Secrets, 1990). See also the Rings (1954–55). He was sensitive about his height
macguffin; psycho. and found it difficult to forgive his friends when they
referred to him as a Hobbit.
Hitler An officious, ruthless, or vicious person; a
tyrant. As head of Germany’s Third Reich, Adolf Hobson’s choice A nonexistent choice. The allu-
Hitler (1889–1945) was responsible for crimes sion is to Thomas (or Tobias) Hobson (1544–
against humanity on a vast scale, for which his 1631), the owner of a livery stable in Cambridge,
memory is almost universally vilified. Decades England, who was reputed to deny his customers a
after his suicide as the Russians and the other Allies free choice of horse, instead insisting that they
swept deep into a shattered Germany, Hitler’s took the one that had been longest in the stable.
name is still likely to provoke strong reactions in Most people opt for this software by Hobson’s choice,
those who find themselves being linked with his because it is the only package that is compatible with the
style of leadership, especially in countries that suf- operating system on the computer.
fered particularly badly as a result of his policies.
This has not prevented many far less significant Hoffa, Jimmy See jimmy hoffa.
223
Hogarthian

Hogarthian (hogahrtheebn) After the style of someone who seeks to catch children playing in a
British artist William Hogarth (1697–1764). The field of rye and thus save them from falling over the
term is usually employed with reference to the cliff at the edge of it. “It was like spending an eve-
satirical content of Hogarth’s paintings and prints, ning with a character from Catcher in the Rye, one
which lampooned a range of contemporary vices. Holden Caulfield would have designated ‘a phoney
“The most unpleasant discoveries were made dur- from some crummy place like Des Moines or some-
ing the process of clearance: cupboards full of where’ ” (Tom Pow, In the Palace of Serpents, 1992).
urine-encrusted chamber pots, of ancient patent
medicine, of dead mice, of moth-infested gar- hold the fort To keep things running smoothly,
ments, of fossilized scraps of 19th-century food: especially when others are absent. The phrase (in
Hogarthian, Dickensian relics of an oppressed and its fuller form “Hold the fort, I’m coming”)
squalid past” (Margaret Drabble, The Radiant Way, became famous as a message sent in 1864, during
1988). See also gin lane; rake’s progress. the U.S. Civil War, by Federal General William
Tecumseh Sherman to General John M. Corse
hoist with one’s own petard (pbtahrd) Caught when the latter found himself under threat from a
out by one’s own cleverness or scheming. The Confederate advance at the Battle of Allatoona fol-
phrase is based on a quotation from William Shake- lowing the fall of Atlanta. Corse successfully held
speare’s tragedy Hamlet (c. 1600): “For ’tis the off the enemy until Sherman arrived. Sherman’s
sport to have the enginer \ Hoist with his own actual message was somewhat different in form,
petar.” The allusion is to medieval siege warfare the modern version of it dating from a religious
and the use of a petard (a primitive explosive song written around 1870 by Philip Paul Bliss:
device) to blow up defensive works: the device “ ‘Hold the fort, for I am coming,’ / Jesus signals
was notoriously unpredictable and often exploded still; / Wave the answer back to heaven, / ‘By the
prematurely, blowing up the engineers who had grace we will.’ ” I offered to stay at home and hold the
set it. She called for an inquiry in the hope of discredit- fort while Michael and his brother went off in search of
ing her colleague, only to find herself hoist with her own the missing teenagers.
petard when it was discovered that the cause of the prob-
lem lay in an error she had made herself. holier than thou Self-righteous; inclined to look
down on others. The phrase appears in the Bible in
Holden Caulfield (holdbn kahlfeeld) Archetype of Isaiah 65:5, where “a rebellious people” are con-
a confused, disaffected teenager. Holden Caulfield demned for their arrogance toward others: “Which
is the 16-year-old protagonist of J. D. Salinger’s say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I
novel The Catcher in the Rye (1951). Holden’s obser- am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my
vations of the world around him lead him to con- nose, a fire that burneth all the day.” His holier-
clude that he is surrounded by “phonies” and he than-thou attitude did not go down well with the troops,
accordingly rejects the adult world that he is about who began to murmur resentfully among themselves.
to enter, in the process becoming an icon for rebel-
lious youth of his and succeeding generations. The hollow men People who lack any real substance
role he gives himself, that of catcher in the rye, is or who lack intelligence, ideals, etc. The reference
224
 home, James, and don’t spare the horses!

is to a 1925 poem entitled “The Hollow Men” by deep suspicion of advanced technology which had
T. S. Eliot, the subject of which is the impossibility raised the spectre of nuclear holocaust and then
of redemption: “We are the hollow men / We are manifested itself in the devastation inflicted on
the stuffed men / Leaning together / Headpiece Vietnam)” (Bob Roshier, Controlling Crime, 1989).
filled with straw. Alas!” Wall Street is full of hollow See also auschwitz; final solution; hitler;
men whose only interest is money. kristallnacht.

Holly Golightly (golitlee) Archetype of a care- holy grail A final goal or destination achieved
free young socialite. Holly Golightly is the amoral only with much difficulty; the object of a quest,
central character in Truman Capote’s novella especially one of a mystical or mythical character.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1958), and was memorably The original Holy Grail was the cup or dish sup-
played on screen by Audrey Hepburn when the posedly used at the Last Supper and also by Joseph
book was filmed in 1961. Restless and yearning, in of Arimathea to catch the blood dripping from the
the film she eventually finds contentment in a rela- crucified Christ. Traditionally it is thought to have
tively conventional romance (although the ending been brought in the first century a.d. to Glaston-
in the book is left unresolved). Like some Holly bury, England, by Joseph of Arimathea. The Grail
Golightly, she flitted from party to party without ever became an object of great veneration in medieval
working out what it was she really wanted. times and remains best known today as a central
icon of Arthurian legend (see king arthur), in
Hollywood The U.S. cinema industry and the pursuit of which many brave knights roamed far
celebrity world connected with it. A district of and wide. A cure for cancer is the holy grail of modern
the less glamorous Los Angeles, Hollywood was the medical research.
location of the studios where the first motion pic-
tures were made in the early 20th century and home holy of holies A very special or private place; an
to many of the leading stars. The area is said to have inner sanctum to which few are admitted. The
acquired its name in 1886, when it was laid out by allusion is to the sacred inner chamber of the Tab-
Horace Wilcox. She had sold her soul to Hollywood ernacle in the wilderness and the Temple of Jeru-
when she was still a young girl. See also tinseltown. salem, in which the ark of the covenant was
kept, according to Exodus 26:31–34 and 1 Kings
Holmes, Sherlock See sherlock holmes. 6:16–19. Only the high priest was permitted to
enter the room, once a year, to make an animal
holocaust (holbkost) An act of mass murder.The sacrifice on behalf of the people. It was only after
word is indelibly linked with the genocidal killing much checking of credentials and letters of recommen-
of much of Europe’s Jewish population by the dation that he was finally admitted to the holy of holies,
Nazis in the 1930s and 1940s. The word originally the Oval Office, in order to discuss his concerns with the
referred to destruction by burning, but since the president. See also veil of the temple rent.
1940s the element of fire is no longer implied.
“Loosely linked to it were the emerging environ- home, James, and don’t spare the horses! Take
mentalist movements (the link being forged by a us home as quickly as possible. The expression
225
Homeric

comes from the title of a popular song written in Hooverville (hoovervil) A shanty town or other
1934 by Fred Hillebrand, though it clearly harks area of dilapidated or temporary housing. The
back to an earlier era when people traveled around term alludes to the shanty towns made largely of
in horse-drawn carriages driven by their servants. crates and other bits of scrap that sprang up in
We need to get back before midnight, so home, James, and various parts of the United States during the great
don’t spare the horses! depression of the 1930s when Herbert Hoover
(1874–1964) was president. Hoover himself was
Homeric (homerik) Heroic, epic, mythic. The blamed for the existence of such areas by many of
reference is to the celebrated eighth-century b.c. the destitute and otherwise homeless people who
blind Greek poet Homer, traditionally credited took up residence there. The last the family heard of
with authorship of the Iliad, which recounts the him was that he had been evicted from his home and
latter stages of the Trojan War, and of the Odyssey, forced to move to the Hooverville that had gradually
which describes the wanderings of Odysseus as built up between the interstate and the river.
he sails home after that war. Homeric laughter
denotes unrestrained mirth of epic proportions, as Hopalong Cassidy Archetype of a clean-cut cow-
heard at the feast of the gods according to the boy hero. Hopalong Cassidy made his first appear-
Iliad. “With a boy, trouble must be of Homeric ance in a cowboy novel written in 1906 by
dimensions to last overnight” (Booth Tarkington, Clarence E. Mulford, but enjoyed his heyday as a
Penrod, 1914). hero of the silver screen in a series of 66 low-
budget movies made between 1935 and 1948,
Homer sometimes nods (homer) Even the wis- starring William Boyd. Comparisons to Hopalong
est or most capable person can make a mistake. Cassidy today are likely to be humorous in tone.
The reference is to the celebrated eighth-century I’d pay you in cash and forget about the tax if it wasn’t
b.c. blind Greek poet Homer, author of the Iliad for Hopalong Cassidy over there.
and the Odyssey. The expression, also found in the
form even Homer sometimes nods, is thought hope deferred makes the heart sick Delay or
to have made its first appearance in Ars Poetica disappointment in realizing one’s hopes can be the
(359) by the Roman poet Horace, in which the cause of great unhappiness. The saying has biblical
author laments that Homer occasionally lapses origins: “Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but
from the highest standards in his writing, but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life” (Prov-
quickly adds that such flaws are readily forgivable erbs 13:12). “She had not suffered so much from a
in one so great. The final chapter of the book is a want of food, however, as from a want of air and
disappointment, as though the master had lost his con- exercise; from unremitting, wasting toil at a sed-
centration at the vital moment, but as they say “even entary occupation, from hope deferred and from
Homer sometimes nods.” sleepless nights” ( James Fenimore Cooper, Autobi-
ography of a Pocket-Handkerchief, 1843).
Hood, Robin See robin hood.
Horatian (hbrayshbn) Of or relating to a balanced
Hook, Captain See captain hook. viewpoint, especially one that is satirical and
226
 horror, the horror!, the

respectful by turns. The adjective refers to the horns of a dilemma A difficult choice between
celebrated Roman lyric poet and satirist Horace two alternatives, neither of which is ideal. The
(65–8 b.c.), who wrote relatively gentle satires phrase is Greek in origin, referring to a “double
during the reign of the emperor Augustus. He was lemma” (an ambiguous proposition) and coming
renowned both for his wisdom and his sincerity. ultimately from lambanein (meaning “to take”), in
The editorial comprised a subtly Horatian analysis of the sense of “something taken for granted.” “Each
the situation that offered neither side much comfort. had repeatedly hung the other on the horns of a
dilemma, but neither seemed to be a whit the worse
Horatius at the bridge (hbrayshbs, hbraysheebs) for the hanging; and so the war went on merrily”
A person who behaves heroically in the face of (Anthony Trollope, Barchester Towers, 1857).
vastly superior odds. The allusion is to the Roman
legend of Horatius Cocles (530–500 b.c.), the horns of the altar, to the A loyal friend through
heroic warrior who with two companions (Her- thick and thin. This expression of devoted friend-
minius and Lartius) kept the entire Etruscan ship alludes to the sacred horns that adorned altars
army of Lars Porsena at bay by blocking their in biblical times. According to Exodus 29:12 the
passage over a bridge on the Tiber River leading altar at the Tabernacle had a projecting horn at
directly to Rome. By thus delaying the enemy the each of its four corners, and these were ceremoni-
three heroes secured enough time to demolish ally smeared with the blood of animal sacrifices
the bridge behind them, thereby saving the city. (they may also have been used to tether the ani-
Their task complete, Horatius sent his two com- mals before sacrifice). These horns are referred
panions back before following them to safety by to again in 1 Kings 1:50: “And Adonijah feared
swimming the Tiber in full armor. It has been because of Solomon, and arose, and went, and
suggested that the legend of Horatius and his caught hold on the horns of the altar.” Ancient
companions may have been invented as propa- Romans similarly laid hold of the horns of the altar
ganda to counter criticism of Roman aggression when swearing loyalty to their friends. “Thinkest
toward the Etruscans. The phrase Horatius at the thou, Waldemar, that the wily Archbishop will not
bridge became widely familiar after the publica- suffer thee to be taken from the very horns of the
tion of Thomas Babington Macaulay’s Lays of altar, would it make his peace with King Richard?”
Ancient Rome (1842). The secretary of state mounted (Sir Walter Scott, Ivanhoe, 1819).
a staunch defense of the government, but he looked
increasingly like Horatius at the bridge, and few were horror, the horror!, the A complaint against
convinced that he would manage to stem the tide of something bad or unpleasant. The phrase is a quo-
criticism for long. tation from the novel heart of darkness (1902)
by Joseph Conrad, in which these are the last
Horeb See mount sinai. words of Mr. Kurtz as he dies deep in the jungles
of the Congo, tacitly acknowledging that he has
Horeb, rock in See smite the rock. become as barbarous and uncivilized as the natives
he originally sought to redeem. In everyday usage, it
horn of plenty See cornucopia. is more likely to be delivered somewhat ironically
227
horse, wooden

in complaint against some minor annoyance. note that the floor was covered with coins sunk in
Unfortunately the lad entered the room just as his grand- cement. A Hottentot would not have been guilty
mother was removing her dress to change into something of this sort of barbarism” (Rudyard Kipling, Ameri-
cooler—oh, the horror, the horror! can Notes, 1891).

horse, wooden See trojan horse. Houdini (hoodeenee) A person who has the
reputation of being able to escape from difficult
horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!, A An situations. The allusion is to the Hungarian-born
impassioned plea for help, at any price. The line is U.S. escapologist and magician Harry Houdini
a quotation from William Shakespeare’s play Rich- (Ehrich Weiss; 1874–1926), who was well known
ard III (c. 1592), spoken by the unhorsed king as for stage acts that involved escaping from an array
he seeks the means to escape his enemies in the of chains and padlocks, sometimes underwater or
climactic Battle of Bosworth in which the histori- suspended from a rope and often at apparent risk
cal Richard III was killed on August 23, 1485. of death. That bird is a real Houdini when it comes to
There is evidence that in the real battle the king getting out of its pen.
was brought a horse to carry him away from what
was turning into a bloody defeat, though no sug- houri (hooree) A beautiful dark-eyed woman. In
gestion that he actually delivered the line that fea- Muslim mythology, the houris are the perpetually
tures in Shakespeare’s play. We need to get to the young and beautiful maidens who tend the faithful
Capitol at once—A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a in paradise, renewing their virginity at will. “That
horse! houri, appearing, shakes him up in the usual manner
and is charged by the old gentleman to remain near
Hotspur A fiery-tempered person. The allusion him” (Charles Dickens, Bleak House, 1852–53).
is to Sir Henry “Harry” Percy (1364–1403), son of
the first earl of Northumberland, who was so house divided against itself, a Those who can-
nicknamed. He is depicted in William Shake- not agree among themselves cannot expect to
speare’s play Henry IV, Part I (1596) as a hot- succeed. The expression comes from Matthew
headed, reckless knight, given to taking offense, 12:25, in which Christ responds to the accusations
who rebels against the Crown but is killed by Prince of the Pharisees that he had drawn on the powers
Hal during the Battle of Shrewsbury. It’s no good wad- of the Devil to achieve the miraculous healing of a
ing in like a Hotspur—the situation requires diplomacy. deaf and mute man, pointing out that evil would
hardly seek to destroy evil: “Every kingdom
Hottentot (hotbntot) An uncivilized barbarian. divided against itself is brought to desolation; and
The term was first bestowed upon the indigenous every city or house divided against itself shall not
inhabitants of what was formerly known as Cape stand.” Similar sentiments are expressed in Mark
Colony or Cape Province in South Africa by 3:25: “If a house be divided against itself, that
Dutch colonists in the 17th century. The original house cannot stand.” The board of the company is at
meaning of the word itself is unknown. “He then loggerheads over the issue, and you know what they say, a
took me into a saloon, and while I drank made me house divided against itself cannot stand.
228
 How are the mighty fallen!

household gods See lares and penates. opportunities. The phrase comes from Christ’s
farewell sermon to his disciples, in which it signi-
house not made with hands Heaven; God’s heav- fies heaven: “Let not your heart be troubled: ye
enly abode. The phrase comes from 2 Corinthians believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s
5:1, in which Paul contrasts the physicality of the house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would
human body occupied by the soul on earth with have told you. I go to prepare a place for you”
the heavenly house that it may one day attain, “a (John 14:2). “There was, of course, a better world.
building of God, an house not made with hands, ‘In my Father’s house are many mansions’ was one
eternal in the heavens.” His mother died last night at of Aunt Juley’s favourite sayings—it always com-
her huge old mansion in the hills and resides now in a forted her, with its suggestion of house property,
house not made with hands. which had made the fortune of dear Roger” (John
Galsworthy, The Forsyte Saga, 1922).
house of Atreus (aytreebs) A family or other
group who seem to be doomed to misfortune or House of Usher (usher) A macabre, eerie place
under a dreadful curse. The allusion is to the or situation. The allusion is to the story “The Fall
cursed family of Atreus, king of Mycenae and of the House of Usher,” one of Edgar Allan Poe’s
father of Agamemnon and Menelaus. According to Tales of Mystery and Imagination (1839). The story
Greek mythology, the curse originated with Atre- revolves around the destruction of the last of the
us’s father, Pelops, who was slaughtered and served ancient Usher family in terrifying, supernatural
up by his own father, Tantalus, at a banquet to circumstances. The circumstances surrounding the
which all the gods had been invited (see ivory party’s fall from public favor created an atmosphere like
shoulder of pelops). The company has become a the Fall of the House of Usher.
house of Atreus, rocked by one misfortune after another.
Howard Hughes A very rich person, or a person
house of God A church or other place of wor- who behaves as though he or she is very rich.
ship. The phrase appears in the Bible in Genesis Howard Hughes (1905–76) was a U.S. business-
28:17, in which Jacob awakes from his dream of a man and film producer who made a billion-dollar
ladder reaching to heaven and exclaims, “How fortune and became one of the most familiar faces
dreadful is this place! this is none other but the of his generation, despite his reputation in later
house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” “None years for being an obsessive recluse. Look at Howard
of them, not even Dr Grantly, could close his ears, Hughes over there, buying everyone drinks when we all
nor leave the house of God during the hours of ser- know he’s about to be thrown out of his house for not
vice. They were under an obligation of listening, keeping up the payments.
and that too without any immediate power of
reply” (Anthony Trollope, Barchester Towers, 1857). How are the mighty fallen! An exclamation of
amazement at how those who were once rich, suc-
house of many mansions A spacious building or cessful, or otherwise considered superior to their
other place; any organization or other entity fellows have been brought down to a much more
offering a wide range of aspects, possibilities, or humble level. The phrase is a quotation from
229
howling wilderness

2 Samuel 1:19, in which David laments the deaths the gods in ancient Greek tragedy. This arrogance
of Saul and Jonathan: “The beauty of Israel is slain is invariably followed by the character concerned
upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen!” being punished by the gods for his impudence
“Once it took the head of my family a day’s hard rid- (usually at the hands of nemesis). Hubris drove him
ing to make the circuit of his estates, but the mighty to strike back at those who had sought to belittle him in
are fallen. Fast women and slow horses” (William the eyes of the public.
Somerset Maugham, Of Human Bondage, 1915).
Huckleberry Finn (hukblberee) Archetype of ide-
howling wilderness A wild, desolate place; a sit- alistic American youth. The central character in The
uation complete devoid of potential, style, or Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885) by U.S. novelist
interest. The phrase comes from Deuteronomy Mark Twain, Huckleberry Finn is a spirited young
32:10, in which Moses recalls God finding the lad who finds himself torn between friendship to a
Israelites “in a desert land, and in the waste howl- runaway slave called Jim and his legal duty to report
ing wilderness.” Several 19th-century writers, him to the authorities. He eventually decides to
including William Makepeace Thackeray, used the protect his friend and with him seeks to escape the
phrase to describe locations where unfashionable overbearing treatment of his drunken father by sail-
people lived. “In the old war, when I was out under ing on a raft down the Mississippi. “He had some-
Sir William, I travelled seventy miles alone in the thing of a Huckleberry Finn spirit, wanting to run
howling wilderness, with a rifle bullet in my thigh, away to sea” (Michael Munn, Hollywood Rogues,
then cut it out with my own jack-knife” ( James 1991). See also tom sawyer.
Fenimore Cooper, The Pioneers, 1823).
Hudson A butler, or other personal servant.
How long, O Lord? A rhetorical question express- Hudson, played by Gordon Jackson, was the fam-
ing dismay at how long something is taking. The ily butler in the highly successful British television
phrase has its origins in the Bible, as in Psalm drama series upstairs, downstairs (1971–75), in
13:1, where it is a cry for deliverance from a life- which the lives of the wealthy Bellamy family were
threatening illness, and in Revelation 6:9–10, in contrasted with those of the servants who kept
which it is a cry for the martyrs who have died for their household running smoothly. What we need in
their faith. “Now and then, as if to show the thoughts this household is our very own Hudson.
which were most poignant, he muttered—‘Lep-
ers, lepers! They—my mother and Tirzath—they Hughes, Howard See howard hughes.
lepers! How long, how long, O Lord!’ ” (Lew Wal-
lace, Ben Hur, 1880). Hulk See incredible hulk.

Hoyle, according to See according to hoyle. Humphrey, Sir (humfree) The embodiment of a
political bureaucrat. Sir Humphrey Appleby, played
hubris (hyoobris) Arrogant self-confidence or by Nigel Hawthorne, was one of the two main
pride. The term is of Greek origin, referring to characters in the acclaimed British television com-
the refusal of characters to accept the authority of edy series Yes Minister (1980–82) and Yes Prime
230
 hyacinth

Minister (1986–88). As permanent undersecretary ance. The allusion is to the 1831 novel The Hunch-
to politician Jim Hacker, Sir Humphrey spent most back of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo (1802–85), in
of his time trying to prevent politicians from inter- which the title character is an ugly, hunchbacked
fering in the smooth running of the civil ser vice, bellringer called Quasimodo. “The shopkeeper
with varying degrees of success. At once comical was a Hunchback of Notre Dame, twisted, with
and ludicrous, the series was praised by many politi- grotesque growths protruding from his body” (Ali-
cal observers for the accuracy of its portrayal of the son Leonard, Gate-Crashing the Dream Party, 1990).
relationship between the political establishment
and the bureaucracy supposed to serve it.The term hundred days The first hundred days of an
is also sometimes used in reference to Sir Hum- administration, presidency, or other office. The
phrey’s characteristic circumlocution and equivo- original hundred days were those that began with
cation. Many ambitious plans have bitten the dust after the escape of napoleon from elba on March 20,
a Sir Humphrey has got hold of them. 1815, and ended on June 28, 1815, after his defeat
at waterloo and the restoration of the French
Humpty Dumpty A person with an egg-shaped monarchy. The term has been applied to many
physique or, alternatively, something that is pre- periods in office since then and is especially associ-
cariously balanced and risks being fatally broken. ated with the presidency of Franklin Roosevelt
The allusion is to the nursery rhyme character, an and the three months in 1933 during which he laid
egg perched on a wall who is broken to pieces the basis of his celebrated New Deal. By exten-
when he falls off: “Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, / sion, the presidency of John F. Kennedy, which
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. / All the king’s ended prematurely with his assassination in 1963,
horses and all the king’s men / Couldn’t put Humpty became known as the thousand days, as that was
together again.” There are various theories con- how long his administration lasted. “His support-
cerning the origins of Humpty Dumpty. Some say ers talked of a new ‘Hundred Days,’ although the
he originally represented Richard III, while others situation was far less serious than that of 1933 and
claim he had his beginnings in a riddle, the answer the measures not as radical” (A. B. Lancaster, The
to which was “an egg.” Alternatively, and perhaps Americas, 1984).
significantly, a “Humpty Dumpty” was the name of
an ale and brandy punch drunk in the late 17th hyacinth A lily of the genus Hyacinthus with usu-
century and, even more bizarrely, the nickname of ally blue, pink, or white flowers. The name of the
a siege tower or cannon used during the siege of plant alludes to Hyacinthus, a youth whose beauty,
Gloucester in 1643. “Five feet high and weighing according to Greek mythology, attracted the atten-
one hundred and seventy pounds, a veritable tion of the sun god Apollo and of Zephyrus, the
Humpty Dumpty of a woman, Mrs. Stych had no god of the west wind. Hyacinthus favored Apollo,
hope of ever being able to wear pants gracefully” thus incurring the wrath of Zephyrus, who took
(Helen Forrester, The Latchkey Kid, 1990). his revenge by bringing about the accidental death
of Hyacinthus as he and Apollo tossed an iron dis-
Hunchback of Notre Dame (notrb dahm, notrb cus to each other in play. A sudden gust of wind
daym) A person of grotesque, misshapen appear- blew the discus off course, and it hit Hyacinthus
231
Hyde, Mr.

on the head, killing him instantly. The flower that carrying a burning torch and crowned with a gar-
the grieving Apollo caused to spring up from the land of flowers. On inspection the girl’s hymen was found
young man’s spilled blood has borne his name ever to be unruptured and she was declared “virgo intacta.”
since. The pool was fringed with hyacinths and rhodo-
dendron bushes. hyperborean Frigid; arctic; from the Far North.
According to Greek mythology, the Hyperboreans
Hyde, Mr. See jekyll and hyde. were a race of people who lived in a remote sunny
land in the extreme north (hyper meaning “beyond”
hydra-headed Many headed. In Greek mythology and Boreas meaning “North Wind”). This faraway
the Hydra was a fearsome monster faced by her- country was said to be protected by Apollo, and its
cules in the course of the labors of hercules. inhabitants lived in a state of perpetual happiness.
The Hydra had nine heads, each of which when “It’s the unnatural combat of the four primal
severed was replaced by two more. Hercules over- elements.—It’s a blasted health.—It’s a Hyper-
came the Hydra by cutting off the heads and having borean winter scene” (Herman Melville, Moby-
his companion Iolaus scorch the wounds before Dick, 1851).
they could grow back. In modern usage the term
hydra-headed is usually applied to a troublesome, Hyperion to a satyr (hipeereebn, sayter) A con-
multifaceted problem or one that keeps recurring trast between two opposites. In Greek mythol-
despite everything being done to solve it. The club ogy, Hyperion was one of the Titans and the
faces a hydra-headed conundrum: how to attract new sup- father of Helios (the Sun), Selene (the Moon),
porters without offending long-standing members who are and Eos (the dawn). His name is sometimes
more than happy to keep things as they are. employed as a synonym for the Sun itself. In con-
trast to the Titan satyrs were much more humble,
hygiene The science concerned with the safe- sylvan gods, who were half human and half goat.
guarding of health, especially through observing This expression was popularized by William
clean or healthy practices. The word comes from Shakespeare, who used it in Hamlet (c. 1600), in
the name of the Greek goddess of health Hygeia, the course of Hamlet’s first soliloquy: “So excel-
who was sometimes identified as the wife or lent a king; that was, to this, Hyperion to a satyr.”
daughter of Aesculapius, the god of medicine. The The author is a good storyteller, but to call him a
link between hygiene and the outbreak of disease has modern-day Dickens is like comparing Hyperion to a
been known for centuries. satyr. See also satyr.

hymen A fold of membrane that partially covers hypnosis An artificially induced state of relax-
the entrance to the vagina and is usually broken ation revealing the subconscious self. The word
when sexual intercourse takes place for the first was derived from the name of Hypnos, the Greek
time. The word comes from Hymenaeus, the name god of sleep and the equivalent of the Roman
of the Greek god of marriage. He was the son of Somnus. A course of hypnosis was suggested, but the
Dionysus and Aphrodite and was traditionally doctors were inclined to dismiss such an approach as
depicted leading the revels at wedding feasts, often mere quackery.
232
ååååå Iå
I accuse See j’accuse. vidi, vici) uttered by Julius Caesar (100–44 b.c.) as
he looked back on his conquest in the Black Sea
Iago (yahgo) A person who pretends to be campaign of 47, according to Suetonius (c. a.d.
friendly and supportive, while actually behaving in 69–c. 140) in Lives of the Caesars.“I came, I saw, I con-
a calculated and deceitful manner. The allusion is quered,” said the victor as he lay down his racket and
to the treacherous ensign in William Shakespeare’s reached for his jacket.
Othello (c. 1603), who by playing on the sexual
jealousy of his commander othello cunningly I cannot tell a lie What I am telling you is the
brings about the latter’s downfall and death. In truth. This phrase famously alludes to the story of
modern use, the term is often applied more widely the young George Washington (1732–99) who,
to anyone who conceals the pleasure he or she when accosted by his father after cutting down a
takes in causing trouble or pain to others. Malcolm cherry tree with his hatchet, resisted the tempta-
clearly enjoyed playing Iago to his superior’s Othello, tion to conceal his guilt and said: “Father, I cannot
secretly relishing the latter’s discomfort as he fed new tell a lie. I did it with my little hatchet.” Often
revelations to the press. quoted to the young as an ideal of honest virtue,
the story is apocryphal, making its first appearance
I am that I am I am as I appear to be, no more, in 1800 in Life of Washington by M. L. Weems.
no less. The expression is biblical in origin, appear- “So I do not say, ‘Believe me, for I cannot tell a
ing in Exodus 3:14 as God’s reply to Moses when lie’ ” (Michael Dibdin, Dirty Tricks, 1991).
Moses asks his name during the episode of the
burning bush. “I am” is one translation of God’s Icarus (ikbrbs) A person who brings about his
Old Testament name Yahweh or Jehovah. This or her downfall through carelessness or reckless-
phrase has appeared in many guises throughout ness. The allusion is to the Greek myth of Daeda-
world literature, perhaps most notably in William lus and his son Icarus who effected their escape
Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello (c. 1603), in which from King Minos of Crete by constructing wings
Iago misquotes it in the form “I am not what I am.” of wax and feathers and using them to fly off the
island and over the ocean. Unfortunately, Icarus
I came, I saw, I conquered I have achieved what I ignored his father’s instructions not to fly too high
set out to do. These were the words (in Latin veni, as the heat of the sun would melt the wax;
233
ice maiden

consequently, Icarus fell to his death in the sea. film Sleepy Hollow, directed by Tim Burton and
The waters of the Aegean are still sometimes starring Johnny Depp as Ichabod Crane, is very
called the Icarian Sea. “He, like Icarus, had flown loosely based on the original story. She ridiculed
up towards the sun, hoping that his wings of wax him for his Ichabod Crane physique and his circus clown
would bear him steadily aloft among the gods” clothing sense.
(Anthony Trollope, Phineas Finn, 1869). See also
daedalian. ichor (ikor) A watery, foul-smelling discharge
from a wound or ulcer. In Greek mythology, ichor
ice maiden A woman with a cold, detached man- (meaning “juice”) is the name given to the color-
ner. The reference is to a figure who appears in less blood of the gods. “The first indication of
stories from Russian and Scandinavian folklore, as revival was afforded by a partial descent of the iris.
retold in the 19th century by hans christian It was observed, as especially remarkable, that this
andersen (1805–75) and later used as the basis of lowering of the pupil was accompanied by the
Grieg’s Peer Gynt suite. In these stories she is usu- profuse out-flowing of a yellowish ichor (from
ally depicted as proud and malevolent, using her beneath the lids) of a pungent and highly offensive
glacial beauty to attract young men, whom she odor” (Edgar Allan Poe, The Facts in the Case of
then puts to death. Sometimes rendered in the M.Valdemar, 1845).
form ice queen, the epithet is typically applied to
beautiful models, actresses, and other women who I coulda been a contender I could have achieved
are perceived as having a reserved or unemotional something, given the opportunity. A quotation
nature. Her lack of sympathy with her lover’s plight from the 1954 film On the Waterfront, the line was
earned her the reputation of an ice maiden. memorably delivered by Marlon Brando in the
role of a former boxer who falls foul of racketeers
Ichabod See glory is departed, the. in the docks of New York. Redolent of lost oppor-
tunities, it is usually employed ironically, due to its
Ichabod Crane (ikbbod) An awkward, gawky inevitable association with its iconic origins. If it
person, especially a tall, skinny one who wears ill- wasn’t for my terminal lethargy and puny physique, I
fitting clothes. The original Ichabod Crane was the could have been a world champion too, I coulda been a
central character in the Washington Irving story contender.
“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” (1820), in which
he figures as a timid village schoolteacher whose Ida, Mount (idb) A place from which one can
very appearance provokes mirth among his neigh- observe events without getting personally
bors in Sleepy Hollow, the archetypal old-world involved. In Greek mythology, Mount Ida was a
rural community. Ichabod competes for the hand “many-fountained” mountain or ridge in Asia
of a local farmer’s daughter, but meets with oppo- Minor identified as the vantage point from which
sition from a rival suitor who frightens him with the gods followed the course of events during the
stories of a headless horseman—when the head- Trojan War. This mountain (or one of the same
less horseman duly “appears,” Ichabod flees the name in Crete) was also said to be the birthplace
area in fright and is never seen again. The 1999 of Zeus, the place where Ganymede was abducted,
234
 if the mountain won’t come to Muhammad

and the location for the judgment of paris. “As response was the following verse: “I do not love
Juno may have looked at Paris on Mount Ida, so thee, Dr Fell, / The reason why I cannot tell; / But
did Mrs. Proudie look on Ethelbert Stanhope this I know, and know full well, / I do not love
when he pushed the leg of the sofa into her lace thee, Dr Fell.” This amounted to a satisfactorily
train” (Anthony Trollope, Barchester Towers, 1857). accurate translation of the original Latin, albeit
with the insertion of Dr. Fell’s name. In modern
Identikit An identical copy of something that usage, the word “like” is generally used in the place
results from duplication of different elements in of “love.” “All the same; we do not like Mr. Bott—
the original. The allusion is to the Identikit system do we, Alice? He is Dr Fell to us; only I think we
first employed by the Los Angeles police in 1959 could tell why” (Anthony Trollope, Can You Forgive
and since adopted by police forces worldwide to Her?, 1864).
identify the faces of criminals, in which witnesses
build up a composite image of a face through a if any would not work, neither should he eat
selection of photographed facial features. She lived Those who are not prepared to work do not
in one of those identikit houses that comprise so many deserve any reward. This saying comes from 2
modern suburban estates. Thessalonians 3:10, in which Paul advises the
Thessalonians that only those who work for their
Ides of March (idz) A day of reckoning, espe- bread actually deserve to have any. The manager
cially one that has been foretold. In ancient Rome, shrugged his shoulders and repeated the biblical injunc-
the Ides (from the verb iduo, meaning “to divide”) tion that if any would not work, neither should he eat.
marked the halfway point of a month. It was on
the Ides of March (March 15) that Julius Caesar if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the
was murdered in the Capitol, as previously proph- ditch See blind leading the blind.
esied by a soothsayer with the doom-laden words
“Beware the Ides of March.” On considering the if the mountain won’t come to Muhammad If
alternatives left after this unexpected turn of events, the something requires some effort on the part of the
only conclusion one can reach is that the Ides of March speaker before it can be attained, then he or she
would appear to have arrived for the Republican Party. must simply resign himself or herself to making
that effort. A proverbial piece of wisdom that
I do not like thee, Doctor Fell Although I have no implies the fuller version “if the mountain won’t
reason for it, I dislike this par ticular individual, come to Muhammad, Muhammad must go to the
however admirable he or she may otherwise be. mountain,” it refers to a story about muhammad
This is an allusion to a poem by the satirical writer (570–632), the founder of the Islamic faith. In the
Thomas Brown (c. 1663–1704), a student at story, Muhammad (in front of a large crowd) com-
Oxford who was faced with expulsion on the mands a hill to come to him, only to find that the
order of Dr. John Fell (1625–86), dean of Christ hill remains stubbornly where it is. Muhammad,
Church and bishop of Oxford, unless he could reasoning that if the hill had indeed come to them
prove capable of translating for him the 33rd Epi- he and his followers would all have been crushed,
gram of Martial. Brown’s apparently spontaneous resigns himself to going to the hill and does so. In
235
if thy right eye offend thee

fact, the story appears to have made its first and is employed as a laboratory assistant by a mad
appearance in an essay by the English philosopher scientist. The allusion is to the deformed servant
Francis Bacon (1561–1626), around a thousand called Igor who features in numerous horror films
years after the event described. “The child scram- of the 20th century based upon Mary Shelley’s
bled up to the top of the wall and called again and original 1818 novel frankenstein. Every depart-
again; but finding this of no avail, apparently made ment head has his or her Igor, who does all the tedious,
up his mind, like Mahomet, to go to the mountain, routine work considered beneath his boss’s dignity.
since the mountain would not come to him” (Anne
Brontë, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, 1848). I have a dream I have a vision of an improved
future. The phrase is most familiar as a refrain in
if thy right eye offend thee If part of you tempts the speeches of black civil rights activist Martin
you to do wrong, then you need to take radical Luther King in the 1960s, specifically a speech he
action to deal with it. This piece of proverbial made to a vast audience in Washington on August
advice comes from Christ’s Sermon on the Mount, 28, 1963: “I have a dream that one day this nation
as recounted in Matthew 5:29: “And if thy right will rise up and live out the true meaning of its
eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident,
for it is profitable for thee that one of thy mem- that all men are created equal.’ ” He repeated the
bers should perish, and not that thy whole body phrase several times during the course of this and
should be cast into hell.” The line is sometimes other speeches, and since his death it has acquired
quoted with reference to the expulsion of rebel- iconic status as a summary of his vision for a har-
lious members of organizations or institutions. It monious future in which all races could exist hap-
is also found in the variant form if thy right hand pily alongside each other. When not referring
offend thee. “If it chance your eye offend you, / directly to Martin Luther King and his ideals, the
Pluck it out, lad, and be sound” (A. E. Housman, A phrase today tends to be used ironically. ‘I have a
Shropshire Lad, 1896). dream,’ Bob announced, ‘that one day this company will
rise up and get proper washroom facilities.’
ignorant armies Forces that seem to act without
any underlying understanding of what they are Iliad (ileebd, ileead) A written work or other
doing. The phrase comes from Matthew Arnold’s tale of epic proportions, especially one dealing
poem “Dover Beach” (1867), which includes the with acts of heroism. The original Iliad was a cele-
lines “And we are here as on a darkling plain / brated epic poem of great length supposedly com-
Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight, / posed by the Greek poet Homer around 700 b.c.
Where ignorant armies clash by night.” The phrase Its title comes from the Greek Iliados (meaning “of
is typically used in reference to political disagree- Ilium,” Ilium being an alternative name for Troy),
ments. The newspapers were, as usual, full of reports of and it relates the events that took place toward the
the latest doings of Parliament’s ignorant armies. end of the Trojan War, which culminated in the
death of Hector at the hands of Achilles. Only a
Igor(eegor) A henchman or servant, especially very select number of great literary works have
one who is dim-witted and physically grotesque since been considered good enough to be ranked
236
 Incredible Hulk

alongside Homer’s Iliad, including the medieval to this doctrine are held to be Genesis 3:15 and
Romance of the Rose (13th century), which came to Luke 1:28, but this teaching is rejected by Protes-
be dubbed the French Iliad, and the Nibelungenlied tants. The term is sometimes employed in modern
(early 13th century), sometimes called the Ger- usage in a somewhat sarcastic tone. People tend to
man Iliad. The series of disasters suffered by both forget that such structures have been designed in detail
sides during the war gave rise to the phrase an by teams of engineers, preferring to believe they came
Iliad of woes to describe any series of setbacks or about through some process of immaculate conception.
misfortunes. This third film brings this Iliad of modern
warfare and trilogy of Vietnam movies to a tragic and impressionist Involving a fleeting impression
dispiriting close. of a reality or mood. The term alludes to the
impressionist movement that caused a sensation
I’ll be back See terminator, the. in the art world in the second half of the 19th
century. Championed by such artists as Claude
I’m alright, Jack I don’t care about anything Monet (1840–1926), Auguste Renoir (1841–
else, as long as my interests are secure. The phrase 1919), and Edgar Degas (1834–1917), impres-
has its origins in a traditional saying of unknown sionism depended upon capturing the essence of
age, possibly ultimately of nautical origin (“Jack” something without painting the actual details of it,
being a nickname for a Royal Navy sailor). Today it typically through the handling of color and light.
is often associated with a 1959 film of the same In modern parlance, the term impressionist, or
title starring Peter Sellers as a militant shop stew- impressionistic, may be applied in a much wider
ard who leads the staff of a factory in a strike range of contexts. “The backs of the other shops
against the management. This callous and selfish were an impressionistic picture of dirty grays,
behavior is yet another example of the “I’m alright Jack” drained browns, writhing heaps of refuse” (Sin-
attitude that prevails in modern society. See also god’s clair Lewis, Main Street, 1920).
in his heaven, all’s right with the world.
in all one’s glory In all one’s beauty; having a
I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse beautiful appearance. The phrase comes from
See offer you can’t refuse, an. Matthew 6:29, which celebrates the beauty of the
lilies of the field: “And yet I say unto you, That
immaculate conception Something that comes even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like
about in an unconventional or apparently inexpli- one of these.” In modern usage the phrase may
cable manner. The reference is to the conception sometimes appear in laconic references to a per-
of the Virgin Mary as defined in the dogma (“Inef- son who is entirely naked. The girls squealed as the
fabilis Deus” of Pope Pius IX, December 8, 1854): man emerged grinning from the pool in all his glory.
“from the first moment of her conception the
Blessed Virgin Mary was, by the singular grace and Incredible Hulk A person with a large, imposing,
privilege of Almighty God, and in view of the and often ungainly physique. The original Incredi-
merits of Jesus Christ, Saviour of mankind, kept ble Hulk was the huge green creature into which the
free from all stain of original sin.” Biblical allusions scientist Dr. David Bruce Banner was transformed
237
Indiana Jones

whenever he became angry in the comic book sto- in harm’s way In danger, at risk of suffering
ries originally published in Marvel Comics in harm. The phrase has its origins in a famous letter
1962. The title, sometimes shortened to Hulk, is written in 1778 by John Paul Jones, hero of the
also occasionally applied to inanimate objects of American Revolution, stating his intentions of
considerable bulk, such as large trucks or space- finding a ship in which to sail against the British: “I
craft. I wouldn’t call her fat, but her husband calls her wish to have no connection with any ship that does
the Incredible Hulk. not sail fast; for I intend to go in harm’s way.” We
should respect the members of the armed forces who place
Indiana Jones (indeeanb) A dashing, even rogu- themselves in harm’s way every day on our behalf.
ish adventurer, especially one with a seemingly
unexciting academic background. The original inherit the wind To provoke trouble, especially
Indiana Jones was the adventurer-archaeologist to bring trouble down on one’s own head. The
of the Indiana Jones films of the 1980s, played by phrase is a quotation from Proverbs 11:29: “He
Harrison Ford clad in distinctive slouch hat and that troubleth his own house shall inherit the
carrying a long whip. We had hoped for an Indiana wind.” They had known prosperous times but had laid
Jones, but instead our professor turned out to be short, up little for the future and feared that in their old age
balding, and very, very dull. See also allan qua- they would find they had inherited the wind.
termain.
in my father’s house See house of many
Indian summer A period of success or other good mansions.
fortune enjoyed late in life or in the last stages of
some process. The phrase is usually associated with inner man A person’s soul or spiritual being, or
a period of warm weather that occurs well into more jocularly, his or her appetite. The phrase
autumn, when colder weather might be expected. comes from Ephesians 3:16: “That he would grant
The phrase is of U.S. origin, referring originally to you, according to the riches of his glory, to be
the warm, hazy weather common in regions once strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner
mostly inhabited by the country’s Native American man.” “It is on the inner man, on his nature and
population. Like many sportsmen, he enjoyed something disposition, that the happiness of a wife must
of an Indian summer late in his career. depend.” (Anthony Trollope, Ayala’s Angel, 1881).

in fear and trembling In an anxious, frightened innocent as doves See wise as serpents and
way. The origin of the expression is Philippians harmless as doves.
2:12: “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always
obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much in Queer Street See carey street.
more in my absence, work out your own salvation
with fear and trembling.” The pupils waited outside Inquisition Close questioning, especially in front
the principal’s office in fear and trembling. of an investigating committee of some kind. The
reference is to the system under which selected
Inferno See dante’s inferno. Franciscan and Dominican monks were ordered
238
 Invisible Man

by papal decree to root out heretics within the reason. The phrase comes from John 1:1: “In the
Roman Catholic Church. Established in 1231 and beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
at its height between the 15th and 17th centuries, God, and the Word was God.” The concept of the
the Inquisition became feared throughout Catholic Word predated John but as used by him came to
Europe, using torture to extract confessions from refer to Jesus Christ himself. These words reflect
suspected persons and executing those found the opening words of the Bible “In the beginning”
guilty of crimes against the Church. Some of the (Genesis 1:1). “In the beginning was the Word,” mur-
Inquisition’s worst excesses were carried out in mured the bishop, when his charges ventured to voice
Spain, home to the Spanish Inquisition (as doubts. See also word, the.
depicted to comic effect in a famous monty
python sketch of the 1970s). “For another hour in the right ballpark See ballpark figure.
the inquisition continued, almost, I felt, as though
the ‘judges’ were scraping for any dirt they could in the sweat of thy face See adam’s curse.
find” (Noel Barber, The Other Side of Paradise,
1992). in vain the net is spread in the sight of the
bird Setting a trap is futile if the proposed victim
Inspector Clouseau (kloozo) A policeman or of it is allowed to see the trap being prepared. This
detective, especially an incompetent one. The allu- advice comes from Proverbs 1:17: “Surely in vain
sion is to the bungling central character in the Pink the net is spread in the sight of any bird.” “ ‘If they
Panther film series, beginning with The Pink Panther come, we shall be ready,’ said Bessas. ‘In vain the
(1963), in which he was played by British come- net is spread in the sight of the bird.’ ” (L. Sprague
dian Peter Sellers. “Max was a diplomat—a com- De Camp, The Dragon of the Ishtar Gate, 1961).
bination of Dr. Watson and Inspector Clouseau”
(Arnold Goodman, Tell Them I’m on My Way, 1993). Invasion of the Body-Snatchers A situation in
which everything, or everyone, seems bizarrely
Inspector Maigret (maygray) Archetype of an altered. The allusion is to a 1956 film with the
intuitive police detective. The patient, pipe- same title, in which an ordinary U.S. town is
smoking Inspector Jules Maigret was the cele- invaded by alien beings who have disguised them-
brated creation of Belgian crime writer Georges selves as the human inhabitants, but betray them-
Simenon (1903–89). Maigret solves his cases selves by their oddly emotionless behavior. The
through observation of the circumstances sur- film was remade in 1978 and 1993. The way all the
rounding the crime as much as through examina- press were being so polite to the president, it was like
tion of any material clues, and is usually ultimately Invasion of the Body-Snatchers.
successful in securing a confession from the guilty
party. The police officer who entered the room was smok- Invisible Man A person whose existence or influ-
ing a pipe, just like Inspector Maigret. ence upon events around him or her goes largely
unnoticed. The allusion is to the 1897 novel The
in the beginning was the Word Underlying Invisible Man by H. G. Wells, which concerns the
everything else is the concept of divine order and experiences of Dr. Griffin, a mad scientist who
239
invita Minerva

discovers how to make himself invisible (though of west central Asia Minor that was colonized by
his clothes and his footprints remain visible). In the Greeks around 1100 b.c. and where the style
modern use, the phrase is often applied to under- was first developed. “The State Bank, stucco mask-
privileged individuals or groups within society ing wood. The Farmers’ National Bank. An Ionic
whose presence is often ignored (hence the title of temple of marble. Pure, exquisite, solitary” (Sin-
Ralph Ellison’s 1952 book Invisible Man, on the clair Lewis, Main Street, 1920). See also corin-
subject of racial oppression and identity). If the thian; doric; tuscan.
children didn’t turn the television on, maybe it was the
Invisible Man. I only am escaped I am the sole survivor. This
expression is biblical in origin, coming from Job
invita Minerva (inveetb minervb, inweetah miner- 1:15, in which Job’s faith is tested by God by a
wah) Uninspired, lackluster. Meaning in Latin series of catastrophes, news of which is brought to
“against the will of Minerva,” the phrase, which him by a series of single survivors who end their
first appeared in Ars Poetica by Horace (65–8 b.c.), reports with more or less the same words. Her-
has generally been reserved for literary or artistic man Melville incorporates the line as the opening
works that do not meet expectations. Minerva was refrain in the epilogue of his novel Moby-Dick
the goddess of wisdom and patroness of the arts (1851), in which the reader learns that the narra-
and trades in Roman mythology, thus to proceed tor, Ishmael, was the only survivor of the sinking
without her support doomed any artistic enter- of the ship Pequod.
prise to failure. Contemporaries were inclined to view
her final book of poetry as misjudged and invita I only am left I am the only one remaining. The
Minerva. expression is biblical in origin: It reflects Elijah’s
self-pity after he flees to Horeb when Jezebel
in word and deed See word and deed, in. threatens his life following his success in defeating
the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel: “And he
Io (io) Archetype of a person who changes his said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God
or her shape or appearance. In Roman mythology of hosts: because the children of Israel have for-
Io was identified as a priestess of Juno who attracted saken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and
the attentions of Jupiter. In order to prevent any slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I
liaison Juno transformed Io into a heifer, and in only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away”
this form she wandered far and wide over the (1 Kings 19:14). In contemporary usage the expres-
earth until finally restored to human form in sion only I am left is sometimes used. “Only I am
Egypt. Like some bewitched Io, once in costume, she left,” murmured the administrative assistant after all her
instinctively assumed all the characteristics of the crea- colleagues had left early that afternoon.
ture she portrayed.
Irene (ireen, ireenee) Personification of peace
Ionic (ionik) Belonging to an order of architec- and reconciliation. In Greek mythology, Irene was
ture typified by capitals decorated with volutes. the goddess of peace and prosperity. She is conven-
The order was named after Ionia, an ancient region tionally depicted carrying plutus (representing
240
 Ishmael

wealth) in her arms and sometimes with an olive southeastern Europe, together with the major part
branch or cornucopia. The spirit of Irene reigned of the Reich. An iron curtain would at once
in the negotiating chamber that afternoon, though in the descend on this territory.” The expression also
event this period of perfect harmony was to prove but cropped up elsewhere considerably before the war
short-lived. years, the first instance being in the earl of Mun-
ster’s journal as early as 1819. They did their best,
iris The colored part of the eye surrounding the but there was no getting behind the iron curtain set in
pupil and, by extension, the area surrounding a place by the authorities. See also berlin wall.
source of illumination. The name comes from Iris,
the Greek goddess of the rainbow who is reputed iron fist in a velvet glove, an Ruthlessness or
to have traveled between heaven and earth by tyrannical rule disguised by a polite, soothing
means of a rainbow in order to fulfill her role as manner. The phrase (sometimes also found in the
messenger of the gods. She was conventionally form an iron hand in a velvet glove) alludes to
depicted with wings on her shoulders and a her- the policies of Napoleonic France concerning con-
ald’s staff in her left hand. The name has also been quered territories in the early 19th century, and is
applied to a genus of plants notable for their often attributed to napoleon himself, although
showy, brightly colored blooms and, poetically, to something similar may have been uttered at an
the rainbow itself. “Filled with these thoughts—so earlier date by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles
filled that he had an unwholesome sense of grow- V. “When she later read (at Clare’s instigation) the
ing larger, of being placed in some new and dis- Pankhursts’ story, with the exhortation to suffrag-
eased relation towards the objects among which ettes to be ‘an iron fist in a velvet glove,’ she imme-
he passed, of seeing the iris round every misty diately linked that image with the symbol of
light turn red—he went home for shelter” (Charles ‘fist-in-a-bag’ ” ( Jane Rogers, Her Living Image,
Dickens, Hard Times, 1854). 1990).

iron curtain An impenetrable barrier, especially Isaac See abraham’s supreme test.
one involving military hardware. The phrase is
often attributed to British statesman Winston Isaiah (izayb) Archetypal prophet. The prophe-
Churchill, specifically to a speech made by him at cies of the biblical Isaiah are detailed in the Old
Fulton, Missouri, in 1946 in which he lamented Testament book that bears his name. It describes
the division of Europe into two distinct blocs: the threat of the Assyrian conquest and offers
“From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adri- promise to the exiles in Babylon and later a mes-
atic, an iron curtain has descended across the con- sage of hope to the Jews after they return from
tinent.” In fact, the same phrase had been used the exile. The old man stood at the doors of the theater like
previous year by German propaganda minister some Isaiah, exhorting the crowd not to go in to witness
Joseph Goebbels in a similar context: “If the such a degrading spectacle.
German people lay down their arms, the agree-
ment between Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin Ishmael (ishmaybl) A social outcast. Ishmael
would allow the Soviets to occupy all eastern and appears in the Bible as the son of Abraham and
241
Ishtar

Hagar, who was the Egyptian maidservant of usual form as the title of a poem by Sir Henry
Sarah. According to Genesis 16–25, Sarah allowed Newbolt in 1898. “The aircraft was an enemy, and
Hagar to become pregnant by Abraham as she the two men who climbed down onto the con-
believed herself barren, but the two women quar- crete were enemies, also, two of the nameless kill-
reled, and after Sarah gave birth to Isaac, Hagar ers who had tried to ‘break this island race’ ”
and her son were thrown out of the house and sent (Frank Kippax, The Butcher’s Bill, 1992).
into the desert, hence the adoption of Ishmael’s
name (or the term Ishmaelite) for anyone who is Islands of the Blest Heaven; paradise.The Greek
expelled from society. God saved the pair from epic poet Hesiod (eighth century b.c.) identified
death from thirst by providing them with a well of paradise by this name and placed the location of
water. Ishmael in his turn had 12 sons. The Ishma- the islands in the far west, at the end of the known
elites were a tribal people who lived in Edom world. Elsewhere they were dubbed the Fortu-
(Psalm 83:6); God’s promise that Ishmael’s nate Islands, or Isles, or Happy Islands. Here
descendants would become a great nation (Gene- chosen heroes could spend eternity relaxing in
sis 17:20; 21:17–18) has traditionally been pleasant surroundings. This part of the world is so
thought to be fulfilled through the Arab peoples. If beautiful and so peaceful it could be mistaken for an
a person is described as having a hand against earthly paradise, and many call these isles the Islands of
every man, this is a reference to a prophecy given the Blest. See also elysian fields.
by an angel at the time of Ishmael’s birth to the
effect that he was fated to become an outlaw: “his Isocrates (isokrateez) Archetype of a great ora-
hand will be against every man, and every man’s tor. Isocrates (436–338 b.c.) was a celebrated ora-
hand against him” (Genesis 16:12). “I am an Ish- tor of ancient Athens and a famous teacher of the
mael by instinct as much as by accident of circum- arts of eloquence. Among those to be likened to
stances, but if I keep out of society I shall be less Isocrates was Esprit Fléchier (1632–1710), the
vulnerable than Ishmaels generally are” (Samuel bishop of Nîmes, who was well known for his
Butler, TheWay of All Flesh, 1903). funeral orations and dubbed the French Isocrates.
After his address to the Senate the young man was quickly
Ishtar (ishtahr) Personification of love or fertil- recognized as a leading figure on the political stage, the
ity. Ishtar was the goddess of love in Babylonian Isocrates of his party.
and Assyrian mythology, equivalent to the Roman
Venus. In her sequined costume and veils she came down Isolde See tristan and isolde.
the stairs like Ishtar descending to earth.
Israel (izreebl, izraybl) The name of the Jewish
Isis See lift the veil of isis. state established in Palestine in 1948. The name
means “God fights” and, according to Genesis
island race, the The British nation. The phrase 32:28, was bestowed upon Jacob after he wrestled
echoes William Shakespeare’s Richard II (1595), in with an angel. Jacob was the father of 12 sons,
which England is described as a “sceptr’d isle,” but each of whom became the founder of one of the
appears to have made its first appearance in its 12 tribes of Israel. The word Israel thus came to be
242
 it was the best of times, it was the worst of times

applied to the Hebrew nation and subsequently far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known.”
the Jews and their state. He is revered today as one of In modern usage, the expression is only ever used
the patriarchs of Israel. in a self-consciously ironic context. “It is a far, far
better thing that I do, than I have ever done,” muttered the
Israel Hands (izreebl, izraybl) Archetype of an professor as he followed her into the bedroom.
evil, bloodthirsty pirate. Israel Hands is the name
of the villainous ship’s mate on the sailing ship it is better to give than to receive The act of giv-
Hispaniola in Robert Louis Stevenson’s adventure ing is more noble and rewarding than that of
novel Treasure Island (1883). A murderous hench- receiving. The proverb is of biblical origin, appear-
man of long john silver, he was named after a ing in Acts 20:35 in the form “It is more blessed to
real character who served as second mate under give than to receive.” “ ‘Tis better to Give than to
the fearsome pirate captain blackbeard. He Receive, but yet ’tis Madness to give so much
advanced upon the boy with his blade between his teeth, Charity to Others, as to become the Subject of it
the image of Israel Hands. our Selves.” (Samuel Palmer, Moral Essays on some of
the most Curious and Significant English, Scotch, and
Is Saul also among the prophets? See saul. Foreign Proverbs, 1710).

It Girl A vivacious young woman with irresist- it is not for every man to go to Corinth See
ible sex appeal. The original It Girl was silent- corinth, it is not for every man to go to.
movie star Clara Bow (1905–65), who enjoyed
huge success in the central role of the 1927 film it’s all Greek to me The thing in question is com-
based on Elinor Glyn’s provocative novel It, in pletely incomprehensible to me. The allusion is to
which “it” was sex appeal. Paris Hilton is perhaps the William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar (1599), in
best-known of the current crop of It Girls. which Casca admits his failure to understand
something Cicero had said in Greek: “Those that
I think, therefore I am See cartesian. understood him smiled and shook their heads; for
mine own part, it was Greek to me.” Greek was
it is a far, far better thing that I do What I do now the language of scholars and orators in ancient
is a fine thing, though I am likely to suffer in doing Rome, but not understood by the greater popu-
it. The allusion is to the closing passage in A Tale of lace. “She leant across and said, ‘This is all Greek
Two Cities (1859) by Charles Dickens, in which to me’ ” (Robert Liddell, Elizabeth and Ivy, 1986).
Sydney Carton bravely faces death on the guillo-
tine in the place of the condemned aristocrat Itt, Cousin See addams family.
Charles Darnay (to whom he bears an uncanny
resemblance), sacrificing himself in the knowledge it was the best of times, it was the worst of
that his death will preserve the happiness of Lucie times The time in question witnessed both good
Manette, Darnay’s wife, and also the object of Syd- things and bad. These are the opening words of A
ney Carton’s hopeless affection: “It is a far, far bet- Tale of Two Cities (1859) by Charles Dickens, set
ter thing that I do, than I have ever done. It is a far, against the backdrop of the French Revolution.
243
Ivan the Terrible

They had bittersweet memories of the war years, which first appeared in 1911, when the critic and poet
for their family had been the best of times and the worst Charles Sainte-Beuve applied it to the poet Alfred
of times. de Vigny. In 1916 it became familiar in its English
form through the title of the Henry James novel
Ivan the Terrible (ivbn) A person who behaves The Ivory Tower. The phrase has since come to be
in a tyrannical or vicious, overbearing manner. The associated particularly with the exclusive lives of
original Ivan the Terrible was Ivan IV of Russia university scholars and students. For three years she
(1530–84), a ruler who became notorious for his lived in an ivory tower, blissfully unaware of the prob-
many acts of cruelty. A more accurate translation lems facing her family.
of his name in Russian, however, would be “Ivan
the Awesome.” The secretaries cowered whenever the I want to be alone See garbo.
managing director approached and routinely referred to
him among themselves as Ivan the Terrible. I was a stranger, and ye took me in An expres-
sion of gratitude for an act of kindness shown
ivory shoulder of Pelops (peelops) A person’s toward a person in need. The line comes from
distinguishing characteristic. The phrase alludes to Matthew 25:35: “For I was an hungred, and ye
the legend of Pelops, son of Tantalus, king of gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink:
Lydia, who was killed by his father and served up I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye
as a meal to the gods in order to test the limits of clothed me.” “I was a stranger and ye took me in,”
their knowledge. The gods realized what Tantalus quoted their unexpected guest as he lifted his glass in
was offering them and restored Pelops to life. jovial salute to his hosts.
Unfortunately the goddess Demeter had already
consumed the lad’s shoulder, so a shoulder of ivory Ixionian wheel (ikseeoneebn) A source of end-
was fashioned to complete his restoration. Tantalus less torment. In Greek legend, Ixion was a king of
was consigned to hell for his presumption in chal- Thessaly who murdered his father-in-law and sought
lenging the wisdom of the gods, while in due course to seduce Hera. Zeus fooled him by sending him a
Pelops became the king of Elis. This birthmark, as cloud in the form of Hera and then had him bound
unique and striking as the ivory shoulder of Pelops, distin- to a perpetually revolving wheel of fire as punish-
guished him from the mass of people around him. ment.The cloud subsequently gave birth to the cen-
taurs. “Round and round, then, and ever contracting
ivory tower A life of seclusion from the everyday towards the button-like black bubble at the axis of
world, typically dedicated to academic or indul- that slowly wheeling circle, like another Ixion I did
gent pursuits. The allusion is of French origin and revolve” (Herman Melville, Moby-Dick, 1851).

244
ååååå Jå
jabberwocky Nonsensical gibberish. The word corrupt or illegal conduct. It was brave of the media
was coined by Lewis Carroll in a mock medieval to stand up to Nixon and yell “J’accuse!”
poem of the same name in Through the Looking-
Glass (1872). According to Carroll, the Jabberwock Jack Ketch The public hangman. The real Jack
is a monster with “jaws that bite” and “claws that Ketch (d. 1686) was appointed executioner in
catch.” He derived the name through the combina- London around 1663 and dispatched many notable
tion of “jabber” (meaning “talk meaninglessly”) victims, including Lord William Russell (in 1683)
and the Anglo-Saxon wocer (meaning “offspring”). and the duke of Monmouth (in 1685). He later
His nonsensical argument belonged to the school of jab- became the subject of many ballads and a charac-
berwocky enshrined by Lewis Carroll. ter in punch and judy puppet shows. “At one
time so many people from the area were hanged at
Newgate it had been nicknamed Jack Ketch’s War-
j’accuse (zhakyooz) A serious accusation of
ren, and according to Paddy it had been known for
wrongful or immoral behavior. The reference is to
as many as forty constables to march down with
a letter by the French novelist Émile Zola that was
cutlasses to control disturbances” (Pamela Pope,
published in the French newspaper L’Aurore on
The Rich Pass By, 1990).
January 13, 1898 under the heading “J’accuse”
(meaning “I accuse”). In it, Zola accused the Jackson Pollock (jaksbn polbk) Of or relating to
French government of treating the French army the abstract paintings of U.S. artist Jackson Pol-
captain Alfred Dreyfus (who was of Jewish origin) lock (1912–56). Pollock was well known for his
with inhuman indifference, resulting in his convic- unconventional painting methods, the most famous
tion on charges of selling military secrets to Ger- of which involved dribbling paint onto a canvas
many and his transportation to the notorious laid flat on the ground. Her paintings for this new
devil’s island prison colony. Zola’s efforts to exhibition are very Jackson Pollock, all splashy lines and
expose the government’s attempts to cover up the big blobs of color.
scandal eventually led to Dreyfus’s release, though
not until after the novelist himself had been pros- Jack the Giant-Killer A person who readily sets
ecuted and obliged to flee France for a time. The himself or herself against even the most formi-
term is now used of any stalwart campaign against dable opposition. Folklore identifies Jack the
245
Jack the Ripper

Giant-Killer as a peasant hero, specifically one resurgence, the Jacobin element in Congress has become
from Cornwall in Arthurian times, who uses his quieter of late.
wits to overwhelm a succession of fearsome giants
and then helps himself to their gold or other trea- Jacob’s ladder (jaykobz) A ladder of rope or
sures. Switzerland hope to play the role of Jack the cable used to board a ship; a variety of plant (Pole-
Giant-Killer in European football next season. monium caeruleum) with leaves positioned in a lad-
derlike arrangement. The original Jacob’s ladder
Jack the Ripper A serial killer, or any person was a ladder connecting earth with heaven, envis-
who behaves in a vicious or murderous manner. aged in a dream by Jacob recounted in Genesis
The original Jack the Ripper was an unidentified 28:12. The ladder itself was said to have 15 rungs,
knife-wielding murderer who embarked on a representing the virtues. The stone that Jacob used
reign of terror in the East End of London in as a pillow when he had his dream was tradition-
1888–89, during the course of which he savagely ally identified as the Stone of Scone, used in Scot-
killed at least six prostitutes. “After that, I could tish coronations. The boys had rigged a serviceable
have told her that you were Jack the Ripper and Jacob’s ladder to climb up to their treehouse.
she’d have believed me” (Susan Gates, The Lock,
1990). Jael ( jayl) A treacherous, deadly woman.
According to the Bible (Judges 4–5), Jael, whose
Jacobean ( jakbbeebn) Of a bloodthirsty, dark, name means “wild goat,” was the wife of Heber
and melodramatic nature. The allusion is to the the Kenite and feigned hospitality when her hus-
gory tragedies that were presented to eager the- band’s enemy, the Canaanite general Sisera,
ater audiences in Jacobean England—the period arrived, giving him milk to drink and a tent to
that coincided with the reign of James I (1603– sleep in. While Sisera slept, Jael took a tent peg
25). Such plays were notable for their memorable and drove it into his head with a hammer.
villains and themes of murder and revenge. By the Because this murder was committed in defense
time the brawl was over the room looked like the set of a of Israel, Jael acquired the status of an Old Testa-
Jacobean revenge tragedy. ment heroine, and her name is sometimes quoted
as an archetype of feminine courage. “Bravo,
Jacobin (jakbbbn) A political radical, especially Jael! The wife of Heber the Kenite was no braver
one who behaves in an unforgiving, bloodthirsty woman than you!” (Dinah Craik, John Halifax,
manner. The original Jacobins were a group of 1856).
political extremists who emerged as the dominant
force during the French Revolution of 1789 under James, Jesse See jesse james.
the leadership of Danton and robespierre. Called
Jacobins because they held their first meeting at a James Bond A secret agent, especially one of
Jacobin monastery, they instituted the reign of debonair and daring character. The allusion is to
terror in which many prominent figures (includ- the fictional British agent of the name, otherwise
ing Danton and Robespierre themselves) were known as 007, introduced by British thriller
sent to the guillotine. As a result of the Democratic writer Ian Fleming (1908–64) in Casino Royale
246
 Jason

(1953). His adventures continued in a series of the housekeeper in the Doctor Finlay stories of
novels and were subsequently extended in a Scottish writer A. J. Cronin (1896–1981). She was
hugely popular series of action-packed movies in played by Barbara Mullen in the popular BBC tele-
which he was played by Sean Connery, Roger vision series based on Cronin’s tales, Dr. Finlay’s
Moore, and Pierce Brosnan, among other actors. Casebook (1962–71), and by Annette Crosbie in a
Although many of Bond’s adventures were sug- later television adaptation, Doctor Finlay (1993–
gested by those of real-life spies Sidney Reilly and 96). She played Janet to his Doctor Finlay, serving tea to
Dusko Popov, he was named after someone quite his honored guests.
unconnected with the world of espionage: British
ornithologist James Bond, author of Birds of the January The first month of the year. January was
West Indies and a neighbor of Fleming’s in Jamaica. named after Janus, the Roman god of doors,
He behaved like James Bond, ordering dry martinis and thresholds, bridges, and beginnings. Because he
trying to pick up women with tales of bravado on behalf watched over doorways he was widely worshiped
of British intelligence, when he was just a humble civil for his power to ward off evil influence. Like Janu-
service bureaucrat. ary itself, which marks the end of the old year and
the beginning of the new, Janus was usually
James Dean (deen) Archetype of a “cool” young described as having two faces turned in opposite
man with attitude. The U.S. film actor James Dean directions at the same time; thus, anyone today
(1931–55) became one of the biggest stars of his who is suspected of hypocrisy or double-dealing
generation, specializing in the role of the hapless, may be called Janus-faced or Janus-headed. The
discontented youth until his premature death in a word janitor also originated with Janus, alluding
car crash, which served only to confirm his semi- to his role as a guardian or doorkeeper. He gave her
legendary status. In his white T-shirt and faded jeans, a look that was as chilly as January and strode down the
he fancied himself a reincarnation of James Dean. See steps and into the street without so much as a backward
also rebel without a cause. glance.

Jane See tarzan. Jarndyce and Jarndyce A prolonged court case.

The allusion is to the seemingly endless legal case
Jane Eyre (air) A young, romantically-minded of Jarndyce and Jarndyce that is central to the plot
woman of reserved but inwardly passionate char- of the Charles Dickens novel Bleak House (1852–
acter, especially one who endures stoically when 53). As the case continues, the inheritance that is
put upon by others. Such was the character of the being disputed is whittled away to nothing due to
fictional Jane Eyre created by Charlotte Brontë in legal fees. Dickens had in mind the real case of
the novel of the same name in 1847. She put up Jennens and Jennens, which lingered on for 80
with his callous behavior for years, like some suburban years before being finally decided. The case was
Jane Eyre. See also mr. rochester. threatening to turn into a real Jarndyce and Jarndyce
that could go on for years.
Janet A hous keeper, especially one of a
redoubtable, reliable nature.The original Janet was Jason See argonaut.
247
Javert

Javert (zhavair) A merciless, relentless figure of jealous God See sins of the fathers.
authority. Inspector Javert is a character from Vic-
tor Hugo’s Les Miserables (1862), in which he pur- Jean Brodie See miss jean brodie.
sues his prey Jean Valjean without consideration to
any humanitarian impulses. His colleagues respected Jean Paul Getty A very wealthy man, especially
him for his dogged persistence, though his evident lack of one from a business background. Jean Paul Getty
sympathy led some to dub him a modern-day Javert. (1892–1976) was a U.S. oil baron whose fortune
made him one of the richest men on Earth. Despite
jawbone of an ass A weapon, especially a rela- his wealth, he was notorious for his parsimonious
tively humble one, that can nonetheless be used ways. His reputation as one of the richest tycoons
with great effectiveness. The reference is biblical, on the planet passed after his death to his sons, of
alluding to Samson’s escape from the ropes bind- whom British-based Jean Paul Getty Jr. (1932–
ing him and his subsequent slaying of many of his 2003) became particularly well known for sharing
Philistine enemies using the jawbone of an ass his father’s interest in the arts. Okay, Jean Paul Getty,
that he had snatched up: “With the jawbone of an you can put your wallet away—we’ll pay the check.
ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jawbone of an ass
have I slain a thousand men” (Judges 15:15). “Oh, Jedi knight (jedi) A hero figure with apparently
the delicate mistiming of women! She has care- superhuman gifts and intelligence. The allusion is
fully / Snapped in half my jawbone of an ass” to the Jedi knights of the star wars films, a band
(Christopher Fry, The Lady’s Not for Burning, of crusading guardian warriors with highly devel-
1949). oped mental powers. Furious to learn that such an
important decision had been made in his absence, he
Jaws A shark, or anyone or anything with an stormed into the Senate like some avenging Jedi knight.
impressive “bite.” The 1975 film Jaws, about a
man-eating great white shark terrorizing a seaside Jeeves A manservant or butler, a gentleman’s
resort, captured the public imagination and soon gentleman. In the comic novels of English-born
anyone or anything that looked capable of swal- writer P. G. Wodehouse (1881–1975), Jeeves is
lowing someone up was likely to be labeled Jaws, the supremely capable valet of the hapless Bertie
even if only jokingly. She called her goldfish Jaws. Wooster. He is discreet, resourceful, and coolly
unruffled by his employer’s misadventures, and
Jazz Age Unconventional, pleasure-loving, these qualities are often implied in allusive use of
bohemian. The phrase, which was popularized by his name. “My batman, who is a positive Jeeves, is
the novels and short stories of U.S. writer F. Scott with me and, truly, I am far less aware of being at
Fitzgerald (1896–1940), is associated especially war than I was in England” (Irene Young, Enigma
with the United States in the 1920s, a time when Variations, 1990). See also admirable crichton.
the irresponsible young rich filled their lives with
jazz music and partying without worrying about Jeffreys, Judge A stern judge, especially one
more serious matters. It was all very pleasant and who hands down severe sentences. George Jeffreys
relaxed, very Jazz Age. (c. 1645–89) was the judge who presided over the
248
 Jephthah’s daughter

so-called Bloody Assizes that followed the failed his custom) on this occasion was that he was on his
rebellion led by the duke of Monmouth in south- way to kill King Jehoram and overthrow the
west England in 1685. Known as the Hanging Judge, dynasty of Ahab and Jezebel, thus ending worship
he sentenced around 320 of the rebels brought of the pagan Baal. “A drunken postilion . . . who
before him to death on the gallows. Every modern frightened her by driving like Jehu the son of Nim-
reality TV talent show has to have its own Judge Jeffreys. shi, and shouting hilarious remarks at her” (George
Eliot, Adam Bede, 1859).
Jehoshaphat See jumping jehoshaphat; val-
ley of jehoshaphat. Jekyll and Hyde (jekbl) A person with a split
personality, someone whose character changes
Jehovah ( jbhovb) God or a godlike figure. Jeho- abruptly from one extreme to another. Robert
vah is the personal name of God whose meaning Louis Stevenson’s novel The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll
was revealed to Moses (Exodus 3:14–15; 6:2–5). and Mr. Hyde (1886) tells the story of a respected
The name was arrived at as a means of referring to scientist called Jekyll who drinks a potion that
the Almighty, whose name was otherwise deemed transforms him into the hideous Mr. Hyde, in
too sacred to be uttered by mortal lips. Jehovah is which unrecognizable guise he commits murder.
an anglicization of YeHoWaH, or Yahweh, from Finding himself unable to return to his original
the letters YHWH, which constitute the tetragram- identity as Hyde increasingly dominates his per-
maton, representing the Hebrew words Elohim sonality, the luckless scientist kills himself. “In one
(“God”) and Adonai (“My Lord”). “It [Yahweh] movement el Capitan swivelled round and sat on
emphasizes that God is the one who is eternal, the edge of the table, all sympathy and charm, as if
unique, unchangeable and always actively present there had been no smudging between the polite
with his people. It expresses God’s role as Israel’s and the brutal: Jekyll and Hyde, the line was easily
Redeemer and covenant Lord” (NIV Thematic Refer- crossed” (Tom Pow, In the Palace of Serpents, 1992).
ences Bible, p. 1,383). “We shudder as we read the
grim words of the Jehovah of the ancient Hebrews; Jenkins’s Ear, War of A serious argument that
and yet not all the learning of modern times has arises over some minor, even trivial matter. The
availed to deliver us from the cruel decree, that allusion is to an incident that led to war between
the sins of the fathers shall be visited upon the Britain and Spain in 1739. A British vessel sailing
children” (Upton Sinclair, Damaged Goods, 1913). in the West Indies was accosted by Spanish coast-
guards and the British captain Robert Jenkins’s ear
jehu (jeehyoo) A coachman or driver, especially was cut off. The incensed Jenkins presented his
one who drives in a furious or dangerous manner. pickled ear to the House of Commons, which
The biblical Jehu was the son of Nimshi and a king responded by sanctioning war with Spain. If we are
of Israel, as recounted in 2 Kings 9:20, in which a not careful this incident could turn into a modern War
watchman comments on the approach of his char- of Jenkins’s Ear.
iot: “The driving is like the driving of Jehu the son
of Nimshi; for he driveth furiously.” The reason Jephthah’s daughter (jepthbz) A chaste woman;
Jehu was driving his chariot so furiously (as was a virgin. According to the account given in Judges
249
jeremiad

11:29–40, Jephthah was a judge of Israel who Jericho See walls of jericho.
vowed to sacrifice the first living thing he met on
returning home should he be victorious in battle jeroboam ( jerbbobm) A very large wine bottle,
against the Ammonites. He won the battle but on with a capacity of three liters. Jeroboam (c. 931–
returning home was aghast to be greeted by his 910 b.c.) was a king of Israel who in 1 Kings 11:28
own unmarried daughter. The girl was allowed is described as “a mighty man of valour,” hence the
two months in which to go into the mountains humorous adoption of his name as that of a large
and lament the fact that she would die a virgin bottle in the 19th century. He promoted idol wor-
and was duly sacrificed at the end of that time. It ship and “did sin, and . . . made Israel to sin.” By
appeared she had vowed to retain her virginity to the the end of the night the tables were laden with
end of her days, like some reincarnated Jephthah’s jeroboams.
daughter.
Jerry See tom and jerry.
jeremiad ( jerbmibd) A lengthy lamentation about
life or a gloom-laden prophecy of disaster. The Jerusalem See new jerusalem.
word is derived via French from the name of the
Old Testament prophet Jeremiah, who is remem- Jesse James (jesee jaymz) A dashing, romantic
bered for his stern warnings to Judah of God’s rogue. The real Jesse James (1847–82) was a bank
judgment against idolatry, immorality, and false and train robber of Wild West fame, whose
prophets (as in chapters 10, 14, and 16). Jeremiah career was much glamorized in Hollywood films
became very unpopular (being thrown into prison loosely based on his life. In reality, he was a vicious
and into a cistern) and was known as the Prophet murderer, whose life ended when he was shot
of Doom. “Jeremiah also spoke about a fresh hope. dead by a fellow gang member motivated by the
He promised a new and lasting covenant which reward on James’s head. With his mixture of charm
God would write on his people’s hearts, charac- and unprincipled ruthlessness, he earned himself the
terized by the inwardness of genuine faith. . . . He reputation of a latter-day Jesse James.
also spoke of the restoration of Jerusalem, which
Jeremiah symbolized by buying a plot of land as Jesuitical ( jezooitikbl) Using subtle, devious, or
the Babylonians besieged the city . . . and of a hairsplitting arguments. The Jesuits, members of
new king in David’s line to replace the corrupt the Roman Catholic Society of Jesus founded by
monarchy of his own day” (Selman and Manser, Saint Ignatius of Loyola in 1534, acquired a repu-
Hearthside Bible Dictionary, p. 122). Even today any tation for secretiveness as well as for strict disci-
person who complains at length about the state of pline and intellectual rigor. Their involvement in
the world or who voices gloomy predictions about political affairs over the centuries means that the
the future may be labeled a Jeremiah. “Since the order is distrusted by many people outside the
world began there have been two Jeremys. The church. “The artist looked over Vincent’s recent
one wrote a Jeremiah about usury, and was called work and his comments were honest and con-
Jeremy Bentham” (Edgar Allan Poe, Diddling, structive, not in the least ‘Jesuitical’ ” (Philip Cal-
1850). low, Van Gogh: A Life, 1990).
250
 jingoism

Jesus wept! (jeezbs) An exclamation of exas- Lord’s prophets and their replacement by the
peration. This is the shortest verse in the Bible, prophets of Baal and the attempted murder of Eli-
appearing in John 11:35. The chief of the engineers jah. Elijah foretold a bad end for Jezebel with the
surveyed the chaotic scene below and wiped a grimy hand words “The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of
across his brow.“Jesus wept!We’ll be here all night.” Jezreel” (1 Kings 21:23), and she eventually met
her death when she was hurled out of a palace
jethroization ( jethroizayshbn) The practice of window on the orders of King Jehu after she
delegating authority and responsibility to others. adorned herself with cosmetics and tried to seduce
The allusion is to the biblical Jethro, who became him: Her blood spattered the wall, as Elijah had
concerned about the health of his son-in-law predicted, and her body was torn apart by dogs (2
Moses and advised him to delegate some of his less Kings 9:30–37). Any woman who is suspected of
important duties as a judge to others (as recorded loose, immoral behavior may be dubbed a jezebel;
in Exodus 18:1–27). The new manager seemed to if she wears heavy makeup she is likely to be con-
believe so wholeheartedly in the practice of jethroization demned as a painted jezebel. “I have been a Jeze-
that by the end of his first week people were wondering bel, a London prostitute, and what not” (Samuel
what there was left for him to do. Richardson, Pamela, 1740).

jetsam See flotsam and jetsam. Jimmy Hoffa (hofb) A person who disappears
in suspicious circumstances, especially one with
Jim Crow Racial discrimination, especially against dubious connections. James “Jimmy” Hoffa (1913–
black people. The name began as the title of a song c. 1975) was the controversial president of the
with which Thomas Dartmouth Rice (a white Teamsters’ Union of transport workers from 1957
performer who appeared in “blackface” makeup) to 1967, when he was imprisoned on charges of
had considerable success in the 1820s. It was later bribery. Released in 1971, he disappeared on July
adopted as a pejorative term for any black person 30, 1975, when he was due to meet two mafia
and was consequently applied to racial segregation leaders. He is thought to have been murdered,
as officially sanctioned under so-called Jim Crow although his body has never been discovered. After
laws in the southern United States up to the 1960s. his disappearance from public view the papers began to
“Jim Crow laws dictated that we all sit up in the refer to him as another Jimmy Hoffa.
coloured balcony, so we followed Earl up the stairs
of the separate entrance, located to the right of the Jimmy Porter See angry young man.
box office, and found ourselves in the highest tier
of the auditorium” (Ian Breakwell and Paul Ham- jingoism (jingoizbm) Belligerent patriotism. The
mond, eds., Seeing in the Dark, 1990). term, which made its first appearance in the 1870s,
originally alluded to the wave of British nationalism
jezebel (jezbbel) A shameless, immoral woman. that swept the country during the Crimean War,
Jezebel was the daughter of Ethbaal, the king of becoming familiar through a popular music-hall song
Tyre and Sidon, and the wife of Ahab, king of of the period: “We don’t want to fight, / But by Jingo,
Israel. Her evil deeds included the murder of the if we do, / We’ve got the ships, / We’ve got the men,
251
Joan of Arc

/ We’ve got the money, too.” The word has since wife does little to alleviate his agony, merely advis-
been applied to similar outbursts of patriotic fervour ing him to “curse God, and die” (Job 2:9–10). In
in various countries around the world. It has been some medieval versions of the story she actually
suggested the word “Jingo” may have had its origins exacerbates Job’s pain by tossing water on his boils
in the patter of 17th-century stage conjurers, who or by whipping him. This Job’s wife waged an unceas-
used it as a euphemism for “Jesus.” “A mood of bel- ing campaign to have all aid to the refugees cut off and
licose jingoism, unknown since the days of Suez in redirected to causes more to her liking.
November 1956, swept the land, directed against
‘the Argies’ ” (Kenneth O. Morgan, The People’s Peace, Jocasta See oedipus complex.
1990).
Joe Palooka (pblookb) The plain-thinking, hon-
Joan of Arc A woman who heroically dedicates est, man in the street. The character Joe Palooka, a
herself to a par ticular cause. Joan of Arc (c. 1412– simpleminded boxing champion with little educa-
31) was a young French peasant girl who devoted tion but an appealingly kindhearted nature, made
herself to throwing the English out of France, his first appearance in a comic strip published in
apparently on the instruction of “angelic voices.” 1928 and quickly caught on as an archetype of the
She won the confidence of the French dauphin and average American. In modern usage, his name has
went on to inspire French soldiers to recapture acquired a mildly pejorative tone, critical of the
many towns before being betrayed to the English, general public’s lack of intelligence or imagina-
tried as a witch, and burned at the stake. “Who do tion. A town of incompetents may, by the same
you think you are, Joan of Arc?” (Kim Newman, token, be dubbed Palookaville. I don’t expect every
Bad Dreams, 1990). Joe Palooka to understand what we’re trying to do.

Job, patience of See patience of job. John Bircher (bercher) A right-wing extremist.
John Birch was a U.S. military intelligence officer
Job’s comforter ( jobz) A person whose attempts and Baptist missionary who was killed by Chinese
to give comfort to another in distress only serve to communists in 1945. Extremists identified him as
intensify the other’s misery. The allusion is to the the first U.S. casualty of the cold war and 13
biblical Job, who is visited by three sympathetic years after his death founded the John Birch Soci-
friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar (described as ety to oppose what they perceived as the commu-
“miserable comforters” in Job 16:2), who tactlessly nist threat to the U.S. Constitution. Critics of the
attribute his current misfortunes to his disobedi- John Birch Society have labeled its members ultra-
ence to God. As soon as news of his disappointment got conservative and reactionary. Her father is a real
abroad his front doorbell did not stop ringing with Job’s John Bircher and thinks all students are idle layabouts.
comforters come to trawl through the ashes of his dream.
John Brown A fanatical supporter of a par ticular
Job’s wife ( jobz) A wicked woman; a woman cause. The abolitionist John Brown (1800–59) was
who offers evil advice to others. In the biblical determined to rid the United States of slavery and
story of Job and his multifarious sufferings, his is remembered as one of the leaders of a raid made
252
 Johnsonian

on a federal arsenal at Harper’s Ferry in Virginia how he always signed his name). Stick your John
on October 16, 1859, with the aim of getting Hancock at the bottom of the page.
weapons with which to arm the slaves. The raid
failed and Brown was tried and hanged, but he Johnny Appleseed A person who shows others
became an icon of the antislavery movement and is how to support themselves by understanding the
still remembered for his resolute (if misguided) ways of nature. The original Johnny Appleseed
zeal in an undubitably righteous cause, as cele- was the nomadic backwoodsman John Chapman
brated in the marching song “John Brown’s body (1774–1845), who became a folk hero for the help
lies a-moldering in the grave.” He thundered at them he gave pioneer settlers in the American West. His
about the need to take up arms and act, like the ghost of nickname reflects his reputation for scattering
John Brown himself. apple seeds throughout Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and
Pennsylvania to provide orchards for the benefit of
John Bull The archetype of an English squire and pioneer families. He is also said to have warned
a symbol of England itself. Traditionally depicted settlers of imminent attack by Native American
as a plump, rosy-cheeked, middle-aged man in a tribes. His grandfather wore an old straw hat and spent
Union Jack waistcoat and top hat, and often his days contemplating the garden from his rocking chair
accompanied by a British bulldog, John Bull made like some superannuated Johnny Appleseed.
his first appearance in John Arthuthnot’s satire The
History of John Bull (1712). He continued to appear John o’ Groats ( jon o grots) A remote, far-
in cartoons as a representation of English patrio- distant place. John o’ Groats is the name of a vil-
tism and traditionalism well into the 20th century, lage at the furthest northeastern point of mainland
but is considered dated today. “He’s a true John Scotland. Scottish folklore has it that the original
Bull” (Louisa May Alcott, Little Women, 1868–69). John o’ Groats (or Jan de Groot) was one of three
Dutch brothers who settled hereabouts around
John Dillinger See public enemy number one. 1500. When members of the eight branches of the
family subsequently disagreed over who was most
John Hancock A person’s signature. As president senior, John built an eight-sided room around an
of the Continental Congress, John Hancock eight-sided table, so that all could sit at the head of
(1736–93) was one of the most prominent sup- the table. You could have heard the groan of despair in
porters of the American cause in the American John o’ Groats.
Revolution and in 1776 became one of the signa-
tories of the Declaration of Independence. His Johnsonian ( jonsoneebn) Written or said in a
large, distinctive signature stood out among those fine, erudite style or otherwise reminiscent of the
of his fellows, hence the adoption of his name as lexicographer, essayist, and wit Dr. Samuel John-
an eponym for a signature. Legend has it that he son (1709–84). Johnson was justly revered in his
deliberately wrote his name as large and clearly as own age and by later generations as a master of
he could so that King George III of England would written and spoken English, and to be judged
be able to read it even without his reading glasses Johnsonian in writing style or conversation remains
(although contemporaries observed that that was no small compliment. His name might also,
253
John the Baptist

however, be quoted less flatteringly in reference to prophet who was blamed for the storm that lashed
the great man’s portly frame. “With Johnsonian the ship in which he was fleeing from God’s com-
vigour, Eliot discussed the way to run a society; he mand to go and preach repentance to the people
surveyed with distanced irony ‘The Literature of of Nineveh (Jonah 1:4–12). To appease the storm
Fascism,’ also printing MacDiarmid’s ‘Second and save the ship, Jonah readily agrees to be cast
Hymn to Lenin’ ” (Robert Crawford, The Savage into the water “for I know that for my sake this
and the City in the Work of T. S. Eliot, 1990). great tempest is upon you.” On being tossed into
the sea he is swallowed by a “great fish” (often pre-
John the Baptist ( jon, baptist) A person who sumed to be a whale), inside which he spends
preaches or speaks out in defiance of hostile opin- three days and nights before being disgorged safely
ion, especially one who urges Christian repentance. on land and subsequently making his way to
John the Baptist was the prophet who foretold the Nineveh as commanded. To Jonah someone means
coming of Christ and went on to baptize Jesus to throw them overboard. “I felt some sentiment
Christ in the Jordan River (Matthew 3:1–15; Mark that it must be a judgment on us also. The Jonah, in
1:4–11; Luke 3:1–22). Jesus regarded him as the my mind, was Mr. Earnshaw” (Emily Brontë,
last and greatest prophet, fulfilling the promise of a Wuthering Heights, 1847).
second Elijah (Matthew 11:11–14). Despite a suc-
cessful ministry, he was killed by Herod Antipas for Jonathan See david and jonathan.
criticizing Herod’s marriage to his sister-in-law
(Matthew 14:1–12). “He was a John the Baptist Jones, Casey See casey jones.
who took ennoblement rather than repentance for
his text” (Thomas Hardy, The Return of the Native, Jones, Indiana See indiana jones.
1880). See also voice crying in the wilderness.
Jordan passed (jordbn) Death completed,
John Wayne The personification in the movies heaven attained. The phrase refers to the Jordan
of the cowboy-hero of the Wild West. John River in the Holy Land and alludes to the miracu-
Wayne (Marion Michael Morrison; 1907–79), lous dryfooted crossing of the river by the Israel-
the star of such iconic westerns as Stagecoach ites led by Joshua on their way to the Promised
(1939) and The Searchers (1956), came to epito- Land (located on the western side and often con-
mize the rugged integrity and indomitable spirit sidered a metaphor for Heaven), as recounted in
of the colonial West as well as the old-fashioned Joshua 3:7–17. Her long struggle was over, Jordan
patriotic, conservative values of the Republican passed and no more suffering to be borne. See also cross
establishment. He walked into the bar like John over jordan.
Wayne looking for the man who had killed his best
friend. See also man’s gotta do what a man’s jorum (jorbm) A large drinking bowl, especially
gotta do, a. one used to contain punch. The name may refer to
the biblical king Joram of Hamath who offered
Jonah (jonb) A person who brings bad luck “vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and vessels
wherever he or she goes. The biblical Jonah was a of brass” (2 Samuel 8:10) as gifts to King David
254
 jubilee

following the latter’s victory over Hadadezer. “At impact on modern fiction through his colorful and
the same table, with both her elbows upon it, was inventive writing, which was remarkable for the
Mrs. Jiniwin; no longer sipping other people’s author’s innovative experiments with grammar
punch feloniously with teaspoons, but taking deep and vocabulary, in par ticular his “stream-of-
draughts from a jorum of her own” (Charles Dick- consciousness” technique in which the narrative is
ens, The Old Curiosity Shop, 1840–41). seemingly allowed to flow without hindrance. In
this regard, calling a person’s writing “Joycean”
Joseph (jozef) A person who remains immune would be considered a compliment, but some
even to the most alluring sexual temptations. The might be inclined to regard it a rather mixed com-
allusion is to the biblical story of Joseph and poti- pliment, bearing in mind Joyce’s reputation for
phar’s wife (Genesis 39), in which Joseph, an obscurity of meaning. His speech was positively Joy-
overseer in Potiphar’s house, steadfastly resists cean in its lack of coherence.
seduction by her, resulting eventually in her falsely
accusing him of making improper advances and J. R. See dallas.
having him thrown into prison. For months he had
been a veritable Joseph in the face of the most tempting Juan, Don See don juan.
of prospects, but the sight of her exposed thigh was too
much. Jubal (joobbl) A musician or the muse of music
and song. Jubal is identified in the Bible as the son
jot or tittle A tiny amount. The phrase comes of Lamech and Adah and described as the father of
from Christ’s Sermon on the Mount, in which he “all such as handle the harp and organ” (Genesis
denies that he comes to destroy the law but rather 4:21). This Jubal played like a god, his fingers a blur
to fulfill it: “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven upon the strings.
and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise
pass from the law, till all be fulfilled” (Matthew jubilee A 50th anniversary and the festivities
5:18; Luke 16:17). Here jot signifies the Greek with which such an occasion may be celebrated.
letter iota (i), the smallest letter in the Greek The word has biblical origins (Leviticus 25 and
alphabet, while tittle is the slight extension of cer- 27), harking back to the jubilees held after seven
tain letters of the Hebrew alphabet that is used to successive Sabbaths of years (49 years) to com-
distinguish one character from another. “Go ye memorate the deliverance of the Israelites from
back to London. We have nothing for you. By no Egypt. Jubilee years, which were ushered in with
jot or tittle do we abate our demands, nor will we the blowing of a jobel (Hebrew for a “ram’s horn”),
until the whole of those demands are yielded” were marked by the fields being allowed to rest
(John Galsworthy, The Forsyte Saga, 1922). uncultivated, by the restoration of land to those to
whom it originally belonged and by the release of
jovial See by jove. Jewish slaves. “Wodger of the Purple Fawn and
Mr. Jaggers the cobbler, who also sold second-
Joycean (joiseebn) After the style of Irish novel- hand ordinary bicycles, were stretching a string of
ist James Joyce (1882–1941). Joyce had a profound union-jacks and royal ensigns (which had originally
255
Judas

celebrated the Jubilee) across the road” (H. G. judgment day A day upon which something will
Wells, The Invisible Man, 1897). be judged or decided once and for all. The biblical
Day of Judgment, as described in the Book of Mat-
Judas (joodbs) A traitor; a hypocrite. The allu- thew (such as 11:22–24; 12:36; 13:49; 25:31–
sion is to Judas Iscariot, who at Gethsemane 33), will come at the end of time. Following
betrayed Christ to the Romans for thirty pieces Christ’s Last Judgment of all souls, from his
of silver (Matthew 26:14). He identified Christ throne on the judgment seat (Romans 14:10),
to his captors by kissing him (Matthew 26:47–49), the good will receive their eternal reward in
hence a Judas kiss signifies an act of betrayal dis- heaven, while the ungodly will be punished in hell.
guised as a demonstration of friendship. Another “Davy at the first crash had howled, Anne, Anne, is
adoption of the name of Judas may be found in the it the Judgment Day? Anne, Anne, I never meant
Judas slit or Judas hole, the name of the small to be naughty, and then had buried his face in
peephole in a cell door through which a prisoner Anne’s lap and kept it there, his little body quiver-
may be watched or inspected by his or her captors. ing” (Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Avonlea,
The elder tree is sometimes known as the Judas 1909).
tree because it was from an elder that Judas is sup-
posed to have hanged himself in remorse for his judgment of Paris (paris) A difficult case or
actions (Matthew 27:5). A Judas goat, mean- argument to decide, especially one in which there
while, is someone who deceitfully leads others is no solution that will satisfy all parties. The
into danger (as one goat may lead others to slaugh- expression refers to an episode in Greek legend in
ter). “What could you do? You could be Judas to which Paris, the handsome son of King Priam of
yo’ own mother to save yo’ wuthless hide! Would Troy, was invited to decide which of the three
anybody b’lieve it?” (Mark Twain, Pudd’nhead Wil- goddesses Hera, Pallas Athene, and Aphrodite was
son, 1894). the fairest. Faced with such a perilous decision,
Paris awarded the prize to Aphrodite, who had
Judge Jeffreys See jeffreys, judge. bribed him with the promise of the most beautiful
woman in the world. His decision made Hera and
judge not, that ye be not judged Do not be too Pallas Athene his bitter enemies and led ultimately
hasty to condemn others, as you may invite to the fall of Troy. “On the appointed afternoon, all
unwelcome criticism of yourself. The sentiment Simla rode down to Annandale to witness the
comes originally from Christ’s Sermon on the Judgment of Paris turned upside down” (Rudyard
Mount (Matthew 7:1–5) and is usually quoted as Kipling, Cupid’s Arrows, 1888). See also apple of
a warning to keep one’s unfavorable opinions of discord.
others to oneself. “It may seem strange that any
men should fare to ask a just God’s assistance in judgment of Solomon (solbmbn) Great wis-
wringing their bread from the sweat of other dom, as required to solve a particularly difficult
men’s faces; but let us judge not, that we be not dispute or problem. The allusion is to a biblical
judged” (Abraham Lincoln, “Gettysburg Address,” dispute (1 Kings 3:16–28) brought before King
1863). Solomon, who was widely respected for his
256
 Jumping Jehoshaphat!

wisdom and sense of justice, by two prostitutes throwing them under the wheels to keep him sat-
who were both claiming possession of the same isfied” (Booth Tarkington, Alice Adams, 1921).
child. Having heard their cases, Solomon calmly
proposed cutting the child in half so that the Julian calendar (jooleebn) The calendar that pre-
women could have equal shares; the woman who ceded the present Gregorian calendar. The system
showed anxiety about this proposal proved she was named after the Roman emperor Julius Caesar
was the real mother and was accordingly awarded (100–44 b.c.), who introduced the system in 46
custody of the infant. The biblical account records because the existing system (based on the lunar
Solomon’s prayer for wisdom (1 Kings 3:5–15) month rather than the solar year) had led to the
and the giving by God to him of “a wise and Roman year being a full three months ahead of
understanding heart” (verse 12). “ ‘The devil take where it should have been. The fact that Caesar’s
all halves and quarters!’ said the Captain; ‘were it own calendar meant that each year was longer by
in my option, I could no more consent to the 11 minutes than it should have been eventually per-
halving of that dollar, than the woman in the Judg- suaded Pope Gregory XIII to replace it in 1582 with
ment of Solomon to the disseverment of the child the so-called Gregorian calendar, which was subse-
of her bowels’ ” (Sir Walter Scott, A Legend of Mon- quently adopted by Britain and its colonies in 1752,
trose, 1819). when 11 days (September 2–14) were omitted to
correct the long-standing inaccuracy of the former
judgment seat See judgment day. system. People who did not understand the ratio-
nale behind this latest updating feared they were
Judy See punch and judy. being robbed of the time and protested vigorously
under the slogan “give us back our 11 days.” Ethiopia
juggernaut (jugernot) A large, heavy truck; any ranks among the few countries that still retain the
immense object, force, or concept with seemingly Julian calendar. Such ideas belong to a different time, to
unstoppable momentum. The word comes from the era of the Julian calendar and gladiatorial combat.
Hindu mythology, specifically from the name Jag-
ganath, which was one of the many titles adopted Juliet See romeo and juliet.
by the god Vishnu. Idols of Jagannath are tradition-
ally borne on massive wheeled vehicles pulled by July The seventh month of the year. July was
thousands of pilgrims at an annual festival held in named after the Roman emperor Julius Caesar
the city of Puri in eastern India in his honor. Popu- (100–44 b.c.) on the command of Mark Antony
lar belief has it that extreme devotees of Jagganath (c. 82–30 b.c.); it was originally known as Quinti-
regularly make sacrifices of themselves by lying lis. Her smile was as sunny as July.
down in front of the huge wheels carrying his
image and being crushed to death, although the Jumping Jehoshaphat! ( jbhoshbfat) A mild
reality may be that these are simply unfortunates oath. According to 1 Kings 22, Jehoshaphat, whose
who have lost their footing in the press of wor- name means “Jehovah is judge,” was one of the
shipers. “It’s as if he were some horrible old Jug- kings of Judah from 873 to 849 b.c. As king he
gernaut and I had to see my children’s own father promoted the religious education of his people and
257
June

was renowned for his godly ways. The adjective Jupiter was the king and ruler of the gods, equiv-
jumping would appear have become attached purely alent of the Greek Zeus. His name literally means
for reasons of onomatopoeic appeal. Jumping “bright heaven.” “By Jupiter!” exclaimed the colonel.
Jehoshaphat! The building’s on fire! “I see what you mean.” See also by jove.

June The sixth month of the year. June was prob- Jurassic Park ( joorasik) Scientifically implau-
ably named after the moon goddess Juno, the wife sible or outlandish. The allusion is to the film
and sister of Jupiter and the Roman equivalent of Jurassic Park (1993) and its sequels, in which the
Hera in Greek mythology. Another theory suggests central premise is that it would be possible to
the month may have been named in honor of the recreate living dinosaurs of the Jurassic period by
Junius family of ancient Rome, from which came isolating their DNA from mosquitos preserved in
some of the murderers of Julius Caesar (100–44 amber. Although the films were hugely success-
b.c.). In the conservatory it was as hot as June. ful, scientists dismissed the idea as wildly removed
from reality. The general opinion was that the whole
Junoesque ( joonoesk) Regally beautiful. The theory was a bit “Jurassic Park.”
adjective alludes to Juno, the wife and sister of
Jupiter, who was renowned for her great beauty justified by works See faith without works.
and dignity. This stateliness was reflected in the
adoption of her name as an epithet for the peacock, Just William A mischievous or naughty little
sometimes referred to as the Junonian bird. As boy. The allusion is to William Brown, the ram-
Jupiter’s queen she was identified as the guardian bunctious central character in the Just William
of mortal women and the protector of marriage. stories (1922–70) of Richmal Crompton (1890–
Juno was, however, also well known for her jealous 1969). Crompton’s William is naturally rebel-
anger at the faithless behavior of her husband, and lious and consequently often in trouble, though
many references to her name in literature relate to never seriously, with his parents and the authori-
the anger of Juno. “She seldom ran—it did not ties. The “Just William” tag is also applied more
suit her style, she thought, for being tall, the stately widely to anything that is reminiscent of
and Junoesque was more appropriate than the Crompton’s character or his now rather old-
sportive or piquante” (Louisa May Alcott, Little fashioned middle-class world. “He would stand
Women, 1868–69). See also money. there, with his Just William cap on and sing—no
movements, just natural, and it made you forget
Jupiter (joopiter) The largest of the planets the world” (Melvyn Bragg, Rich:The Life of Richard
and the fifth from the Sun. In Roman mythology Burton, 1989).

258
ååååå K å
Kafkaesque (kafkbesk) Nightmarish, defying translation into English by Sir Richard Burton and
logic, contradictory. The allusion is to the short F. F. Arbuthnot in 1883. Geraldine was surprised to
stories and novels of the Czech-born writer Franz receive a lecture on the kama sutra from her aunt when
Kafka (1883–1924), which generally depict indi- she visited her in the retirement home.
viduals overwhelmed by terrifying, surreal events
of which they have little understanding and over kamikaze (kamikahzee) A suicide attack or
which they have no control.The term “Kafkaesque” attacker. Derived from the Japanese for “divine
is often applied to the seemingly unfathomable or wind,” the term became widely familiar during
nonsensical actions of big bureaucracies or faceless the latter stages of World War II when it was
state organizations. “Toiling up the slope from adopted as a tactic by Japanese fighter pilots, who
Falmer railway station, you had the Kafkaesque attempted to sink Allied warships by crashing their
sensation of walking into an endlessly deep stage bomb-laden aircraft into them at the cost of their
set where apparently three-dimensional objects own lives.The original “divine wind” was a typhoon
turned out to be painted flats, and reality receded that removed the threat of an imminent Mongol
as fast as you pursued it” (David Lodge, Nice invasion of Japan in August 1281 by destroying the
Work, 1988). Mongol invasion fleet. In modern usage, the term
is commonly applied to anyone who behaves in a
kalends See calends. reckless manner apparently without regard to his
or her own safety or interests. The streets were being
kama sutra (kahmb sootrb) An erotic sex man- terrorized by kamikaze motorists who seemed oblivious of
ual detailing lovemaking techniques. Though today the danger they were putting themselves in.
applied to virtually any sex guide, the term origi-
nally referred to an ancient Hindu text that gave Kane, Citizen See citizen kane.
advice on lovemaking and related matters, some-
times attributed to the first-century a.d. Indian kangaroo court An improperly constituted court
sage Vatsyayana. Its name referred to Kama, an that has no legal validity. The expression would
Indian love god (kama also being the Sanskrit word appear to be of U.S. (not Australian) origin, being
for “love”), and sutra, meaning “thread” or “way.” first recorded in the American West around the
The book became notorious in the West after its middle of the 19th century, specifically to describe
259
Kansas anymore, we’re not in

the impromptu legal proceedings set up to settle her his wife. The play, with its somewhat misogy-
disputes among miners taking part in the 1849 nistic message, presents a problem for modern
gold rush (who happened to include many Austra- directors and audiences, although its comedy and
lians). The name was probably inspired by the characters remain as sparkling and effective as they
erratic bounds of the kangaroo. “They hold the were in Shakespeare’s day. He thought he had wed a
odd kangaroo court to deal with those who have Barbie, but it turned out he had married a Kate.
caused trouble but aren’t what the state would
consider criminals—people who con their own Keaton, Buster See buster keaton.
families out of earnings or land, that sort of thing”
(David A. McIntee, White Darkness, 1993). Kedar’s tents (keedahrz) The world of the human
race. The expression is biblical in origin, alluding
Kansas anymore, we’re not in See we’re not in to Kedar, the son of Ishmael who is identified in
kansas anymore. Genesis 25:13 as the forbear of a tribe of nomadic
Arabs. The phrase itself appears in Psalm 120:5:
Karenina, Anna See anna karenina. “Woe is me, that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell
in the tents of Kedar!” They found the old beggar’s
Karloff, Boris See boris karloff. body the following day. Some time during the night he
had made his escape from Kedar’s tents.
karma (kahrmb) The essence of a person’s spiri-
tual being. The concept of karma is a central idea keep oneself unspotted from the world To keep
in both Hindu and Buddhist thought, and it is the oneself free of the corruptions of the world. The
state of a person’s karma at the end of his or her expression is biblical: “Pure religion and unde-
life that decides the nature of the individual’s next filed before God and the Father is this, To visit
incarnation. In modern usage the word is often the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and
taken to refer generally to fate or to a person’s to keep himself unspotted from the world”
soul or sense of spiritual well-being. She resolutely (James 1:27). “Then there was an interval and a
refused to allow her karma to be disrupted by the dis- scene with his people, who expected much from
turbing news coming at her on the television and radio him. Next a year of living unspotted from the
and settled down to spend the evening with a good world in a third-rate depot battalion where all
book. the juniors were children, and all the seniors old
women; and lastly he came out to India, where
Karno’s Army See fred karno’s army. he was cut off from the support of his parents,
and had no one to fall back on in time of trouble
Kate Archetype of a self-willed, nagging woman. except himself ” (Rudyard Kipling, Plain Tales from
The allusion is to the title character in William the Hills, 1888).
Shakespeare’s comedy The Taming of the Shrew
(c. 1594), in which Kate is depicted as an untamed, keep the ball rolling To maintain momentum in
shrewish young woman who is eventually brought something; to keep something going. The allusion
to heel by Petruchio, who cowes her after making here (though largely forgotten) is to the U.S.
260
 Keystone Cops

presidential campaign of 1840, between William Maynard Keynes (1883–1946). Central to these
Henry Harrison and Martin Van Buren. One of was the idea that governments need to maintain
the features of the ultimately successful campaign control of monetary policy in order to control the
to get Harrison elected was the rolling of huge economy. He also argued in favor of higher gov-
balls made of paper and buckskin and decorated ernment spending to counter mass unemploy-
with campaigning slogans substantial distances ment, a stance that was opposed by supporters of
through cities and the countryside (for example, a free market. “Local government was a crucial
from Cleveland, Ohio, to Lexington, Kentucky, element of the social-democratic or Keynesian
and from Kentucky to Baltimore, Maryland). Sup- welfare state so laboriously constructed after the
porters propelling the balls onward were encour- war” (James Anderson and Allan Cochrane, eds.,
aged to “keep the ball rolling—on to Washington!” I Politics in Transition, 1989).
know we’re all tired but we need to keep the ball rolling.
keys of the kingdom The keys to heaven or more
keep up with the Joneses (jonzbz) To keep level generally any means of access to authority or priv-
in status with one’s neighbors. The allusion is to a ilege. The phrase appears in Matthew 16:18–19,
comic strip called “Keeping up with the Joneses— where Christ addresses Peter: “And I say also unto
by Pop” drawn by Arthur R. Momand for the New thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will
York Globe between 1913 and 1941, and allegedly build my church; and the gates of hell shall not
inspired by the artist’s own efforts to maintain his prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the
social standing with his real-life neighbors in an keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever
affluent New York suburb. “The adverts scold us thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven:
and cajole us and wheedle us and fawn us to keep and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be
up with the Joneses” (Stewart Lamont, In Good loosed in heaven.” The symbol of crossed keys sub-
Faith, 1989). sequently became an emblem of the papacy, and
Peter is commonly depicted as the doorkeeper of
Kelly, Ned See ned kelly. heaven. Winning a seat in the Senate seemed to him like
being given the keys of the kingdom, but reality turned
Kemo Sabe See lone ranger. out to be very different.

Ken See barbie. Keystone Cops (keeston) A comically incompe-

tent outfit of some kind, especially people in
Kenobi, Obi-Wan See obi-wan kenobi. authority. The allusion is to the Keystone Come-
dies made in the silent movie era by Mack Sennett
Kent, Clark See superman. (1880–1960), the first of which appeared in 1913.
The Keystone Cops themselves were a group of
Ketch, Jack See jack ketch. hilariously inept policemen in ill-fitting uniforms
played by a talented cast of stunt performers who
Keynesian (keenzeebn, kaynzeebn) Of or relat- at one point included Charlie Chaplin (see chap-
ing to the theories of British economist John linesque). Highlights of the Keystone Comedies
261
KGB

were the extended slapstick chase sequences. “It generous feast: “Bring hither the fatted calf, and kill
would have been like something out of the Key- it; and let us eat, and be merry” (Luke 15:23).
stone Cops” (Alastair MacNeill, Time of the Assas- “ ‘Well, here I am. Kill the fatted calf,Warmson, let’s
sins, 1992). have fizz’ ” ( John Galsworthy, The Forsyte Saga,
1922).
KGB The state police, or some other secret
police organization. The KGB, or Komitet Gos- kill the goose that laid the golden egg To cut off
udárstvennoi Bezopásnosti (Committee for State the supply of one’s own wealth or other benefits.
Security), was the intelligence agency of the The allusion is to a folktale about a goose that laid
Soviet Union until the collapse of the Communist golden eggs for its poor peasant owners. The peas-
government in the late 1980s. It had an interna- ants grew greedy and imagined they would find
tional reputation for brutality and oppression. more gold if they cut the goose open; when they
Being questioned by her parents was like being inter- did so, however, they found no gold and the goose
rogated by the KGB. died. By turning the event into a commercial tourist attrac-
tion, they risk killing the goose that lays the golden egg.
kick against the pricks To resist or protest
against prevailing opinion or conditions. The kill the messenger To punish the bearer of bad
expression comes from the biblical Book of Acts, news rather than tackle the source of it. The
in which Saul is struck by a bright light while on expression comes from the tragedy Antigone
the road to Damascus and addressed by Christ (c. 442 b.c.) by the Greek playwright Sophocles:
himself: “And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou “None love the messenger who brings bad tidings.”
persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the Variants include shoot the messenger. Political
pricks” (Acts 9:5). The phrase refers to the kicking columnists agreed that the dismissal of the vice presi-
of an ox or horse when goaded or spurred. “Paul dent’s aide was a case of killing the messenger rather
was laid up with an attack of bronchitis. He did than going to the real source of the problem.
not mind much. What happened happened, and it
was no good kicking against the pricks” (D. H. killing field A place where slaughter on a mas-
Lawrence, Sons and Lovers, 1913). sive scale takes place. The phrase was originally
applied to the infamous killing fields of Cambodia
Kildare, Doctor See doctor kildare. where thousands of opponents of Pol Pot’s Khmer
Rouge regime and many more innocent victims
Kilkenny cats, fight like See fight like were executed between 1975 and 1979.The actual
kilkenny cats. location of Cambodia’s killing fields was the
paddy fields around Phnom Penh. The grim events
kill the fatted calf To offer a guest the finest food of the period were presented before a worldwide
or other fare available; to arrange a lavish celebra- audience in the film The Killing Fields (1984). “The
tion. The phrase is biblical in origin, coming from stadium chosen for the game was literally the killing
the parable of the prodigal son in which the fields, a place where supporters of the deposed
father welcomes his younger son home with a Allende government had been tortured and assas-
262
 King Lear

sinated” (Stuart Cosgrove, Hampden Babylon, 1991). the departure of the Romans from Britain and the
See also year zero. Saxon invasion. The stories are widely familiar,
and the term Arthurian is immediately under-
Kilroy was here (kilroi) Ubiquitous graffiti slo- stood to represent such knightly qualities as cour-
gan. The origins of this familiar graffiti tag are age, loyalty, honor, and Christian fidelity. Like some
unclear, although there are suggestions that the modern King Arthur, he believed implicitly in the righ-
original Kilroy was a shipyard inspector at Quincy, teousness of his presidential court. See also avalon;
Massachusetts, who chalked up these words on camelot; excalibur; merlin.
pieces of material he had inspected. Whatever the
origin, the phrase became well known during King Canute (kbnoot) A person who makes fan-
World War II, when it was scrawled on walls all ciful claims far beyond his or her real influence or
over the world by U.S. troops, especially mem- importance. The historical King Canute (d. 1035)
bers of Air Transport Command. No one should was the Danish-born king of England who, in
expect great cultural awareness from this “Kilroy was order to demonstrate to his flattering courtiers
here” generation, whose chief artistic expression seems to the limits of his earthly powers, led his court to
be defacing rolling stock with garish tags. the seashore and there ordered the incoming tide
to retreat. Perversely, despite the intent behind
kindness of strangers, the See blanche the gesture, Canute’s name is today usually
dubois. invoked as an illustration of overweening ambi-
tion, not humility. “Having proved myself incapa-
King, the The nickname by which U.S. pop star ble of holding back an irresistible force, I now
Elvis Presley (1935–77) became universally known. know exactly how Canute felt” (Lee Wilkinson, Joy
The nickname, otherwise rendered as the King of Bringer, 1992).
Rock ’n’ Roll, reflects Presley’s preeminence
among the pop stars of his generation. Another King Kong A person or thing of large, even mon-
nickname, Elvis the Pelvis, reflects the sexual strous proportions. The allusion is to the classic
allure of his stage performances. He had a large col- 1933 movie King Kong, since remade several times,
lection of singles by the King and other giants of the in which King Kong is a terrifying giant gorilla
early rock ’n’ roll era. See also graceland. who is brought low by his weakness for a pretty
human woman, played in 1933 by Fay Wray, in
King Arthur The ideal of a chivalric ruler. A 1976 by Jessica Lange, and in 2005 by Naomi
lengthy cycle of legends describes the adventures Watts. “So there they stood, five feet apart: the
of King Arthur and his knights, from his pulling monstrous stranger and the pure-beef hooligan,
the sword from the stone (thereby proving his both ready for battle and roaring their jungle chal-
claim to the throne of England), through the for- lenges into the night air like Godzilla and King
mation of the round table and the search for the Kong” (Helen Forrester, The Latchkey Kid, 1990).
holy grail, to his betrayal by Queen Guinevere
and Sir Lancelot and eventual death. Historically, King Lear (leer) Archetype of a foolish and
the legends are hazily placed somewhere between tragic old man, especially one who becomes
263
King Log

deranged when stripped of his illusions and (as in Ezekiel 26:7 and 1 Timothy 6:15) and Jesus
brought face to face with harsh realities. As told Christ (as in Revelation 17:14). It has been borne
by William Shakespeare in his tragedy King Lear formally by some Eastern monarchs over the cen-
(1605), the story of Lear begins with the king turies and was adopted as a title by several rulers
deciding to divide his kingdom between his three of Ethiopia. The managing director likes to remind
daughters, Goneril, Regan, and cordelia, on other directors that he is the king of kings. Contrary
condition that each profess her love for him. opinions are not encouraged.
When Cordelia refuses to match the insincere
adoration of her two elder sisters, she is cut off Kiplingesque (kiplingesk) Reminiscent of the
from her inheritance. Cordelia’s honesty, com- writings of Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936), espe-
bined with the ensuing contempt of Goneril and cially with regard to the imperialistic associations
Regan, triggers Lear’s descent into madness and, of his work. Many of Kipling’s stories were set in
after the death of Cordelia, his own broken- British-controlled India, in which country Kipling
hearted demise. There was a legendary early king himself was born. Tony tried to interrupt, but his aunt
of Britain called Lir (or Lear), who was reputed was lost in visions of her Kiplingesque past. See also
to have been married to Fingula and, after Fingu- gunga din; white man’s burden.
la’s death, to the wicked Aoife, who turned Lir’s
children into swans. In modern usage, Lear’s kirche, küche, kinder (kerkb, kookb, kinder) The
name is often quoted in discussions about prob- limitation of women’s interests to religious and
lematic relations between parents and children. domestic duties. The German for “church,
He looked like King Lear, ranting at his daughter from kitchen, children,” the phrase was adopted by the
the top step in the pouring rain, his long white hair Nazis to delineate what they insisted was the
billowing in the wind. proper place for the woman in the modern world.
His grandmother was not one of those women for whom
King Log (log) A peace-loving ruler who rules life was going to be confined to kirche, küche, kinder.
with a gentle hand. The allusion is to a Greek fable
about some frogs who petition Zeus for a king. Kirk, Captain See star trek.
When the god provides them with a log as their
monarch, the frogs complain, and Zeus sends kiss me, Hardy Farewell, I am dying (used face-
them a stork instead, which immediately sets tiously). These are reputed to have been the last
about eating them. “We have all heard of King words of Admiral nelson to Captain Thomas
Log; but, in these jostling times, one of that royal Masterman Hardy during the Battle of Trafalgar in
kindred will hardly win the race for an elective October 1805, the admiral having been shot by a
chief-magistracy” (Nathaniel Hawthorne, The French sniper and carried below decks on board
House of the Seven Gables, 1851). his flagship HMS Victory. There has been much dis-
cussion of the possibility that his actual last words,
king of kings A supremely powerful king or misheard by witnesses, were “Kismet, Hardy”
other authority. The phrase comes from the Bible, (“kismet” meaning “fate”), although the fact that
in which it is one of the titles used to describe God Hardy did then kiss Nelson on the cheek casts some
264
 knight in shining armor

doubt over this suggestion. “ ‘Kiss me, Hardy,’ giggled (including newspapermen and Treasury officials)
Colin as Rod tried to help him up from the bar-room floor. who contributed to the decisions made by U.S.
president Andrew Jackson, apart from his official
kiss of Judas See judas. staff. According to inside sources, top-level policy deci-
sions are being strongly influenced by the views of an
kiss the Blarney stone To be endowed with the unelected kitchen cabinet.
gift of eloquence. The allusion is to the Irish folk
belief that anyone who kisses the Blarney stone (a Kitchener, Lord See your country needs you.
limestone block set in the wall of Blarney Castle
near Cork) will become silver-tongued. Kissing kitchen-sink Denoting a genre of drama, art,
the stone, a tradition that dates from the 18th cen- movie-making, etc., that deals with the harsh real-
tury, is no easy feat, as it involves hanging precari- ities of ordinary life among the working class. The
ously over a sheer drop. The legend has its origins term itself first appeared in a review written by
in the story of Cormac MacDermot MacCarthy, David Sylvester in 1954 and was soon being
lord of Blarney, who by making glib promises and applied across the cultural landscape. The kitchen-
hollow assurances for many years managed to talk sink drama emerged as a major new force in Brit-
his way out of transferring his allegiance to the ish and U.S. cultural life in the mid-1950s with
English Crown. Blarney has also entered the lan- such plays as John Osborne’s Look Back in Anger
guage as a word for smooth-talking nonsense. (1956) and Arnold Wesker’s The Kitchen (1959).
“ ‘And didn’t we all know you kissed the blarney We were fed up with the kitchen-sink dramas that every
stone?’ she whispered back” (Emma Richmond, management in London was putting on. See also angry
Love of My Heart, 1993). young man; ashcan school.

kiss the hem of his garment See hem of his Klondike (klondik) A source of fabulous, easily
garment, touch the. attained wealth. The Klondike region of the
Yukon, Canada, was the scene of a gold rush that
Kit Carson Archetype of a pioneer frontiersman. began after George Cormack found gold in
Christopher (or Kit) Carson (1809–68) had an Bonanza Creek there on August 17, 1896. Thou-
adventurous life as a frontier guide, hunter, trap- sands hurried to the Klondike to make their for-
per, and explorer. He also participated in the con- tunes panning gold in the streams of the area;
quest of California, served as agent of Indian some succeeded, many did not. The Klondike
affairs, and fought on the Confederate side in the has since remained synonymous with the
U.S. Civil War. What we need now is a Kit Carson to achievement of overnight wealth. “The Klondike
show us the way out of these woods. and Hollywood had much in common” (John
Parker, The Joker’s Wild: Biography of Jack Nichol-
kitchen cabinet An informal group of advisers, son, 1991).
who may well have more influence than their offi-
cial counterparts. The expression was first used in A person who rescues
knight in shining armor
the 19th century in reference to the advisers someone from peril or other difficulty. The
265
knights of the Round Table

allusion is to medieval legends in which the res- Brontë, Jane Eyre, 1847). See also father, forgive
cuers were literally knights in shining armor, them.
often depicted rushing to the aid of a damsel in
distress. “She was convinced that if only she know someone from Adam, not to To be entirely
could find ‘a knight in shining armour,’ her life ignorant of someone’s identity. The expression
would be transformed” (Gill Edwards, Living alludes to the biblical Adam (Genesis 2:19), who
Magically, 1991). as the first man ever to live, should surely be famil-
iar to everyone. This grizzled old veteran claimed to
knights of the Round Table See round table. know my grandfather, but Grandpa protested that he did
not know him from Adam.
knock and it shall be opened See seek and ye
shall find. know them by their fruits To make judgments
about a person’s character based on his or her
know-nothing A bigoted, anti-intellectual, reac- behavior or actions. The phrase is biblical in ori-
tionary, or xenophobic person. The allusion is to gin, coming from Matthew 7:16–20, in which
an anti-Catholic, anti-immigrant movment, nick- Christ warns against false prophets: “Ye shall
named the “Know-Nothing” movement, that enjoyed know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes
a brief spell in the limelight in the United States in of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good
the 1850s, when concerted efforts were made to tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree
ensure that important public offices went only to bringeth forth evil fruit . . . Wherefore by their
native-born Americans. The nickname of this fruits ye shall know them.” We’ll see if his claims to
secret political organization referred to the usual be a reformed person are backed up by his actions. As the
reply given by its supporters to any query into the good book says,“You will know them by their fruits.”
party’s activities: “I know nothing.” The campaign
lost support among the liberal intelligentsia after some Kojak (kojak) A bald-headed person. The allu-
of the candidates made a blatant appeal to the know- sion is to the fictional New York police detective
nothings who feared their jobs might go to recently Theo Kojak, played by Telly Savalas (1924–94) in
arrived foreign immigrants. the U.S. television series Kojak (1973–77). His
trademarks were his lollipops and his famously
know not what they do, they Said of those who bald head. He went in with a mop of dark curls and
act without realizing the significance of their came out looking like Kojak.
actions or the consequences that may follow. The
phrase is a quotation from Christ on the Cross, Kong, King See king kong.
when he requests divine forgiveness for those who
have put him to death: “Father, forgive them; for K.P. Domestic duties. The allusion is to U.S.
they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). “ ‘Yes, Army slang, in which “K.P.” was an abbreviation
Mrs. Reed, to you I owe some fearful pangs of for “kitchen police.” Richard explained that he could
mental suffering. But I ought to forgive you, for not come out with them as he had to stay at home to do
you knew not what you did . . .’ ” (Charlotte some K.P.
266
 Ku Klux Klan

Krakatoa (krakbtob) A volcanic eruption or a Today the term is often used not so much with ref-
similarly destructive explosion or outburst of erence to the violence committed during the origi-
some kind. The volcanic island of Krakatoa in nal Kristallnacht but in horror at the subsequent
Indonesia erupted with devastating power in lack of protest by the rest of the world at the events
1883, resulting in the destruction of most of the that had taken place. The authorities are worried that
island itself and widespread damage and loss of this might prove to be a Kristallnacht leading to much
life. The island has since reformed as pressure worse victimization of the Kurdish minority. See also
builds up below for a future eruption. The scandal holocaust.
erupted like Krakatoa, prompting many leading figures
to run for cover. Kronos See cronos.

Kramer vs. Kramer (kraymbr) Archetype of a Krueger, Freddy See nightmare on elm street.
painful, legally protracted divorce. The allusion is
to the 1979 movie Kramer vs. Kramer, which starred kryptonite (kriptonit) Something that may have
Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep as a divorcing a powerfully negative effect on something else.
couple fighting over the custody of their son. They The fictitious green-colored substance kryptonite,
had hoped they could disentangle their lives without from the equally fictitious planet Krypton, is iden-
their divorce becoming Kramer vs. Kramer, but this tified as the one thing that can deprive the comic-
proved impossible. strip and movie hero superman of his superhuman
powers. In November 2006 it was announced that
K-ration A meal consisting of basic or emer- a chemical substance with a remarkably similar
gency foodstuffs. The first K-rations were those formula to that of the fictitious kryptonite (though
provided to U.S. soldiers fighting in World War II. white, not green in color) had been discovered in
They were named after the U.S. physiologist drill holes made in Serbia, leading to suggestions
Ancel B. Keys (1904–2004) who devised them. that the new substance be called kryptonite in
We were on K-rations for ten days until supplies could be Superman’s honor (though it is properly identified
flown out to our base camp. as jadarite). Magnolia paint is like kryptonite to most
contemporary interior designers.
Kristallnacht (kristalnakt) An outburst of mob
violence against a particular section of society. The Ku Klux Klan (koo kluks klan) A secret society
allusion is to the original Kristallnacht (German for based on racist bigotry. The Ku Klux Klan was
“night of glass”) that took place during the night of formed by white supremacists in Tennessee in
November 9–10, 1938. German Brownshirts led 1865 following the abolition of slavery at the end
mobs against Jewish shops and houses in many of the Civil War and its influence quickly spread
German towns and cities, breaking windows as throughout the Confederate southern states. Klan
well as looting and then setting fire to the premises. members disguised their identity with long white
Many Jews fled Germany in the wake of the out- robes and hoods and terrorized their black neigh-
rages, which had led to the deaths of over 300 Jews bors, who were threatened, beaten up, and even
and the destruction of hundreds of synagogues. lynched. Other victims included the Catholic and
267
Kulturkampf

Jewish populations of the southern states. The the state and the church. The word was originally
authorities have taken repeated steps to suppress applied to the political conflict in the 1870s
the organization over the years and by the end of between Chancellor Otto von Bismarck and the
the 20th century it had been greatly reduced. The Roman Catholic establishment. “Even the Jesuits,
name of the organization was derived from the who were called upon in 1573 to lead the Kultur-
Greek word kuklos (meaning “circle”). Being critical kampf against the Protestant heresy, were forced
of government policy toward immigration does not auto- to provide devotional literature and hymns in Slo-
matically mean someone is a fully paid-up member of the vene” (F. Singleton, A Short History of the Yugoslav
Ku Klux Klan, at least not yet. Peoples, 1993).

Kulturkampf (kuultuurkamf) The battle for con- Kurtz, Mr.See heart of darkness; horror,
trol of civilization, especially that waged between the horror!, the.

268
ååååå Lå
la belle dame sans merci (la bel dam son mairsee) be bad indeed that is not worth a bone. “Your
Archetype of an unattainable lover. The allusion ser vice will not be altogether gratuitous, my old
is to the poem “La belle dame sans merci” (1820) friend—the labourer is worthy of his hire” (Sir
by the British poet John Keats, in which a knight Walter Scott, St Ronan’sWell, 1824).
falls hopelessly in love with an unattainable fairy
woman. Keats himself drew on an older tradi- labor of love Work undertaken voluntarily, for
tion, notably a 1424 poem of the same title by the love of doing it, rather than for payment. The
the French poet Alain Chartier. She was fated to phrase is biblical in origin, appearing at 1 Thessa-
remain his belle dame sans merci, ever out of his lonians 1:3: “Remembering without ceasing your
reach. work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of
hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God
la belle époque (la bel aypok) A period of easy and our Father.” “Her willing feet were never tired
living, elegance, and high culture, especially the of taking steps for those who had smoothed her
period that began in Europe at the close of the Franco- way; her skilful hands were always busy in some
Prussian War in 1871 and ended with the outbreak labour of love for them” (Louisa May Alcott, Eight
of World War I in 1914. The phrase is French for Cousins, 1874).
“the beautiful era.” In modern usage, it often
implies a glossy appearance masking less attrac- labor of Sisyphus See sisyphean.
tive realities beneath. The 1950s were la belle époque
for the club, when they were the equal of any team in the labors of Hercules (herkyooleez) A series of
world. daunting, almost impossibly demanding tasks. The
allusion is to the 12 challenges that were imposed
laborer is worthy of his hire, the A person who on the Greek hero hercules by his cousin King
does work for others deserves to be paid.The prov- Eurystheus of Tiryns. In order, they were killing
erb comes from Luke 10:7, which quotes Christ as the terrible Nemean lion; vanquishing the many-
saying, “And in the same house remain, eating and headed serpent called the Hydra; capturing the
drinking such things as they give: for the labourer formidable Erymanthean boar; taking possession
is worthy of his hire.” (See also 1 Timothy 5:18.) of the Sacred Hind of Arcadia; destroying the
Variants include the Roman proverb the dog must Stymphalian birds; cleaning out the Augean stables;
269
labyrinth

capturing the human-eating mares of King Dio- June, and was as crowded with figures as a coro-
medes of Thrace; acquiring the girdle of Hippolyta, nation” (Thomas Hardy, The Return of the Native,
queen of the Amazons; capturing the Cretan bull; 1878).
taking the oxen of Geryon; killing the dragon
Ladon and bringing back the Golden Apples of the Lachesis See fates.
Hesperides; and, finally, taking the three-headed
dog Cerberus from his station in Hades. Hercules laconic (lbkonik) Terse; concise; pithy; using a
successfully performed all of these tasks. By the end minimum of words. The word alludes to Laconia,
of the week the team felt as if they had completed the the Greek district of which Sparta was the capital
labors of Hercules. in classical times. The inhabitants of Laconia pur-
sued a spare, simple lifestyle and were renowned
labyrinth (labbrinth, labrinth) A mazelike for their abruptness and terseness of speech, hence
arrangement of paths, rooms, passages, concepts, the modern meaning of the word. “Jude did not
etc., in which it is easy to get lost. In Greek pause to remember that, in the laconic words of
mythology the original labyrinth was the system the historian, ‘insulted Nature sometimes vindi-
of tunnels and chambers constructed by Daedalus cated her rights’ in such circumstances” (Thomas
for King Minos of Crete to house the terrible Hardy, Jude the Obscure, 1895).
Minotaur, described as half man and half bull.
Each year, as punishment for the murder in Ath- la dolce vita (la dolchay veetb) The easy life; a life
ens of Androgeos, the son of King Minos, the of pleasure and idleness. An Italian phrase mean-
Athenians were obliged to give up 14 youths to be ing “the sweet life,” it provided the title for the
fed to the Minotaur as a sacrifice. This continued 1960 Federico Fellini movie La Dolce Vita, which
until theseus succeeded in killing the monster, depicted the decadent and meaningless lives of
armed with a sword given to him by the king’s bored, wealthy Roman socialites. I’ve been working
daughter, Ariadne, and with a ball of thread that so hard lately I need a holiday and a bit of la dolce
he had unraveled in order to find his way out by vita.
retracing his steps. It has been suggested that the
legend of the labyrinth of Crete may have been Ladon See labors of hercules.
inspired by the complex ground plan of the huge
royal palace at Knossos, built around 1700 b.c. Lady Bountiful (bowntif bl) A generous, chari-
and unearthed by Arthur John Evans, a British table woman, especially one who tends to the sick.
archaeologist, in a.d. 1900. By extension, any- Lady Bountiful was a memorable character in the
thing that is considered complicated or convo- stage comedy The Beaux’ Stratagem (1707) by the
luted may be described as labyrinthine. “Such an Irish playwright George Farquhar (1678–1707).
elaborately developed, perplexing, exciting dream She is admired in the play for her care of the sick
was certainly never dreamed by a girl in Eustacia’s and is credited with curing large numbers of her
situation before. It had as many ramifications as patients. After her retirement she earned a reputation as
the Cretan labyrinth, as many fluctuations as the a Lady Bountiful, using her wealth to support a number
Northern Lights, as much colour as a parterre in of worthy local causes.
270
 Laelaps

Lady Bracknell (braknbl) Archetype of a stern, Godiva was the wife of Leofric, earl of Mercia
elderly female relative. Lady Bracknell is one of (d. 1057). When her husband imposed new taxes
the characters in the comedy The Importance of on his tenants, Lady Godiva begged him to lift
Being Earnest (1895) by the Irish playwright them, in return promising to ride naked through
Oscar Wilde (1854–1900). She is the epitome of the town of Coventry. The earl agreed to her
Victorian respectability and reacts with predict- request and Lady Godiva performed her famous
able horror to the news that her daughter’s suitor, unclothed ride, her nakedness concealed only by
Jack Worthing, was found as a baby in a handbag her long golden hair. The people of Coventry were
on a railway platform, having lost both his parents: ordered to stay indoors so that she should not be
“To lose one parent, Mr. Worthing, may be embarrassed, and in gratitude all obeyed—with
regarded as a misfortune . . . to lose both looks the single exception of a local tailor (see peeping
like carelessness.” This famous line is often adapted tom). “You’re not suggesting I turn up like Lady
for allusive use in a variety of circumstances. As Godiva?” (Kristy McCallum, Driven by Love, 1993).
Lady Bracknell would have told you, losing your passport
was simply unfortunate, but losing your birth certificate Lady in Red See public enemy number one.
as well was sheer carelessness.
Lady in the Lake See excalibur.
Lady Chatterley (chaterlee) A woman, espe-
cially one with aristocratic connections, who Lady Macbeth (mbkbeth) A coldhearted, mur-
engages in a passionate sexual affair. The novel derous woman, especially one who urges her hus-
Lady Chatterley’s Lover (1928) by British novelist band to commit evil. The allusion is to the wife of
D. H. Lawrence (1885–1930) remained unpub- the central character in William Shakespeare’s
lished in its unexpurgated form in the United tragedy macbeth (1606), who urges her husband
Kingdom and the United States until 1960, when on when he hesitates to murder the Scottish king
it became the subject of a famous obscenity trial Duncan and claim the throne for himself. Later in
that was seen as a test throughout the literary the play, she is driven mad by guilt and is last seen
world of the law on censorship. The acquittal of sleepwalking, trying desperately to rid her hands
the publishers on charges of obscenity is now of Duncan’s imaginary blood. In her steely ambition
viewed as a major legal landmark. Lady Chatter- and lack of sympathy for weakness in others she was a
ley in Lawrence’s novel is a repressed aristocratic veritable Lady Macbeth. See also out, damned spot!
married woman who finds sexual fulfilment with
her gamekeeper, Oliver Mellors. Lawrence is Lady with the Lamp See florence nightin-
said to have based his character loosely upon gale.
Lady Cynthia Asquith (1887–1960). He panicked
when he realized he was locked in the bedroom with Laelaps (laylaps) Personification of speed. In
this slavering Lady Chatterley. Greek mythology Laelaps was the name of a hound
that could outrun any quarry. The hound leapt like
Lady Godiva (gbdivb) A woman who goes about Laelaps from the shadows, straight for the duke’s unpro-
in the nude. According to medieval legend, Lady tected throat.
271
Laestrygonians

Laestrygonians (listrigoneebnz) Cannibals. The gentleman” (Andrew Morton, Diana: Her True
Laestrygonians, or Lestrigons, were a legendary Story, 1993).
tribe of cannibal giants who, according to Homer,
came into contact with odysseus and his compan- lake of fire and brimstone See fire and brim-
ions when they landed in Sicily in the course of stone.
their long journey home. Local rumor had it that the
missing tourists must have fallen prey to a tribe of old- Lamb of God Jesus Christ as a symbol of meek-
fashioned Laestrygonians high up in the mountains. ness and the perfect sacrifice for sin. The epithet is
applied to Christ in John 1:29: “The next day John
Lais (layis) Archetype of a beautiful prostitute. seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold
Lais was born in Sicily in the fifth century b.c. and the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the
became one of the most famous of all Greek cour- world.” In his daily existence and dealings with others
tesans after being carried off to Corinth after an he strove manfully, but with little success, to imitate the
Athenian raid. Admired by Demosthenes, Xeno- example set by the Lamb of God.
crates, and Diogenes, she moved to Thessally and
eventually met her end at the hands of a mob of lamb to the slaughter A defenseless victim;
jealous women, who pricked her to death with someone who is apparently too naive or powerless
their bodkins. This Lais of the Waterfront was a famil- to defend his or her interests, especially one who
iar sight among the dockyard bars, but no one had an ventures into danger without complaining or pro-
unkind word to say about her. testing.The expression is biblical in origin, appear-
ing in Isaiah 53:7 as “He was oppressed, and he
laissez-faire (lesayfair) The principle of leaving was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is
others to act free of outside interference. The brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep
term, literally meaning “let do” in French, is com- before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his
monly associated with the Scottish economist mouth,” and in similar form in Acts 8:32. In Isaiah
Adam Smith (1723–90), who used it in his book the lamb is understood to be the suffering servant,
The Wealth of Nations (1776) when advocating that identified in Acts as Jesus Christ. “Brother, brother:
governments should restrain themselves from let them rage and kill: let us be brave and suffer.
interfering too directly in economic matters. The You must go: as a lamb to the slaughter” (George
slogan may date to the reign of the French king Bernard Shaw, Androcles and the Lion, 1912).
Louis XV (1715–74) and was later adopted by
French politicians of the 18th century who argued lame, the halt, the blind, the See maimed, the
strongly against the imposition of customs duties. halt, and the blind, the.
It has since been applied in many noneconomic
spheres. “Beneath this irascible veneer was a man lamia (laymeeb) A female demon; a witch.
of cultivation and taste, whose priorities con- According to Greek mythology, the Lamia was a
trasted sharply with his son’s laissez-faire hideous monster with the head and breasts of
approach to life and amiable enjoyment of the a woman and the body of a serpent. Originally a
traditional outdoor pursuits of an English country queen of Libya and a lover of Jupiter, she was
272
 land of Nod

transformed into a child-eating monster after her Land of Cockaigne (kokayn) A fool’s paradise; a
children were abducted by the jealous Juno. state of illusory happiness. The Land of Cockaigne
“Lamia is a serpent transformed by magic into a (or Cockayne) featured in medieval legend as an
woman. The idea of both is mythological, and not imaginary land where everything a person could
in any sense physiological. Some women unques- desire was in plentiful supply. According to a
tionably suggest the image of serpents; men rarely 13th-century French poem of the same title, it
or never” (Oliver Wendell Holmes, Elsie Venner, was a place where “the houses were made of bar-
1859–60). ley sugar cakes, the streets were paved with pastry,
and the shops supplied goods for nothing.” The
lamp of Phoebus (feebbs) The Sun. The lamp of name came via French ultimately from the Middle
Phoebus had risen high in the sky, and there was barely a Low German kokenje, meaning “little cake.” His
shadow in sight. See also phoebus. return to reality from the Land of Cockaigne was sudden
and painful.
Lancelot, Sir See king arthur.
land of giants See giants in the earth.
land flowing with milk and honey A real or imag-
inary place where life is easy and all good things land of Goshen (goshbn) A place where inhabit-
are readily available. The phrase appears in the ants can enjoy conditions of peace and plenty. The
Bible in a description of the promised land to original land of Goshen was the fertile territory in
which the Israelites aspired: “I am come down to which the Israelites were allowed to settle in Egypt
deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and during their captivity (Genesis 47:6). While the
to bring them up out of that land unto a good land rest of the country was ravaged by the plagues of
and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and Egypt, the land of Goshen remained unharmed
honey; unto the place of Canaanites, and the Hit- (Exodus 8:22 and 9:26). They were reluctant to leave
tites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the the peaceful valleys where they had spent so many years
Hivites, and the Jebusites” (Exodus 3:8). Refugees in peace and safety, like the Israelites in the land of
continue to pour into the country, expecting to find it a Goshen.
land flowing with milk and honey.
land of Nod The realm of sleep or sleep itself.
land of Beulah (byoolb) A land of ease and plenty; The land of Nod is identified in Genesis 4:16 as an
the promised land. In its original biblical context area east of eden to which Cain was exiled after
(Isaiah 62:4) Beulah, meaning “married,” stands in murdering his brother Abel: “And Cain went out
contrast to “Desolate.” In John Bunyan’s pilgrim’s from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the
progress (1678, 1684) it is depicted as a pleasant land of Nod, on the east of Eden.” In its original
land where pilgrims pass their time until sum- context Nod denoted “wandering” rather than
moned to the celestial city. The preacher depicted “sleep.” The term became a popular name for sleep
California, with its orchards and vineyards, as a new after Jonathan Swift used it for such in A Complete
land of Beulah, where all would live a life of content- Collection of Genteel and Ingenious Conversation
ment and harmony. (1731). It has been suggested that Nod has its
273
land of promise

origins in the nodding of the head when a person Laodamia (layodaymeeb) Archetype of a loving,
is drowsy. “At last I slid off into a light doze, and had devoted wife. According to Greek legend Laoda-
pretty nearly made a good offing towards the land mia was the wife of King Protesilaus of Thessaly,
of Nod, when I heard a heavy footfall in the pas- who despite knowing from the oracle at Delphi
sage, and saw a glimmer of light come into the that the first of the Greeks to set foot on the Trojan
room from under the door” (Herman Melville, shore was doomed to death, became the first of
Moby-Dick, 1851). the invading Greeks to land at the start of the Tro-
jan War. Protesilaus was duly slain by Hector. The
land of promise See promised land. grieving Laodamia begged the gods to grant her an
audience with her dead husband. The gods allowed
land of the living The realm of the living; alive. Protesilaus to return to the mortal world for three
The expression appears several times in the Bible, hours, and when the time was up, Laodamia vol-
for example in Isaiah 53:8: “He was taken from untarily accompanied him to Hades. The episode
prison and from judgment: and who shall declare subsequently furnished the English poet William
his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of Wordsworth with the material for his celebrated
the living: for the transgression of my people was poem “Laodamia” (1815). Like Laodamia, she refused
he stricken.” “He had spoken of it as yet to no one, to leave her husband’s side, even accompanying him to
and he thought that he was resolved not to do so the guillotine.
while Sir Louis should yet be in the land of the
living” (Anthony Trollope, Doctor Thorne, 1858). Laodicean (layodiseebn) Lukewarm; timid; inde-
cisive, especially with regard to religious matters.
Lane, Lois See superman. The allusion is to the early Christian inhabitants of
“lukewarm” Laodicea, who are described as half
Laocoön (layahkbwahn) Archetype of a prophet hearted in their attitude toward religion in Reve-
who suffers for telling the truth. In Greek legend lation 3:15–16: “I know thy works, that thou art
Laocoön was a priest of Apollo who warned his neither cold not hot; I would thou wert cold or
fellow Trojans against bringing the trojan horse hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and nei-
within the walls of Troy. As he prepared to sacri- ther cold not hot; I will spue thee out of my
fice a bull to Poseidon, he and his two sons were mouth.” “He felt himself to occupy morally that
set upon and killed by two sea serpents (an event vast middle space of Laodicean neutrality which
memorably depicted by a huge statue by an lay between the Communion people of the parish
unknown sculptor of classical times found in Rome and the drunken section” (Thomas Hardy, Far from
in 1506 and today known simply as The Laocoön). the Madding Crowd, 1874).
“ ‘I don’t know what to do,’ cried Scrooge, laugh-
ing and crying in the same breath; and making a Laputa (lapootb) A society of intellectuals who
perfect Laocoon of himself with his stockings. ‘I are completely incompetent in practical matters.
am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I The flying island of Laputa and its population of
am as merry as a schoolboy’ ” (Charles Dickens, A absent-minded scientists was an invention of the
Christmas Carol, 1843). Irish satirist Jonathan Swift (1667–1745) in his
274
 Last Supper

book Gulliver’s Travels (1726). Because of the except such Roman Catholics as should have the
impracticality of its inhabitants, the island has a luck to have a priest handy to sandpaper their souls
ruined economy and its people live in conditions at the last gasp, and here and there a presbyterian.
of poverty and hunger. The household was full of No others savable. All the others damned” (Mark
professors and theoreticians, but like Swift’s Laputa it Twain, Letters from the Earth, 1909).
was the last place a sensible person would go to for prac-
tical advice. See also brobdingnagian; gulliver; Last Judgment See judgment day.
lilliputian; yahoo.
last of the Mohicans (moheekbnz) The last of a
lares and penates (lahreez, penayteez) Home or par ticular race or other group of people. The
cherished domestic or personal possessions that phrase is best known as the title of the novel The
are essential to a home. In ancient Roman society Last of the Mohicans (1826) by the U.S. writer
the Lares and Penates (dii penates) were the James Fenimore Cooper (1789–1851), in which
household gods who influenced domestic matters the last of the Mohican tribe is identified as Chin-
(although they were originally spirits who pre- gachgook, who lives to see his only son and heir,
sided over crossroads). The lar familiaris was the Uncas, killed in the war being waged for control
protective spirit of the founder of the house. The of Canada between Britain and France and their
Penates guarded the inner spaces and storerooms. various Native American allies. In reality, it seems
Each family had its own guardian spirits, which that Fenimore Cooper’s Mohicans actually com-
were venerated at special shrines in the home that bined elements of the historical Mohican (or
went with the family when it moved. The phrase in Mahican) tribe, originally from the Hudson Valley
time came to represent domestic matters in gen- area and still in existence in Wisconsin, and the
eral and ultimately cherished personal belongings Mohegan tribe of New England. To hear him talk
or household effects. “He said a man was not to be about the importance of carrying on the family line you
dictated to. I said a man was. He said a man was would think he was the last of the Mohicans.
not to be insulted, then. I said he was right there—
never under my roof, where the Lares were sacred, last shall be first and the first last, the See first
and the laws of hospitality paramount” (Charles shall be last, the.
Dickens, David Copperfield, 1849–50).
Last Supper A last meal eaten before facing an
Larry, as happy as See as happy as larry. ordeal of some kind or the unfolding of some
event. The allusion is to the meal taken by Christ
lash of scorpions See scourge of scorpions. and his disciples the night before his Crucifixion
and during which he instituted the Eucharist. The
last Adam See adam. occasion, also referred to as the Lord’s Supper, is
described in the Bible in Matthew 26:26–28;
last gasp, at theAt the point of death; at the very Mark 14:22–25; Luke 22:17–20; and 1 Corinthi-
last moment. The phrase appears in the apocryphal ans 11:23–26. “It was over a chicken vindaloo sup-
book of 2 Maccabees 7:9. “None of them at all per prepared by Ffion in their Yorkshire home that
275
Last Trump

Mr. Hague came to the grim realisation that it was full-length movies in the 1920s and 1930s. Their
all over. . . . Only two friends, who shared their brand of slapstick humor continues to delight
‘last supper,’ had been informed in advance” audiences several decades after their deaths, and
(Times, June 9, 2001). such catchphrases as this is another fine mess
you’ve got me into remain well known. “Our
Last Trump The end of the world; judgment suave heroes were transformed into Laurel and
day. The signal for the end of the world will be a Hardy: suburban life speeded up into some manic,
blast on Gabriel’s trumpet, when the dead will coronary inducing rush hour” Ian Breakwell and
rise for judgment: “We shall not all sleep, but we Paul Hammond, (eds., Seeing in the Dark, 1990).
shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twin- See also abbott and costello.
kling of an eye, at the last trump” (1 Corinthians
15:51–52). “ ‘How like a first night at the Opera!’ laurels (lorblz) Honor; distinction; fame. The
he thought, recognising all the same faces in the ancient Greeks crowned the champion at the
same boxes (no, pews), and wondering if, when Pythian Games with a wreath of laurels, the ever-
the Last Trump sounded, Mrs. Selfridge Merry green laurel having long held sacred status. Sub-
would be there with the same towering ostrich sequently many athletic champions as well as
feathers in her bonnet, and Mrs. Beaufort with prominent poets and military leaders of the ancient
the same diamond earrings and the same smile” world were honored with laurel crowns, and since
(Edith Wharton, The Age of Innocence, 1920). medieval times winners of certain accolades and
high offices have been termed laureates. By exten-
Las Vegas (vaygbs) A place offering brash enter- sion to rest on one’s laurels means to rely on past
tainment, especially gambling. Las Vegas in the successes rather than trying to achieve new ones
Mojave Desert of Nevada was a fairly insignificant and to look to one’s laurels means to need to
Mormon town until the legalization of gambling make a new effort to maintain one’s lead over oth-
throughout Nevada in 1931 and, with the opening ers. “ ‘I never heard your Grace / So much in the
of the Flamingo in 1946, the arrival of the first vein for preaching; let the Cardinal / Look to his
luxury casino. It subsequently developed into the laurels, sir’ ” (Oscar Wilde, The Duchess of Padua,
biggest city in the state, with huge hotels, neon-lit 1891).
casinos, nightclubs and other attractions. In the
process its name has also become a byword for law is an ass, the The law is not always based on
glitzy vulgarity. Las Vegas means “the meadows” in what is sensible or realistic. This is usually identi-
Spanish. The town has ambitions to become the Las fied as a quotation from the novel oliver twist
Vegas of the south coast. (1837–38) by the British novelist Charles Dickens
(1812–70), specifically the reaction of Mr. Bumble
Laurel and Hardy (lorbl) An incompetent duo. to the news that the law presumes his wife to act
British comedian Stan Laurel (1891–1965) and under his direction: “If the law supposes that . . .
U.S. comedian Oliver Hardy (1892–1957) were the law is a ass–a idiot.” The phrase is actually
among the most popular comedy stars of the early much older, appearing in other works as early as
silent cinema, appearing in numerous short and the 17th century. Having lost his driver’s license for
276
 lay not up treasures upon earth

what he regarded as a trivial offense, the earl’s son was He had himself photographed on a camel in full Arab
convinced that the law is an ass, and did not hesitate to dress, looking like Lawrence of Arabia.
tell everyone so.
Lawrencian (lorenseebn) Reminiscent of the
law of the jungle See survival of the fittest. style, subjects, or characters of the writings of the
British novelist D. H. Lawrence (1885–1930).
law of the Medes and Persians (meedz, perzhuns) Though he took up a variety of themes in his nov-
A rule or practice that is followed with great els, including class tensions and the effects of
strictness or rigidity and is to all appearances industrialization, Lawrence earned a somewhat
unalterable. The phrase appears in a passage in notorious reputation for his treatment of such
Daniel 6:8, in which a group of advisers suggests earthy themes as adultery and sexuality, and the
that King Darius issue a decree under the terms term Lawrencian is sometimes applied to men
of which any person praying to anyone other who exude elemental, sexual passion. Her husband
than the king should be thrown into the lions’ was a Lawrencian brute with few manners.
den: “Now, O King, establish the decree, and
sign the writing, that it be not changed, accord- law unto oneself, a Disregarding the wishes and
ing to the law of the Medes and Persians, which conventions of others in favor of what one wants
altereth not.” The laws of the Medes and Persians or believes. The phrase is biblical in origin, appear-
had been merged since 550 b.c. when the Per- ing in Romans 2:14: “For when the Gentiles,
sian king Cyrus the Great gained control of which have not the law, do by nature the things
Media. “ ‘I am laying down good intentions, contained in the law, these, having not the law, are
which I believe durable as flint. . . . and at this a law unto themselves.” In the original context the
moment I pass a law, unalterable as that of the meaning is that the moral nature of the Gentiles
Medes and Persians’ ” (Charlotte Brontë, Jane serves in place of the law of Moses to show God’s
Eyre, 1847). demands. In this sense, the Gentiles are “a law
unto themselves.” “The wind, which had hauled
Lawrence of Arabia (lorbns, braybeeb) A person round, rose at sundown and blew steadily. There
who demonstrates expertise in some way with life was not enough sea, though, to disturb even a
in the desert. The title was originally bestowed dory’s tackle, but the Carrie Pitman was a law
upon the British soldier and writer T. E. Lawrence unto herself ” (Rudyard Kipling, Captains Coura-
(1888–1935), an unconventional adventurer who geous, 1897).
led Arab forces against the Turks in the Arabian
region during World War I with considerable suc- lay hands on the ark See ark of the cove-
cess. A complex and private man, he shunned pub- nant.
licity after the war and enlisted under a different
name in the RAF before dying in a motorbike lay not up treasures upon earth It is futile devot-
accident. The story of his war years was spectacu- ing one’s life to the hoarding of worldly riches.
larly retold in the 1962 movie Lawrence of Arabia, The sentiment is voiced by Christ in his Sermon
starring Peter O’Toole as the enigmatic Lawrence. on the Mount, as recounted in Matthew 6:19–20:
277
lazaretto

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, chancellor used his Lazarus-like return from a
where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where four-year exile on the back benches to appeal for
thieves break through and steal: But lay up for tolerance and a search for the centre ground”
yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither (Guardian, July 18, 2001). See also dives; laza-
moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves retto.
do not break through nor steal.” Walking through
the huge house cluttered with paintings and valuable lead on, Macduff (mbkduf ) Lead the way. This is
furniture while its owner lay dead in his bed reminded based on a quotation from William Shakespeare’s
her forcibly of the old adage lay not up treasures upon tragedy Macbeth (1606), although the line does not
earth. appear as such in the play itself but as: “Lay on,
Macduff; / And damn’d be he that first cries, ‘Hold
lazaretto lazbretō A hospital where people with enough!’ ” In fact, in its original form, the phrase
contagious diseases, especially leprosy, may be was not an invitation to Macduff (Macbeth’s
treated in quarantine. The term lazaretto, or laza- enemy) to lead the way, but to open the fight.
ret, was arrived at through the combination of the “Lead on, Macduff,” said the archbishop with a broad
names of the beggar Lazarus (see dives) and Naza- grin, stepping aside so that his aide could get through
ret (from Santa Maria di Nazaret), the name of a the door.
church in Venice that housed a hospital. Lepers
have oftentimes been referred to as lazars in lead us not into temptation A plea not to be
Lazarus’s memory. “The Lieutenant-Governor had tempted into doing something one should not.
arranged that he should not be driven to the ordi- The phrase is a quotation from the Lord’s Prayer,
nary lazaretto, but to Fort Mannel, where apart- as given in Matthew 6:13. In modern usage it is
ments were ready for him and his party” (J. G. usually voiced whenever a person is faced with
Lockhart, The Life of SirWalter Scott, 1839). some tempting, mildly illicit opportunity. “ ‘Lead
us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.’
Lazarus (lazbrbs, lazrbs) A person who unex- But what is temptation? What is evil? Is this evil—
pectedly emerges revived after dying or renewed is this temptation?” (Anthony Trollope, Barchester
after apparently ceasing to have anything further Towers, 1857).
to offer. The allusion is to the raising of Lazarus
as described in the New Testament in John 11:1–44. lean and hungry look An appearance that sug-
Lazarus was raised from the dead by Christ upon gests a willingness to fight or to act in one’s own
the entreaties of his sisters Mary and Martha. interest. The phrase comes from William Shake-
Christ recited the words “I am the resurrection, speare’s play Julius Caesar (1599), in which Caesar
and the life: he that believeth in me, though he delivers the following speech to Antony: “Let me
were dead, yet shall he live, and whosoever liveth have men about me that are fat; / Sleek-headed
and believeth in me shall never die” ( John 11:25– men, and such as sleep o’nights. / Yond Cassius
26), and when the stone that sealed the tomb of has a lean and hungry look; / He thinks too much.
Lazarus was rolled away, the dead man rose and Such men are dangerous.” His son had a lean and
emerged at Christ’s command. “. . . the former hungry look that suggested he was not to be trusted.
278
 Lemnian actions

Leander See hero and leander. the daughter of Thestius and the wife of Tyndareus,
king of Sparta. She attracted the amorous atten-
lean years See fat years and lean years. tions of Zeus, who seduced her in the form of a
swan while she was bathing. As a consequence of
Lear See king lear. this she laid eggs from which hatched helen of
troy and the twins castor and pollux. She took
leaven the lump To redeem something much the goose everywhere with her, looking for all the world
larger by introducing a smaller element of good. like Leda and the swan.
The metaphor, which alludes to the small amount
of yeast (leaven) that is required for a whole lump left hand know what your right hand is doing, do
of dough to be raised for baking, comes from 1 not let your Do not make an ostentatious show
Corinthians 5:6: “Your glorying is not good. Know of your good deeds. The expression comes from
ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole Matthew 6:3–4, in which Christ in his Sermon on
lump?” “Except for literary men and painters, the Mount advises that those who give alms should
present in small quantities to leaven the lump, keep it as much as possible a secret, even, as it
Becket was, in fact, a rallying point for the were, from themselves: “But when thou doest
advanced spirits of Land Reform” ( John Galswor- alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right
thy, The Forsyte Saga, 1922). hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and
thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall
lebensraum (laybbnzrowm) Room to grow or reward thee openly.” In modern usage the phrase
pursue one’s aims. The need for lebensraum (Ger- is more often a symbol of a failure in communica-
man for “living space”) to provide homes for the tion between two parts of the same organization.
expanding population of Germany was the argu- This confusion seems to illustrate that as far as this
ment used by the Nazis to justify their territorial administration is concerned, the left hand does not know
ambitions in the 1930s. The term was originally what the right hand is doing.
coined by German geographer and ethnologist
Friedrich Ratzel (1844–1904) to describe the legion, my name is See my name is legion.
concept of relating human societies to their geo-
graphical locations. “The back door of the kitchen Legree, Simon See uncle tom.
led out onto a slate-paved path at the foot of three
steep terraces giving much lebensraum to many Lemnian actions (lemneebn) Barbaric or inhu-
varieties of voracious weeds and scrubby elder man behavior. The phrase alludes to Roman leg-
bushes” (Jane Spottiswoode, Undertaken with Love, end, specifically to the island of Lemnos, which
1991). was the scene of two infamous massacres. In the
first of these the men of Lemnos killed the chil-
Lecter, Hannibal See hannibal lecter. dren of the Athenian women they had abducted. In
the second massacre the men were slain by their
Leda (leedb) The 13th satellite of Jupiter, dis- outraged wives. Fortunately, the troubled and
covered in 1979. In Greek mythology Leda was severely depopulated island was then visited by
279
Lenten

the Argonauts, whose couplings with the women Leopold and Loeb (leebpold, lob) Archetype of
of Lemnos resulted in a compensatory boost in the murderers who kill for sadistic amusement. In
birthrate. Such Lemnian actions are increasingly lead- 1924 Nathan Leopold (aged 19) and Richard Loeb
ing to the perpetrators making appearances before inter- (aged 18), both highly gifted college students
national courts of justice. from wealthy Chicago families, kidnapped and
murdered 14-year-old Bobby Franks purely for
Lenten (lentbn) Frugal; meager, especially in their own entertainment. Their subsequent trial
relation to food. The adjective comes from Lent, resulted in both being found guilty of murder but
the period of fasting between Ash Wednesday and insane: they were sentenced to life imprisonment,
Easter in the Christian calendar. The tradition of with 99 years added on for kidnapping. The way the
Lent is itself a commemoration of the 40 days and pair cooperated in their killing spree reminded experts
40 nights spent by Christ in the wilderness, as strongly of the Leopold and Loeb affair.
described in Matthew 4:1–2. “But none can say /
That Lenten fare makes Lenten thought” (Alfred lesbian (lesbeebn) A female homosexual. The
Tennyson, Tiresias, 1885). word (a late-19th-century coinage) has its origins
ultimately in the island of Lesbos in the eastern
Leonardo da Vinci (leebnahdo db vinchee) A Aegean, where the Greek poetess Sappho (fl. 580
genius whose skills extend across science and the b.c.) was born. Sappho’s passionate verse cele-
arts. The Tuscan-born Leonardo da Vinci (1452– brated love between women, hence lesbian, or
1519) was preeminent among the artists and sapphic, came to describe such relationships. Sap-
thinkers of the renaissance, famed as the creator pho was married to a wealthy man named Cerco-
of artistic masterpieces such as the Mona Lisa as las and according to one legend threw herself into
well as for his many scientific and technological the sea in despair over her unrequited love for the
ideas, which included numerous inventions that boatman Phaon. The belief that she was herself a
were hundreds of years before their time. In the lesbian is speculative, although the tone of her
modern era of specialization it is unlikely we will ever poetry does suggest at least an ardent attachment
encounter another Leonardo da Vinci. See also mona to her female friends. All her friends knew she was a
lisa smile. lesbian, but her parents had never suspected a thing.

Leonidas See thermopylae. les-Deux-Églises (laydbzaygleez) A place to

which a person who is out of favor retreats to
leopard cannot change its spots, a It is impossi- await a revival in his or her fortunes. French
ble for a person to change his or her essential char- president Charles de Gaulle (1890–1970) retired
acter or nature. The proverb comes from the Bible, to his home at Colombey-les-Deux-Églises on
appearing in Jeremiah 13:23: “Can the Ethiopian two occasions during his career when out of
change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may office: on the first occasion he was duly begged
ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.” to come back. The governor has gone back to Miami-
His parents hoped he would mend his ways once he went les-Deux-Églises to sulk until he is summoned back to
to college, but a leopard cannot change its spots. Washington.
280
 letter of Bellerophon

less is more Simplicity is preferable to complex- let him who is without sin cast the first stone
ity. This well-known slogan, commonly applied in People should not criticize or punish others when
all manner of contexts, is generally attributed to they may be equally guilty of wrongdoing them-
the German-born U.S. modernist architect Lud- selves. The proverb is of biblical origin, appearing in
wig Mies van der Rohe (1886–1969), whose work John 8:7, in which Christ admonishes the mob
exemplified this notion. In fact, the sentiment had threatening to stone the woman taken in adultery:
been expressed in this way long before, by the “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast
British poet Robert Browning (1812–89) in a stone at her.” “Thou knowest who said, ‘Let him
Andrea del Sarto (1855): “Yet do much less, so much who is without sin among you cast the first stone at
less, Someone says, / (I know his name, no her!’There have been plenty to do that.Thou art not
matter)—so much less! / Well, less is more, Lucre- the man to cast the last stone, Stephen, when she is
zia: I am judged.” I was going to add more detail to the brought so low” (Charles Dickens, HardTimes, 1854).
design, but remembered just in time that less is more. See also go and sin no more.

Lestrigons See laestrygonians. let my people go A plea for mercy, especially to

one who imposes his or her will on others. The
l’état c’est moi (layta say mwa) The state is expression comes from the Bible, appearing in
vested in me. This French phrase, meaning “I am Exodus, when Moses and Aaron ask Pharaoh to
the state,” is associated primarily with the French release the Israelites from their captivity: “And
king Louis XIV (1638–1715), who at the age of afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pha-
just 17 thus responded to parliament’s objections raoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my
to his demands for funds, on the grounds that they people go” (Exodus 5:1). In modern usage the
were contrary to the interests of the state. Since phrase is sometimes used ironically. When it became
Louis, the phrase has not been confined to discus- clear how late they would have to work, the foreman
sions of absolute monarchy. The secretary of state flung his arms up in mock horror with a cry of “Let my
appears to believe l’état c’est moi. people go!”

lethe (leethee) Forgetfulness; oblivion; death. let not your left hand know See left hand
In Greek mythology Lethe was the name of one of know what your right hand is doing, do not
the rivers over which the dead crossed on their let your.
way to hades. When they drank from its waters
they immediately forgot all their deeds and actions letter killeth, the See letter of the law, the.
in the mortal world. “Minds that have been
unhinged from their old faith and love, have per- letter of Bellerophon (bblerbfbn, bblerbfon) A
haps sought this Lethean influence of exile, in letter or other message that poses a threat to the
which the past becomes dreamy because its sym- person who delivers it.The allusion is to the Greek
bols have all vanished, and the present too is legend of Bellerophon, who was seduced by Pro-
dreamy because it is linked with no memories” teus’s wife, Antaea. Antaea then told her husband
(George Eliot, Silas Marner, 1861). that she had been raped by Bellerophon. Proteus
281
letter of the law, the

asked Bellerophon to carry a letter to his wife’s message himself, unaware that, like the letter of Uriah, it
father, Iobates, king of Lycia, in which (unbe- contained instructions for his own downfall.
knownst to Bellerophon) he repeated Antaea’s
accusation and requested that Bellerophon be let the day perish See curse the day i was
put to death. Iobates was fond of Bellerophon born.
and declined to kill him himself, instead dis-
patching him on a series of hazardous missions. let the dead bury the dead Do not grieve over
When Bellerophon succeeded in all these tasks, people who are dead or things that are past but
Iobates relented and made him his heir. The secre- concentrate on the present. The expression is
tary carried the message to the head of the depart- biblical in origin, appearing in Matthew 8:21–
ment, little realizing that it was a letter of Bellerophon 22: “And another of his disciples said unto him,
and she was taking him instructions for her own Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
dismissal. But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the
dead bury their dead.” “March 21, night. Free.
letter of the law, the Rigid adherence to the Soul free and fancy free. Let the dead bury the
rules, especially when seen as negating the spirit dead. Ay. And let the dead marry the dead”
behind them. The expression alludes to 2 Corin- (James Joyce, Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man,
thians 3:5–6, in which Paul writes, “Not that we 1914–15).
are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of
ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also let them eat cake Let the poor look after them-
hath made us able ministers of the new testament; selves. This cynical expression is usually attributed
not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter kil- to marie antoinette, wife of the French king
leth, but the spirit giveth life.” “ ‘I was going to Louis XVI, and is reputed to show her lack of
explain that although I am aware you have infringed understanding or sympathy when told that the
the letter of the law, and made yourself liable to poor had no bread to eat. Though she was
proceedings which may, perhaps, be unpleasant—’ undoubtedly extravagant well beyond the point
‘I ain’t liable to anything unpleasant at all, Mr. of folly, Marie Antoinette never actually said these
Emilius’ ” (Anthony Trollope, The Eustace Diamonds, words, however. The true origin of the phrase is to
1873). be found in the Confessions (1767) of Jean-Jacques
Rousseau (1712–78), where he writes about a
letter of Uriah (yoorib) A treacherous letter, princess who made this remark in similar circum-
especially one in which the writer feigns friend- stances. As for the shareholders who will lose out because
ship. The reference is to 2 Samuel 11:15, which of this, it seems the directors have decided to let them eat
relates how david gave his lover Bathsheba’s hus- cake.
band, Uriah, secret orders to carry to Joab. These
orders instructed Joab to leave Uriah in the thick let there be light An exclamation upon a sudden
of the fighting so that he would be killed, leaving revelation, a moment of comprehension, or any
David free to pursue his relationship with Bath- act shedding light upon a scene or matter. The
sheba and eventually marry her. He delivered the phrase is a quotation from Genesis 1:3: “God said,
282
 lift the veil of Isis

Let there be light: and there was light.” “Does like Liar, Billy See billy liar.
join itself to like; does the spirit of method stir in
that confusion, so that its embroilment becomes Lidice (lideechay) A community that is ruth-
order? Can the man say, Fiat lux, Let there be lessly destroyed in an act of revenge. The mining
light; and out of chaos make a world?” (Thomas village of Lidice in the former Czechoslovakia was
Carlyle, On Heroes and HeroWorship and the Heroic in demolished by the Nazis on June 10, 1942, in
History, 1841). retaliation for the assassination of Reinhard Hey-
drich, the Reich Protector of Bohemia and Mora-
let thou thy servant depart in peace See nunc via, by the Czech resistance: All the inhabitants
dimittis. were either shot or transported to the concentra-
tion camps. A new village was established on a site
let us now praise famous men Let us give praise nearby in 1947, and the site of the original settle-
where it is due. The expression comes from the ment became a memorial garden. The destruction of
apocryphal book of Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 44:1 Muslim communities in the former Yugoslavia evoked
and is often used in memorial ser vices. The two chilling memories of Lidice.
professors have always been very modest about their
achievements, but with the presentation of this award the life begins at forty After the age of 40 people
time has come for us to praise famous men. have more opportunities for leisure and time to take
up new projects, as their children are now more or
let us reason together See sins be as scarlet. less grown up. This questionable theory was pro-
posed by U.S. writer Walter B. Pitkin (1878–1953)
leviathan (lbvibthbn) A vast or immensely pow- in a 1932 book with the same title. On her birthday
erful force or thing, especially a massive organiza- she tried to cheer herself up by reminding herself that “life
tion, state bureaucracy, etc. The name comes from begins at 40.” See also dangerous age, a.
that of a monstrous beast mentioned at several
points in the Bible, for example, “Canst thou draw life in the fast lane See fast lane.
out Leviathan with a hook?” (Job 41:1). Other
examples are Psalm 74:14, Psalm 104:26, and Isa- life of Riley (rı̄lee) A life of indulgence and lux-
iah 27:1. The legend of Leviathan has its origins in ury. There was a U.S. television comedy series
a much older myth in which God overcomes a ter- starring Jackie Gleason called The Life of Riley
rible sea monster (possibly inspired by a crocodile, (1949–50); otherwise, the phrase is probably con-
whale, or python) representing chaos. “The fog nected with an 1882 vaudeville song that referred
seemed to break away as though split by a wedge, to a Mr. Reilly. “I’ve been leading the life of Riley
and the bow of a steamboat emerged, trailing fog- since I got away from the place” (Rachel Elliot,
wreaths on either side like seaweed on the snout Lover’s Charade, 1992).
of Leviathan” (Jack London, The Sea Wolf, 1904).
See also behemoth. lift the veil of Isis(isis) To go to the heart of a
great mystery. The allusion is to the inscription on
Lex Luthor See superman. a statue of Isis, the principal goddess of ancient
283
light of the world

Egypt, which read: “I am that which is, has been, character. The proverb comes from the Bible,
and shall be. My veil no one has lifted. The fruit I appearing in Hosea 4:9: “And there shall be, like
bore was the Sun.” With this scientific breakthrough people, like priest: and I will punish them for their
scientists in this field are just beginning to lift the veil of ways, and reward them their doings.” The saying is
Isis as regards the cloning of humans. also encountered in the form like priest, like peo-
ple. The congregation—like people, like priest—showed
light of the world Jesus Christ. This appellation considerable reluctance to voice their true feelings.
appears in John 8:12: “Then spake Jesus again unto
them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that like the walls of Jericho See walls of jericho.
followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall
have the light of life.” There are several celebrated lilies of the field Spiritual matters, especially as
paintings of Christ as the light of the world. considered superior to earthly things. The phrase
comes from Matthew 6:28–29, in which Christ, in
light under a bushel See hide one’s light his Sermon on the Mount, chooses the lilies of the
under a bushel. field as an emblem of the spirit: “And why take thee
thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field,
like a lamb to the slaughter See lamb to the how they grow; they toil not, neither, do they spin;
slaughter. And yet I say unto you,That even Solomon in all his
glory was not arrayed like one of these.” Various
like a thief in the night See thief in the night, attempts have been made to identify lilies of the
like a. field with a particular plant, suggestions including
the white daisy Anthemis palaestina, the poppy
like a vestal virgin See vesta. anemone Anemone coronaria, and the crown mar-
guerite Chrysanthemum coronarium. To consider the
like Caesar’s wife See caesar’s wife must be lilies means do not worry and do not strive to pro-
above suspicion. vide oneself with material benefits, but trust to
providence for what is needed” (Oxford Dictionary of
like mother, like daughter A woman’s character Current Idiomatic English, vol. 2, p. 115). “Solomon’s
and behavior tend to reflect her mother’s charac- court fool would have scoffed at the thought of the
ter and behavior. The sentiment comes from Eze- young Galilean who dared compare the lilies of the
kiel 16:44: “Behold, every one that useth proverbs field to his august master” (Oliver Wendell Hol-
shall use this proverb against thee, saying, As is the mes, Over the Tea-Cups, 1891).
mother, so is her daughter.” Related proverbs
include like father, like son. She was a pretty little Lilith Archetype of a female demon or mon-
girl but inherited an acerbic sense of humor. Like mother, strous woman. Although she is not actually named
like daughter, as they say. in the Bible, Lilith features in Christian legend as
the first wife of adam, who was exiled from Eden
The way a spiritual lead-
like people, like priest after making Adam’s life a misery. By him she was
er’s followers behave reveals that leader’s true supposed to have given birth to a swarm of devils.
284
 little Hitler

After her banishment she became a demon haunt- about King Henry II of England and his struggle to
ing various remote places at night and attacking maintain control of the country as his mental and
women in childbirth. She is sometimes identified physical powers weaken. The lion is one of the
as the “screech-owl” mentioned in Isaiah 34:14. most familiar emblems of British royalty. The prime
Mad with rage, with her long hair tangled and matted, minister retained his powers of rhetoric into advanced
she hurtled through the ruined house, screaming like old age, proving time and again he was a lion in winter
some demented Lilith. who still knew how to roar.

Lilliputian (lilbpyooshbn) On a miniature scale. lions’ den See daniel in the lions’ den.
The Lilliputians were a race of tiny people
encountered by gulliver in Jonathan Swift’s lion shall lie down with the lamb Idyllic view of a
satire Gulliver’s Travels (1726). Only six inches future in which natural enemies will be recon-
tall, they have a sense of self-importance quite ciled and live in peace. The expression appears in
unmatched by their stature, making them ridicu- Isaiah 11:6–7, which contains a prophecy of peace
lous to the towering Gulliver. “For this was the and safety in the future messianic age: “The wolf
season when at every doorway and table the locals also shall dwell with the lamb and the leopard
were noisily betting on the lilliputian battles of shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the
fighting cicadas” (Lorne Blair, Ring of Fire, 1988). young lion and the fatling together; and a little
See also brobdingnagian; laputa; yahoo. child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear
shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together:
lily of the valleys See rose of sharon. and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.” “. . . the
time is come when the past should be buried in
Lincoln, Abraham See abraham lincoln. oblivion; when my family should take Mr. Micaw-
ber by the hand, and Mr. Micawber should take
lion in the way A contrived excuse for not doing my family by the hand; when the lion should lie
something one does not feel like doing. The down with the lamb, and my family be on terms
expression comes from Proverbs 26:13: “The with Mr. Micawber” (Charles Dickens, David Cop-
slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion perfield, 1849–50).
in the streets.” It may also be encountered in the
variant forms lion in the path and lion in the Little Bighorn See custer’s last stand.
streets. “. . . but it was three miles off, and there
was a lion in the way: they must pass in sight of little cloud no bigger than a man’s hand See
Squire Raby’s house” (Charles Reade, Put Yourself cloud no bigger than a man’s hand.
in His Place, 1870).
Little Corporal See napoleon.
lion in winter A man whose great strength and
resolution is in gradual decline because of advanc- little gray cells See hercule poirot.
ing age. The phrase is best known as the title of a
1966 play (filmed in 1968) by James Goldman little Hitler See hitler.
285
Little John

Little John See robin hood. Little Orphan Annie A self-reliant young girl,
especially one with curly red hair or one who is
Little Lord Fauntleroy (fontlbroy) A young ill-dressed. The allusion is to the 11-year-old cen-
male member of the aristocracy, or a boy who tral character in the U.S. comic strip Little Orphan
dresses like one. The allusion is to the children’s Annie, first published in 1925 by Harold Gray. It
novel Little Lord Fauntleroy (1886) by Frances seems that her name came originally from an 1885
Hodgson Burnett (1849–1924), in which the poem with the title “Little Orphant Annie” by
central character is seven-year-old Cedric James W. Riley. Her story later became the subject
Errol, the angelic golden-haired heir to the seat of the highly successful musical Annie (1977).
of an ill-tempered English earl. He is described “When Maire Carroll’s mother said thoughtfully
as wearing a black velvet suit with lace collar, to Eve, ‘Do you know I always ask myself why a
known ever since as a Fauntleroy suit. Calling sensible woman like Mother Francis would let you
someone a Little Lord Fauntleroy usually implies out on the street looking like Little Orphan Annie’
that he is an effeminate “sissy.” “Little as he Benny’s brow darkened” (Maeve Binchey, Circle of
wanted to do anything about it, the boy’s baby- Friends, 1991).
ishness, his Fauntleroy air, embarrassed and dis-
little red book A publication purporting to be a
tantly annoyed him: it seemed to reflect on his
source of authority on something. The allusion is
own manhood” (Nina Bawden, Tortoise by Candle-
to the Little Red Book, otherwise known as the
light, 1989).
Thoughts of Chairman Mao, published in 1964 in
huge numbers for the benefit of his followers by
Little Nell A sweet-hearted, ultimately tragic
Chinese leader Mao Zedong (1893–1976). Com-
little orphan girl. Little Nell, properly Nell Trent,
prising quotations from the leader on a range of
is one of the characters in the novel The Old Curi-
subjects, the booklet became an unquestionable
osity Shop (1840–41) by British novelist Charles
source of communist ideology and an icon of Chi-
Dickens (1812–70). Nell does her best to comfort
nese communism, some 800 million copies being
her indigent grandfather, maintaining a cheerful
sold or distributed between 1966 and 1971. “He
disposition even as their fortunes decline and, did not hand out sayings of Jesus in a little red
worn out, she succumbs to the hardships she has book, or give them Christmas presents” (George
suffered and dies. The death of Little Nell was one Carey, I Believe, 1991).
of the most traumatic of all the events depicted in
Victorian fiction and the story was told of U.S. Little Rock Emblem of the struggle against
readers crowding the docks of New York to find school segregation. Little Rock in Arkansas
out from newly arrived English passengers attracted international attention in September
whether or not Little Nell survived in the latest 1957, when federal troops were called in to ensure
episode of the serialized novel. Nowadays the fate that nine black children could attend classes at the
of Little Nell tends to be quoted as a prime exam- Central High School, in line with a recent change
ple of Victorian sentimentality. Most people quickly in the law designed to promote school integration.
tired of the small girl’s sickly-sweet Little Nell act. Angry white segregationists protested loudly,
286
 Locusta

but were eventually obliged to back down. For the original Lizzie Borden (1860–1927) was tried in
first time since Little Rock the use of troops to get black 1893 for the murder of her father and stepmother
children into school seems a possibility. in Fall River, Massachusetts, after they were found
dead in the family home from multiple ax wounds.
live by bread alone See man cannot live by Lizzie was acquitted, although a rhyme composed
bread alone. at the time made no bones about her guilt: “Lizzie
Borden took an ax / And gave her mother forty
live by the sword shall die by the sword, those whacks; / When she saw what she had done / She
who Those who employ violence to their own gave her father forty-one.” In fact, the stepmother
ends will eventually fall victim to violence them- received 19 ax blows and Lizzie’s father 10.
selves. The proverb is of biblical origin, appearing Although many neighbors in Fall River remained
in Matthew 26:52: “Then said Jesus unto him, Put convinced of Lizzie Borden’s guilt, the crime was
up again thy sword into his place: for all they that never solved. The police reserved their opinions about
take the sword shall perish with the sword.” “ ‘Had the case, but the papers were quick to label the grieving
He wished help,’ he said, ‘He could have sum- daughter a Lizzie Borden.
moned legions of archangels from heaven, so what
need had He of your poor bow and arrow? Besides, loaves and fishes See feeding the five thou-
bethink you of His own words—that those who sand.
live by the sword shall perish by the sword’ ” (Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle, The White Company, 1891). Lochinvar (lokinvahr) A young, heroic knight.
Lochinvar features in the poem Marmion (1808) by
live dog is better than a dead lion, a See living Sir Walter Scott (1771–1832), in which he arrives
dog is better than a dead lion, a. at a marriage feast and carries the bride away on
his horse: “O, young Lochinvar is come out of the
live off the fat of the land See fat of the land. west, / Through all the wide Border his steed was
the best; / And save his good broadsword he weap-
living dog is better than a dead lion, a It is better ons had none, / He rode all unarm’d, and he rode
to compromise and thus survive than perish through all alone. / So faithful in love, and so dauntless in
one’s refusal to adapt.The proverb is found in Eccle- war, / There never was knight like the young
siastes 9:4: “To him that is joined to all the living Lochinvar.” In modern usage, the name is usually
there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead applied sarcastically. “Look out, here comes young
lion.” It is also found in the form a live dog is bet- Lochinvar,” the mayor quipped as the old man shuffled
ter than a dead lion. “When the lion is shot, the into the hall, coughing and sneezing into a grubby
dog gets the spoil. So he had come in for Katherine, handkerchief.
Alan’s lioness. A live dog is better than a dead lion”
(D. H. Lawrence, The Woman,Who Rode Away, 1928). Locusta (lokbstb) Archetype of a woman who
murders someone she is supposed to be nursing.
Lizzie Borden (lizee bordbn) A female murderer, The allusion is to the imperial nurse who poisoned
especially one who murders her parents. The the emperor Claudius on the instructions of his
287
locusts, plague of

wife, Agrippina, and his son Britannicus on the Loman, Willy See willy loman.
instructions of Agrippina’s son Nero. She was
rewarded by Nero but put to death by his succes- Lon Chaney (chaynee) A man with a menacing
sor, Galba. The midwife has been arrested on suspicion appearance or personality. The U.S. actor Lon
of acting Locusta to her defenseless charges. Chaney (Leonidas Frank Chaney; 1883–1930)
established a reputation in silent horror movies of
locusts, plague of See plague of locusts. the 1920s, being dubbed the Man of a Thousand
Faces for his ability to transform his appearance
Log See king log. with makeup. His son Lon Chaney Jr. (1906–73)
continued the family tradition by appearing in
loins, gird up thy See gird up thy loins. similar roles. It’s very off-putting to get in a cab and
find your driver looks like Lon Chaney.
Lois Lane See superman.
Lone Ranger A hero who pits himself against the
Loki (lokee) Personification of mischief and evils of the world. The Lone Ranger was a popular
evil. In Norse mythology Loki was identified as Western radio and television series, first broadcast
the god of mischief and destruction. He was the in 1933, that featured a masked cowboy with a
sworn enemy of the good gods and caused the white hat who enforced the law aided by his Native
death of Odin’s son Balder after tricking the blind American friend Tonto, who addresses him as
god Hod into striking Balder with a bough of mis- Kemo Sabe (supposedly meaning “faithful friend”
tletoe, the one thing to which Balder was fatally but not actually from any real Native American
vulnerable. As punishment he was chained to a language), and his white stallion Silver, who gal-
rock, sentenced to remain there until the gods are lops off with him on the command “Hi-ho, Silver,
overthrown. The more the jury heard, the more the away!” “Let’s just get everyone safe, and then you
defendant began to seem a truly evil man, the equal of can go out there and do your Lone Ranger impres-
any Loki or Lucifer. sion if you still want to” (Stephen Laws, Darkfall,
1993).
Lolita (loleetb) A young, sexually alluring girl,
especially one who is under the age of consent. longest day A day in which a great many things
The highly controversial 1958 novel Lolita, by happen. The phrase is particularly associated
Vladimir Nabokov (1899–1977), describes how a with d-day (June 6, 1944), which witnessed the
middle-aged professor called Humbert Humbert Allied landings in Normandy and was a landmark
falls disastrously in love with a 12-year-old girl, in the final defeat of Nazi Germany. It was used
whose real name is Dolores Haze. Stanley Kubrick’s as the title of an ambitious 1962 movie retelling
famous 1962 film version of the book became one the events that took place on the first day of the
of the most discussed movies of the era. People said invasion. Thousands of lives were changed forever on
he made a complete fool of himself when he abandoned the Longest Day.
his wife of 35 years for a Lolita younger than his grand-
daughter. long-haired hippie See hippie.
288
 Lorelei

Long John Silver A piratical rascal, or a person minister shook his head sadly over the child’s body and
with one leg. Long John Silver, complete with murmured,“The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.”
wooden leg and parrot on his shoulder, is the
archetypal pirate in the classic adventure novel Lord Haw-Haw A man who makes propaganda
Treasure Island (1883) by Scottish novelist Robert broadcasts on behalf of his country’s enemies. The
Louis Stevenson (1850–94). At once villainous original Lord Haw-Haw was the U.S.-born Wil-
and charming, he is very much the center of the liam Joyce (1906–46), who broadcast Nazi propa-
story, which was originally to have been entitled ganda during World War II. Of Irish descent, he
The Sea Cook (Silver serves as cook on board the was a figure of scorn to the Allies, who mocked his
Hispaniola). He was loosely based upon a friend of exaggerated, sneering, upper-class Oxford accent
Stevenson’s, the writer W. E. Henley (1849– (hence his nickname, Lord Haw-Haw, originally
1903), who had a foot amputated as a boy. He bestowed by Daily Express journalist Jonah Bar-
stumped up the ward on his crutches, like Long John rington). After the war ended he was hanged for
Silver. treason. He was about as effective as a propagandist as
Lord Haw-Haw was. See also tokyo rose.
long march A long and arduous journey on foot.
The allusion is to the Long March of some 6,000 Lord, how long? See how long, o lord?
miles that was undertaken by Chinese communists
through nationalist lines in 1934–35 to reestablish Lord is my shepherd, the See green pastures.
their base in northwest China. Of the 100,000
who began the march, considerably less than half Lord Jim A man who cannot accept his own
completed it. “Students set out on a ‘Long March’ human failings. The allusion is to the central char-
across Paris from the Sorbonne to the Renault acter in the Joseph Conrad novel Lord Jim (1900),
works” (B. M. Gill, Dying to Meet You, 1989). a tragic figure who struggles to come to terms
with an act of cowardice in his youth, when he
looking-glass See through the looking- abandoned the passengers of a ship in which he
glass. was an officer. Her grandfather was a Lord Jim who
never came to terms with his disgrace in the war.
look to one’s laurels See laurels.
Lord Kitchener See your country needs you.
Lord Fauntleroy, Little See little lord fauntle-
roy. lord of the flies See beelzebub.

Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, the Lord’s Supper See last supper.
Things provided by God can just as easily be taken
away by him. The proverb is of biblical origin, Lorelei (lorbli) A fatally fascinating woman; a
appearing in Job 1:21 as “Naked came I out of my siren. The Lorelei is a rocky promontory on the
mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: River Rhine on which, according to German folk-
the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away.” The lore, a golden-haired siren lived, luring boatmen
289
Lost Boys

to their deaths on the rocks with her bewitchingly was overrun by the Assyrians in 722 b.c. and was
lovely singing. Legend had it that she was a woman sent into exile, subsequently vanishing from his-
who drowned herself after an unhappy love affair. tory as an identifiable group. Over the centuries
The name Lorelei means “peeping cliff.” He was not they became known as “the (10) lost tribes,” and
the first successful man to ruin himself over some Lorelei various communities around the world have
and he was unlikely to be the last. claimed descent from them. Trying to track the fam-
ily down after all these years was like trying to trace one
Lost Boys See peter pan. of the lost tribes of Israel.

Lost Generation A generation that goes through lost weekend A dissolute or drunken weekend,
some vast traumatizing experience and emerges the events of which cannot later be recalled by
from it greatly changed. The term was first applied those taking part. Although the term may be
to the generation of young men that was deci- older, it is usually associated with the 1945 movie
mated in World War I: Those who survived the The LostWeekend, based on a 1944 novel by Charles
war were left traumatized and doubting the values Jackson, which starred Ray Milland as an alcoholic
they had hitherto taken for granted.The term came writer. So vivid was its portrayal of the perils of
to be particularly associated with certain writers alcohol, leaders of the liquor industry tried to buy
(including Rupert Brooke, Ernest hemingway, the movie negatives to prevent it being released in
F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Ezra Pound) who wit- case it damaged sales of their products. “One day
nessed the war or similarly challenged the attitudes when Modi finally turned up he was penniless,
of the prewar generation. “Nearly as many women unable to account for his lost weekend, hungry
died too, in a sense, as spinsters and widows of the and dirty” ( June Rose, Modigliani, 1990).
lost generation in the decades that were to fol-
low” (K. M. Peyton, Who, Sir? Me, Sir?, 1988). Lothario (lothahreeo) A womanizer, a libertine,
a rake. The allusion is to a character in the play The
lost tribes of Israel Something that is irretriev- Fair Penitent (1703) by the English poet and play-
ably lost, leaving no trace. The biblical account of wright Nicholas Rowe (1674–1718). A callous
the flight from Egypt (in the books of Exodus seducer whose lecherous behavior eventually
through Joshua) describes how the Jewish people proves his undoing, he is described as “haughty, gal-
settled in the promised land, where the sons and lant, gay”—hence references to a gay Lothario.
grandsons of jacob founded the 12 tribes of Israel. “You shan’t be shamed for she’ll think you a great
Upon the death of Solomon (1 Kings 11:41) the lover, a real Lothario, a dandy Don Juan” (Will
tribes separated into two kingdoms, the southern Self, My Idea of Fun, 1993). See also casanova; don
kingdom which was called Judah (formed by the juan.
tribes of Judah, Simeon, and part of Benjamin)
and the northern kingdom which was called Israel Lotophagi See lotus-eater.
(formed by the tribes of Asher, part of Benjamin,
Dan, Ephraim, Gad, Issachar, Manasseh, Naphtali, Lot’s wife Archetype of an individual who
Reuben, and Zebulun). The northern kingdom brings about his or her own downfall through
290
 love that dare not speak its name, the

disobedience. The reference is to Genesis 19:26 one of various other trees and plants. “Her pres-
and the story of Lot and his wife and family who, ence brought memories of such things as Bourbon
on account of Lot’s goodness, were forewarned roses, rubies, and tropical midnights; her moods
by angels of the destruction of sodom and recalled lotus-eaters and the march in ‘Athalie’;
gomorrah and given time to leave on condition her motions, the ebb and flow of the sea; her voice,
that they did not look back as the cities were laid the viola” (Thomas Hardy, The Return of the Native,
waste with fire and brimstone: “Escape for thy 1880).
life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in the
plain” (Genesis 19:17). Lot’s wife disobeyed this love of money is the root of all evil, the See
command, perhaps regretting the loss of the money is the root of all evil.
worldly pleasures Sodom and Gomorrah repre-
sented, and was turned into a pillar of salt as love passing the love of women A friendship that
punishment. (See also Luke 17:32.) In modern is so intense it surpasses any ordinary attraction
usage the tale is often evoked as a warning both to between a man and a woman. The phrase appears
eschew worldly things and never to look back. in David’s lament for his companion Jonathan, as
The area around the Dead Sea, where the cities of recorded in 2 Samuel 1:26: “I am distressed for
Sodom and Gomorrah are said to have been thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou
located, is well known for its unusual salt forma- been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful,
tions. “Very well; I hope you feel the content you passing the love of women.” In modern usage the
express: at any rate, your good sense will tell you term is usually used in reference to male friend-
that it is too soon yet to yield to the vacillating ship, sometimes as a circumlocution for homo-
fears of Lot’s wife” (Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre, sexual love. “He was an older brother to Paul
1847). Riesling, swift to defend him, admiring him with a
proud and credulous love passing the love of
lotus-eater (lotbs) A daydreamer; a person who women” (Sinclair Lewis, Babbitt, 1922). See also
lives in a state of blissful indolence and forgetful- david and jonathan.
ness, especially one induced by drugs. The phrase
alludes to an episode in Homer’s Odyssey (c. 700 love that dare not speak its name, the Homo-
b.c.), which described how Odysseus and his men sexual love, or any forbidden or frowned-upon
arrived at the land of the lotus-eaters, or Lotoph- relationship. This is an allusion to a poem entitled
agi, in North Africa. When some of the heroes ate “The Two Loves” by Lord Alfred Douglas (1870–
the honeyed fruit of the lotus (also spelled lotos) 1945), the lover of Irish writer and wit Oscar
they fell into such a state of dreamy torpor that Wilde (1854–1900), which includes the line: “I
they lost all will to continue their journey home am the love that dare not speak its name.” Wilde’s
and had to be carried back to the ships by their homosexual relationship with Douglas triggered
leader. The episode was rendered in verse form by the infamous libel trial that led ultimately to
Alfred, Lord Tennyson as “The Lotos-Eaters” Wilde’s imprisonment in Reading Gaol. It was only
(1833). The lotus of the original story has been years afterward that he felt able to talk about his brush
tentatively identified as the date, the jujube, or with the love that dare not speak its name.
291
love thy neighbor

love thy neighbor Treat others with charity, job in finance and considered the bleak office building in
respect, and tolerance. The proverb is of biblical which he spent his days a Lubianka.
origin, appearing in Leviticus 19:18: “Thou shalt
not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the chil- Lucian (looshbn) Personification of the follies
dren of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neigh- and vices of a given age. Lucian is the central char-
bour as thyself: I am the LORD.” It is quoted by acter in what is usually called The Golden Ass, a
Jesus in Matthew 5:43, 19:19, 22:38 and Mark satirical romance of the second century a.d. writ-
12:31 and by Paul in Romans 13:9 and Galatians ten by Apuleius. Lucian is a young man who is
5:15. It is also found in James 2:8. Contempo- accidentally turned into a donkey and in this guise
rary extensions of the proverb include “Love has a series of adventures, in the course of which
your neighbor, but don’t pull down the fence” he is much abused before returning to his human
and “Love your neighbor, but leave his wife form. In Don Quixote, Cervantes provided his contem-
alone.” The group of youngsters were discussing cur- poraries with a Lucian for the age of chivalry.
rent events, and one of them pointed out that loving thy
neighbor seemed to have gone out of style among world Lucifer (loosifer) Personification of evil. Luci-
leaders. fer is identified in the Bible as the leader of the
angels who rose in rebellion against God and con-
love your enemies Forgive your enemies rather sequently fell, as described in Isaiah 14:12: “How
than retaliate against them. The sentiment was art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the
expressed by Christ in the course of his Sermon morning!” Lucifer became the devil of Christian
on the Mount, as recorded in Matthew 5:44–45: tradition, also going by the name satan. The name
“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless Lucifer means “light-bearer” in Latin and as a result
them that curse you, do good to them that hate was for a time adopted as a name for a friction
you, and pray for them that despitefully use you, match in the 19th century. “ ‘O Rebecca, Rebecca,
and persecute you; That ye may be the children of for shame!’ cried Miss Sedley; for this was the
your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his greatest blasphemy Rebecca had as yet uttered;
sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth and in those days, in England, to say, ‘Long live
rain on the just and on the unjust.” “That was love. Bonaparte!’ was as much as to say, ‘Long live Luci-
‘Love your enemies as yourself!’ was a divine word, fer!’ ” (William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair,
entirely free from any church or creed” (Zane 1847–48).
Grey, Riders of the Purple Sage, 1912).
Lucrezia Borgia See borgias, the.
Lubianka (loobeeankb) A forbidding building,
especially a state prison in which inmates are likely Lucullan (lookblbn) Lavish; luxurious; opulent.
to be subjected to torture and execution. Lubianka Lucius Licinius Lucullus (c. 110–56 b.c.) was a
was the prison in Moscow where important ene- Roman general and consul who acquired great
mies of the former communist state were confined wealth as a result of his success on the battlefield
and interrogated; many were murdered there. It in Asia against Mithridates VI, king of Pontus.
was notable for its grim architecture. He hated his Lucullus became famous for his lavish lifestyle,
292
 lyceum

especially his fabulous banquets, after his retire- Luke Skywalker See star wars.
ment to Rome around 66. He spent enormous
sums on entertaining his guests and was credited lukewarm Laodicea See laodicean.
with being the first to introduce cherries to Italy.
Any sumptuous feast or other display of opulence Lurch (lerch) A tall, ungainly person. The allu-
may now be dubbed a Lucullan banquet. The sion is to the towering butler in the addams fam-
word is sometimes encountered in the forms ily comic strip, television series, and films. Uncle
Lucullian or Lucullean. When a person dines Joe was a huge man with a deep voice and a shambling
well alone it may be said on such an occasion that gait, like Lurch.
Lucullus sups with Lucullus, in reference to the
reply that Lucullus gave when asked who his guests Lusitania (loositayneeb) Emblem of a tragic
would be one evening when a particularly fine nautical disaster. During World War I, the British
meal was being prepared. Guests at the castle were Cunard passenger liner Lusitania was sailing from
treated to a Lucullan banquet, with the finest wines and Liverpool to New York when it was torpedoed off
choicest meats. Ireland by a German submarine on May 7, 1915;
1,198 people drowned, including 128 Americans
Lucy Stoner (stoner) A woman who keeps her (among them the millionaire Alfred Vanderbilt
maiden name after getting married. Lucy Stone and the theater producer Carl Frohman). The loss
(1818–93) was a U.S. suffragist who refused to of the Lusitania provoked a strong reaction on both
change her surname on her marriage, with the sides of the Atlantic and proved a significant step
support of her husband. She went on to found the toward the United States entering the war in 1917
American Woman Suffrage Association in 1869. (it has even been suggested that the British Admi-
The minister was not best pleased when his new daughter- ralty realized the danger the ship was in but delib-
in-law declared she was a Lucy Stoner and would be erately put it at risk so that the United States would
keeping her own name. be persuaded to enter the war). It was a maritime
crime on the scale of the sinking of the Lusitania.
Luddite (ludit) A person who opposes the use of
new technology or other innovations. The original Luthor, Lex See superman.
Luddites were textile workers in England who
feared the loss of their jobs when newly invented lyceum (liseebm) A school; a public concert or
machines threatened to take over the work of lecture hall. The original Lyceum was the open-air
hand-loom weavers. They attacked many factories school in a grove on the banks of the Ilissus River in
between 1799 and 1816, destroying the hated Athens where Aristotle engaged his pupils in dis-
machinery, but failed to stop the inevitable spread cussions of philosophy. “I did not see why the
of improved industrial technology. They named schoolmaster should be taxed to support the priest,
themselves after one Ned Ludd, who was reputed and not the priest the schoolmaster; for I was not
to have destroyed machines in a Leicestershire fac- the State’s schoolmaster, but I supported myself by
tory 30 years earlier. “I’m just a senile old Luddite, voluntary subscription. I did not see why the
I suppose” (Ian Maitland, Cathedral, 1993). lyceum should not present its tax bill, and have the
293
lyncean

State to back its demand, as well as the Church” the central character in a comedy of the same
(Henry David Thoreau, Civil Disobedience, 1849). name by the Greek playwright Aristophanes, first
produced in 411 b.c. When she suspects the men
lyncean (linseebn) Having exceptionally keen of Athens and Sparta of not working hard enough
eyesight. The allusion is to Lynceus, the Argonaut to end the long war between their countries,
who was renowned for sharpsightedness. He was Lysistrata and the other wives of both sides agree
reputed to able to see right through the Earth and to withdraw all sexual favors from their spouses
to be able to make things out many miles away. You until the latter come to some agreement. The
would need to have eyesight of truly lyncean brilliance to men rapidly agree to a peace treaty and normal
be able to read the words on that board from a mile away. marital relations are resumed, to the relief of all.
The local womenfolk threatened to adopt Lysistrata-
Lysistrata (lisistrbtb) Archetype of a woman who style tactics unless their demands were agreed to by the
uses her sexuality to get her own way. Lysistrata is end of the day.

294
åååååM å
Macbeth (mbkbeth) A hypocrite who is pre- McCoy, real See real mccoy.
pared to betray or sacrifice anyone in the pursuit
of power. The title character of William Shake- Macduff See lead on, macduff.
speare’s tragedy Macbeth (1606) was based upon a
MacGuffin (mbgufin) A means of keeping a nar-
historical figure, who ruled Scotland from 1040 to
1057. There is little evidence, however, that he rative moving by introducing a detail that later
was the murderous, conscience-stricken usurper turns out to be insignificant or irrelevant. The
word was coined by British-born U.S. movie
depicted by Shakespeare, as the real king actually
director Alfred Hitchcock (1899–1980), who fre-
killed his predecessor Duncan in open battle, not
quently employed such devices to trigger the
while he was an honored guest in his home. That
action in his films, which he always considered
man would do anything to get what he wants and is
secondary to the characters he created. According
about as trustworthy as Macbeth.
to Hitchcock himself, he got the name from the
story of a Scottish train passenger who, when
Macbeth, Lady See lady macbeth.
asked about a parcel he was carrying, replied that
it was a MacGuffin—that is, a device for catching
McCarthyism (mbkahrtheeizbm) Political witch-
lions in the Highlands. When someone else
hunting, especially where the victims are commu- observed that there were no lions in the High-
nists. The allusion is to the systematic rooting out lands, he replied that there were no MacGuffins
of people with supposed communist sympathies either. This turned out to be a MacGuffin designed to
conducted in the 1950s by U.S. Republican Sena- distract us from the real issue behind the dispute.
tor Joseph McCarthy (1908–57). As a result of
McCarthy’s campaign, many notable writers and Machiavellian (makeebveleebn) Unscrupulous,
other prominent citizens found themselves hauled calculated, amoral. Niccolò Machiavelli (1469–
before official committees and interrogated on their 1527) was a Florentine statesman who set out his
political views; many found their subsequent often cynical views on the art of government in
careers blighted by political prejudice against them, his treatise The Prince (1513). In this work he
regardless of their innocence or guilt. This witch-hunt defended the use of deceit and violence in the pur-
against the left smacks of a new form of McCarthyism. suit of peace and prosperity. In reality, Machiavelli
295
Madame Arcati

was a proponent of republicanism and an enemy of the Revolution and knits the names of those who
senseless brutality, but history remembers him for are killed into a long scarf. Her name is sometimes
his cold-blooded pragmatism and readiness to applied more innocently to a woman who is for-
employ dubious methods to achieve his aims. “He ever knitting. “The needles of that one clicking like
had his little peccadilloes, the quaint and rather Madame Defarge, her soiled yellow hair piled up
Machiavellian ways to gain his little ends, but he on her head and red lipstick like a gaping wound”
knew me and I knew him, and in essentials he (Tanith Lee, Dark Dance, 1993).
made good” (Kathryn Tidrick, Empire and the English
Character, 1992). mad as a hatter Completely mad, or furious. In
most people’s minds the allusion is to the Mad
Madame Arcati (ahrkahtee) The archetype of an Hatter character in Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adven-
eccentric spiritualist medium, especially one who tures in Wonderland (1865), whose behavior is par-
is middle-aged and full-figured. Madame Arcati ticularly eccentric. The phrase “mad as a hatter” is,
appears in the stage comedy Blithe Spirit (1941) by however, considerably older, referring to people
Noël Coward and provided a memorable role for involved in the hat-making industry. The exposure
Margaret Rutherford in this and the 1945 film ver- of these hatters to the chemical mercury, with
sion. The lady who turned up for the séance was small which they came into contact on a daily basis, led
and wiry, not a bit like the Madame Arcati we expected. many of them to suffer uncontrollable fits or even
to go insane, hence the phrase. The simile is also
Madame Bovary (bovbree) A dissatisfied young sometimes attached to one Robert Crab, a 17th-
woman who yearns for a better life. Emma Bovary century hatter who became well known for giving
is the title character in Madame Bovary (1857) by away everything he had to the poor and living on a
the French novelist Gustave Flaubert (1821–80). diet of grass and dock leaves. Carroll, meanwhile,
Having married a dull local doctor, she becomes is thought to have drawn inspiration from a furni-
restless with her quiet provincial existence and ture dealer named Theophilus Carter, whose nick-
longs for a life of romance and luxury. Her yearn- name “the Mad Hatter” reflected both his eccentric
ings lead her into adulterous affairs and debt, with behavior and his customary wearing of a top hat.
disastrous consequences. Like Madame Bovary, she His father is as mad as a hatter.
found marriage something of an anticlimax and longed
to escape from her humdrum life. mad, bad, and dangerous to know A person who
is thoroughly reckless or amoral and likely to cause
Madame Defarge (dbfahrj) A vengeful woman trouble to everyone he or she encounters. The
who rejoices in the misfortunes of others. The phrase was first applied, in her journal, by the
allusion is to a character in A Tale of Two Cities British novelist and aristocrat Lady Caroline Lamb
(1859) by the British novelist Charles Dickens (1785–1828) to the poet Lord Byron (1788–
(1812–70). Madame Defarge is a fanatic revolu- 1824), with whom she embarked on a turbulent
tionary who sits knitting gleefully at the foot of nine-month affair in 1812. This description of the
the guillotine as French aristocrats are executed. byronic personality has stuck and has remained
She is implacable in her hostility to the victims of closely associated with the poet ever since.
296
 magdalen

“Nonconformists are often regarded as mad, bad Horace and Virgil among the writers to whom he
and dangerous to know” (Philippa Davies, Status: lent his support. The literati were nothing if not syco-
What It Is and How to Achieve It, 1991). phantic in their response to the great man’s generosity,
hailing him as a veritable Maecenas for the new century.
madding crowd See far from the madding
crowd. maenads See bacchante.

madeleine (madblayn) An object that triggers Mae West (may west) An inflatable life vest. The
vivid memories of the otherwise forgotten past. A U.S. stage and movie actress Mae West (1892–
madeleine is a small French cake, possibly named 1980) was famous both for her buxom figure and
after a 19th-century French pastry cook called for her explicitly sexual performances, hence the
Madeleine Paulmier. The allusion is to the novel application of her name to life vests by airmen in
cycle À la recherche du temps perdu (Remembrance of World War II. Mae West herself was delighted
Things Past; 1913–27) by the French writer Marcel with this act of homage, remarking in a letter to
Proust (1871–1922), in which the narrator tastes members of the RAF: “I’ve been in Who’s Who, and
one of these cakes and is instantly reminded of the I know what’s what, but it’ll be the first time I
minutest details of his childhood. That small toy car ever made the dictionary.” You’ll find your MaeWests
was like Proust’s madeleine to me, reminding me vividly in the locker over there. See also beulah, peel me a
of many happy days spent in the playroom with my grape; come up and see me sometime.
brothers. See also proustian.
mafia (mafeeb) A group of criminals or other
Madison Avenue (madisbn) The world of adver- people, organizations, etc., who cooperate in
tising. The allusion is to Madison Avenue in Man- imposing their will on others. The term is most
hattan, New York, where many of the world’s commonly applied to Cosa Nostra (Italian for “our
best-known designers have boutiques, and which thing”), the U.S. criminal network based around
has been home to some of the biggest advertising families of ultimately Sicilian extraction. Mafia
agencies since the 1920s. Madison Avenue takes its families are notorious for their involvement in
name from Madison Square, which was itself drugs, gambling, prostitution, extortion, and pro-
named after James Madison (1751–1836), the tection rackets as well as for enforcing discipline
fourth president of the United States. This is one of on their own members and for bloodily avenging
the most expensive publicity campaigns ever devised by slights from outside the family. The word “mafia”
Madison Avenue. means “boldness” in Sicilian, and itself may come
from the Arabic mahyah, meaning “bragging,” or
Maecenas (miseenbs) A generous patron of the else from an Arabic word for a place of refuge. The
arts, especially literature. Gaius Cilnius Maecenas business is controlled by a mafia of crooked operators. See
(c. 70–8 b.c.) was a wealthy Roman noble and a also godfather, the.
favorite of the Emperor Augustus until he was
obliged to go into seclusion later in life. He was magdalen (magdblbn) A reformed prostitute; a
celebrated as a patron of literature and included house for reformed prostitutes. The name alludes
297
magi

to the biblical Mary Magdalene (or Magdalen), a French generals became complacent and were
woman from whom Christ had cast “seven devils” totally outwitted when the Germans outflanked
(Luke 8:2). She has traditionally been thought to the line by attacking through Belgium in 1940.
be the unnamed woman of Luke 7:36–50, though The line was named after the French minister of
the biblical narrative does not warrant this. The war, André Maginot (1877–1932). “They were
woman, who according to the biblical account was much more likely to stick to the ‘maginot line’ of
“a sinner” (possibly a prostitute) now reformed, municipal antiracism and therefore, paradoxically,
wept with remorse over her past sins when Jesus to experience any shift away from that defensive
came to the house of the Pharisee. She washed his position as a retreat” (J. Donald and A. Rattansi,
feet with her tears, drying them with her hair. Race, Culture and Difference, 1993).
Mary Magdalene was the first person to see Christ
after the Resurrection (Mark 16:9). In art Mary Magna Carta (magnb kahrtb) A document that
Magdalene is conventionally depicted as weeping. guarantees legal rights or defends the civil liber-
With great reluctance she allowed herself to be persuaded ties of individuals. The original Magna Carta
into the local magdalen, where she was scrubbed, scolded, (Latin for “great charter”) was signed by King John
and entreated not to return to her old ways. See also at Runnymede on the River Thames in 1215 under
maudlin. pressure from his barons, who wished to curb
royal abuses of power. It was actually very limited
magi (mayji) Astrologers. The original Magi are in what it guaranteed in terms of individual rights,
traditionally thought of as the three wise men but is remembered nonetheless as a statement of
from the East who, according to Matthew 2:1, fundamental liberties. This country needs a Magna
came to Bethlehem with gifts of gold, frankin- Carta to establish the limits of government interference
cense, and myrrh to celebrate the birth of Christ. in the lives of citizens.
Later traditions presented the Magi as the kings
Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar, but this sug- Magnificat (magnifikat) A hymn of praise and by
gestion is not supported by the Gospels. It is extension any instance of praise. In its strictest
thought that the biblical Magi may have come from sense the term refers to Mary’s joy at the news that
Persia or southern Arabia. When the young woman she was to bear Christ, as related in Luke 1:46–55.
had finished, the three professors nodded sagely, for all Her words “Magnificat anima mea Dominum” (“My
the world like three bearded and bespectacled magi. soul doth magnify the Lord”) form an important
part of Roman Catholic vespers and also appear in
Maginot Line (mazhino) A seemingly impreg- the liturgy of the Anglican and Orthodox Churches.
nable static line of defense, especially one that is “There is the lesson of ‘Cinderella,’ which is the
not as effective as it looks. The Maginot Line was same as that of the Magnificat—exaltavit humiles.
the impressive system of defenses constructed There is the great lesson of ‘Beauty and the Beast’;
between 1929 and 1934 on the border between that a thing must be loved before it is loveable” (G.
France and Germany to defend French-held terri- K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy, 1909).
tory from possible German attack. Such was the
confidence of the French in the Maginot Line that Magog See gog and magog.
298
 Malvolio

Magoo, Mr. See mr. magoo. make my day See go ahead, make my day.

Mahomet See muhammad. malapropism (malbpropizbm) The accidental

replacement of one word with another similar
Maid Marian See robin hood. word, usually through a confusion of their respec-
tive meanings. The allusion is to Mrs. Malaprop, a
Maigret See inspector maigret. character in the stage comedy The Rivals (1775) by
the Irish playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan
maimed, the halt, and the blind, the Those mem- (1751–1816), who often mistakenly substitutes
bers of society who suffer from some physical one word for another (such as “allegory” for “alli-
disability. The phrase, used often in the context of gator” or “epitaph” for “epithet”) in her misguided
charity giving, is a quotation from Luke 14:13, in attempts to impress other people with her elo-
which Christ advises the wealthy that they should quence. Her name is based on the French for “not
invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the to the purpose.” “Whether his comment is taken
blind to their houses rather than other rich friends as a malapropism or a keen insight, the view of
and neighbors. “Some of them did us no great one charge nurse that the hospital had become ‘an
honour by these claims of kindred; as we had the archival thing’ was apposite” (D. Tomlinson, Uto-
blind, the maimed, and the halt amongst the num- pia, Community Care and Retreat, 1991). See also
ber” (Oliver Goldsmith, The Vicar of Wakefield, dogberry.
1766).
male chauvinism See chauvinism.
Main Street Provincial, materialistic, and medi-
ocre, or a place with these characteristics. The Malthusian (malthoozeebn) Of or relating to
allusion is to the novel Main Street (1920) by U.S. the theories of the British economist Thomas
writer Sinclair Lewis (1885–1951), in which the Robert Malthus (1766–1834). The word usually
author lampoons the complacency and parochial- refers to theories of population growth, which
ism of the fictional Gopher Prairie, Minnesota. Malthus discussed in An Essay on the Principle of
Lewis based the town upon a real place, his own Population (1798), in par ticular to his contention
hometown of Sauk Centre, Minnesota: the resi- that poverty can never be overcome and that war,
dents of the real town were not flattered by the disease, and famine are nature’s way of restricting
book and harbored a grievance against the writer population growth. “By the end of the century
for many years. The company’s aim was to bring cul- industrialization uncoupled fertility and population
ture to the people of Main Street. growth from its Malthusian connection with the
price of grain and real wages” (J. Salt and D. Cole-
major league The top level in sport, business, or man, The British Population: Patterns,Trends, 1992).
some other pursuit. The reference is to major
league baseball, which comprises the National and Malvolio (malvoleeo) A pompous killjoy, espe-
American professional leagues. We are talking major cially one who finds himself humiliated by others.
league crime here. The allusion is to the arrogant steward in William
299
mammon

Shakespeare’s comedy Twelfth Night (1600), who community association spent several years grooming his
disapproves of frivolous behavior in others, but is successor, wanting a man after his own heart.
then outraged when made to look ridiculous him-
self as the result of a practical joke. He stormed off man born of woman The human race, especially
the stage like Malvolio, red in the face and swearing with regard to the shortlived nature of human
revenge on the whole pack of them. existence. The phrase comes from Job 14:1–2, in
which Job laments, “Man that is born of a woman
mammon (mambn) Money or the desire for is of few days, and full of trouble. He cometh forth
material wealth. An Aramaic word meaning like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a
“riches,” it appears in Matthew 6:24 and Luke shadow, and continueth not.” “Well-a-well, man
16:9–13 in the course of warnings that excessive that is born of woman is of few days and full of
interest in worldly riches is incompatible with trouble, as the Scripture says, and I reckon it’s so”
devotion to God. “Ye cannot serve God and mam- (Mark Twain, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, 1876).
mon.” Several later writers, including Edmund
Spenser (1552/53–99) and John Milton (1608– man cannot live by bread alone It takes more
74), chose to personalize material greed in the than such basic necessities as food to constitute a
form of an avaricious pagan god or devil called full human life. The proverb comes from the Bible,
Mammon. Material wealth that has been acquired appearing at Deuteronomy 8:3: “Man doth not
by dubious means may sometimes be referred to live by bread only, but by every word that pro-
as mammon of unrighteousness (as in Luke ceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD.” It is
16:9). “Mr. Crimsworth . . . frequented no place quoted by Jesus Christ in his temptation (Matthew
of worship, and owned no God but Mammon” 4:4). “Man, we know, cannot live by bread alone
(Charlotte Brontë, The Professor, 1857). See also no but hang me if I don’t believe that some women
man can serve two masters. could live by love alone” (Joseph Conrad, Chance,
1913).
man after his own heart, a A person who shares
the same opinions, enthusiasms, or interests as man cannot serve two masters See no man can
another. The expression comes from 1 Samuel serve two masters.
13:14, in which Samuel rebukes Saul: “But now
thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath mandarin (mandărin) A senior official, espe-
sought him a man after his own heart, and the cially one with a pompous, arrogant manner. The
LORD hath commanded him to be captain over word was first applied by Portuguese visitors to
his people, because thou hast not kept that which China to an important Chinese official otherwise
the LORD commanded thee.” “As for Passepar- known as the kuan. The word “mandarin” comes
tout, he was a true Parisian of Paris. Since he had from the Sanskrit mantrin, meaning “counsellor.”
abandoned his own country for England, taking The government mandarins got hold of the project and
ser vice as a valet, he had in vain searched for a that was the last anyone heard of it.
master after his own heart” (Jules Verne, Around the
World in Eighty Days, 1873). The leader of the Manderley See rebecca.
300
 man of sorrows

manes See appease his manes. Manes (or Mani or Manichaeus), who promul-
gated such a philosophy in the third century a.d.
man for all seasons, a A person with an impres- The government’s policy has a Manichaean quality,
sive range of talents, which enables him or her to be drawing a clear distinction between good practice and
equal to virtually any challenge. The allusion is to bad and making no allowance for anything in between.
the play A Man for All Seasons (1960) by the British
playwright Robert Bolt (1924–95), about the Tudor Manlius See geese that saved the capitol.
statesman, writer, and philosopher Sir Thomas
More (1478–1535). More employed his many tal- manna from heaven (manb) A welcome gift, dis-
ents to rise to the position of Lord Chancellor of covery, or otherwise much-needed source of relief.
England, but eventually even his great gifts were The phrase appears in Exodus 16:14–15, in which
insufficient to save him from the executioner’s ax “manna” miraculously raining down from heaven
after he fell foul of his master, Henry VIII, having provides the Israelites with sustenance during their
opposed the latter’s assumption of the role of head 40-year sojourn in the wilderness: “And when the
of the Church of England and his decision to divorce dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of
Catherine of Aragon and marry Anne Boleyn. Bolt the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as
was not actually the first person to apply the phrase small as the hoar frost on the ground. And when
to More, as it was thus employed many years earlier the children of Israel saw it, they said to one
by More’s contemporary Robert Whittington another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was.”
(c. 1480–c. 1530) and, before that, by More’s friend It is described as looking like coriander seed and
Erasmus (c. 1466–1536). With his many interests and tasting like honey. Speculation about what form of
skills, he was truly a man for all seasons. food manna actually was has suggested that it may
have come from the tamarisk tree. “Brian Sedge-
Man Friday A faithful servant or personal assis- more, the leftwing Labour MP, spoke for dozens in
tant. The allusion is to the young savage recruited Blunkett’s own party when he called the proposed
as a servant by the castaway robinson crusoe in legislation ‘manna from heaven for any future or
the 1719 novel of the same name by the English present home secretary who wants to establish a
writer Daniel Defoe (1660–1731). Crusoe calls police state’ ” (Guardian, November 23, 2001).
him my man Friday because it was on a Friday
that he found him. He sent his Man Friday to get cof- Man of a Thousand Faces See lon chaney.
fee and doughnuts for everyone. See also girl friday.
man of lawlessness See antichrist.
Manichaean (manbkeebn) Holding a dualistic
view of the universe based on the perceived pri- man of sorrows Jesus Christ, especially an artis-
mordial conflict between light and dark and good tic depiction of Christ at the Crucifixion. The tra-
and evil. Manichaeism, which incorporated ele- ditional image of the man of sorrows depicts
ments of several religious doctrines, among them Christ wearing his crown of thorns and with the
Gnosticism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Zoroas- wounds in his palms and side clearly visible.The title
trianism, was named after the Persian prophet comes from Isaiah 53:3, in which it is prophesied
301
man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do, a

that the Messiah would be “a man of sorrows, and The Man Who Came to Dinner by George S. Kaufman
acquainted with grief.” “It seems to me as if you (1889–1961) and Moss Hart (1904–61), filmed in
were stretching out your arms to me, and beckon- 1941, relates how a suburban family is obliged to
ing me to come and take my ease and live for my play host for several weeks to Sheridan Whiteside,
own delight, and Jesus, the Man of Sorrows, was a radio presenter with very decided opinions, after
standing looking towards me, and pointing to the he breaks his leg while there for dinner. The ven-
sinful, and suffering, and afflicted” (George Eliot, omous Sheridan Whiteside was based on a real
Adam Bede, 1859). person, the waspish theater critic Alexander
Woollcott (1887–1943), who was delighted to be
man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do, a Some- so immortalized and even played the part himself
times there is no escaping difficult and dangerous when the play went on tour. He feared he was in
tasks in life.This is a quotation from the classic 1939 danger of becoming the man who came to dinner, but his
Western movie Stagecoach, in which it is delivered hosts seemed happy for him to stay as long as he liked.
in more or less this form by a young john wayne.
Overfamiliarity with the phrase means that today it man who would be king, the A person who has
is only ever used facetiously. The bathroom was in such ambitions to rise to the very top. The allusion is to
a state after the party that I didn’t really want to go in, a short story by the British writer Rudyard Kipling
but a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do. (1865–1936), in which he describes how two
British adventurers gain the throne of a distant
Manson, Charles See charles manson. part of Afghanistan and there rule in glory until
they fall out and are overthrown. The governor
mantle of Elijah (blijb) Authority or leadership. tonight revealed himself as the man who would be king
In the Bible the phrase alludes to the mantle worn when he announced his candidature for the presidency.
by the Hebrew prophet Elijah, known especially
for his contest with the prophets of Baal on Mount man without a country, a A person who lives in
Carmel (1 Kings 18:18–46). When Elijah was car- exile from his or her country. The allusion is to the
ried up to heaven by a whirlwind, his mantle was title of a short story by the U.S. writer and minis-
taken up by his chosen successor Elisha as a symbol ter Edward Everett Hale (1822–1909) about a
of the authority he thus assumed (1 Kings 19:19; 2 young naval officer who finds himself implicated in
Kings 2:13–14). Any person who succeeds to a a treasonous plot and is sentenced to sail with the
position of authority or leadership is thereby said navy for the rest of his life without returning home
to assume the mantle of Elijah. “But like the or even hearing the United States being men-
prophet in the chariot disappearing in heaven and tioned. Having left the party he is now truly a man
dropping his mantle to Elisha, the withdrawing without a country.
night transferred its pale robe to the breaking day”
(Herman Melville, Billy Budd, 1891). man with the golden arm, the A heroin user. The
allusion is to the title of a 1949 novel by the U.S.
man who came to dinner, the A guest who out- writer Nelson Algren (1909–81), filmed in 1955
stays his or her welcome. The 1939 stage comedy with Frank Sinatra in the role of heroin addict
302
 marathon

Frankie Machine. Over the years he had spent a for- (1874) to distinguish between profound love
tune on heroin and other drugs, and was known on the and more superficial attraction: “Where, however,
street as the man with the golden arm. happy circumstances permit its development, the
compounded feeling proves itself to be the only
many are called, but few are chosen Though love which is as strong as death—that love which
many people may think themselves capable of doing many waters cannot quench, nor the floods drown,
something or be considered as candidates for some- beside which the passion usually called by the
thing, only a few are actually likely to receive the name is evanescent as steam.”
opportunity to do so. The proverb first appears in
the Bible in Matthew 20:16, in which Christ tells Marah (mahrah) A source or cause of bitterness.
the parable of the laborers in the vineyard and Marah, which means “bitterness” in Hebrew (see
emphasizes the challenge faced by all those who Ruth 1:20), was the name of an oasis some three
seek admission to heaven: “So the last shall be first, days’ journey from the Red Sea where the Israel-
and the first last: for many be called, but few cho- ites sought to slake their thirst. The waters proved
sen.” “There must also be the recollection which bitter, however, and it was not until God had
seeks to transform and transcend intelligence. shown Moses a plant whose foliage would sweeten
Many are called, but few are chosen—because few the water that they were able to drink (Exodus
even know in what salvation consists” (Aldous 15:23–25). “In his petition for a blessing on the
Huxley, After Many A Summer, 1939). meal, the poor old man added to his supplication,
a prayer that the bread eaten in sadness of heart,
many mansions See house of many mansions. and the bitter waters of Marah, might be made as
nourishing as those which had been poured forth
man you love to hate, the A villain or rogue who from a full cup and a plentiful basket and store”
nonetheless has a certain appeal. The description (Sir Walter Scott, The Heart of Midlothian, 1818).
was originally applied to the Austrian-born U.S.
movie actor and director Erich von Stroheim maranatha See anathema.
(1885–1957), who with his masterly portrayals of
Teutonic arrogance was usually cast as a villain, his marathon A long-distance cross-country run-
roles including callous murderers and sneering ning race and by extension any lengthy or arduous
German soldiers. Here comes her father, the man we struggle or effort. Marathon was the name of a vil-
all love to hate. lage northeast of Athens, and the plains nearby
were the site of a climactic battle between the
many waters cannot quench love True love will Greeks and a much larger invading Persian army
not be extinguished by disappointment or set- in 490 b.c. Defeat in the battle would have left the
backs. This proverbial observation comes from way open to Athens, but the vastly outnumbered
Song of Solomon 8:7, where it reads, “Many Greeks triumphed and the Persians were routed.
waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods In order to prevent the Persians from launching a
drown it.” The British novelist Thomas Hardy new attack on Athens from a different direction, a
adopted the phrase in Far From the Madding Crowd runner was ordered to take the news and warning
303
March

to the citizens before the enemy could regroup. disregards the suffering of others. The Austrian-
The messenger ran the 26 miles, 385 yards as fast born Josèphe Jeanne Marie Antoinette (1755–93)
as he could and successfully got word to the city in was notorious for the decadent, self-indulgent
time. His remarkable feat is still commemorated life she led at the court of her husband Louis
in the running of the marathon over a similar dis- XVI of France. She spent money extravagantly
tance to that covered by the original messenger in and showed little interest in the welfare of the
the modern olympic games. The ancient Greek poorer members of society (see let them eat
runner is sometimes identified by name as Phei- cake), earning the hatred of the Paris mob, which
dippides, although the latter actually ran from ultimately had the satisfaction of seeing her guil-
Athens to Sparta to seek help before the battle. lotined in the turmoil following the French Revo-
After this marathon effort few members of the task force lution. Once she had married her millionaire she lived
had the physical or mental stamina to offer further resis- like Marie Antoinette.
tance to the proposals.
Marie Celeste (maree sblest) A boat that is
March The third month of the year. It was named found inexplicably abandoned by its crew, or any
after mars, the Roman god of war, and before the other similarly deserted place. The U.S. brigantine
introduction of the julian calendar marked the Marie Celeste (properly, Mary Celeste) was found
beginning (first month) of the year. It also marked abandoned at sea between Portugal and the Azores
the period of the year when generals could launch on December 5, 1872. Apart from a few missing
new battle campaigns, hence the link with the items, such as a sextant and chronometer, every-
warlike Mars. March is a time of signals and alarms thing was as it should be, except that the crew had
and the true beginning of the year, as far as nature is completely vanished. The riddle has never been
concerned. solved and the crew’s disappearance remains one of
the great mysteries of the sea. “In a ghost town, silent
march to the beat of a different drummer To act and deserted as the Marie Celeste, I gave myself a his-
or think in an independent way; to part from the tory lesson” (Bette Howell, Dandelion Days, 1991).
majority. The allusion is to a passage in “Where I
Lived and What I Lived For” by the U.S. essayist Marilyn Monroe (marilin mbnro) A voluptuous
Henry David Thoreau (1817–62): “If a man does blonde. Marilyn Monroe (Norma Jean Morten-
not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is son; 1926–62) achieved fame as a model and
because he hears a different drummer. Let him step movie actress, combining the elemental appeal of
to the music which he hears, however measured or a sexy screen goddess with a natural talent for
far away.” It was clear from a very young age that the comedy. She became an icon of the 1950s with
great man marched to the beat of a different drummer. highly acclaimed appearances in such movies as
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), Bus Stop (1956),
Marian, Maid See robin hood. and The Misfits (1961). Her premature death,
apparently from an overdose of sleeping pills, was
Marie Antoinette (maree ontwbnet) A frivo- a cause of lasting international regret. She’s not
lous, luxury-loving woman, especially one who unattractive but she’s no Marilyn Monroe.
304
 Marquess of Queensberry rules

mark of Cain (kayn) A brand or other distin- cigarettes, which was launched in 1954. The cam-
guishing mark that bears witness to some past paign featured the stirring image of a cowboy con-
crime or misdeed. According to the biblical account tentedly smoking a Marlboro cigarette as he
of Abel’s murder at the hands of his brother Cain, surveyed an expansive Wild West landscape. The
Cain was branded by God with a special mark so campaign was apparently conceived to popularize
that those who met him would refrain from killing filter cigarettes, which until then had been consid-
him out of vengeance: “And the LORD set a mark ered feminine. It was hugely successful and over
upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him” the years many actors and male models appeared
(Genesis 4:15). Tradition has it that the mark took in the role of the Marlboro man; two of them, it
the form of a bloodstained brand on Cain’s brow. must be added, later died of lung cancer. The
In modern usage a mark of Cain, or curse of Cain, quintessential wild country in which the Marlboro
is generally understood to be a mark of punish- man supposedly thrived was dubbed Marlboro
ment rather than protection. “The commitment is country, though the cigarettes themselves were
total and to opt out of the system is a mark of Cain” actually named after Great Marlborough Street in
(Guardian, July 19, 1991). See also cain and abel. the West End of London, where the manufacturers
of the cigarettes were originally based. The guide
mark of the beast A physical mark or something clearly thought of himself as a Marlboro man, with his
else that indicates a person’s association with evil. In white stetson and faded blue jeans.
the book of Revelation (13:16–17, 16:2, and 19:20)
an angel punishes those who bear the mark of the Marlene Dietrich (mahrlaynb deetrik) Archetypal
beast, a brand on the right hand or forehead signify- femme fatale. The German-born movie actress
ing those who, at the behest of a creature risen up and singer Marlene Dietrich (Magdalena von Losch;
from the earth, worship a seven-headed beast from 1901–92) sprang to fame in The Blue Angel (1930)
the sea. Those who criticize a person or activity as and acquired iconic status as a vampish sex symbol
evil are said to set the mark of the beast on the whose husky voice came to be widely imitated by
object of their condemnation. In the Royal Navy the admirers and impersonators. In his high heels, fish-
lapel flashes of midshipmen are traditionally nick- net stockings, and top hat he looked like a nightmarish
named marks of the beast. “Each of these creatures, version of Marlene Dietrich.
despite its human form, its rag of clothing, and the
rough humanity of its bodily form, had woven into Marley’s ghost See scrooge.
it—into its movements, into the expression of its
countenance, into its whole presence—some now Marlowe, Philip See philip marlowe.
irresistible suggestion of a hog, a swinish taint, the
unmistakable mark of the beast” (H. G. Wells, The Marner, Silas See silas marner.
Island of Doctor Moreau, 1896).
Marple, Miss See miss marple.
Marlboro man (mahrlbbro) Archetype of a
rugged, masculine cowboy. The allusion is to a Marquess of Queensberry rules See queens-
long-running advertising campaign for Marlboro berry rules.
305
marriage in Cana

marriage in Cana See water into wine. tranquil one, for the little woman fussed, was over-
anxious to please, and bustled about like a true
Mars (mahrz) The personification of war.Though Martha, cumbered with many cares” (Louisa May
generally identified as the god of war in Roman Alcott, Little Women, 1868–69).
mythology, Mars began as a god of spring growth
who was venerated for keeping livestock safe from martinet (mahrtinet) A strict disciplinarian. The
threat. Later he became strongly associated with reference is to the marquis de Martinet, a colonel
the warlike instinct, and the area in Rome where in the French infantry during the reign of Louis
soldiers trained was dubbed the Field of Mars. He XIV. It was into Martinet’s regiment, which was
was also identified as the father of romulus and renowned for its strict discipline, that young aris-
remus. The king assumed the guise of Mars himself, tocrats were obliged, at the king’s command, to
personally ordering his battalions forward and ranging do military ser vice. He was killed “accidentally” by
his magisterial eye over the entire field of battle. See also his own troops at the siege of Duisberg in 1762.
march. The captain was a real martinet who would tolerate no
misbehavior in his crew.
Marshall Plan (mahrshbl) An economic aid
package to relieve a whole region or nation under Marvel, Captain See captain marvel.
pressure. The allusion is to the plan proposed in
1947 by U.S. secretary of state George C. Mar- Marx Brothers (mahrks) A team of comical
shall (1880–1959) to deliver aid to assist in the incompetents. The Marx Brothers were among the
economic recovery of Europe after World War II. most popular comedy stars of the 1930s, starring
The ensuing European Recovery Program did in such movies as The Cocoanuts (1929) and A Night
much to restore the industries of various western at the Opera (1935). They comprised Leonard
European states. We need to organize a new Marshall Marx (Chico; 1886–1961), Adolph Marx (Harpo;
Plan to help the ailing nations of central Africa. 1888–1964), Julius Marx (Groucho; 1890–1977),
Herbert Marx (Zeppo; 1901–79), and Milton
Martha (mahrthb) A woman who is constantly Marx (Gummo; 1892–1977), although Gummo
occupied with domestic chores. According to Luke left the team relatively early in their career. Watch-
10:38–42, when Christ visited the home in Bethany ing that team of builders putting up a wall was like
of the sisters Martha and mary, Martha carried on watching the Marx Brothers.
preparing a meal while Mary broke off to listen to
Christ’s words. When Martha complained that her Mary (mairee) A quiet, contemplative woman.
sister was leaving her to do all the work, she was According to Luke 10:38–42, Mary, the sister of
gently rebuked by Christ: “Martha, Martha, thou martha, listened attentively to Christ’s words
art careful and troubled about many things: But one while her sister carried on with her domestic
thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good chores. Unlike her sister, who busied herself in the con-
part, which shall not be taken away from her” (Luke necting room, the other girl sat like Mary quietly in the
10:41–42). Martha is now honored as the patron corner mulling unhappily over her father’s words. See
saint of homemakers. “Her paradise was not a also virgin mary.
306
 Maundy Thursday

Mary Magdalene See magdalen; maudlin. came from a Malay name for the sun, and meant
“eye of the day.” She seemed so innocent that no one
Mary Poppins (popinz) A children’s nanny, or a thought she could possibly turn out to be a Mata Hari.
woman who seems particularly gifted at domestic
and other chores. Mary Poppins, a likable nanny Mather, Cotton See cotton mather.
with a magical touch, was introduced to the world
in the stories of P. L. Travers (1899–1996), mak- Matilda (mbtildb) A congenital liar. This is an
ing her first appearance in 1934. She was later allusion to one of the Cautionary Tales (1907) of
brought to life on the cinema screen by Julie Hilaire Belloc (1870–1953). The story concerns a
Andrews in the musical Mary Poppins (1964). Her small girl called Matilda who is in the habit of
house is so tidy she must be Mary Poppins. playing the practical joke of shouting “Fire!”, only
to be disbelieved (and consequently burned to
Mason, Perry See perry mason. death) when a real fire breaks out. His daughter was
a Matilda whose every other sentence was a blatant
massacre of the innocents A complete rout or untruth.
comprehensive annihilation of a defenseless
enemy. The phrase refers to the systematic killing maudlin Foolishly tearful, sentimental, or ram-
of all male children two years old and younger bling. The word comes from the name of Mary
that according to Matthew 2:1–16 took place in Magdalene (or Magdalen), conventionally depicted
Bethlehem on the orders of Herod the Great in an in art as weeping. (See magdalen.) “I hurried back
attempt to stop the prophecy from coming true to that door and glanced in. Alas, there was small
that one of these boys was destined to become room for hope—Backus’s eyes were heavy and
king of the Jews. In modern usage the phrase is bloodshot, his sweaty face was crimson, his speech
not limited to acts of murderous slaughter but maudlin and thick, his body sawed drunkenly
may also be applied to any seemingly merciless about with the weaving motion of the ship” (Mark
action against innocent or defenseless parties. Twain, Life on the Mississippi, 1883).
“Herod reigns in France, and over all the earth,
and begins each year his massacre of the innocents; Maundy Thursday (mahndee) The Thursday
and if it be not blasphemy against the sacredness before Easter, commemorating the Last Supper.
of life, I say that the most happy are those who Maundy comes from the Old French mandé (mean-
have disappeared” (Upton Sinclair, Damaged Goods, ing “commanded”), a translation of the Latin
1913). mandatum (“commandment”), which appears in a
quotation of Christ’s: “Mandatum novum do
Mata Hari (mahtb hahree) A beautiful female vobis,” meaning “A new commandment I give unto
spy. Mata Hari was the stage name of the Dutch you” (John 13:34). The commandment in question
dancer Margaretha Geertruida Zelle (1876–1917), is “That ye love one another; as I have loved you.”
whose notorious career ended with her being shot The day is marked by special ser vices, and in Brit-
by a French firing squad on charges of spying for ain the monarch presents specially minted coins
the Germans during World War I. Her pseudonym called Maundy money to a small number of
307
mausoleum

elderly people (one for each year of the present May The fifth month of the year. It was named
reign). This custom recalls the former tradition of after Maia, the Roman goddess of spring and fer-
monarchs and bishops honoring Christ, who tility. She was in the May of her life, fresh and young
showed his humility by washing the feet of his dis- and blooming.
ciples and of a few select poor people and by hand-
ing out food and clothes. The Maundy Thursday Mayflower Symbol of the fundamental, egalitar-
service will be broadcast from the cathedral at an earlier ian spirit of the founders of the United States. The
hour this year. Mayflower was the sailing ship that brought the 102
Pilgrim fathers across the Atlantic from Plymouth
mausoleum (mahzoleebm) A tomb, especially in England in 1620. These colonists agreed the so-
one of imposing dimensions, or a place that is as called “Mayflower Compact,” under the terms of
lifeless or gloomy as a tomb. The term is an allu- which they dedicated themselves to founding a
sion to the magnificent tomb of Mausolus, king of community in which the majority will would pre-
Caria (d. 353 b.c.), which was constructed at vail, thus providing a model for modern western
Halicarnassus in the fourth century b.c. and was democracy. The Mayflower subsequently returned
included among the seven wonders of the ancient to England, and timbers from the ship are said to
have been used to build a barn at Jordans, Buck-
world. Some 140 feet high and complete with
inghamshire. The crowd applauded this demonstration
huge statues of Mausolus and his wife, it is thought
of the true Mayflower spirit.
to have been destroyed by an earthquake in medi-
eval times. “Of course, Aunt Myra could not be
meander To follow a winding, twisting course;
neglected, and, with secret despair, Rose went to
to ramble aimlessly. The word is an allusion to the
the ‘Mausoleum,’ as the boys called her gloomy
Meander River in Phrygia, whose many windings
abode” (Louisa May Alcott, Eight Cousins, 1874). are supposed to have inspired Daedalus to build
the labyrinth. “She always returned, with greater
maverick (mavbrik) A person who behaves with
emphasis and with an instinctive knowledge of the
cavalier disregard for convention. The allusion is
strength of her objection, ‘Let us have no mean-
to Samuel August Maverick (1803–70), a Texan dering.’ Not to meander myself, at present, I will
rancher who rejected the usual practice of brand- go back to my birth” (Charles Dickens, David Cop-
ing his cattle and let them roam freely. Conse- perfield, 1849–50).
quently, any unbranded steer became known as a
“maverick,” and it was only a matter of time before measure for measure A matching response,
the term was applied to unfettered humans as revenge, or other return; tit for tat. The expression
well, initially to politicians who had no allegiance is best known as the title of a tragicomedy by
to their party leadership. “In his own time he had William Shakespeare (1604) but is actually biblical
been a maverick, and for being a maverick his in origin, appearing in Matthew 7:2: “For with
grateful sovereign had pinned on his chest the gal- what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and
lantry medal of the Military Cross” (Gerald Sey- with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to
mour, Condition Black, 1991). you again.” “All things are double, one against
308
 medusa

another—Tit for tat; an eye for an eye; a tooth for sought to poison the king’s son Theseus. When this
a tooth; blood for blood; measure for measure; plot failed she fled to Colchis. The rest of the family
love for love” (Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Compensa- were jaundiced in their opinion of the old lady, generally
tion,” 1841). agreeing she had behaved like a Medea over her hus-
band’s relatively innocuous lapse.
meat that ye know not of A private source of
solace, sustenance, or other support, especially of Medes and Persians, law of the See law of the
a spiritual nature.The expression comes from John medes and persians.
4:32 in which the disciples entreat Christ to eat
something but receive the reply that “I have meat Medici (medeechee) Patrons of culture and the
to eat that ye know not of.” When asked how he arts.The Medici family, notably Cosimo de’ Medici
supported himself, the wizard cryptically replied to his (1389–1464), towered over the Italian renais-
followers,“I have meat you know not of.” sance of the 14th and 15th centuries, using their
great wealth to foster the talents of such luminar-
mecca (mekb) An ultimate goal or ambition, a ies as Botticelli, leonardo da vinci, and michel-
place that attracts many visitors or tourists.The term angelo. Toward the end of the 19th century several
comes from Mecca, a city in modern Saudi Arabia prominent East Coast families vied to become the Medicis
that has special significance in Islamic lore as the of their day.
birthplace of muhammad and as a result is the desti-
nation for Muslims taking the hajj, or pilgrimage medium is the message, the Sometimes the
that all the faithful are supposed to take at least once means by which communication is made is more
in their lifetime. “East Grafton was the ancient habi- significant than the message itself. This is a quota-
tat of the race, and Penhallow Grange, where ‘old’ tion from Understanding Media (1964) by the Cana-
John Penhallow lived, was a Mecca to them” (Lucy dian philosopher Marshall McLuhan (1911–80),
Maud Montgomery, Chronicles of Avonlea, 1912). in which the author argues that the changing pace
of technology represented by computers and other
Medea (medeeb) A vengeful, jealous, and cruel electronic media is a dominant influence upon
woman, especially one believed to be a sorceress. modern life, outweighing anything actually com-
In Greek legend Medea was the daughter of the municated using such media. “The medium is the
king of Colchis, an enchantress who helped her message because the message, the culture and ide-
lover Jason and the Argonauts in their quest for ology of consumerism, has engulfed the medium”
the golden fleece. The victims of her cruelty (Leslie Sklair, Sociology of the Global System, 1991).
included her own brother Absyrtus (whom she cut
into pieces to delay pursuit by her father), Jason’s medusa (medoosb) Alternative name for a jel-
uncle Pelias, and ultimately the princess Glauce lyfish. The creature received its name through a
and her father King Creon of Corinth after Jason fancied resemblance between its tentacles and the
decided to abandon Medea and marry Glauce. She snake hair of the fearsome Medusa, one of the
also killed the children she had borne Jason and, gorgons. According to legend, she acquired
after seeking shelter at the court of King Aegeus, her loathsome appearance as punishment for
309
meek as Moses

offending the goddess Athena by consorting with Mein Kampf (min kampf) An autobiography,
Poseidon in the temple of Athena. Medusa was especially one that contains highly controversial
finally slain by Perseus when he cut off her head. It political views. Mein Kampf (“My Struggle”) was
rapidly emerged that the affair was more complicated written by Adolf hitler while he was serving a
than first imagined, with as many tentacles as a medusa. prison sentence following the Munich putsch of
1923 and published in two parts, in 1925 and
meek as Moses (moziz) Long suffering; uncom- 1927. It summarized the deranged political theo-
plaining; quietly accepting. In the Bible meekness is ries that led to the formation of the Nazi move-
interpreted not as weakness but rather in terms of ment and became the “bible” of Hitler’s followers.
humility or gentleness of spirit. It is because of the Publication of the book has been officially sup-
devoutness and restraint of the biblical prophet pressed since World War II, although occa-
Moses under the taunts of Aaron and Miriam that sional editions have been released from time to
God actively defends him from his enemies and time. He found this lengthy political statement of
helps him to deliver his people from slavery (Num- intent about as readable as Mein Kampf, and about
bers 12:3). By the same token, Christ is also as forgivable.
described as “meek” (Matthew 11:29; 21:5). In
modern usage meekness is more likely to be under- Mekon See dan dare
stood to signify an inclination to accept one’s lot and
may just as readily be interpreted as a sign of weak- Melchior See magi.
ness as praiseworthy restraint. “He wasn’t the able
seaman you see now. He was meek as Moses” (Lucy Melchizedek (melkizbdek) A person without
Maud Montgomery, Anne’s House of Dreams, 1915). parents; a priest whose ser vice to God is without
end. Melchizedek is identified in Genesis 14:18–
meek shall inherit the earth, the Those who are 20 and elsewhere as a high priest of Salem who
humble in heart will receive their just reward in the was “without father, without mother, without
end. The proverb comes from the Bible, appearing descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end
in Matthew 5:5: “Blessed are the meek: for they of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abiding
shall inherit the earth.” Modern variants on the a priest continually.” Melchizedek, whose name
theme have included J. Paul Getty’s quip “The meek means “king of righteousness,” blessed Abraham
shall inherit the earth, but not its mineral rights.” and is depicted as an Old Testament precursor of
“Blessed are the meek, blessed are the failures, Jesus Christ (Hebrews 7). “He would hold his
blessed are the stupid, for they, unknown to them- secret knowledge and secret power, being as sin-
selves, have a grace which is denied to the haughty, less as the innocent; and he would be a priest for-
the successful, and the wise” (Arnold Bennett, Anna ever according to the order of Melchisedec” (James
of the Five Towns, 1902). See also beatitude. Joyce, A Portrait of the Artist as aYoung Man, 1915).

meet one’s Waterloo See waterloo. Meleager See calydonian boar hunt.

Megaera See furies. Mellors, Oliver See lady chatterley.

310
 men in black

Melpomene See muses. John Sherman (1823–1900), brother of the cele-

brated Civil War general William Tecumseh Sher-
meltdown A situation in which events move man, who when planning his next political advance
irrevocably toward total disaster. The reference is in Washington made a strategic visit to his farm in
to nuclear reactions, specifically to what happens Ohio to renew connections with, and thus regain
if a radioactive core becomes overheated and the support of, local voters.When asked by report-
melts, releasing radioactivity: In theory there ers what he was doing back at his farm in Ohio,
would be nothing to stop the molten core burn- Sherman replied that he was mending fences,
ing its way right through the earth, with even hence the modern meaning of the expression. She
more catastrophic effects. Meltdowns of varying had not spoken with her mother for years, but now the
degrees became reality as a result of the nuclear time had come to mend some fences.
accidents that occurred at three mile island in
1979 and, more seriously, at chernobyl in 1986. mene, mene, tekel, upharsin See writing on the
The organization has been in meltdown since the resig- wall.
nation of the entire board of directors. See also china
syndrome. Menechmians (menekmeebnz) People who
resemble one another closely. The word originated
Menalcas (menalkas) A shepherd or other rural in reference to the comedy Menaechmi by Plautus
character. The allusion is to a minor character in (c. 254–184 b.c.), the plot of which depends on
Virgil’s Eclogues (42–37 b.c.) and also in the Idylls the confusions of identity resulting from the strik-
of Theocritus (c. 310–250 b.c.). The crew eventually ing similarity between the central characters.
found what they wanted in the local bar, a withered old Centuries later it provided the basis for The Com-
Menalcas who knew everything about the hills and for- edy of Errors (c. 1594) by William Shakespeare.
ests and, even better, all there was to know about the When they were dressed similarly, few people could tell
folklore of the region. these two Menechmians apart, and many were the confu-
sions and embarrassments that ensued.
men are from Mars, women are from Venus Men
and women have fundamentally different outlooks men in black Secret agents, especially ones who
on the world. The notion that men and women are work for the government in an attempt to sup-
so different that they might seem to come from press the truth about contact with aliens. The
different planets was the premise of a best-selling notion that such extraterrestrial contacts were
book of the same title, published in 1992 by U.S. being kept quiet by various governments through
family therapist Dr. John Gray (b. 1951). Many a the agency of their “men in black” became current
marriage has faltered when one or both partners have during the 1950s and has been a theme of various
forgotten the basic reality that while men are from Mars, best-selling science-fiction books and big-budget
women are from Venus. Hollywood movies, such as Close Encounters of
the Third Kind (1977) and Men in Black (1997). The
mend one’s fences To repair damaged relation- success of the latter gave more currency to the
ships. The allusion here is to the U.S. statesman phrase, as did its use in the x-files television
311
mentor

series. The term reflects the popular idea that such Merlin (merlin) A person who appears to have
agents dress in dark suits, wear dark glasses, and magical powers at his disposal. Merlin is one of the
drive in black cars. She refused to tell us about the main characters in the various myths and legends
incident, saying she feared she might be silenced by the surrounding king arthur and the knights of the
men in black. round table. Merlin plays an important role in
most of the key events of Arthur’s life, and the
mentor A wise and faithful adviser or teacher, Round Table was said to have been his own cre-
especially one who gives advice to someone ation. It has been suggested that the character was
younger or less experienced. In Greek mythology, based upon a real historical figure, a bard who lived
Mentor was identified by Homer as the trusted around the end of the fifth century a.d., perhaps in
friend of odysseus and, in the absence of Odys- Wales. He played Merlin in the court of John F. Kennedy.
seus during the Trojan War, the tutor of his son
Telemachus. When Telemachus went in search of Merops’s son (meropsiz) A person who mistak-
his father, the goddess Athena took the guise of enly thinks he or she can put everything right. The
Mentor to accompany him. “He did not think it reference is to the legendary phaeton, reputedly
expedient to receive her alone. He consulted his the son of King Merops of Ethiopia, who thought
mentor, Mr. Dove, and his client, John Eustace, he could steer the car of phoebus (actually the
and the latter consented to be present” (Anthony Sun itself) safely through the sky and only nar-
Trollope, The Eustace Diamonds, 1873). rowly avoided setting the Earth on fire. In modern
usage the term is usually applied to agitators or
Mercury (merkybree) Epithet for a messenger demagogues. The butler murmured darkly something
or, alternatively, a thief. In Roman mythology about Merops’s son but oozed out of the room before he
Mercury was the god of commerce, thieves, and could be questioned more closely, leaving us all wonder-
traffic, equivalent to the Greek Hermes. He ing to whom he had been referring.
remains best known as the messenger of the gods
and is conventionally depicted wearing the pair of merry men See robin hood.
winged sandals that gave him great speed. The
adjective mercurial (meaning “lighthearted” or Meshach See fiery furnace.
“volatile”) was originally applied by astrologers to
people born under the influence of the planet mesmerism (mezmbrizbm) The use of hypnotism
Mercury and were thereby supposed to have fanci- as a therapeutic treatment. The practice is named
ful, changeable natures. Like her mother, she had a after the Austrian physician Franz Anton Mesmer
mercurial character, melancholy one moment but laugh- (1734–1815), who first experimented with such
ing the next as if she didn’t have a care in the world. therapies in Vienna. There was no way they would get
her to agree to it short of resorting to mesmerism.
Mercutio See plague on both your houses, a;
romeo and juliet. Messalina (mesbleenb) A lustful, sexually vora-
cious woman. Valeria Messalina (c. a.d. 22–48)
mercy seat See throne of grace. married the future emperor Claudius at the age
312
 mickey finn

of 15 and after he achieved power three years me Tarzan, you Jane See tarzan.
later, wielded immense influence through him,
controlling imperial appointments and ordering Methuselah See as old as methuselah.
the deaths of political opponents. Although faith-
ful in the early years of her marriage in order to Micawber, Wilkins See wilkins micawber.
forestall any doubts about the paternity of her
son Britannicus, she subsequently became noto- Michaelmas (mikblmbs) September 29, mark-
rious for her many sexual conquests, who included ing the feast of St. Michael the Archangel. Michael
notable political and military figures. She was is identified in the Bible as the prince of the
eventually undone when rumors of a mock wed- angels, who protected the Jewish people (Daniel
ding she had gone through with the consul desig- 12:1) and led the celestial army against Satan
nate Gaius Silius reached Claudius, who had her (Jude 9). Traditionally Michaelmas Day was one
executed for treason in her own garden. The of the four quarter-days upon which various
name has been applied to several individuals rents and other payments became due; some
since classical times, notably to Catherine the British universities still have a Michaelmas term
Great (1729–96), who was dubbed the Modern in the autumn. The Michaelmas term is relatively
Messalina. “My god,” cried the director, clutching his short this year.
temple. “I asked for a Goldilocks, and they’ve sent me
Messalina!” Michelangelo (mikblanjblo) A brilliantly gifted
artist or sculptor. Michelangelo di Lodovico Buon-
messiah (mbsı̄b) Someone who is hailed as a arroti Simoni (1475–1564) was hugely admired in
savior, especially one who has been long awaited. his own time for his unsurpassed artistic creations
Derived from the Hebrew word masiah, meaning and is remembered today as one of the giants of
“anointed,” it is one of the titles by which Jesus cultural history. His masterpieces include the statue
Christ is often referred to (for example, in Mat- of David (1501–04) and the stunning ceiling of the
thew 16:16 and 26:63 and in John 1:41). The Sistine Chapel at the Vatican in Rome (1508–12).
name Christ is a translation into Greek of Messiah. He has been called Spain’s Michelangelo. See also
The coming of a messiah was predicted by such painting the sistine chapel.
Old Testament prophets as Isaiah, Jeremiah, and
Ezekiel, and since biblical times the title has often mickey finn (mikee fin) A drugged or doctored
been applied to leaders who are expected to drink, the effect of which is to render the drinker
restore the fortunes of a par ticular people or other unconscious. The original Mickey Finn is said to
group. “For a year Vida . . . was healthily vexed by have worked as a bartender at the Lone Star and
Carol’s assumption that she was a sociological Palm saloons in Chicago around 1900. He was
messiah come to save Gopher Prairie” (Sinclair proficient at making up a potion that would have
Lewis, Main Street, 1920). such an effect, using it to rob customers. An essen-
tial ingredient of a mickey finn is allegedly
mess of pottage See sell one’s birthright for chlorine. In modern usage the term may also be
a mess of pottage. applied to anything else that delivers a debilitating,
313
Mickey Mouse

“knockout” blow. They slipped him a mickey finn and by his bathing in the waters of the Pactolus, from
then went through his pockets looking for anything of which time the river has always been edged by
value. golden sand. “So twenty years, with their hopes
and fears and smiles and tears and such, / Went
Mickey Mouse (mikee mows) Something that is by and left me long bereft of hope of the Midas
deemed to be on a derisorily small or insignificant touch” (Robert Ser vice, Ballads of a Cheechako,
scale. The cartoon character Mickey Mouse was 1909).
the most famous creation of U.S. filmmaker Walt
Disney (1901–66). The fact that Mickey Mouse was mighty fallen, how are the See how are the
a staggering success and the foundation stone of mighty fallen!
what became the Disney empire has not prevented
the character’s name from coming to represent mighty hunter See nimrod.
what is trivial and not to be taken seriously—
an association that may have arisen through Mike Hammer See mickey spillane.
reference to the thousands of cheaply-made, unre-
liable watches and other products bearing Mickey Milesian tales (mileezhebn) Short stories of a
Mouse’s image that were subsequently manufac- characteristically obscene nature. The original col-
tured to cash in on the character’s immense popu- lection of such stories was compiled by and named
larity. Their grand plan was eventually exposed as a after the Greek writer Aristides of Miletus, who
Mickey Mouse project that lacked any proper funding. lived in the second century b.c. The tales, which
have not survived to modern times, were ulti-
Mickey Spillane (mikee spilayn) Archetype of a mately the work of one Antonius Diogenes. The
writer of hard-boiled detective fiction. Mickey group at the bar was swapping Milesian tales in subdued
Spillane (b. 1918) became a best-selling author tones, broken every now and then by unsuppressible gusts
with his combination of sex and violence, notably of delighted laughter.
in the novels featuring the tough detective Mike
Hammer. He was a crime novelist in the hard-hitting milk and honey See land flowing with milk
Mickey Spillane tradition. and honey.

Midas touch (midbs) The ability to turn virtu- millennium A period of 1,000 years, often refer-
ally any project into a success; a golden touch. ring to the period before Satan’s final overthrow
The reference is to King Midas of Phrygia, who (Revelation 20) when Satan is bound and believers
was granted his wish to be able to turn anything are resurrected and reign with Christ. It has been
he touched to gold. His newfound talent back- interpreted in different ways: “as a symbol of the
fired, however, when he found that his food and present time between Christ’s first and second
drink (and even his daughter, according to one comings (amillennialism), of a time when Christ
version of the tale) turned to gold at his touch, will return and reign on earth before the final res-
and soon he was begging to be returned to his urrection (premillennialism), and of a period of
original condition. This was eventually achieved great success for the church and the gospel before
314
 mint

Christ’s second coming (postmillennialism)” (Sel- lived in Crotona toward the end of the sixth cen-
man and Manser, Hearthside Bible Dictionary, p. 162). tury b.c. Legend has it that he once carried a four-
The millennium was expected by some to begin in year-old heifer through the stadium at Olympia
the year 1000, but when this did not happen vari- before eating the entire animal, and also that he
ous theories based on different readings of the bib- met his death after attempting to pull apart a par-
lical text were put forward as to the possible date. tially riven oak tree, becoming trapped by the
Similar expectations were raised, and disappointed, hands and in this helpless condition being devoured
in 2000. “You hear talk, sometimes, ‘d make you by wolves. This new Milo seemed not to know the limits
think the millennium had come—but right the next of his strength and looked about him for a new way to
breath you’ll hear somebody hollerin’ about “the impress the growing crowd with his prodigious muscle
great unrest.” You BET there’s a ‘great unrest’!” power.
(Booth Tarkington, The Turmoil, 1915).
Milquetoast, Caspar See caspar milquetoast.
Mills and Boon Of or relating to a strongly
romantic, sentimental type of fiction.The Mills and Miltonic (miltonik) Of or relating to the writ-
Boon publishing company was founded by Gerald ings of the English poet John Milton (1608–74).
Mills (1877–1928) and Charles Boon (1877–1943) The author of the masterpieces Paradise Lost (1667)
and from the 1930s became a byword for popular and Paradise Regained (1671), among other works,
escapist romantic fiction. Interestingly, the com- John Milton dealt with such profound, lofty, “Mil-
pany did not initially start out with such books, but tonic” themes as the fall of man, the rights of the
included among its early output novels by distin- people against the monarchy, the shortcomings of
guished writers such as Hugh Walpole and P. G. the Church of England, and the greatness of God.
Wodehouse. The wedding was all very Mills and Boon, He condemned the failings of the contemporary cultural
with half a dozen sweet young children acting as brides- establishment in ringing, Miltonic tones.
maids amid a sea of flowers.
Minerva See athena; invita minerva.
millstone around one’s neck An inescapable and
onerous obligation or duty that tends to handicap Ming the Merciless See flash gordon.
a person’s efforts. The expression comes from
Matthew 18:6, which delivers a warning against Minotaur See labyrinth.
those who would lead a child astray: “But whoso
shall offend one of these little ones which believe mint A place where money is manufactured. The
in me, it were better for him that a millstone were word comes from the Latin moneta (meaning
hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned “money”), which was in turn a reference to an
in the depth of the sea.” His obligations to his family alternative title (meaning “the admonisher”) for
are a real millstone around his neck. the Roman goddess Juno. It was next to the tem-
ple of Juno in Rome that the city’s money was
Milo (milo) Personification of great physical coined. All the new coins will have to be returned to the
strength. Milo was a famous Greek athlete who mint and replaced by a new issue. See also money.
315
minuteman

minuteman (minitman) A person who is ready Miss Havisham (havishbm) Archetype of an

to respond at a moment’s notice. The allusion is to elderly spinster, especially one embittered by past
the militiamen called “minute men” who volun- romantic disappointments. Miss Havisham is an
teered to be ready to turn out at short notice to aged jilted bride in the Charles Dickens novel
fight the British army at the start of the American Great Expectations (1860–61). Unable to get over
Revolution in 1776. During the cold war era, the the fact that she was deserted on her wedding day,
term was also applied to members of extremist she has spent the rest of her life living in her decay-
right-wing U.S. organizations dedicated to oppos- ing house amid the ruins of her wedding feast, still
ing communist infiltration into the United States. wearing her wedding dress. Her aunt was a Miss
“Two booklets said that the president of the USA Havisham who loathed all men because of some unspo-
was a Communist and suggested that I should . . . ken disappointment in her youth.
buy a gun now and form a secret minuteman team”
(Len Deighton, Billion-Dollar Brain, 1991). missing link A person with Neanderthal charac-
teristics, such as limited intelligence or an over-
Miranda (mirandb) A beautiful young woman, hanging brow. For many years evolutionists sought
especially one who is curious about but largely the missing link—a supposed intermediate form
innocent of the ways of the world. Miranda is the between Homo sapiens and the apes. Various finds
daughter of the magician prospero in William were identified as providing evidence of the exis-
Shakespeare’s The Tempest (1611), an innocent tence of such a creature, but most have since been
young girl who has been brought up in seclusion discounted (see piltdown man). When he heard the
from the real world of men (see brave new news he lost his temper completely and stamped about
world). It is thought that Shakespeare actually the apartment like he was the missing link.
invented the name, deriving it from the Latin
mirandum, meaning “fit to be admired.” She was as mission impossible An impossibly difficult task.
wide-eyed as Miranda but appeared to know nothing of The allusion is to the popular U.S. spy thriller tele-
the fate that awaited her. vision series Mission Impossible (1966–73), which
was later revived as a successful movie franchise.
Miriam (mireebm) A person who sings, espe- It revolved around the adventures of members of
cially one who sings with joy. The allusion is to the a sophisticated espionage agency, called the Impos-
biblical Miriam, a prophetess and the elder sister sible Missions Force, and episodes memorably
of Moses and Aaron, who urged the Israelites to began with instructions delivered by means of a
sing with joy to celebrate their safe crossing of the tape recording that self-destructed five seconds
Red Sea: “Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath tri- after being played. Getting to the top of the mountain
umphed gloriously” (Exodus 15:20–21). The news before dusk was beginning to look like a mission
she received on the telephone was evidently good, for she impossible.
is now dancing with her handkerchief and singing like
the biblical Miriam in a spirit of reckless gaiety. Miss Jean Brodie ( jeen brodee) A challenging,
unconventional teacher. Miss Jean Brodie is the
miserable comforters See job’s comforter. Scottish schoolteacher in the 1961 novel The Prime
316
 Moby Dick

of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark (1918–2006), a failed to capture the public imagination to the
powerful character who urges her young charges same degree. His sister is a Miss World type, with long
to achieve their potential, regardless of conven- legs, flashing teeth, and vacant smile.
tion. In the 1969 film version of the novel she was
memorably played by British actress Maggie mite See widow’s mite.
Smith. Like Miss Jean Brodie, she believed in free expres-
sion and getting the best out of her pupils. Mithras (mithrbs) The Sun or a personification
of light. Mithras was a Persian god of light and
Miss Marple (mahrpbl) Archetypal shrewd truth and was also venerated by the Romans. The
spinster-detective. Miss Jane Marple was one of word itself means “friend.” “Mithras reveals all,”
the most celebrated creations of the British crime whispered the archaeologist as the sun’s rays entered the
writer agatha christie, making her first appear- tomb, lighting the way ahead.
ance in Murder at the Vicarage (1930). The village in
which she lives, Saint Mary Mead, is the setting mithridatism (mithridaytizbm) Immunity to a
for numerous tales of murder and mayhem, all of poison acquired through the consumption of grad-
which are solved through Miss Marple’s patient ually increased doses of it over a long period. The
deductions and acute understanding of human term is a reference to Mithridates VI, king of Pon-
nature. The murderer was unmasked by his own aunt, a tus (c. 132–63 b.c.), who became famous for his
real-life Miss Marple. supposed immunity to poison acquired in this
manner. Ultimately Mithridates tried to commit
Miss Piggy A fat woman, or a woman with a suicide after being defeated by Pompey the Great,
volatile temper or squeaky voice. The allusion is to only to find no poison would kill him. In the end
a puppet character of the name in Jim Henson’s he had to resort to ordering a soldier to put him to
highly successful television series The Muppet Show death with his sword. The emperor’s survival when all
(1976–81). A large pig with long blonde hair and a around him perished was a cause of much conjecture, and
high-pitched voice, Miss Piggy is both tempera- suggestions that the solution lay in mithridatism have
mental and immensely vain. “ ‘You’re skating on never been fully discounted.
thin ice,’ she yelled in her Miss Piggy voice as she
skied dangerously close behind members of the Mitty, Walter See walter mitty.
group” (Andrew Morton, Diana: Her True Story,
1993). Mnemosyne See muses.

Miss World A very attractive, shapely woman. Moby Dick (mobee) A whale, or some other
The allusion is to the Miss World beauty contest, large aquatic creature. The 1851 novel Moby-Dick
first held in the United Kingdom in 1951, and still by the U.S. writer Herman Melville (1819–91)
televised annually in many parts of the world, tells the story of a whaling captain’s obsession with
despite the fact that it has long been lampooned catching a great white whale called Moby-Dick,
for its artificiality and outmoded sexist premise. A which in the past has cost him his leg. His insane
Mr. World competition inaugurated in 1996 has pursuit of the creature results in the loss of his
317
modest proposal, a

ship, the Pequod, and the deaths of both pursuer into a bottle, fitted with a burning rag or wick,
and pursued. Melville’s creation was apparently and thrown at an enemy, igniting on impact. Such
based on a real whale, called Mocha Dick, which devices were first employed against tanks during
was blamed for damaging whaling ships and caus- the Spanish Civil War of the 1930s. They were
ing the deaths of many whalers during the 1830s named after the Soviet minister of foreign affairs
and 1840s. The downed zeppelin wallowed in the surf Vyacheslav Molotov (1890–1986), a reference to
like a flabby Moby Dick. See also captain ahab. their use during the “Winter War” that broke out
between the Soviet Union and Finland in 1939.
modest proposal, a An outrageous proposal sug- “Before Adam could react with his weapons, the
gested as a possible solution to a problem. In 1729 passenger in the BMW, a young blond skinhead,
the Irish satirist Jonathan Swift (1667–1745) sug- set light to a glass bottle half-filled with petrol
gested in his pamphlet “A Modest Proposal for with a piece of rag stuffed in the top, and hurled
preventing the Children of poor People in Ireland, the Molotov cocktail through Billie’s open win-
from being a Burden to their Parents or Country, dow into the Quattro” (Eddy Shah, The Lucy Ghosts,
and for making them beneficial to the Publick” 1993).
that the children of poor families should be fed to
the rich, thus solving the problems of both famine moly (molee) An herb with magical proper-
and poverty in Ireland. This was a modest proposal ties. This mysterious herb was allegedly given by
guaranteed to offend anyone with allegiance to the Hermes to Odysseus to make him immune from
church. spells cast by the sorceress Circe. It was described
as having a black root and a milk-white flower.
Mohammed See muhammad. The name has since been associated with several
plants, including wild garlic. She could not describe
Moirae See fates. the medicine the shaman had administered to her but
concluded that it was some modern equivalent of the
Moloch (mahlbk, molok) A god or other power magical moly that Odysseus had used to protect himself
who demands the sacrifice of what a person holds from the witchcraft of Circe.
most dear. According to Leviticus 18:21, Moloch
(or Molech) was an Ammonite god to whom fol- moment of truth The time when the final out-
lowers sacrificed their children in the Valley of come is revealed or when someone or something
Hinnom outside Jerusalem. Over the centuries the is put to the test. The expression comes from bull-
name has been applied to various dreadful rulers fighting, specifically from the Spanish el momento de
and instruments of death, including war and, dur- la verdad, which describes the moment when a
ing the French Revolution, the guillotine. “Artists bullfighter makes the sword-thrust that finally kills
are the high priests of the modern Moloch” (George the bull. He stood on the diving platform, knowing that
Bernard Shaw, An Unsocial Socialist, 1887). this was going to be his moment of truth.

Molotov cocktail (molbtof ) A homemade gre- Momus (mombs) A person who complains about
nade consisting of an inflammable liquid poured everything. In Greek mythology Momus was the
318
 Monty Python

god of ridicule who was obliged to flee heaven surroundings people tend to be judged by how much
after incurring the wrath of the other gods. Even money they earn. See also mint.
Venus, renowned for the flawless perfection of her
beauty, was mocked by Momus for the sound her money changers in the temple See cast money
feet made when she walked. “I do not think, I will changers out of the temple.
tell you candidly, that Wickham is a person of
very cheerful spirit, or what one would call a—’ money is the root of all evil The desire for mate-
‘A daughter of Momus,’ Miss Tox softly suggested” rial wealth will lead people to commit all manner of
(Charles Dickens, Dombey and Son, 1848). crimes and other misdeeds. The saying is a misquo-
tation from 1 Timothy 6:10: “For the love of money
Mona Lisa smile (monb leesb) An enigmatic is the root of all evil: which while some coveted
smile. The allusion is to leonardo da vinci’s after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced
masterpiece Mona Lisa, painted around 1504 and themselves through with many sorrows.” “The
otherwise known as La Gioconda (hence references urbane activity with which a man receives money is
also to a Gioconda smile). The woman in the really marvelous, considering that we so earnestly
painting, tentatively identified as Lisa Gerhardini, believe money to be the root of all earthly ills. . . .
the wife of a merchant called Francesco di Zanobi Ah! how cheerfully we consign ourselves to perdi-
del Giocondo, gazes at the viewer with a slight tion!” (Herman Melville, Moby-Dick, 1851).
smile playing on her lips: what she is smiling
about remains one of art’s greatest secrets. He Monroe, Marilyn See marilyn monroe.
remembered the Mona Lisa smile she had given him that
morning and now wondered what she had been thinking Montagu See plague on both your houses, a.
about.
Monte Cristo, the Count of See count of monte
Monday morning quarterback A sports enthusi- cristo, the.
ast who criticizes a team’s or an individual’s per-
for mance with the benefit of hindsight. The Monty Python (montee pithbn) Humorously
allusion is to the aftermath of American football surreal. The allusion is to the popular British tele-
games played over the weekend. The bar was full of vision comedy series Monty Python’s Flying Circus,
Monday morning quarterbacks who all knew what the first broadcast in 1969. Comprising John Cleese,
team should have done. Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Eric Idle, Graham
Chapman, and Terry Gilliam, the Monty Python
money Currency in the form of banknotes, team broke many conventions of television com-
coins, etc. The word has its origin in the Latin edy, linking sketches that ranged from the satirical
moneta (meaning “money”), which was in turn an to the nonsensical, and inspired numerous imita-
alternative title, in this case (meaning “the tors on both sides of the Atlantic. They also made a
admonisher”), for the Roman goddess Juno (see number of highly successful and equally anarchic
junoesque). It was beside the temple of Juno in pythonesque films. The whole evening had a Monty
Rome that the city’s money was coined. In these Python air about it.
319
Mordecai at your gate, a

Mordecai at your gate, a (mordbki) An irritat- patrons of the arts and sciences. The sun’s rays pour-
ingly persistent or nagging person. The biblical ing through the stained glass were split into a kind of
Mordecai is described in the book of Esther as a mosaic.
devout Jew who serves at the court of King Ahasu-
erus (Xerxes) of Persia. He warns the king of a Moses (moziz) The archetype of a wise old
plot to assassinate him, incurring the wrath of (and probably bearded) man. The biblical Moses
Haman, who frames Mordecai and persuades Aha- was the prophet who with God’s help led the
suerus to order his hanging (see hang as high as Israelites out of captivity in Egypt; the accounts
haman). Haman is denounced by Mordecai’s of his life are related in the books of Exodus,
cousin Esther, however, and is himself hanged in Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Outstand-
Mordecai’s place, and Mordecai is rewarded by ing leaders who have successfully led their people
being made second only to the king in status. The in times of trouble are sometimes compared to
phrase a Mordecai at your gate alludes to Mordecai’s the biblical patriarch, although the name is also
stubborn habit of going every day to the house applied to any venerable old man. The old man sat
where Esther had been kept as a concubine to like Moses on a block of marble and waited patiently for
demand news about her. You might as well give in the crowd to gather round him. See also moses bas-
because I don’t tend to let this drop: I will be a veritable ket; moses’ rod.
Mordecai at your gate.
Moses, Grandma See grandma moses.
Morgan le Fay See avalon.
Moses basket (moziz) A portable basket for
Morgiana See open sesame. babies. The name alludes to the cradle made of
papyrus in which, according to Exodus 2:3, the
Moriarty, Professor See napoleon of crime; infant Moses was placed by his mother among the
sherlock holmes. reeds of the Nile to conceal him from Pharaoh’s
soldiers, who had orders to kill all male children
morphine Alkaloid extracted from opium and of Jewish parentage: “And when she could not lon-
used as an anesthetic and sedative in medicine. The ger hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes,
name is an allusion to Morpheus, the god of and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put
dreams in Greek mythology and the son of the god the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the
of sleep, Somnus. Soldiers routinely carried ampoules river’s brink.” Moses was found by Pharaoh’s
of morphine to provide immediate pain relief to casual- daughter when she came down to the river to
ties in the field. bathe and was entrusted to the safekeeping of her
nurse. In the end we bought them a Moses basket for
mosaic A decoration made up of small pieces of their new baby.
colored glass or stone. The word comes from the
Greek mouseios (meaning “of the Muses”) and is Moses’ rod (moziz) A divining rod. The name
thus an allusion to the muses, who were believed alludes to the rod with which, according to
to provide all manner of artistic inspiration as Exodus 7:9, Moses performed miracles before
320
 Mozart

Pharaoh. It was also with this rod or one similar to about how much she does for charity you’d think she was
it that Moses struck water from a rock, as related Mother Teresa.
at Exodus 17:6. He held the Moses’ rod loosely in his
outstretched hands and began to pace down the garden, Mount Everest (evbrbst) A peak that is daunt-
watching it intently. See also smite the rock. ingly high. At 29,028 feet, Mount Everest is the
highest mountain peak in the world and the ulti-
most unkindest cut of all, the See unkindest mate challenge for climbers. The walk up the hill
cut of all, the. would be easy for most people, but a Mount Everest for
disabled visitors. See also because it’s there.
mote and beam An insignificant fault and a more
major one. The origins of the phrase lie in Christ’s Mount Olympus See olympian.
Sermon on the Mount, in which he warns those
who seek to tackle the minor faults of others to Mount Parnassus See parnassian.
consider first their own failings: “Why beholdest
thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but con- mount Pegasus See pegasus.
siderest not the beam that is in thine own eye?”
(Matthew 7:3). Mote relates to a tiny particle of Mount Pisgah (pizgah) A place or point that
dust or a chip of wood, while beam signifies a more affords optimism about or foresight into the future.
substantial piece of timber. References to motes According to Deuteronomy 34:1, Moses ascended
in thy brother’s eye are usually heard when a per- Mount Pisgah in order to get a glimpse of the
son is suspected of hypocrisy. He was tackling things Promised Land in the distance just before he died.
in entirely the wrong order, failing to deal with the mote His account of the view from Mount Pisgah left us all
in his own eye before wrestling with the beam in his feeling very buoyant.
brother’s.
Mount Sinai (sini ) A place or situation where a
moth and rust corrupt See lay not up trea- person comes face to face with some revelation or
sures upon earth. challenge. In the Bible, Mount Sinai, or Horeb, is
identified as the hill where Moses received the Ten
motherhood and apple pie See apple pie. Commandments from God (Exodus 20 and 31:18
and Deuteronomy 5). Feeling like Moses on Mount Sinai
Mother Hubbard See old mother hubbard. he struggled to take in the import of this new revelation.

Mother Teresa (tbreezb, tbrayzb) A person with mouths of babes and sucklings, out of the See
a strong charitable nature. Mother Teresa (Agnes out of the mouths of babes and sucklings.
Gonxha Bojaxhiu; 1910–97) was an Albanian
Roman Catholic missionary who dedicated her life Mozart (motzahrt) The embodiment of musical
to helping the destitute and dying in Calcutta. She genius. The Austrian composer Wolfgang Ama-
acquired an international reputation and received deus Mozart (1756–91) was recognized as a musi-
the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. To hear her go on cal prodigy while still a young child and over the
321
Mr. Bean

course of his relatively short life wrote some of Mr. Kurtz See heart of darkness; horror,
the world’s best-loved classical music. Conse- the horror!, the.
quently, his name is only applied to musicians and
composers of singular talent. It is probably too early Mr. Magoo (mbgoo) A person with very poor
to be sure, but some are saying we have another Mozart eyesight. The allusion is to a bald-headed, bad-
in our midst. tempered cartoon character and the scrapes he
gets into as a result of his severe myopia. The first
Mr. Bean A person who demonstrates great Mr. Magoo cartoon was screened in 1949 and he
incompetence or an inability to understand the became a great favorite, although he has made
world around him or her. Mr. Bean was the comic fewer appearances since the advent of political
invention of British comedian Rowan Atkinson correctness. He blundered about the darkened room
(b. 1955) and made his first appearance on televi- like Mr. Magoo, bumping into the furniture and cursing
sion in 1990, later making the transition to movies it for getting in his way.
and cartoons. He rarely speaks and through his
ungainly movements and misunderstandings of Mr. Micawber See wilkins micawber.
the surrounding world causes chaos everywhere he
goes. Tall and awkward, he floundered about like Mr. Mr. Rochester Archetype of a dark, brooding,
Bean. romantic lover. The forbidding but attractive
Edward Rochester is the object of the heroine’s
Mr. Clean A person whose reputation is affections in the classic romantic novel jane eyre
unbesmirched by scandal, wrongdoing, etc. The (1847) by Charlotte Brontë. Rochester’s great
allusion is ultimately to a brand of household secret is that his mad first wife is still alive, as Jane
cleaning fluid. In politics, the nickname became discovers on her wedding day. “Mrs. Fleming’s . . .
particularly associated with U.S. secretary of state well, she’s quite fat, and she looks a lot older than
James Baker (b. 1930), although others dubbed Mr. Fleming—not that I think he’s about to do a
Mr. Clean have included U.S. pop singer Pat Mr. Rochester, stick her up the Loft nor nothing!”
Boone (b. 1934). The party needs a Mr. Clean to be its (Liz Lochhead, True Confessions and New Cliches, 1985).
public face in these troubled times.
Mrs. Danvers (danverz) A stern, hostile woman.
Mr. Darcy (dahrsee) A dashing, handsome lover. The allusion is to the menacing housekeeper Mrs.
Fitzwilliam Darcy is the name of the stern young Danvers in the 1938 novel rebecca by Daphne du
man who eventually becomes engaged to the Eliz- Maurier (1907–89), who resents the arrival of the
abeth Bennet in the romantic novel Pride and Pre- second Mrs. de Winter and treats her cruelly. She
judice (1796) by British writer Jane Austen appeared at the top of the stairs and stared down at them
(1775–1817). A man of great good sense, he is with a cold expression on her face, reminding him forci-
initially rejected as a suitor by Elizabeth, who finds bly of Mrs. Danvers.
his manner haughty and aloof. That night she dreamt
of a black-haired Darcy scooping her up and whisking Mrs. Grundy(grundee) A narrow-minded,
her away to his mansion in the countryside. prudish person who is instinctively opposed to
322
 Muhammad Ali

unconventional behavior in others. Mrs. Grundy newspapers have got hold of the story and there’s no
is an unseen character referred to in Thomas telling where it will end.
Morton’s play Speed the Plough (1798), in which
other characters repeatedly worry “What will Mudville, there is no joy in See casey at the bat.
Mrs. Grundy say?” This novel is sure to outrage the
Mrs. Grundys of this world. mugwump (mugwbmp) A person who changes
his or her party allegiance. The word has its ori-
Mrs. O’Leary’s cow (oleereez) An unsuspecting gins in the Algonquin mugquomp, meaning “big
cause of disaster. A cow belonging to the wid- chief.” It was later used to describe those mem-
owed Mrs. Catherine O’Leary was blamed for bers of the Republican Party who opted to sup-
igniting the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 by acci- port the Democratic presidential candidate Grover
dentally kicking over a kerosene lantern in a barn Cleveland instead of the Republican James Blaine,
in DeKoven Street. Most of old Chicago was who was tainted with charges of corruption, in
destroyed in the ensuing conflagration and some 1884. The term is also sometimes encountered in
250 people lost their lives. Mrs. O’Leary always a more general sense, referring to a gullible fool
denied any responsibility for the fire, and some or an idiot. “Like bread-making, any mugwump
observers have instead identified one of her neigh- can do it” (Elizabeth David, An Omelette and a Glass
bors, Daniel “Peg Leg” Sullivan, as the culprit. of Wine, 1987).
Like Mrs. O’Leary’s cow, he little knew the disastrous
chain of events he had set in motion by making that Muhammad (mohambd, mohahmbd, mbhambd)
telephone call. The founder of Islam, whose teachings form the
basis of modern Islamic faith. Muhammad (570–
Mr. Spock See star trek. 632), also called Mohammed or Mahomet, was
forced to leave mecca because of his teachings
much study is a weariness of the flesh See of in 610; he fled to Medina with his followers but
making many books. returned as conqueror of Mecca in 630. He is
venerated today as the prophet of God, whose
muckraker A person who dredges up scandal beliefs are enshrined in the Qur’an, or Koran.
and exposes uncomfortable truths. The term has See also if the mountain won’t come to
its origins in John Bunyan’s pilgrim’s progress muhammad.
(1678, 1684), in which the Muck Rake is identi-
fied as man so busy with raking up filth that he Muhammad Ali (mbhambd alee) A formidable
fails to notice the vision of a celestial crown above boxer. Born Cassius Clay in 1942, the U.S. heavy-
him. President Theodore Roosevelt later used the weight boxer Muhammad Ali won the world title
term to denigrate his opponents, and subse- in 1964 and recaptured it in 1974 and 1978. He
quently it became identified (not altogether nega- was almost as well known for his eloquence out-
tively) with investigative reporters, whose job it side the ring as he was for his skill as a fighter in it.
is to delve into corruption in order to expose He was as light on his feet as Muhammad Ali. See also
wrongdoing in society. The muckrakers in the city greatest, the.
323
Mulder, Fox

Mulder, Fox See x-files. cally depicted the home life of a family of assorted
ghoulish characters, namely frankenstein-loo-
Munchausen (muunchhowzbn) A teller of tall kalike Herman Munster and his vampire wife Lily
tales, an outrageous liar. The allusion is to Baron Munster, father-in-law Grandpa, and son Eddie,
Munchausen, whose many far-fetched adventures as well as the weirdly very ordinary all-American
are described in Baron Munchausen’s Narrative of his niece Marilyn. The house was old and creepy, like
Marvellous Travels and Campaigns in Russia (1785), by something out of The Munsters. See also addams
the German writer Rudolf Erich Raspe (1736– family.
94). Raspe based his fictional character on the real
Karl Friedrich Hieronymus, Freiherr von Münch- Murder, Inc. A crime syndicate that provides
hausen (1720–97), a German baron who served hired hitmen to carry out contract killings. Mur-
with the Russian army against the Turks and later der, Inc. was formed in the 1930s and its so-called
told exaggerated stories about his escapades, enforcers are believed to have been responsible
which included flying on a cannonball and pulling for several hundred murders, almost exclusively
himself out of a swamp by his own hair. The term of rival gangsters. The organization disintegrated
has also entered the field of medicine: patients in the 1940s under pressure from the authorities.
with Munchausen syndrome lie about their nonex- The FBI are not Murder, Inc. and do not execute suspects
istent symptoms in order to gain medical treat- out of hand. See also mafia.
ment. It was a tall story worthy of Baron Munchausen
himself. Muses Personifications of artistic and creative
inspiration. In Greek mythology the Muses were
Munchkin (munchkin) A small person or child, nine in number, namely Clio (the muse of his-
or someone who is otherwise insignificant. The tory), Euterpe (of lyric poetry), Thalia (of com-
allusion is to Frank L. Baum’s novel The Wizard Of edy), Melpomene (of tragedy), Terpsichore (of
Oz (1900), in which the Munchkins appear as a choral dance and song), Erato (of love songs),
race of diminutive beings who live in the land of Polyhymnia (of songs to the gods), Urania (of
Oz. “Jo looked like a Munchkin in anything that astronomy), and Calliope (of epic poetry). They
showed her legs” (Celia Brayfield, The Prince, were identified as the daughters of Zeus and Mne-
1990). See also wizard of oz. mosyne (the goddess of memory) and had a tem-
ple on Mount helicon in Boeotia. Related words
Munich Agreement See peace in our time; include music and museum. He tottered on the edge
piece of paper. of the cliff, bottle in hand, lamenting loudly that the
Muses had deserted him and there was nothing left to
Munich Putsch See putsch. live for. See also mosaic; tenth muse.

Munsters, The (munsterz) A family or other music of the spheres A type of celestial music
group of people who share a grotesque, monstrous supposedly created by the movements of the
appearance. The allusion is to the classic 1960s spheres, which in the Ptolemaic system of cosmol-
U.S. television series The Munsters, which comi- ogy carried the planets and stars around the Earth.
324
 my name is legion

The concept of the sublime harmony of the uni- the presence of mine enemies: thy anointest my
verse being expressed in the form of music was head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely good-
devised by the Greek philosopher and mathemati- ness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my
cian Pythagoras. “He said that, the people of their life.” In the translation in the Book of Common Prayer,
island had their ears adapted to hear ‘the music of the phrase is my cup shall be full. A new job, a new
the spheres’, which always played at certain peri- home, getting married all in one year . . . Louise felt
ods, and the court was now prepared to bear their that her cup was indeed running over. “Her in-box
part, in whatever instrument they most excelled” runneth over with new mail” (Guardian, August
(Jonathan Swift, Gulliver’s Travels, 1726). 13, 2001).

mustard seed See grain of mustard seed. My God, why hast thou forsaken me? A cry of
desperation or despair at one’s abandonment by
Mutt and Jeff (mut, jef ) A pair comprising a tall God or others. According to Matthew 27:46 and
and a short person. The allusion is to a once- Mark 15:34 these were the words of Christ at the
popular U.S. comic strip, first published in 1907, time of the Crucifixion: “And about the ninth hour
about two comical characters—Mutt, the tall and Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying Eli, Eli, lama
lanky one, and Jeff, the short and bald one. Father sabachtani? That is to say, My God, my God, why
and son were so different in stature they looked like Mutt hast thou forsaken me?” That evening nothing went
and Jeff when they stood next to each other. right for him at the casino, and by eleven o’clock he was
reduced to glaring forlornly up at the fan on the ceiling
Muttley See dick dastardly. and mentally intoning, My God, why hast thou forsaken
me? See also seven last words.
my brother’s keeper Someone who has responsi-
bility for another person and should know where My Lai (mi li ) An atrocity in which soldiers
he or she is and what he or she is doing. The phrase massacre helpless civilians. The allusion is to the
alludes to the biblical story of cain and abel and village of My Lai in South Vietnam, which on
the former’s indignant reply when asked by God March 16, 1968, was the scene of a notorious
where Abel is: “I know not: Am I my brother’s atrocity, when U.S. troops under Lieutenant Wil-
keeper?” (Genesis 4:9). In fact, Cain has murdered liam Calley Jr. murdered 22 old men, women, and
Abel and is trying to deny any knowledge of the children. Calley was tried and convicted of the
crime. “I am not my brother’s keeper. I cannot crime, but was later acquitted, with the blame for
bring myself to judge my fellows; I am content to the incident being placed on the stress of battle.
observe them” (William Somerset Maugham, The Army chiefs are anxious to avoid Iraq witnessing another
Summing Up, 1938). My Lai.

my cup runneth over Good things are coming in my man Friday See man friday.
abundance. The expression comes from Psalm
23:5–6, in which the blessings of God are my name is legion We are many in number, usu-
described: “Thou preparest a table before me in ally referring to evil spirits or other undesirable
325
myrmidon

persons or phenomena. The phrase comes from today in relation to gangs of ruffians or thugs but
Mark 5:9, in which Christ encounters a man pos- may on occasion also be applied to the forces of
sessed by a host of demons, the first of which law and order, with the police sometimes being
explains, “My name is Legion.” Roman legions referred to as myrmidons of the law. “Within
comprised between 4,000 and 6,000 soldiers. eight days she was to enter an appearance, or go
Christ expelled the demons and transferred them through some preliminary ceremony, towards
to a herd of swine, who promptly drowned them- showing why she should not surrender her dia-
selves in deep water. “And there I found what monds to the Lord Chancellor, or to one of those
appalled me; a zoo of lusts, a bedlam of ambitions, satraps of his, the Vice-Chancellors, or to some
a nursery of fears, a hareem of fondled hatreds. other terrible myrmidon” (Anthony Trollope, The
My name was legion” (C. S. Lewis, Surprised by Joy, Eustace Diamonds, 1873).
1955). See also gadarene.
my yoke is easy I can bear my burden or respon-
myrmidon (mermidon) A devoted follower or sibility with ease. The phrase appears in Matthew
henchman; a servant or other person who follows 11:28–30, in which Christ says to his followers,
orders without question or scruple. According to “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy
Greek mythology the original Myrmidons were a laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke
race of people from Thessaly who were created by upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and
Zeus from ants (murmex in Greek means “ant”) lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your
after the previous inhabitants of the country had souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is
been wiped out by plague. The Myrmidons were light.” “It was easy to be good. God’s yoke was
famed for their loyalty to Achilles during the Tro- sweet and light. It was better never to have
jan War, although they were also notorious for sinned” (James Joyce, Portrait of the Artist as a
their brutality. The term myrmidon is often quoted Young Man, 1914–15).

326
ååååå N å
nabob (naybob) A wealthy or powerful person. Nagasaki See hiroshima.
The term, meaning “viceroy,” is of Hindi origin,
and was originally applied in the 16th century to naiad See nymph.
the governors and rulers of the Mogul Empire,
who built up substantial fortunes and became naked and ye clothed me, I was See i was a
princes. When India became part of the British stranger, and ye took me in.
Empire the term came to be applied informally
and somewhat irreverently to India’s colonial rul- naked city The harsh modern urban environ-
ers, who similarly amassed great wealth to finance ment.The tag comes from the title of a 1948 crime
a comfortable life for themselves back in the home thriller, filmed in New York City, which concludes
country. However loudly the locals protest, the nabobs with the narration: “There are eight million stories
of Washington will decide the fate of this and other in the naked city. This has been one of them.”
small Latin American countries. The movie spawned a popular television series of
the same title in the 1960s. “After all, there are
Naboth’s vineyard (nayboths) Something of value eleven million people in the Naked City and only
that is coveted and obtained from its rightful owner some of them are honest” (Mike Ripley, Just Another
by another, stronger person using dishonest or Angel, 1989).
extreme means. The phrase alludes to the biblical
tale of Naboth, whose vineyard neighboring the namby-pamby (nambeepambee) Weak, ineffec-
royal grounds in Jezreel attracted the avaricious tual, wishy-washy, or sentimental. The term was
attention of ahab, king of Israel, and his wicked coined by English playwright Henry Carey
wife, Jezebel. According to 1 Kings 21, Naboth (c. 1687–1743) as an insulting nickname for the
refused to sell his land and was subsequently made poet Ambrose Philips (c. 1675–1749), who was a
the target of trumped-up charges of blasphemy and rival of Carey’s friend Alexander Pope and whose
was stoned to death, together with his children. The works included nauseatingly sweet verses on
vineyard duly passed to Ahab. The estate, like Naboth’s babies and the like. The name Ambrose was com-
vineyard, went to the relative with the most money and thus monly abbreviated to Amby, facilitating Carey’s
the greatest influence with the lawyers rather than to the conversion of it into the “baby-talk” version:
relative with the strongest moral right to the inheritance. “Namby-Pamby’s doubly mild / Once a man and
327
name is legion, my

twice a child.” The nickname is remembered; overbearing manner. The Corsican-born Napo-
Philips’s more infantile poems are not. “He’s not a leon Bonaparte (1769–1821) rose rapidly through
whining, namby-pamby little git like most men the ranks of the French Revolutionary Army to
are” (Frank Kippax, Other People’s Blood, 1993). become, in 1804, the emperor of the French and
the most feared man in Europe. Adored by his
name is legion, my See my name is legion. soldiers, who called him the Little Corporal,
Napoleon extended French rule over much of
name is mud, one’s See one’s name is mud. continental Europe until temporarily exiled to
elba and finally defeated by Britain and her allies
name of God in vain, take the See take the name at waterloo in 1815, after which he lived out his
of god in vain. last years in exile on saint helena. His name is
also sometimes invoked to describe someone who
Nancy Archetype of a prostitute with a heart of exhibits brilliance as a military leader or other
gold. Nancy is the name of the prostitute who strategist. Who does he think he is, ordering us all
shows kindness to the young hero in the novel about like that—Napoleon? See also hundred days;
oliver twist (1837–38) by Charles Dickens. old guard; retreat from moscow.
She is eventually murdered by her lover, the bru-
tal Bill Sikes, who mistakenly believes she has Napoleon of crime (nbpoleebn) A criminal mas-
informed on his criminal activities. With her haunted termind. The title comes from the sherlock
eyes and brittle gaiety, she reminded him a little of Nancy holmes stories of Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–
in Oliver Twist. 1930), who bestowed it upon Holmes’s archen-
emy Professor James Moriarty. The poet T. S.
naphtha (nafthb, napthb) A bituminous distilla- Eliot subsequently borrowed it for Macavity, one
tion obtained by boiling coal tar (although it also of the feline characters in his Old Possum’s Book of
occurs naturally in certain places). It appears in Practical Cats (1939). The police were anxious to detain
Greek legend in the story of Medea, in which it this Napoleon of crime before people started accusing
is identified as the magical substance smeared by them of incompetence.
a sorceress upon the wedding robe of Glauce,
daughter of King Creon, causing her to be burned narcissism Obsessive interest in or love of one-
to death just before her marriage to Jason. “Masses self. The allusion is to the Greek legend of Narcis-
of the slimy and sulphurous substance called naph- sus, a beautiful young man who rejected all suitors
tha, which floated idly on the sluggish and sullen and was punished by falling in love with his own
waves, supplied those rolling clouds with new reflection in a pool of water. Unable to fulfill his
vapours, and afforded awful testimony to the truth desire, he wasted away at the water’s edge until
of the Mosaic history” (Sir Walter Scott, The Talis- the gods finally relented and turned him into a
man, 1825). flower, known ever since as a narcissus. A varia-
tion of the story has Narcissus falling in love with
Napoleon(nbpoleebn) A dictatorial leader, or his reflection and in trying to embrace it being
anyone who behaves in a megalomaniacal or drowned and then resurrected as the flower. “It
328
 Nazareth, good thing come out of

was Narcissism in him to love the city so well; he dismissed the nation of his enemies, the British,
saw his reflection in it; and, like it, he was grimy, scorning their commercial preoccupations in com-
big, careless, rich, strong, and unquenchably opti- parison with the military glories of France. This
mistic” (Booth Tarkington, The Turmoil, 1915). See was not, however, his own conception, as he knew
also echo. it already from Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations
(1776): “To found a great empire for the sole pur-
Narnia (nahrneeb) A beguiling but also menac- pose of raising up a people of customers, may at
ing fantasy world peopled by witches and crea- first sight appear a project fit only for a nation of
tures from folklore and mythology. Narnia, ruled shopkeepers.” “To sum up: in a time of unprece-
over by the beneficent Christlike lion Aslan (when dented expansion of world trade Britain, the
not deposed), was the creation of British novelist nation of shopkeepers, paid itself higher wages for
C. S. Lewis (1898–1963), providing the setting producing very little more, while putting up its
for seven books beginning with The Lion, the Witch prices much faster than its competitors” (Peter
and the Wardrobe (1950). Lewis gave no par ticular Lewis, The Fifties: Portrait of a Period, 1989).
reason for choosing this name for his imaginary
land, beyond liking the sound, although he may have Nativity, the The birth of Jesus Christ (Matthew
been influenced by various Roman towns bearing 1:18–2:12; Luke 2:1–40); commemorations of
the name. This is no Narnia to be reached through the this event held during the Christmas period. The
back of a wardrobe but a reality that must be faced. original Cave of the Nativity, where Christ is
thought to have been born (although there is no
narrow way See straight and narrow. definite suggestion in the Bible that the birth took
place in a cave), is traditionally located under the
nasty, brutish, and short Referring to the brevity chancel of the basilica of the Church of the Nativ-
and essential unpleasantness of life. This pessimis- ity in Bethlehem. “Attached to the bolster by a
tic view of human existence was first voiced by the towel, under his father’s bayonet and the oleo-
English writer Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679) in graph depicting the Nativity, sat the baby” ( John
his book Leviathan (1651): “No arts; no letters; no Galsworthy, The Forsyte Saga, 1922).
society; and which is worst of all, continual fear
and danger of violent death; and the life of man, Nazarene (nazbreen) Someone who comes from
solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” His career the town of Nazareth in Israel. The term is usually
in national politics proved nasty, brutish, and short. See reserved for Christ, who spent his childhood there
also hobbesian. (Matthew 2:23). “ ‘Let not your heart be troubled,
neither let it be afraid,’ said the Nazarene. Clare
Nathan See ewe lamb. chimed in cordially; but his heart was troubled all
the same” (Thomas Hardy, Tess of the D’Urbervilles,
Nation, Carry See carry nation. 1891).

nation of shopkeepersThe British. It was the Nazareth, good thing come out of See good
French emperor napoleon who thus famously thing come out of nazareth.
329
Nazirite

Nazirite (nazbrit) A person who is set apart nectar A sugary fluid produced by flowers and,
from the rest of the population because of his or by extension, any exceptionally delicious drink.
her religious beliefs. The Nazirites, or Nazarites, In Greek mythology nectar was identified as the
are described in the Bible (Numbers 6:2–6) as drink of the gods on Olympus and was believed
individuals who demonstrate their devotion to to confer immortality on those who tasted it.
God by abstaining from wine, never cutting their “He was back in a minute with a big dipperful
hair, and avoiding contact with dead bodies. Sam- of stale brown water which tasted like nectar,
son and probably Samuel and John the Baptist and loosed the jaws of Disko and Tom Platt”
were Nazirites. Today the term may be applied to (Rudyard Kipling, Captains Courageous, 1897). See
those who attempt to keep themselves separate also ambrosia.
from the world for religious reasons, especially
if they have an unkempt appearance or long, Ned Kelly Archetype of an Australian criminal or
untrimmed hair. The valley was a refuge for Nazirites criminally-minded rogue. Ned Kelly (1855–80)
and other outcasts whose presence would not be tolerated was an Australian bushranger and bandit who was
in the surrounding towns and villages. famous for the suit of homemade armor he wore.
Having killed three policemen in 1878, he was
Neaera (nieerb) A female lover; a sweetheart. eventually captured and hanged at Melbourne; his
Neaera, a Greek nymph, appears in the writings of courage on the scaffold inspired the expression as
Horace, Tibullus, and Virgil. “Were it not better game as Ned Kelly. Your father looks like Ned Kelly
done as other use, / To sport with Amaryllis in the in that gray balaclava.
shade, / Or with the tangles of Neaera’s hair?”
(John Milton, Lycidas, 1637). Nefertiti (neferteetee) An archetype of femi-
nine beauty. Nefertiti was queen of Egypt in the
nebuchadnezzar (nebbkbdnezer, nebybkbdnezer) 14th century b.c. and the wife of Akhenaton. Her
A wine bottle with a capacity equivalent to that beauty is preserved in a celebrated portrait bust.
of 20 standard bottles (approximately 15 liters). Her profile was striking, imperious yet sensual, like some
Nebuchadnezzar II (605–562 b.c.) was the evil pale-skinned Nefertiti.
king of Babylon who took the Israelites into cap-
tivity in Babylon, as described in Daniel 1–4 and Nelson A brilliant naval commander. The British
2 Kings 24–25. He was punished for his wicked- admiral Horatio Lord Nelson (1758–1805) became
ness by going insane and ended his days grazing a great national hero when, after many earlier tri-
in a field like an animal. The adoption of his name umphs, he led the British fleet to a crushing vic-
for the wine bottle, the huge size of which reflects tory over the combined French and Spanish fleets
his own inflated arrogance, seems to date from at Trafalgar in 1805, though losing his own life to a
the early 20th century. The old gentleman gener- sniper’s bullet at the height of the conflict. He was
ously offered to host the occasion, making a note to also well known for his distinctive appearance,
himself to ask the wine merchants to provide a nebu- having lost an eye and an arm in battle, and for his
chadnezzar of wine, if such a thing could still be had scandalous affair with Lady Emma Hamilton, wife
in this day and age. of a British diplomat. It was a well-executed affair, but
330
 never in the field of human conflict . . .

the commodore is no Nelson. See also england nereid See nymph.

expects; kiss me, hardy.
Nero (neero) An archetype of despotic cruelty
Nemean lion See labors of hercules. and depravity. Nero, originally Lucius Domitius
Ahenobarbus (a.d. 37–68), was brought up under
nemesis (nembsis) Retribution or an agent of it. the protection of the Emperor Claudius, but as
In Greek mythology Nemesis was identified as the emperor himself (54–68), Nero was infamous for
goddess of retribution, described by the poet Hes- his irrational behavior and cruelty. Contemporaries
iod (c. 800 b.c.) as the daughter of Erebus (hell) murdered on his orders included his mother,
and Nyx (night). Nemesis enacted the revenge of Agrippina; his first wife, Octavia; his second wife,
the gods upon mortals who had offended them Poppaea (whom he kicked to death while preg-
through such sins as pride and insolence. In mod- nant); and his rival Britannicus, while those obliged
ern usage the term is usually taken to refer to a to commit suicide for opposing him included the
person’s inescapable doom, especially to any stub- philosopher Seneca and the poet Lucan. Power seems
born rival or hindrance that seems fated to bring to have gone to his head: Colleagues who used to be his
about his or her downfall or failure. “It was one of admirers have accused him publicly of behaving like
the most cynical political decisions in recent Nero. See also fiddle while rome burns.
memory and, unsurprisingly, Nemesis has come
back to haunt the railways” (Guardian, May 26, Ness, Eliot See untouchable.
2001).
Nessus, shirt of See shirt of nessus.
nepenthe (nipenthee) A drug or other agent
that induces sleep or serves to make a person for- nestor (nester) A wise old man; the most expe-
get his or her griefs or troubles. The word comes rienced and wise member of a particular group or
from the Greek ne (“not”) and penthos (“grief ”). It company. Nestor was a legendary king of Pylos and
is mentioned in Homer’s Odyssey (c. 700 b.c.) as a the oldest of the Greek commanders in the Trojan
drug given to Helen by Polydamna to make her War. Renowned for his eloquence, Nestor was
forget her cares. “ ‘I know not Lethe nor Nepen- widely respected for the wisdom of his counsel
the,’ remarked he; ‘but I have learned many new and did much to alleviate tensions between other
secrets in the wilderness’ ” (Nathaniel Hawthorne, Greek leaders when they fell out with each other.
The Scarlet Letter, 1850). His contemporaries even considered him the equal
of the gods as an adviser because of his prudence
Neptune (neptoon) A personification of the sea and experience. “The Nestor of the Hebrew camp,
itself and nautical matters in general. In Roman in him the words of the Psalmist were anticipated,
mythology, Neptune was the god of the sea, the that he bore fruit in old age, and to the last was fat
equivalent of the Greek poseidon. They gave up and flourishing” (F. B. Meyer, Joshua, 1893).
trying to save the ship and threw themselves into the
waves, putting their trust in Neptune to bring them to never in the field of human conflict was so much
shore. owed by so many to so few Rarely has so much
331
Never-Never Land

been accomplished by so few. This familiar senti- phrase comes from the Bible (Revelation 21:2):
ment is a quotation from a speech delivered by “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem,
British prime minister Winston Churchill in coming down from God out of heaven, prepared
August 1940 in tribute to the RAF’s defense of as a bride adorned for her husband.” In its biblical
the United Kingdom during the Battle of Brit- context the phrase refers specifically to heaven,
ain. It has since been applied, often in the trun- but it has since been applied to many other kinds
cated form “never was so much owed by so many of utopia: “It may not have been a new Jerusalem,
to so few,” to a wide variety of other contexts, but the Lansbury estate in London’s east end was
often ironically. When it came to their finances it designed to capture the post-war mood of opti-
was a case of never was so much owed by so many to mism generated by the Festival of Britain” (Guard-
so few. ian, July 11, 2001).

Never-Never Land An unattainable, unrealistic newspeak A simplified, deceitful form of English

paradise or other ideal place far removed from the in which the meaning of words is subtly changed
harsh realities of ordinary life. Never-Never Land to suit the views of the state or other authority.
(originally simply Never Land) is the name of the The concept of newspeak was introduced by Brit-
imaginary land that is home to peter pan and his ish novelist George Orwell (1903–50) in his novel
companions in J. M. Barrie’s play Peter Pan (1904). Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949) as a tool wielded by a
The name has since been applied specifically to the totalitarian state to control the population and
Australian outback. If he thinks I’m going to pay him limit the ability of individuals to voice subversive
back then he’s living in Never-Never Land. ideas (see big brother). “On pricing, the conclu-
sions which could be generally agreed were so
new Adam See adam. flabby and meaningless that they might have made
even the most brazen practitioner of newspeak
New Deal A fresh economic or political program, blush” (Leslie Hannah, Engineers, Managers and
especially one offering hopes of recovery or relief. Politicians, 1993). See also doublespeak; double-
The allusion is to the original New Deal announced think.
by Franklin D. Roosevelt during the presidential
campaign of 1932 with the words “I pledge you, I Newtonian (nootoneebn) Of or relating to the
pledge myself, to a new deal for the American theories of the distinguished English mathemati-
people.” He went on to introduce three separate cian and physicist Sir Isaac Newton (1642–1727).
New Deals (1933, 1935, and 1938) and many Newton, who believed in a rational universe set in
other political leaders have since imitated his motion by God, made significant advances in a
example with New Deals of their own. The govern- number of scientific fields, including the under-
ment have promised a New Deal designed to reinvigorate standing of gravity, astronomy, and other branches
the country’s heavy industry. of physics. “Instead of the clarity and precision of
Newtonian mechanics, we have to be content with
new Jerusalem ( jbroosblbm) Heaven, paradise, a more fuzzy account of affairs” ( J. C. Polking-
or some other kind of perfect community. The horne, The Quantum World, 1984).
332
 night cometh, when no man can work

new wine in old bottles New ideas, materials, Nicodemused into nothing (nikbdeembst)
etc., are wasted if not accompanied by new prac- Wrecked or ruined (as in one’s prospects) through
tices, methods, and so forth. The phrase comes rumor and insinuation. The phrase alludes to the
from Christ, who advised his followers that his biblical Nicodemus, who attempted to defend
new teachings demanded new practices to go with Christ before the authorities on the grounds that
them: “Neither do men put new wine into old he should not be tried in his absence (John 3 and
bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine run- 7:50–52). “How many Caesars and Pompeys . . .
neth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new might have done . . . well in the world . . .
wine into new bottles, and both are preserved” had they not been Nicodemused into nothing”
(Matthew 9:16–17). The image alludes to the fact (Laurence Sterne, The Life and Opinions of Tristram
that the tanned animal skins used as bottles in Shandy, Gentleman, 1759–67).
Christ’s time tended to be much less elastic and
therefore prone to splitting if used more than Nietzschean (neecheebn) Of or relating to the
once. Many experts felt that the tweaked version of the ideas of German philosopher Friedrich Wilhelm
railroad-safety system was not sufficient—it was a case Nietzsche (1844–1900). Certain aspects of Nietz-
of new wine in old bottles. sche’s ideas, which included the rejection of the
concept of God and notions of the supremacy of
nice guys finish last Victory goes to those with the “superman” over lesser mortals, influenced the
the necessary aggression and ruthlessness. A favor- ideology of the Nazis and have thus remained con-
ite maxim of sportsmen and -women over the troversial. “This striding, Nietzschean self, ‘bigger’
decades, the slogan has its roots in a quotation by as opposed to ‘better,’ couldn’t be accommodated
U.S. baseball coach Leo Durocher (1906–91), in any kind of social order, would never really be
delivered in 1946 about the New York Giants: “All happy” (Simon Reynolds, Blissed Out, 1990).
nice guys. They’ll finish last. Nice guys. Finish
last.” The crowd loved him for his cheerful manner on Niflheim (nifblhim) The underworld. This
court, but you know what they say, nice guys finish last. Norse version of the underworld was believed to
be cold, dark, and misty and very different in char-
Nick Carter Archetype of an ace detective. Nick acter to valhalla, where chosen heroes feasted
Carter made his first appearance in print as early with Odin. It comprised nine worlds to which
as 1886 and has continued to pursue villains ever those who died of old age or disease were con-
since, though he has become distinctly more hard- signed after death. The word itself means “mist
boiled in character since the 1960s. The first story, home.” When the mist rolls in from the sea the Danish
The Old Detective’s Pupil; or, The Mysterious Crime of marshes become menacing and are peopled with ghosts,
Madison Square (1886) was written by John R. taking on the character of some dread Niflheim.
Coryell, but many of his later adventures (which
also transferred to radio and the movies), often night cometh, when no man can work An injunc-
related in the first person, were published without tion to undertake things while the opportunity is
author credits or under pseudonyms. As a boy he there, for it will soon pass. The sentiment is bib-
had dreamed of growing up to become a Nick Carter. lical in origin, appearing as a quotation of
333
Nightingale, Florence

Christ: “I must work the works of him that sent he subsequently made to the Reichstag: “It was no
me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no secret that this time the revolution would have to
man can work” (John 9:4). “Repent—resolve, bloody . . . When we spoke of it, we called it ‘The
while yet there is time. Remember, we are bid to Night of the Long Knives.’ ” It appears that Hitler
work while it is day—warned that ‘the night may have borrowed the phrase from an early Nazi
cometh when no man shall work’ ” (Charlotte marching song. Later nights of the long knives,
Brontë, Jane Eyre, 1847). “ ‘Still there are works such as that instituted by British prime minister
which, with God’s permission, I would do before Harold Macmillan in 1962, have not necessarily
the night cometh.’ Dr Arnold was thinking of his entailed the murder of those removed from office.
great work on Church and State” (Lytton It is only six months since the last night of the long
Strachey, Eminent Victorians, 1918). knives, and already those at the top are considering
another purge of middle management.
Nightingale, Florence See florence nightin-
gale. Nijinsky (nijinskee) A superbly talented male
classical ballet dancer. The Russian ballet dancer
nightmare on Elm Street A nightmarish situa- Vaslav Nijinsky (1890–1950) won acclaim as a star
tion. The allusion is to a blood-soaked horror of the celebrated Ballet Russe company in the
movie of the same title released in 1984. The plot early years of the 20th century, creating many of
revolves around the demonic Freddy Krueger, the great parts in the modern ballet repertoire
who stalks and murders a succession of middle- and dancing to the music of Debussy, Stravinsky,
class American teenagers as they sleep, savaging and others. He made his final appearance as early
them with his long steel-tipped fingernails. The as 1917, having fallen victim to paranoid schizo-
success of the original movie spawned several phrenia, but is remembered as a paragon of the
sequels. With people collapsing all around it was like classical dance tradition, famed for his prodigious
being caught up in a nightmare on Elm Street. leaps. You might be okay at the jive, but let’s face it,
you’re no Nijinsky. See also nureyev.
night of the long knives A period of sackings,
dismissals, and demotions of staff or other person- Nike (nikee) The personification of victory.
nel. The original Night of the Long Knives took Nike was the goddess of victory in Greek mythol-
place throughout Germany on June 30, 1934, when ogy and was usually depicted with wings and carry-
Adolf hitler had numerous opponents and rivals ing a palm or wreath. Her name is best known
for power murdered by his supporters in the ss, today as a trade name for a brand of sportswear.
thus allowing him to establish unchallenged per- The spirit of Nike hovers over the stadium as the victors
sonal control of an emergent Nazi state. Casualties come forward for the presentation.
(the number of which has been estimated at some-
where between 60 and 400) included several nil admirari (neel admirahree) Unimpressed;
senior figures who had thought Hitler their ally or indifferent. The expression, which in Latin liter-
friend. Hitler himself made little secret of the ally means “to admire nothing,” comes from the
purge he had initiated, as evidenced by an address Epistles of the Roman poet Horace (65–8 b.c.).
334
 Nineveh and Tyre

“Very many men nowadays besides the archdeacon become synonymous with emergencies of one
adopt or affect to adopt the nil admirari doctrine; kind or another. His weird behavior soon had his
but nevertheless, to judge from their appearance, mother shrieking for 911.
they are just as subject to sudden emotions as their
grandfathers and grandmothers were before them” 9/11 (nin ilevbn) Of or relating to the terrorist
(Anthony Trollope, Barchester Towers, 1857). attacks that took place on U.S. targets on Septem-
ber 11, 2001.The horror surrounding the destruc-
nil desperandum (neel despbrahndbm) Never tion of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center
give in to despair. This nugget of proverbial advice in New York City and the damage caused to the
comes from the writings of the Roman poet Hor- Pentagon in Washington using hijacked aircraft has
ace (65–8 b.c.). “This hitch in the mainspring of made the date (otherwise referred to as Septem-
the domestic machinery had a bad effect upon the ber 11) synonymous with terrorist atrocity. It also
whole concern, but Amy’s motto was ‘Nil desper- profoundly affected Western attitudes toward ter-
andum,’ and having made up her mind what to do, rorist organizations around the world: Awareness
she proceeded to do it in spite of all obstacles” of the threat posed by international terrorism was
(Louisa May Alcott, Little Women, 1868–69). greatly promoted and subsequently influenced the
foreign policies of the United States and various
Nimrod (nimrod) A daring or skillful hunter of allies with relation to states accused of sponsoring
animals. Nimrod, the grandson of Ham, is identi- such activity. Memories of 9/11 have not faded in the
fied in Genesis 10:9 as a “mighty hunter before the years that have passed since that fateful day. See also
LORD.” His kingdom included Babylon, Erech, guantánamo.
and Akkad. According to legend, he acquired the
link with hunting because he wore the animal skins Nineveh and Tyre (ninbvb, tir) Great cities that
that God had given to Adam for clothing, and it face ruination through the evil ways of their inhab-
was through the divine influence of these that he itants. According to Nahum 3:7 and Ezekiel 25–
could subdue any beast he encountered. Medieval 26, the wealthy cities of Nineveh and Tyre were
tradition named Nimrod as the builder of the both destroyed as a result of the indulgent life-
tower of Babel, and in former times his name was styles of their citizens, who had ignored warnings
often applied to tyrants. The epithet is more often of the fate they risked. Nineveh was a capital of
applied today to hunters of big game or to out- Assyria and now lies in ruins on the opposite bank
standing figures in sports. “You may think that of the Tigris to modern Mosul in Iraq; the site of
Herr Doctor Kennicott is a Nimrod, but you ought Tyre, once an important port in Syria and later the
to have seen me daring him to strip to his B. V. D.’s capital of Phoenicia, is occupied by a small fishing
and go swimming in an icy mountain brook” (Sin- village called Sur in southern Lebanon. Their
clair Lewis, Main Street, 1920). names are usually invoked as a warning against the
wicked or conceited: “Lo, all our pomp of yester-
911 (nin wbn wbn) The emergency ser vices.The day / Is one with Nineveh and Tyre” (Rudyard
numbers 911 are those dedicated for calling assis- Kipling, “Recessional,” 1897). To John Masefield,
tance on the U.S. telephone system and have thus in his poem “Cargoes” (1903), however, Nineveh
335
ninth plague of Egypt

represented not the threat of ruin but rather a tions as pain, passion, and anxiety and through this
distant exoticism: “Quinquireme of Nineveh from extinguishing any sense of personal identity. “And
distant Ophir / Rowing home to haven in sunny then gradually my mind drifted away into strange
Palestine.” vague dreams, always with that black face and red
tongue coming back into them, and so I lost myself
ninth plague of Egypt (eejipt) Impenetrable in the nirvana of delirium, the blessed relief of
darkness. According to the Old Testament book of those who are too sorely tried” (Sir Arthur Conan
Exodus, God sent 10 plagues to punish the Egyp- Doyle, Tales of Terror and Mystery, 1923).
tians for oppressing the Israelites and failing to
acknowledge God’s power. The ninth of these took Nisus and Euryalus (nisbs, yooreealbs) An arche-
the form of “a thick darkness in all the land of type of perfect friendship. Nisus and Euryalus
Egypt three days” (Exodus 10:22). “By reason of were two Trojans who journeyed to Italy with
the density of the interwoven foliage overhead, it Aeneas and died during night attack on the camp
was gloomy there at cloudless noontide, twilight of the Rutulians while the enemy was deep in
in the evening, dark as midnight at dusk, and black drunken sleep. Unfortunately Euryalus lost his life
as the ninth plague of Egypt at midnight” (Thomas in the fight, and when Nisus tried to avenge his
Hardy, Far from the Madding Crowd, 1874). See also friend, he too was killed. The friendship of Nisus
egyptian darkness; plagues of egypt. and Euryalus has long since become proverbial.
The boys vowed to escape or die together in the attempt,
Niobe (niobee) The archetype of the inconsol- faithful to the end like Nisus and Euryalus.
able grieving mother. In Greek mythology Niobe
was the daughter of Tantalus and wife of Amphion, Noah’s ark See ark.
king of Thebes, with whom she had 12 children.
When she arrogantly boasted herself superior to Noah’s wife (nobz) A quarrelsome, obstreperous
the goddess Leto, who had only two children wife. Tradition has it that when Noah tried to
(Apollo and Artemis), Leto’s offspring punished usher his family into the ark to escape the Flood
her by killing all 12 of her children with arrows. (Genesis 7:13), his wife refused. The quarrel
The inconsolable Niobe was herself turned into a between Noah and his wife was one of the stock
stone on Mount Sipylus in Lydia but even in this scenes of medieval mystery plays. She was a regu-
petrified form was said still to weep tears for her lar Noah’s wife, always shrieking abuse at her hapless
children. In canto 4 of Childe Harold (1819) Lord mate, and few men relished the prospect of crossing her
Byron subsequently dubbed Rome after the fall of threshold.
the empire the Niobe of nations. “Like Niobe, all
tears” (William Shakespeare, Hamlet, c. 1600). noble savage The fundamental goodness of
human nature, especially as seen in the unedu-
nirvana (nervahnb) A state of euphoric bliss or cated savage untainted by the debatable advan-
spiritual ecstasy. Nirvana is the aim of both the tages of civilization. The term is particularly
Buddhist and Hindu religions, a state achieved by associated with the French writer and philoso-
transcending such ordinary human preoccupa- pher Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–78), specifically
336
 no new thing under the sun

with his novel Émile (1762), which describes the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the
rearing of a child kept apart from other children. one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God
Rousseau did not, however, coin the phrase, and mammon” (Matthew 6:24). “Not serve two
which appeared elsewhere as early as 1672, in masters?—Here’s a youth will try it—Would fain
John Dryden’s play The Conquest of Granada: “I am serve God, yet give the devil his due” (Sir Walter
as free as Nature first made man, / Ere the base Scott, Kenilworth, 1821). See also mammon.
laws of servitude began, / When wild in woods
the noble savage ran.” “He was the noble savage, no man is an island No individual can live
the Negro in chains, the archetype of exploited entirely independently of his or her fellow crea-
humanity, quintessential victim of the capitalist- tures. The phrase comes from the works of
imperialist-industrial system” (David Lodge, Nice English poet John Donne (c. 1572–1631), whose
Work, 1988). devotional writings include the lines: “No man is
an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of
Nod, land of See land of nod. the continent, a part of the main . . . any man’s
death diminishes me, because I am involved in
noise of many waters See voice of many mankind; and therefore never send to know for
waters. whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.” Like many
other tycoons, he sought to hide from the world in his
no jot or tittle See jot or tittle. palatial home, only to find that no man is an island and
that even the immensely rich must depend from time to
no joy in Mudville See casey at the bat. time upon the kindness of their fellow men. See also for
whom the bell tolls.
noli me tangere (nolee mee tanjbree) Latin for
“touch me not.” The phrase is spoken by Jesus no man’s land The area between warring armies
Christ after the Resurrection, when he appears or other factions that is controlled by neither side.
to Mary Magdalene as she is weeping at his The term is particularly associated with the trench
empty tomb: “Touch me not; for I am not yet warfare of World War I, when no man’s land was
ascended to my Father” (John 20:17). “This pre- a clearly delineated stretch of contested earth
cious aunt of yours is become insensibly a part between the two front lines, in places only hun-
of my constitution—Damn her! She’s a noli me dreds of yards wide. It does have an older history,
tangere in my flesh which I cannot bear to be however, being one of various terms used since
touched or tampered with” (Tobias George Smol- medieval times to describe patches of land over
lett, The Expedition of Humphry Clinker, 1771). which no one claimed ownership. He found himself
trapped in a no man’s land between the two ideologies.
no man can serve two masters It is impossible to
be faithful to two different causes, organizations, no more spirit in her See queen of sheba.
employers, etc., at the same time. This proverb has
biblical origins, appearing in the form, “No man no new thing under the sun See nothing new
can serve two masters: for either he will hate the under the sun.
337
noonday demon

noonday demon Indolence, vanity, or some other persons” (Acts 10:34). In Deuteronomy 1:17
sin to which a person may be most susceptible Moses instructs those who are to sit as judges as
when all is going well. The phrase is biblical in ori- follows: “Ye shall not respect persons in judgment;
gin, appearing in Psalm 91:4–6, where it warns but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye
against dangers that can arise when least expected: shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judg-
“His truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou ment is God’s.” “The law, gentlemen, is no respecter
shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; Nor of persons in a free country” ( James Fenimore
for the arrow that flieth by day; nor for the pesti- Cooper, The Pioneers, 1823).
lence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruc-
tion that wasteth at noonday.” It is usually applied Norman Bates See bates motel; psycho.
nowadays to threats that come in disguise or, spe-
cifically, to the temptations to laziness that come Norman Rockwell Representative of idealized
with middle age. Financially secure and comfortable in small-town America. The artist Norman Rock-
his surroundings, he no longer resisted the lures of his well (1894–1978) became famous for his depic-
noonday demons and began to spend his evenings slumped tions of ordinary life in homely small-town settings
in front of the television, humming softly to himself. during the 1950s and 1960s, many of which
appeared on the covers of popular magazines of
no other gods before meSee thou shalt have the era. Her parents still lived in a Norman Rockwell
no other gods before me. world, where everything was neat and tidy and crime was
something you only read about in the racier newspapers.
no peace for the wicked There is always some
task to be done, considering the interruptions and Norns (nornz) The fates. In Norse mythology,
disturbances of daily life. The phrase comes from the Norns were three goddesses (Urd, Verdandi,
Isaiah 57:21, where it implies that those who are and Skuld) who spun the threads of destiny and
given to evil can expect no respite from anxiety exercised supreme control over the fates of both
and fear: “There is no peace, saith my God, to the mortals and gods. The three controllers of the company
wicked.” In modern parlance the expression is were like the Fates, or the Norns of theVikings, cutting the
usually applied ironically, typically when a person threads of life as they thought fit and thus closing down
feels obliged to cut short a rest in order to meet entire networks and departments without warning.
the demands of others or return to work that
needs to be done. But there is no peace for the wicked, no room at the inn No vacancy; no space avail-
and hardly had she sat down but there was a knock at the able. The expression comes from the Bible, where
front door and she had to get up again. it appears in Luke 2:7, which relates how Joseph
and the pregnant Mary arrived at Bethlehem only
no respecter of persons The treatment of others to find the rooms in the local inn were all taken,
without favor or prejudice, regardless of their sta- obliging them to sleep in the stable: “No room for
tus, wealth, etc. The phrase is biblical in origin, for them in the inn.” We had hoped to stay at the hotel
example, “Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, overlooking the town square, but the place was packed for
Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of the carnival and there was no room at the inn.
338
 not with a bang but a whimper

Nostradamus (nostrbdahmbs) A person who it as a metaphorical comment directed toward

prophecies future events. Michel de Nostredame Christ’s followers, warning them that their com-
(1503–66), otherwise known as Nostradamus, mitment to God might bring them on occasion into
was a French astrologer and physician whose Cen- conflict with their own families. “He had brought
turies (1555) contained a series of enigmatic not peace to the city, but a sword” (W. Somerset
prophecies about events that he said would happen Maugham, Catalina, 1948).
in future centuries. Though derided by many, he is
said to have predicted, among other things, air Nottingham, Sheriff of See sheriff of not-
warfare, the rise of hitler in Nazi Germany, and tingham.
the atom bomb. If he carries on predicting the results
of future games so accurately people will start calling not tonight, Josephine (jozbfeen) Mocking
him Nostradamus. rejection of a sexual or other advance. The sugges-
tion is that this is what the French emperor napo-
not by bread alone See man cannot live by leon said to his wife Josephine when she sought
bread alone. to distract him from affairs of state, although there
is absolutely no historical evidence that he ever
nothing new under the sun What appears to be said any such thing. It is more likely to have been
new often turns out to be nothing more than a an invention of music-hall comedians later in the
revival or reintroduction of an old idea. This famil- 19th century. Wearing that bikini, she is unlikely ever
iar comment on the changeless nature of things is to hear the words “not tonight, Josephine.”
biblical in origin, appearing in Ecclesiastes 1:9:
“The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; not waving but drowning In a state of despera-
and that which is done is that which shall be done: tion or needing help, often despite appearances to
and there is no new thing under the sun.” “ ‘They’re the contrary. The allusion is to a 1953 poem of the
after something quite new—something that’s never same title, which was possibly the most famous
been heard of before.’ ‘My dear fellow! There is creation of British poet Stevie Smith (1902–71):
nothing new under the sun’ ” (George Orwell, “Nobody heard him, the dead man, / But still he
Coming Up for Air, 1939). lay moaning: / He was much further out than you
thought / And not waving but drowning.” They
not peace but a sword A threat of violence or tried to look cheerful as they set off for the court, but you
other stern action, as opposed to a pacific approach. had the feeling they were not waving but drowning.
The phrase appears in Matthew and Luke, where it
is attributed to Christ: “Think not that I am come not with a bang but a whimper Describing
to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, something that does not end dramatically but
but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance instead just fizzles out anticlimactically. This is a
against his father, and the daughter against her quotation from the 1925 poem “The Hollow
mother, and the daughter in law against her mother Men” by the Anglo-American poet T. S. Eliot
in law” (Matthew 10:34–35). Critics usually defend (1888–1965): “This is the way the world ends /
the militaristic tone of the passage by interpreting Not with a bang but a whimper.” “This is how
339
not worth a bone, the dog must be bad indeed that is

careers end, Adjudicator: not with a bang, but Nunc Dimittis (nunk dimitis) A canticle grant-
with a whimper” ( J. Mortimore and A. Lane, ing permission to leave, especially to depart this
Lucifer Rising, 1993). life. The words appear in the opening line of the
prayer of Simeon, which is sung in evensong in the
not worth a bone, the dog must be bad indeed that Anglican Church: “Nunc dimittis servum tuum
is See laborer is worthy of his hire, the. Domine” (“Lord, now lettest thou thy servant
depart in peace”), taken from Luke 2:29–35. By
now is the winter of our discontent Now things extension, if people are said to receive their Nunc
are at their worst. This is the first line of Wil- Dimittis they are understood to have permission
liam Shakespeare’s play Richard III (c. 1592), to depart; if they sing their Nunc Dimittis they
spoken by the malevolent future king as he are understood to be happy to be going. “I shall
contemplates the long-awaited chance to claim finish my artist’s life with your face; but I shall
the throne of England for himself: “Now is the want a bit of those shoulders, too . . . If they
winter of our discontent / Made glorious sum- aren’t divine I will eat my hat. Yes, I will do your
mer by this sun of York; / And all the clouds that head and then—nunc dimittis” (Joseph Conrad,
lowered upon our house / In the deep bosom of The Arrow of Gold, 1919).
the ocean buried.” With the closure of the last the-
ater staging challenging drama in town, it would seem Nuremberg defense (nyoorbmberg) A defen-
that for serious actors this really is the winter of our dant’s plea that in committing a crime he or she
discontent. was only “following orders.” Such defenses were
presented at several of the notorious trials of lead-
number of the beast The devil’s number; 666. ing German Nazis at Nuremberg following the
The mystical reputation of the number depends close of World War II. These excuses were largely
on its appearance in Revelation 13:18: “Let him ignored by the courts, reinforcing the principle
that hath understanding count the number of the that simply obeying someone else’s orders does
beast: for it is the number of a man; and his num- not render a person blameless for any crime he or
ber is Six hundred threescore and six.” Various she commits. The youth’s resort to the Nuremberg
explanations have been put forward for the ori- defense, that he was only doing what he had been told to
gins of the number, most of them based on the do, cut little ice with the judges.
numerical values given to the letters of certain
names, such as that of the wicked Roman emperor Nureyev (nyoorayef ) A brilliantly talented male
Nero, among others. Over the centuries the num- ballet dancer. The Russian ballet dancer and
ber has been associated with many other figures choreographer Rudolph Nureyev (1939–93) was
accused by their enemies of being the Antichrist, hugely admired for his performances in the great
including Martin Luther, Napoleon Bonaparte, ballet roles, both with Russian companies and
and Kaiser Wilhelm II. He noticed that his new tele- after defecting to the West in 1961, earning him
phone number ended with the number of the beast, but a reputation as the greatest male dancer since
he quickly shrugged off the momentary unease that nijinsky. He is so young it is far too soon to say
welled up in his mind. whether he is destined to be the next Nureyev.
340
 nymph

Nurse Ratched (rached) Archetype of a discipli- remain perpetually young (though not actually
narian nurse. Nurse Ratched is a character in the immortal themselves) and to be very beautiful and
1962 Ken Kesey novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s generally friendly toward mortals. Several mortal
Nest, later filmed with Louise Fletcher as the heroes, including Achilles, had mothers who were
hatchet-faced nurse who seeks to subdue the nymphs. They could be subdivided into five broad
rebellious spirit of mental patient Randle McMur- types: the dryads and hamadryads lived in trees
phy, played by Jack Nicholson. She had all the charm and groves; the naiads, in freshwater; the nereids
and patience of Nurse Ratched, and when she adminis- inhabited the waters of the Mediterranean; the
tered the injection he felt as if he had been jabbed to the oceanids lived in the outer oceans; and the
heart with a sharpened stick. oreads, in grottoes and mountains. “When not
engaged in reading Virgil, Homer, or Mistral, in
nymph A young woman or girl, especially one parks, restaurants, streets, and suchlike public
with a lithe, youthful figure. The nymphs of Greek places, he indited sonnets (in French) to the eyes,
and Roman mythology were minor female deities ears, chin, hair, and other visible perfections of a
of nature associated with specific locations, includ- nymph called Therese” ( Joseph Conrad, The Mirror
ing rivers, trees, and mountains. They were said to of the Sea, 1906).

341
å O ååååå
Oakley, Annie See annie oakley. the name of the person who first discovered the
rock in Ethiopia, according to Pliny the Elder
Oates, Captain See captain oates. (a.d. 23–79). “At my side hung one of the Indian
weapons that serve them instead of swords, a club
Obi-Wan Kenobi (obee won kbnobee) A wise, of wood set on both sides with spikes of obsidian,
elderly man. The allusion is to the character of the like the teeth in the bill of a swordfish” (H. Rider
name in the star wars films who helps the young Haggard, Montezuma’s Daughter, 1899).
hero Luke Skywalker develop his skills as a jedi
knight. He was played in the original trilogy of oceanid See nymph.
films by Alec Guinness and in the second trilogy,
as a younger man, by Ewan McGregor. The children Oceanus (oseebnbs) Alternative name for the
regarded him as an Obi-Wan Kenobi who could explain Atlantic Ocean. In Greek mythology the Titan
to them the secrets of an alien adult world. Oceanus was the god of the river that was sup-
posed to flow around the Earth and was identified
Oblomov (oblomov) An extremely lazy, inactive
as the father of all the deities and nymphs of the
person. Oblomov is the central character in the
world’s waters. As the Greeks learned more about
celebrated novel Oblomov (1859) by Ivan Goncha-
the world around them, Oceanus came to signify
rov (1812–91). Unable to stir himself into action,
he spends his days in bed, dreaming about his only the furthermost seas and oceans and the
childhood and resisting the attempts of others to Atlantic in par ticular. In her dreams she sailed with
make him change his indolent, passive ways. It is him upon the waters of Oceanus.
much easier to live as an Oblomov than it is to live the
life of an all-action hero. Ockham’s razor (okbmz) The principle, also
rendered as Occam’s razor, that the simplest
obsidian (obsideebn) Glassy volcanic rock explanation is usually the right one. The principle
formed by rapid solidification of lava. The name was established by the English philosopher Wil-
comes from the Latin obsianus lapis (meaning liam of Ockham (c.1280–c.1349) and is some-
“stone of Obsius”) and is thought to have acquired times expressed in the form of the maxim “No
the d through an inaccurate rendering of Obsius, more things should be presumed to exist than are
342
 odyssey

absolutely necessary.” Ockham was the philosopher’s the dead, he became the husband of Frigga and the
birthplace in Surrey, while the word “razor” is pre- father of Thor and Balder. Her grandfather presided
sumed to refer to the shaving away of unnecessary over the family like some dreadful Odin, dispensing
detail implicit in the principle itself. A lot of scien- rewards and punishments according to his own unchal-
tific research would benefit from the application of Ock- lenged will.
ham’s razor.
Odysseus (odiseebs) Archetype of the heroic
Odd Couple, the An apparently mismatched pair adventurer. According to Greek legend Odysseus,
of people. The allusion is to the stage comedy also known as Ulysses, was the son of King Laertes
(1965) and film (1968) The Odd Couple by U.S. of Ithaca and one of those who sought the hand of
playwright Neil Simon. The comedy of the piece the beautiful Helen and swore to protect her. This
arises from the clash of lifestyles between the slov- oath led ultimately to the Trojan War, in which Odys-
enly Oscar (played on screen by Walter Matthau) seus played a prominent role. Having helped in the
and the fastidious Felix (played by Jack Lemmon) final victory over the Trojans as one of the warriors
when they opt to share an apartment. “ ‘Talk about concealed in the wooden horse, he set off back home
the odd couple,’ Cy McCray was saying” ( John to be reunited with his wife, Penelope. However,
Francombe, Stone Cold, 1990). having offended the gods, he was not allowed to
complete his journey for a full 10 years (see odys-
O death, where is thy sting? See death, where is sey). On his return he slaughtered the various suit-
thy sting? ors who were trying to claim Penelope and was
reunited with his son, Telemachus. It was not long,
Odessa steps (odesb) A scene of slaughter, espe- however, before he embarked on further wander-
cially of innocents. The allusion is to the classic ings. His name is now synonymous with the coura-
1925 silent movie Potemkin directed by the Russian geous adventurer, although the Greek poet Homer
director Sergei Eisenstein, the most famous scene and others tended to emphasize his cunning and
of which depicts the massacring of men, women, even depicted him as wiley and scheming rather than
and children on a long flight of harbor steps during simply brave. If she was in trouble, he would be her Odys-
the events surrounding the rebellion that took seus, negotiating all obstacles and traversing all chasms to
place on the battleship Potemkin at Odessa in 1905. rescue her from the dangers that pressed her on all sides.
With so many shots being fired the staircase soon looked
like the Odessa steps. odyssey (ahdbsee) A lengthy journey or quest,
typically one in which the person concerned has
Odin (odin) The king of the gods in Scandina- to overcome many obstacles. The word comes
vian mythology and a personification of wisdom. from Homer’s epic poem the Odyssey (c. 700 b.c.),
According to legend Odin (known elsewhere as in which he relates the adventures of the Greek
Woden,Wodin, or Wotan) achieved his great wis- hero odysseus during the course of the perilous
dom by drinking from the giant Mimir’s well, a 10-year journey he undertook to return home
privilege he obtained in exchange for one of his after the fall of Troy. “. . . Nick could imagine how
eyes. Also venerated as the god of war, poetry, and disconcerting his departure must be on the eve of
343
Oedipus complex

their Grecian cruise which Mrs. Hicks would cer- made “an offer he can’t refuse.” He didn’t want to
tainly call an Odyssey” (Edith Wharton, Glimpses of vote against his conscience, but someone made him an
the Moon, 1922). offer he couldn’t refuse. See also godfather, the.

Oedipus complex (edbpbs) The unconscious sex- of making many books The human appetite for
ual attraction of a boy for his mother and associ- books can never be satisfied and thus the business
ated hostility toward his father (and more rarely of making them will never come to an end. The
the same attraction of a daughter for her father). sentiment was first voiced in the Bible in Ecclesi-
The term, coined by the Austrian psychoanalyst astes 12:12: “Of making many books there is no
Sigmund Freud (1856–1939), is an allusion to the end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.” It
Greek legend of Oedipus, the son of King Laius is often delivered as also a warning against exces-
and Queen Jocasta of Thebes, who was brought sive intellectualism. “Solomon saith truly, ‘Of
up in ignorance of his parentage and ultimately making many books there is no end,’ so insatiable
killed his own father in a quarrel and married his is the thirst of men therein: as also endless is
own mother before realizing he was their son. the desire of many in buying and reading them”
When the truth came out, Oedipus put out his (Thomas Fuller, The Holy and the Profane State,
own eyes and went into exile, eventually dying at 1642).
Colonus near Athens, while Jocasta committed
suicide. Related words include the adjective oedi- of such is the kingdom of heaven See suffer the
pal. The only motivation the detective could suggest to little children.
explain the crime was some kind of extra-twisted Oedipus
complex. See also electra complex. Og of Bashan See bull of bashan.

off base Off target; mistaken. The allusion is to O’Hara, Scarlett See gone with the wind.
the game of baseball, in which a player on the bat-
ting side who is not touching one of the four Oh, for the wings of a dove! See wings of a
“bases” may be deemed to be out and forced to dove.
leave the field. Their conclusion was well off base.
OK Corral See gunfight at the ok corral.
offending Adam See whip the offending
adam. old Adam See whip the offending adam.

offer you can’t refuse, an A proposition that is old as Methuselah See as old as methuselah.
accompanied by a threat of violence or other “per-
suasion” that makes it impossible to turn down. Old Contemptibles Nickname of the British
The reference is to the 1969 Mario Puzo novel The Expeditionary Force at the start of World War I in
Godfather, filmed in 1971, in which an aspiring 1914.The nickname had its origins in an army order
movie actor is assured that he will get the part he supposedly issued by Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany
wants after the director of the movie has been on August 19, 1914: “It is my royal and imperial
344
 old school tie

command that you exterminate the treacherous ‘Sinbad the Sailor’ ” (Winifred Beechey, The Reluc-
English, and walk over General French’s contempt- tant Samaritan, 1991).
ible little army.” The soldiers of the BEF, who
proved less easy to overwhelm than the kaiser had old men dream dreams Even the old may harbor
envisaged, assumed the nickname Old Contempt- dreams about the future. The expression comes
ibles themselves. “The Old Contemptibles had from Joel 2:28, which looks forward to the mes-
become a compulsory and unwilling army” ( John sianic age when all, young and old, will share in
Cairney, Worlds Apart, 1991). the Spirit of God: “Your old men shall dream
dreams, your young men shall see visions.” Some
old guard A body of individuals representing later writers suggested that another reading may
established values and typically old-fashioned, be that young men’s visions are clearer—and
conservative thinking. The reference is to the hence more reliable—than old men’s dreams. In
imperial Old Guard of veteran soldiers who con- modern usage the phrase is usually quoted in dis-
stituted the most revered elite regiments of napo- cussions of idealism and ambition. Her grandfather
leon’s French armies. Members of the Old Guard, grinned ruefully and noted,“Old men dream dreams, you
many of whom were of relatively advanced years, know.”
were selected from other regiments for their cour-
age and imposing physical appearance, which was Old Mother Hubbard (huberd) A very poor old
enhanced by tall bearskin hats and long, flowing woman. The allusion is to a nursery rhyme, first
mustaches. The Old Guard was resolute in its loy- published in 1805, in which Old Mother Hubbard
alty to the emperor, a dedication reflected in its is described as a poor old lady whose cupboard is
refusal to surrender at the Battle of waterloo in so bare she lacks even a bone to offer her dog. The
1815, even when all was clearly lost. “Colborne nursery rhyme was written by Sarah Catherine
conceded that he was fighting a losing battle; a Martin (1768–1826) on a visit to Kitley, east of
battle against the entire social structure within the Plymouth in Devon, England, possibly about a poor
palace and the snobbery and jealousy of the Old lady who lived in a cottage at nearby Yealmpton.
Guard that surrounded the Prince” (Penny Junor, Her situation resembled that of Old Mother Hubbard,
Charles and Diana, 1991). and she had nothing she could offer her visitors.

Old Man of the Sea A heavy burden, especially Old Nick See satan.
one that is virtually impossible to lay down. The
allusion is to the tales of the arabian nights, old school tie A notional network linking people
specifically to that of sinbad the Sailor and an epi- who have been to the same school or university,
sode in which Sinbad offers to carry an old man, enabling them to gain access to privileged infor-
only to find that the old man refuses to dismount mation, assistance, promotion, etc. The allusion is
for many days and nights. Sinbad finally frees him- to the distinguishing ties worn by pupils at par ticu-
self of his burden after getting the old man drunk, lar schools. The earliest record of the phrase is in
so that he falls off. “She fastened on to the person Rudyard Kipling’s Limits and Renewals (1932). “The
whose house it was like the Old Man of the Sea in whole squirearchy, old school tie, old boy network
345
Old Testament

was a recipe for disaster” ( Jeremy Paxman, Friends Oliver See roland.
in High Places, 1990).
Oliver Twist A foundling or orphan. Oliver Twist
Old Testament Sometimes used to describe is the central character in the novel (1837–38)
stern, retributive justice or thinking. The Old Tes- bearing his name published to great acclaim by the
tament is that part of the Bible describing the his- British novelist Charles Dickens (1812–70). Oli-
tory of Israel. It is divided into the five books of ver is a young pauper who endures the harsh reali-
the Pentateuch (Genesis through Deuteronomy); ties of life in the workhouse and becomes part of a
the historical books of Joshua through Esther; the gang of pickpockets led by the rascally fagin
books of poetry and wisdom, Job through Song of before being rescued and taken in by the kindly
Solomon, including Psalms; and the books of the Mr. Brownlow. In the most famous scene from the
prophets Isaiah to Malachi. In par ticular thinking novel, the hapless and hungry Oliver causes con-
the God of the Old Testament is sometimes seen sternation in the workhouse when he innocently
as less forgiving than that of the New Testament, asks for more food. Like Oliver Twist, many children
but closer reading of the Bible shows that both even now go the whole school day without a meal. See
testaments describe God as holy, yet also kind and also artful dodger; nancy.
loving. He was a believer in Old Testament justice—
short, sharp, and entirely merciless. Olympia; Olympiad See olympic games.

olive branch A peace offering or symbol of Olympian (blimpeebn) Godlike; majestic; supe-
peace. The olive branch has had special significance rior; aloof. According to Greek mythology the
as a peace symbol since classical times. A Greek home of the gods (sometimes called the Twelve
myth relates how Poseidon and Athena both com- Olympians) was located on the snowy summit of
peted to be chosen patron of the city of Athens. Mount Olympus in northern Greece, hidden
Poseidon tried to bribe the citizens with the offer from human sight by clouds. Here the gods lived
of a horse, which represented his strength and in wonderful palaces and held meetings in a great
courage, while Athena presented them with an council chamber or were entertained by the Muses
olive tree, representing peace and prosperity. with the lyre and song. “I think I shall have a lofty
Athena won and the new city was named in her throne for you, godmamma, or rather two, one on
honor. The olive branch also has significance in the lawn and another in the ballroom, that you
Christian and Jewish iconography as it was an olive may sit and look down upon us like an Olympian
leaf that the dove brought back to Noah as a sign goddess” (George Eliot, Adam Bede, 1859). See also
that the waters of the Flood were finally receding olympic games.
(Genesis 8:11). “We are now not armed for war,
but approach the reverend towers of the old cathe- Olympic Games (blimpik) International athletics
dral with an olive branch in our hands.” (Anthony competition held every two years, alternating for
Trollope, Barchester Towers, 1857). summer sports and winter sports. The modern
Olympic Games, first held in Athens in 1896, were
Olive Oyl See popeye. modeled on the famous competitions held in
346
 one’s name is mud

ancient Greece, in which competitors from all over should support his brother’s widow as a matter of
the Greek world participated in foot races, wres- duty if his brother had died without children.
tling, boxing, and chariot racing, among other Reluctant to consummate the union out of respect
events. These contests took place on a plain on the for his brother, Onan “spilled his seed on the
west coast of the Peloponnesus, which included the ground,” hence the adoption of his name for the
sacred grove of Olympian Zeus, hence the region’s practice of coitus interruptus (and occasionally
name, Olympia. The victor was presented with a any other form of birth control) or masturbation.
garland of wild olive branches taken from a sacred The minister muttered something dark about the evils of
olive tree, and special privileges were confirmed onanism and excused himself hurriedly.
upon the winners and their families. The four-year
period between the ancient games was called an Onassis, Aristotle See aristotle onassis.
Olympiad, although this term is now taken to
mean the whole festival of the games themselves. on a wing and a prayer See comin’ in on a wing
The modern games are now the most important and a prayer.
event in the worldwide sporting calendar. Com-
petitors and especially medalists are often referred on cloud nine Deliriously happy. The phrase has
to as Olympians. Do you have to get up at five o’clock its origins in the descriptions given to cloud for-
in the morning to train? After all, it’s only a village fun mations by the U.S. Weather Bureau. Cloud nine
run, not the Olympic Games! See also marathon. refers to a towering form of cumulonimbus. “I
recognised it right away, and I was on Cloud Nine”
Olympus, Mount See olympian. (Sasha Stone, Kylie Minogue: The Superstar Next Door,
1989).
omega See alpha and omega.
on earth peace See goodwill to all men.
omphalos (omfblbs) A central point or source.
The word means “navel” in Greek and in ancient one jot or tittle See jot or tittle.
times was the name of the oval stone in the temple
of Apollo at Delphi that was supposed to mark the one little ewe lamb See ewe lamb.
center of the earth. As far as the professor was con-
cerned his desk was the omphalos of his world, the place one’s name is mud One’s reputation is in tatters.
where his ideas became crystal, or, on bad days, burned to This expression is said to allude to the assassina-
ashes. tion of abraham lincoln at Ford’s Theater in
Washington in April 14, 1865, specifically to Dr.
onanism (onbnizbm) Coitus interruptus; mas- Samuel Mudd of Bryantown, Maryland, who
turbation. The word originated through reference unwittingly set the broken leg of Lincoln’s assas-
to the biblical character Onan, who according to sin, actor John Wilkes Booth (see break a leg!),
Genesis 38:1–10 found himself expected to take thus enabling him to continue to evade capture.
his brother’s widow, Tamar, after the former died. When the identity of the doctor’s patient became
This was in observance of the ruling that a man known, Mudd himself was charged with being
347
one-two

involved in the assassination plot. Despite a lack of on the ropes Under pressure; up against it; on
any real evidence against him, Mudd was sen- the verge of defeat. The expression comes from
tenced to life imprisonment and (though he was boxing, in which a fighter pinned against the ropes
pardoned in 1869) ever since then his name has by his opponent is deemed to be losing the con-
been associated with loss of reputation. If they find test. “Even in the worst hours she never gave any
out what really happened to the food parcels, my name public impression that she was on the ropes” (Nor-
will be mud. man Fowler, Ministers Decide, 1991).

one-two A quick succession of blows, meta- on the shoulders of giants Profiting from the
phorical or otherwise. The allusion is to boxing, in knowledge, discoveries, and insights of illustrious
which the expression describes a combination of predecessors to make further progress, particu-
two quick punches, the first to the stomach and larly in relation to scholarship. This expression
the second to the jaw. The change in rosters gave the comes from the epic poem Pharsalia by the Roman
old one-two to his plans for the weekend. poet Lucan (a.d. 39–65): “Pygmies placed on the
shoulders of giants see more than the giants them-
only I am left See i only am left. selves.” Today the phrase is often associated with
the English scientist Sir Isaac Newton (1642–
on skid row Destitute; penniless. Skid row is a 1727), who quoted the line when praised for his
notional place where only the poorest people live, achievements. It must be remembered in this moment of
in thoroughly dilapidated and impoverished sur- triumph that this new young team has only gotten this
roundings. The name came originally from the far by climbing on the shoulders of giants.
lumber industry, in which newly felled timber is
sometimes slid down a row of logs, and in due 007 See james bond.
course it came to be applied to the run-down parts
of town in which loggers lived. After years of squan- open sesame (sesbmee) A supposedly magical
dering the fortune he had inherited from his parents he formula to open something or achieve a desired
finally found himself on skid row. end. The words appear in the arabian nights,
being the charm that is spoken by the poor wood-
on the ball Alert; wide awake.The phrase comes cutter Ali Baba to open the door of a secret cave
from baseball, in which it refers to the applica- in the tale of “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.”
tion by the pitcher of spin or added speed to a Having gained access to the cave and the riches
ball. “It certainly keeps the teacher on the ball hidden within, and having put to death the 40
when the pupils are not prepared to accept thieves with the help of the slave girl Morgiana,
everything you say or do without questioning” Ali Baba is assured of a comfortable future as a
(David Pimm, Mathematics, Teachers and Children, wealthy man. “ ‘Open sesame,’ she said, slipping
1988). into the car” ( Jack Yeovil, Krokodil Tears, 1990).

on the horns of a dilemma See horns of a opera’s not over till the fat lady sings, the The
dilemma. eventual outcome of something is not certain until
348
 oread

the very end. A favorite expression of sports com- to keep the minds of the proletariat addled” (Fay
mentators with relation to a wide variety of games Weldon, Darcy’s Utopia, 1991).
and contests in which a last-minute breakthrough
may easily change the final result, it appears to oracle A source of authoritative information,
have been first used in a sporting context by U.S. especially about the future. The concept of the
sports commentator Dan Cook in 1978. Its ulti- oracle goes back to classical mythology and to
mate origins are usually traced to the appearance the celebrated oracles at Delphi, Dodona, Oym-
of a typically sturdily-built diva to sing the final pia, and elsewhere. These shrines were consulted
aria in Wagner’s opera Die Walküre or similar by pilgrims over the course of many centuries in
works. It looks like nothing can stop the Giants win- the hope of receiving revelations from the gods
ning the title this year, though we must remember the about the future, usually delivered through the
opera’s not over till the fat lady sings. priestesses who attended these sites. The advice
offered was typically obscure in content and
Ophelia (ofeeleeb) Archetype of a tragic, trust- capable of being interpreted in several different
ing young woman. Ophelia, the daughter of polo- ways. Today the term oracle is variously applied
nius, is the lover of the Danish prince hamlet in to places, people, and branches of the media.
William Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet (c. 1600). Those who succeed against the odds in influenc-
After Hamlet kills her father, Ophelia slips into ing the future in their favor, meanwhile, are
madness, hastened by Hamlet’s apparent rejection people who work the oracle. The man frowned
of her, and eventually drowns in a river while gath- and turned to consult the oracle, his wife. See also
ering flowers. They found her sister in the lake, drift- delphic.
ing among the lilies like the drowned Ophelia.
orc (ork) An uncivilized, barbaric brute. The
Ophir See gold of ophir. orcs are the ugly, savage creatures that are
unleashed in huge armies by the evil wizard Sau-
opiate of the people (opeebt) Religion. Reli- ron in J. R. R. Tolkien’s fantasy novel The Lord of
gious belief was thus described, albeit in the form the Rings (1954–55). Tolkien was not, however, the
opium of the people, by the German political phi- first writer to describe monstrous creatures called
losopher Karl Marx (1818–83) in his Critique of the orcs: Michael Drayton (1563–1631) gave the
Hegelian Philosophy of Right (1843–44): “Religion is name to a fearsome sea monster capable of con-
the sigh of suppressed creatures, the feeling of the suming men, while John Milton wrote of “seals,
heartless world, just as it is the spirit of unspiritual orcs, and sea-mews” in his Paradise Lost (1667).
conditions. It is the opium of the people.” The Rugby forwards resemble orcs in their muscle-bound phy-
underlying notion is that religion serves to sup- siques and aggressive determination to wreak havoc on
press the natural fears and desires of the common their opponents.
people. “The new opiate of the people, she jeered;
now that religion had failed,TV had taken its place: order of Melchizedek See melchizedek.
the gods and goddesses of the new world were the
stars and staresses of soap: the bosses’ latest plot oread See nymph.
349
original sin

original sin A state of sin considered to be the tered toward other women, and ultimately he met
innate condition of the whole human race since his own end when he was torn to pieces by the
the fall of Adam. In modern usage the phrase is women of Thrace in a Bacchanalian frenzy after he
sometimes used more loosely and may refer to a offended them. His skill as a musician is still
range of either fundamental or relatively trivial remembered, and the adjective orphean denotes
failings. “ ‘Some people are naturally good, you anything melodious or enchanting. After the concert
know, and others are not. I’m one of the others. the critics hailed him as a veritable Orpheus.
Mrs. Lynde says I’m full of original sin.’ ” (Lucy
Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables, 1908). Orwellian (orweleebn) Of or relating to the
works of British novelist George Orwell (1903–
Orion (brion) A constellation of stars near Canis 50) or reminiscent of the nightmarish future he
Major. Supposedly resembling the figure of a giant depicted in such novels as animal farm (1945)
with a belt of three stars representing a sword, a and Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949). Originally named
lion’s skin, and a club, it takes its name from that Eric Blair, the author called himself Orwell after
of a Boeotian giant who was renowned as a hunter the River Orwell in Suffolk, where he lived at one
and according to Greek legend was raised to the time. “The cult of sport sometimes seems to take
stars after his death (in some accounts, slain by the on the quality of an Orwellian nightmare” (Rich-
goddess Artemis). The alcohol had gone straight to ard Holt, Sport and the British, 1989). See also big
her head, and she had to lie down in the grass, gazing up brother; doublethink; newspeak; room 101;
with bewilderment at distant Orion. thought police.

Orphan Annie See little orphan annie. ostracism The practice of deliberately excluding
someone from a par ticular group, society, etc.,
Orpheus (orfeebs) An archetype of a master after he or she has committed a perceived offense
musician. Orpheus, the son of Apollo and Calli- of some kind. The word has its origins in the cus-
ope, was a Thracian lyre player who was instructed toms of the ancient Greeks. In order to protect
in music by the Muses and became so fine a musi- their democratic system from tyrants it was pos-
cian he could enchant wild beasts and even rocks sible once a year for Greek citizens to name the
and trees with his playing. He sailed with the one person they wished to see exiled from Athens
Argonauts but faced his sternest test when he for being too powerful or ambitious. The “ballots”
attempted to retrieve his wife, Eurydice, from were written on shards of broken pottery (in
the underworld after she died from a snakebite. Greek, ostrakon) and then counted. The person
Having played his lyre to Hades, it was agreed that with the most votes was obliged to go into exile
he could have Eurydice providing he did not look for at least 10 years. The custom fell into disuse
back to see her as they returned to the world after 417 b.c., when two mistrusted politicians,
above. Unfortunately Orpheus could not resist the Alcibiades and Nicias, combined to avoid being
temptation to see if this wife was following him, ostracized and instead secured the ostracism of
and Eurydice was promptly returned to the their harshest critic, Hyperbolus. Persons thus
underworld. Grief at this loss left Orpheus embit- exiled were not considered disgraced, but the
350
 out-Herod Herod

word in its modern usage necessarily casts a pall encouragement. In modern usage, with its inevi-
of shame over the person concerned. “He said table suggestion of melodrama, the line is usually
to himself that she was too light and childish, too quoted in a humorous or mocking tone, or in such
uncultivated and unreasoning, too provincial, to everyday contexts as the cleaning of clothes. “Out,
have reflected upon her ostracism, or even to have damned spot!” he roared as he held the door open for the
perceived it” (Henry James, Daisy Miller, 1879). dog to go out.

Othello (othelo) Archetype of a jealous lover. outer darkness The most distant darkness, as a
The central character in William Shakespeare’s judgment for those who reject the light of God’s
tragedy Othello (c. 1603), Othello the Moor truth. The phrase is biblical in origin, appearing in
becomes convinced (falsely) of his wife desdemo- Matthew 8:12 in the words of Christ himself: “But
na’s infidelity and kills her before realizing his the children of the kingdom shall be cast into outer
mistake and committing suicide. Jealousy turned darkness.” (See also Matthew 22:13 and 25:30.)
him from a meek little rabbit into a raging Othello. See “. . . and the Chief priest of Corporate Affairs
also iago. demanded of the Lord High Editor that the poor
scribe who inhabiteth the back page be cast into
OTT See go over the top. the outer darkness” (Alan Williams, Modern Rail-
ways, May 2001). See also weeping and gnashing
our daily bread See daily bread. of teeth.

Our Father See paternoster. Outer Mongolia (mongoleeb) A very remote

place. The use of the term was undoubtedly sug-
ours not to reason why It is not up to us to ques- gested by the remoteness and inaccessibility of
tion our orders, but just to obey them. This weary Outer Mongolia, which is situated between Russia
acceptance of the authority of others has its roots and China. When they posted her boyfriend to the off-
in a quotation from Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s poem shore oil rig, they might as well have sent him to Outer
“The Charge of the Light Brigade”: “Theirs not to Mongolia, for there was absolutely no way she could get
make reply, / Theirs not to reason why, / Theirs to him.
but to do and die.” Personally I think it’s a mad deci-
sion, but ours not to reason why. See also charge of out for the count See down for the count.
the light brigade.
out-Herod Herod (herbd) To outmatch someone
out, damned spot! An expression of remorse at in something, especially in cruelty. The allusion is
some past misdeed that refuses to be forgotten. to Herod the Great (c. 37–4 b.c.), the ruler of
The exclamation is a quotation from William Judaea who ordered all the male infants of Bethle-
Shakespeare’s tragedy macbeth (1606), in which hem put to death in an attempt to secure the death
it is delivered by lady macbeth as she tries to of the newly born Christ (Matthew 2:16–18). It
clean her hands of the (imaginary) blood of King was William Shakespeare, in his play Hamlet
Duncan, murdered by her husband with her (c. 1600), who first employed the phrase: “I would
351
out of left field

have such a fellow whipped for o’erdoing Terma- sucklings hath thou ordained strength” and at Mat-
gant: it out-herods Herod: pray you, avoid it.” It thew 21:16 as “Yea; have ye never read, Out of the
sometimes occurs with another name in place of mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected
Herod (see timon). “James’ wish to learn as many praise?” The fuller version of the phrase is usually
languages as possible may well have been fired by given as out of the mouths of babes and suck-
the desire to out-Leyden Leyden” (K. M. Elisabeth lings come great truths. A variant runs from the
Murray, Caught in the Web of Words, 1979). mouths of babes come words of wisdom. “There
was something fantastic to him in this sudden phi-
out of left field Coming from an unexpected, losophising by one whom he had watched grow up
unlikely quarter or direction. The allusion is to from a tiny thing. Out of the mouths of babes
baseball, the left field being the area to the left of and sucklings—sometimes!” ( John Galsworthy,
the outfield beyond third base. His next suggestion The Forsyte Saga, 1922).
for the way forward really came out of left field, some-
thing we had never even considered before. out of the strong came forth sweetness Sweet
and gentle things can come from the unlikeliest
out of the abundance of the heart the mouth sources. The allusion is to the riddle posed by
speaks People cannot resist talking about the Samson and related at Judges 14:5–10. Having
things that most preoccupy them. The proverb has killed a lion with his own hands and subsequently
biblical origins, appearing at Matthew 12:34: “O seeing a swarm of bees in the carcass, Samson
generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak challenged the Philistine guests at a wedding feast
good things? for out of the abundance of the heart to solve the riddle implicit in the statement “Out
the mouth speaketh.” Also encountered in the vari- of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong
ant form. came forth sweetness” (Judges 14:14). The solu-
tion (given to the Philistines by Samson’s wife) lies
out of the ark See ark. in the eater being the lion and the sweetness being
the honey produced by the bees. It was a surprise
out of the eater came forth meat See out of the when the author of this tender love poem turned out to be
strong came forth sweetness. the grizzled old cowboy in the corner, but then out of the
strong came forth sweetness.
out of the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.
She guessed her mother had promised not to say any- out-Timon Timon See timon.
thing, but out of the fullness of the heart the mouth
speaks. over the top See go over the top.

out of the mouths of babes and sucklings Chil- oxen of Geryon See labors of hercules.
dren often recognize—and voice—truths that
older, more experienced people do not perceive. O ye of little faithExpression of lamentation at
The proverb is biblical in origin, appearing at another’s lack of confidence in something, espe-
Psalm 8:2 as “Out of the mouth of babes and cially when his or her doubts have been proved
352
 Ozymandian

groundless.The phrase is biblical in origin, appear- Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792–1822) gave the name
ing in Matthew 6:30, which reads: “Wherefore, if Ozymandias to an imaginary ancient king, whom
God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day he identified as the subject of a huge statue in the
is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he desert reduced over the years to a mere fragment:
not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?” “My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: / Look
You didn’t think we would get here on time, did you, on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!” The statue
O ye of little faith. in question, at Thebes, actually depicted the Egyp-
tian pharaoh Ramses II (1304–1237 b.c.). The
Oz See wizard of oz. adjective Ozymandian has thus come to refer to
any ambitious but inevitably futile flaunting of
Ozymandian (ozeemandeebn) Grandiose but earthly power or other display of vanity. His pride
ultimately devoid of any real, lasting significance. in his children’s trifling achievements was positively
In his 1818 poem “Ozymandias” the English poet Ozymandian.

353
å P ååååå
paean (peebn) A song or other expression of or writing out price tags or performing the end-
praise. The original paeans were composed in less task of polishing the woodwork of counter
honor of the Greek god Apollo, whose alternative and drawers, a Forth Bridge of polishing that was
titles included Paian, a name denoting his status as no sooner completed than the messy fingers of
physician to the gods. Other words from the same small customers meant it must be started again”
root include the flower name peony, the blooms of (Angela Carter, The Magic Toyshop, 1993).
which were formerly prized for their medicinal
properties. “This quickly took us out of range of painting the Sistine Chapel (sisteen) Undertak-
Red-Eye, and the last we saw of him was far out on ing a demanding and seemingly endless task, espe-
a point of land, where he was jumping up and cially one of a creative nature. The allusion is to
down and chanting a paean of victory” ( Jack Lon- the painting of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel at
don, Before Adam, 1907). the Vatican in Rome by the great Italian Renais-
sance artist michelangelo (1475–1564). This
Paine, Tom See tom paine. masterpiece of Western art famously took
Michelangelo years to complete, to the exaspera-
painted Jezebel See jezebel. tion of Pope Julius II (1443–1513), who had com-
missioned the work. You’d think she was painting the
painting the Forth Bridge Undertaking an appar- Sistine Chapel the way she moans about decorating her
ently never-ending task. The cantilevered railway house.
bridge over the Firth of Forth in southeast Scot-
land was built in 1890 and according to legend paint the town red To celebrate with gusto. The
takes four years to paint, at which point it is neces- phrase is said to allude to a memorable night of
sary to begin painting all over again from the roistering in the town of Waterford, Ireland, on
beginning. In fact, this is not (and probably never April 5, 1837, during the course of which the
has been) true of the Forth Bridge, although it is marquis of Waterford and his friends made liberal
true that it has a permanent maintenance staff. use of pots of red paint. Alternative origins include
The paint used on the bridge today needs reapply- references to the red-light district of certain towns
ing every ten years. “After Melanie shopped, she or to the convivial gatherings of huntsmen in the
helped her aunt, either serving in their own shop English town of Melton Mowbray. “By the time
354
 palladium

they were ready to leave she was having to use alleged proofs of the ingenuity of Palamedes
every ounce of effort to convince André that no, included his invention of four letters of the Greek
she didn’t want to paint the town red, or any other alphabet as well as of the lighthouse, scales, mea-
colour, for that matter, and no, she didn’t want to sures, discus, and dice. Even as a research student he
have any candlelit dinners with him” (Cathy Wil- established a reputation of being quite a Palamedes.
liams, A French Encounter, 1992).
pale, beyond the See beyond the pale.
palace guard See praetorian guard.
Palinurus (palinoorbs) A pilot, especially one
paladin (palbdin) A defender or champion of a who is careless or irresponsible. In Roman myth
par ticular cause. The original paladins were the 12 and Virgil’s Aeneid, Palinurus served as helmsman
legendary heroes who fought for the emperor under Aeneas but was washed overboard after he
charlemagne (742–814), ruler of the Franks fell asleep and was murdered when he reached
and Holy Roman Emperor. They represented the land three days later. Like Palinurus, our pilot was
highest ideals of chivalry and were prepared to more concerned with his own comfort than he seemed to
die in the struggle against wrong. “Edricson and be with the safety of the vessel.
Terlake rode behind him in little better case,
while Ford, a careless and light-hearted youth, Pal Joey A calculating, worldly-wise opportun-
grinned at the melancholy of his companions, and ist. The allusion is to the central character of the
flourished his lord’s heavy spear, making a point book Pal Joey (1940) by the U.S. writer John
to right and a point to left, as though he were a O’Hara (1905–70); the character was brought to
paladin contending against a host of assailants” life in the 1940 Rodgers and Hart musical of the
(Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The White Company, same title based on the book. The 1957 film ver-
1891). See also roland. sion starred Frank Sinatra in the title role. He had
all the cynicism of Pal Joey.
Palamedes (palbmeedeez) An ingenious person.
According to Greek legend Palamedes was a Greek palladium (pblaydeebm) A safeguard; something
commander who persuaded the reluctant odys- that gives protection. The original Palladium was a
seus to join the campaign against Troy. Odysseus wooden statue of Pallas Athena supposedly thrown
had feigned madness in order to excuse himself out of heaven by Zeus and retrieved by the Tro-
from going, demonstrating his insanity by yoking jans. Tradition had it that the safety of Troy
an ox and a horse to his plow and using them to depended on the protection of this statue. It was
plow the sand with salt. Palamedes cleverly tricked eventually stolen by Odysseus and Diomedes, and
him into betraying his true state of mind by plac- the city fell to the Greeks. In modern usage the
ing Odysseus’s son, Telemachus, in the path of the term is typically applied to freedom of speech or
plow, obliging Odysseus to change course and thus something else that is considered a guarantee of
reveal his mastery of his senses. Odysseus eventu- the safety of a country or constitution. This measure
ally got his revenge by framing Palamedes for will act to some degree as a palladium against further
treachery and having him stoned to death. Other encroachments.
355
Palooka, Joe

Palooka, Joe See joe palooka. staff ” (Kazuo Ishiguro, The Remains of the Day,
1989).
Pan (pan) Personification of disorder and licen-
tiousness. According to Greek mythology, Pan was Pandora’s box (pandorbz) A source of manifold
a nature god who protected flocks and the shep- unforeseen difficulties that once released are hard
herds who tended them but who also enjoyed tor- to bring back under control. The phrase alludes
menting wanderers in the forests and woods where to Greek mythology and the legend of the beauti-
he roamed (see panic). He was usually depicted ful Pandora, the first woman, and the box or jar
with horns and goats’ feet, attributes that were sub- she possessed containing all the problems that if
sequently passed on to the devil of Christian lore. unleashed would lead to the downfall of humanity.
“Of the rushing couples there could barely be dis- She was instructed to entrust this box to the man
cerned more than the high lights—the indistinct- she married. One legend has it that Pandora
ness shaping them to satyrs clasping nymphs—a (whose name means “all gifts”) opened the box
multiplicity of Pans whirling a multiplicity of Syr- out of curiosity to see what was inside, while
inxes” (Thomas Hardy, Tess of the D’Urbervilles, another has her eventual husband, Epimetheus,
1891). See also panpipes. opening it against her advice. In either event the
box was opened, and the human race has since
Pan, Peter See peter pan. been beset by a multiplicity of sorrows and prob-
lems. Only hope remained within. “We unlock the
panacea (panbseeb) A universal remedy or cure. genetic code and open a Pandora’s box of ethics”
The word alludes to Panacea, the daughter of Aes- (Philip Yancey, Reaching for the Invisible God, 2000).
culapius, the Greek god of medicine and healing.
“This was a relief to Mrs. Peniston, who could give panem et circenses See bread and circuses.
herself up to her own symptoms, and Lily was
advised to go and lie down, her aunt’s panacea for Panglossian (pangloseebn) Unrealistically opti-
all physical and moral disorders” (Edith Wharton, mistic. The word is an allusion to the fictitious
The House of Mirth, 1905). Dr. Pangloss in Voltaire’s candide (1759), in
which he is depicted as a pedantic old tutor who
pandemonium (pandbmoneebm) Uproar; stubbornly believes, despite all evidence to the
tumult; confusion. The origin of this word appears contrary, that all is for the best in this best of
to be Greek, in which it would mean “all the all possible worlds. The old man’s Panglossian
demons,” but it was in fact invented by the English optimism in the face of repeated setbacks and disasters
poet John Milton (1608–74) in Paradise Lost (1667), grew to be infuriating. See also best of all possible
in which it is identified as the capital city in hell: worlds, the.
“The rest were all / Far to the inland retired, about
the walls / Of Pandemonium, city and proud seat / panic A feeling of terror, anxiety, and confusion.
Of Lucifer.” “On descending, I found the kitchen The word is Greek in origin, referring to the god
on the brink of pandemonium, and in general, an pan, the lecherous god of forests and shepherds
extremely tense atmosphere amongst all levels of who was notorious for playing tricks on travelers
356
 Paolo and Francesca

in valleys and mountains, typically by springing demi-gods in your Pantheon—I mean those leg-
out on them unexpectedly or by making menacing endary persons you call saints—intercede for
noises in the undergrowth. Any sensation of fear you after this?” (Thomas Hardy, Jude the Obscure,
welling up for no apparent reason came to be 1895).
dubbed panikos, hence the modern word, which
completed its journey to English via the French pantisocracy (pantisokrasee) An ideal, commu-
panique around the early 18th century. Panic spread nistic society. The word, derived from the Greek
quickly through the crowd as news of the executions “all of equal power,” was devised around 1794 by
passed from one person to another. the English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772–
1834) as the name of the perfect society he and
Panoptes See argus. fellow poet Robert Southey and others planned to
found on the banks of the Susquehannah River in
panpipes A musical wind instrument consisting New England. Lack of funds meant that the envis-
of various reeds of different lengths bound together. aged community never came into being. Idealists in
It was named after the Greek nature god Pan, who the party envisaged a pantisocracy where decisions were
is supposed to have devised the instrument. The made directly by the electorate.
legend goes that Pan pursued the nymph Syrinx,
but she escaped from him by hiding in the earth Panza, Sancho See don quixote.
and being turned into reeds, from which the
thwarted Pan made his set of pipes. Panpipes may panzer (panzer) A tank, especially one belong-
also be known as pipes of Pan or as a syrinx. He ing to a highly mobile tactical unit. The original
sat on the ground blowing softly into a set of panpipes panzers were the tanks of the German armored
and eyeing her quizzically. divisions—the Panzerdivisionen—that spearheaded
the Nazi invasion of western Europe and Russia
Pantagruel See rabelaisian. during World War II. The German word panzer
means simply “armor.” Although primarily associ-
pantheon (pantheeon, pantheebn) A group of ated with the tanks of Nazi Germany, the term is
distinguished or revered individuals. In ancient occasionally applied to tanks generally. We told the
Greece and Rome the Pantheon (from the Greek Russians in no uncertain terms to get their panzers off
meaning “all of the gods”) was a temple dedicated our lawn.
to the gods collectively. The famous pantheon in
Rome was built by the emperor Hadrian in the Paolo and Francesca (powlo, francheskb) Arche-
second century a.d., incorporating an older struc- type of a pair of tragic lovers. The story of Paolo
ture built by Agrippa in 27 b.c., and became a and Francesca, which featured in Dante’s Inferno,
Christian church in 609. In due course the term described how Francesca da Rimini married
came to be applied to all the gods collectively Giovanni Malatesta but then fell in love with
of any religion and thus to any group of outstand- Giovanni’s brother Paolo, with the result that the
ing individuals, especially to national heroes and lovers were both executed in 1289. Like Paolo and
memorials built in their honor. “How will the Francesca, everything went wrong when she fell for his
357
paparazzi

brother—only it wasn’t his brother, it was his sister. See worshiped. A Paphian by trade, she became a popular
also pelléas and mélisande. figure in high society, though heartily disliked by other
women.
paparazzi (papbratsee) Press photographers
who pursue celebrities to take their photographs. parable of the sower Story illustrating the point
The singular form of the word, used less fre- that there are various responses to God’s word.
quently, is an allusion to a photographer called The parable is related in Mark 4:3–9: “Hearken;
Paparazzo in the 1960 movie la dolce vita Behold, there went out a sower to sow; And it
directed by Federico Fellini (1920–93). The came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way
name came ultimately from Sulle rive dello Ionio side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it
(1957), Margherita Gandacci’s translation of up. And some fell on stony ground, where it had
George Gissing’s travel book By the Ionian Sea not much earth; and immediately it sprang up,
(1901), in which it was borne by an Italian hotel because it had no depth of earth: But when the sun
owner who took exception to his guests dining at was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root,
other establishments. “They have been spied on it withered away. And some fell among thorns, and
by the paparazzi, betrayed by trusted servants, the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no
embarrassed by indiscreet friends, and have had fruit. And other fell on good ground, and did
to endure a constant torrent of innuendo, gossip, yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought
lies and half-truths in newspapers, magazines and forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an
books—none of which are they able to repudi- hundred. And he said unto them, He that hath ears
ate” (Penny Junor, Charles and Diana, 1991). to hear, let him hear.” Jesus explains the parable in
verses 13–20. Perhaps a better name would be the
paper tiger Something that appears much more parable of the soils:The same seed is sown in differ-
formidable or impressive than it is actually revealed ent soils. Some seed falls by the wayside, analo-
to be. The phrase was first heard in the 1940s, gous to the word immediately being taken away by
when it was used (as zhi laohǔ in the original Chi- Satan. Some seed falls on stony ground and so
nese) by the Chinese leader Mao Zedong, talking does not take root, like those who receive the
about the United States: “The atom bomb is a word gladly but quickly fall away when times
paper tiger which the United States reactionaries become difficult. Other seed falls among thorns,
use to scare people. It looks terrible, but in fact it which choke the growth of the plants, much like
isn’t . . . All reactionaries are paper tigers.” “Is it those for whom “the cares of this world, and the
only a paper tiger, or does it really have teeth?” deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other
(H. McVea, Financial Conglomerates and the Chinese things” (verse 19) come in and kill off the growth.
Wall, 1993). But in the final case seed falls on good ground
where people hear and receive the word and are
Paphian (payfeebn) A prostitute. The word greatly fruitful and productive. The story graphically
originally meant “relating to Venus” and came about illustrated the truth behind the biblical parable of the
as an allusion to the city of Paphos on Cyprus, sower. See also fall by the wayside; fall on stony
where Venus, the Roman goddess of love, was ground.
358
 paradise lost

parable of the talents Story emphasizing the the Bible in Matthew 25:1–13, describes the wed-
belief that all people will be judged at the Last ding custom of the day. The bridegroom went in
Judgment according to the life each has led. The the evening to the bride’s home to collect her, fol-
parable is related by Christ in Matthew 25:14–30, lowed by a procession to his home, lit by torch-
which compares the behavior of three servants bearing friends. In the story, the bridegroom was
after their master entrusts to each a sum of money. late and the torchbearers, all virgins, fell asleep.
(A talent was originally a measure of weight and When the groom arrived, five foolish virgins did
later a unit of coinage.) Two of the men invest the not have enough oil to relight their lamps and
money sensibly, earning a considerable amount of went to buy more, later being refused entry to the
interest, while the third hides the money in the celebrations. Five wise virgins were prepared,
ground and returns no more than the sum that was however: They had brought extra oil. Jesus
entrusted to him in the first place. On his return explained that people should be alert and ready
the master congratulates the two who have used for him when he returns at the end of the age.
the money wisely and rebukes the third for doing “. . . a little food, enough to keep us for three or
nothing with it, the moral being that God-given four days if necessary, together with some matches
opportunities and talents should be faithfully used. and a good supply of oil, since, as Bastin put it, he
Then began the usual secular imitation of the parable of was determined not to be caught like the foolish
the talents with each of the candidates being questioned virgins in the parable” (H. Rider Haggard, When
in detail about their previous employment history. the World Shook, 1919).

parable of the wheat and tares Story illustrating paradise Heaven or any idyllic place or condi-
the point that God allows good and evil to coexist. tion in which a person’s desires or aspirations are
The parable is related in Matthew 13:25–30 and fully realized. The word comes from the Greek
13:36–43, where workers are told not to remove paradeisos, meaning “garden” or “park,” and appears
tares, or weeds, sown by the enemy. Jesus explains in the Old Testament in descriptions of the gar-
that the field is the world and the wheat, or “good den of eden (Genesis 2:8) and in the New Testa-
seeds,” are the children of the kingdom.The enemy ment as a synonym for the Christian heaven (Luke
is the devil, and the weeds are the children of the 23:43; 2 Corinthians 12:4; and Revelation 2:7).
evil one. This parable illustrates the point that God The new mall is a paradise for shoppers.
allows good and evil to coexist, although eventu-
ally justice will be done and evil will be destroyed. paradise lost A state or place of innocence, per-
“ ‘I hope there will be more wheat and fewer tares fection, or happiness that has been irretrievably
every year,’ said Amy softly” (Louisa May Alcott, lost or is no longer attainable. The phrase is usu-
Little Women, 1868–69). ally associated with the epic poem Paradise Lost
(1667) by the English poet John Milton (1608–
parable of the wise and foolish virgins Story 74), in which he describes the fall of man and
illustrating the difference between those who are the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the garden
farsighted and prepared and those who are improv- of eden. Milton’s version of paradise owed much
ident and unprepared. This parable, recorded in to the earlier epic La Semaine (“The First Week of
359
Parcae

Creation”) by Guillaume de Salluste du Bartas Paris is well worth a mass (paris) Principles
(1544–90), who in turn borrowed from The Cre- should be sacrificed where the reward is great
ation, The Fall, and The Expulsion from Paradise by St. enough. This cynical observation was first voiced
Avitus (d. 523). Milton’s epic had a sequel, Paradise by Henri of Navarre (1553–1610), who was des-
Regained (1671), but this phrase has not entered tined to rule France as Henri IV. During his strug-
the language to the extent that “paradise lost” has. gle to gain the French throne, Henri demonstrated
In the great man’s autobiography, he tended to view the a willingness to abandon religious allegiance for
world of his youth as a paradise lost. the sake of expediency on more than one occa-
sion, switching from Protestantism to Catholicism
Parcae See fates. in 1572, then recanting, and finally, after a long
siege of Paris, declaring himself a Catholic once
pariah (pbrib) A person, nation, organization, again in order to be allowed into the city unop-
etc., that is shunned by other people and consid- posed to claim the crown of all France. As king, he
ered outside decent society. The allusion is to the introduced the Edict of Nantes, which guaranteed
Pariahs, one of the lowest of Hindu castes, from freedom of worship, only to be assassinated by a
southern India. The word itself means “drummer” Catholic priest in 1610. Winston Churchill was not
in Tamil, a reference to the fact that Pariahs often the only politician to change sides, excusing himself with
beat the drums at Hindu festivals. It was the Euro- the thought that “Paris is well worth a mass.”
peans who extended the term to encompass peo-
ple who belonged to no caste at all and thus all Park Avenue A street that is lined with the
outcasts. “Of course architects are human and it homes of the very rich. Park Avenue in Manhattan
must be seen that such an approach is liable to is lined with the homes of some of the wealthiest
make the architect a pariah figure, unbeloved of families in the United States. She was evidently
the society in which his creations are set” (Stewart impressed by his elegant suit and his Park Avenue chic.
Lamont, In Good Faith, 1989).
Parkinson’s Law The proposition that “work
Paris (paris) Archetype of a beautiful young expands so as to fill the time available for its com-
man. Paris, the second son of King Priam of Troy, pletion.” One of the most familiar of all the tenets
played a pivotal role in bringing about the Trojan of business life, it was first suggested by the British
War by carrying off Helen, the wife of Menelaus, writer and historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson
and thus causing the Greeks to lay siege to the city. (1909–93) in his satirical book Parkinson’s Law
When Troy finally fell, Paris was wounded by (1958), which explored the various ways in which
Philoctetes, who returned him to his wife, Oenone. the “law” applied: “The rise in the total of those
She refused to heal Paris’s grievous wound, so he employed is governed by Parkinson’s Law and
returned to Troy, where he died before a repentant would be much the same whether the volume of
Oenone could reach him. Overcome with grief, work was to increase, diminish or even disappear.”
Oenone hanged herself. The general’s son was as If you ever need proof of the reality of Parkinson’s Law,
beautiful as Paris and as cantankerous as Donald Duck. just watch a road-mending team at work on overtime.
See also judgment of paris. See also peter principle.
360
 paternoster

Parks, Rosa See rosa parks. phrase (which literally means “step for two” in
French) refers to a dance or sequence of steps for
Parnassian (pahrnaseebn) Of or relating to two performers, usually a male and female dancer.
literature, especially poetry. The term alludes to As the elections approached the two sides performed a
Mount Parnassus, the mountain in central pas de deux in the polls, first one party gaining the lead
Greece that was held sacred to Apollo and the by a few points, then the other.
muses, who inspired artistic and creative enter-
prise. The term came to be particularly associated pass all understanding To be difficult to under-
with a school of French poets, headed by Charles- stand. The phrase is a quotation from Philippians
Marie-René Leconte de Lisle, that flourished 4:7: “And the peace of God, which passeth all
toward the end of the 19th century. The phrase to understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds
climb Parnassus means to write poetry. “Such a through Christ Jesus.” The professor’s explanation of
concert of treble voices uttering accents like these the theory of relativity passed all understanding, and we
had not been heard since the great Temperance understood little more about the subject when he had
Festival with the celebrated ‘colation’ in the open finished than we did when we came in.
air under the trees of the Parnassian Grove,—as
the place was christened by the young ladies of the pass by on the other side See good samaritan.
Institute” (Oliver Wendell Holmes, Elsie Venner,
1861). Passchendaele (pashbndayl) A battle in which
the slaughter is on an appalling scale. The village of
Parthian shot (pahrtheebn) A parting shot; a Passchendaele in western Belgium became, from
final hostile remark, glance, or gesture made on July to November 1917, the scene of some of the
departure. The expression alludes to the practice bitterest fighting on the western front during
of Parthian archers, who carried on firing arrows World War I. Soldiers involved in the fighting had
behind them even as they retreated. The Parthians to endure life and death in a morass of mud; at the
were a nomadic Persian race. They developed the end of the battle (also known as the Third Battle of
tactic of avoiding a direct confrontation when ypres) the British, Canadians, and Australians had
outnumbered, instead relying on their skill as lost over 350,000 men, while the Germans had
mounted archers to make an impression on their lost a similar number. The battle was bloody but in the
enemy. As he left he could not resist firing one last Par- final analysis it was no Passchendaele. See also flan-
thian shot at his rival in the form of a taunt about the ders; somme, the.
latter’s sense of humor.
paternoster A set form of words recited as a
parting of the Red Sea See crossing of the red prayer or charm. The word comes from the Latin
sea. pater noster (meaning “Our Father”), the opening
words of the Lord’s Prayer and an alternate name
pas de deux (pa db doo) A relationship in which for the recitation, which appears in Matthew 6:9
the acts of two individuals or parties are intricately and Luke 11:2. She recited the rhyme every morning, a
connected. The allusion is to ballet, in which the personal paternoster of her own invention.
361
paths of glory

paths of glory The route to greatness. This is a American West, described as a gargantuan lum-
quotation from Elegy Written in a Country Church- berjack whose strength and appetite inspired
yard (1751) by the British poet Thomas Gray numerous myths that were swapped at the fire-
(1716–71), in which the author contemplates the sides of the lumber camps of the northwestern
lives of the people buried in a country churchyard United States. Among other things, he was said to
and the ultimate futility of the pursuit of glory. It have created the Grand Canyon by dragging his
later became doubly familiar as the title of a Hum- pick behind him, and to have kept as his compan-
phrey Cobb novel dwelling on the terrible nature ion a gigantic blue ox called Babe. The team’s attack
of war, which was made into the acclaimed 1957 was spearheaded by three Paul Bunyans who were as wide
movie Paths of Glory, directed by Stanley Kubrick as they were tall.
and starring Kirk Douglas. Those who follow the
paths of glory should remember that there is little glory Paul Revere (rbveer) A patriot who brings a
in the grave. timely warning. Paul Revere (1735–1818) was
an American silversmith and patriot who was
patience of Job ( job) Endless patience in the present at the Boston Tea Party of 1773. On
face of great difficulty or suffering. Job’s patience April 18, 1775, on the outbreak of the American
despite the manifold disasters that God inflicted Revolution, he undertook a celebrated night
on him in order to test his faith (as related in the ride from Boston to Lexington to warn the
book of Job) is proverbial and is referred to in American troops there that the British were
James 5:11. These threads are so tangled that whoever coming. Because of Revere’s warning, the Amer-
unravels them will need the patience of Job. ican forces had time to prepare to defend them-
selves against the British assault at the Battle of
Patient Griselda See griselda. Lexington. Revere’s ride was later immortalized
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in his poem
patrician Aristocratic; fatherly. The word comes “Paul Revere’s Ride” (1861). He rode that bike
from the Latin patres, meaning “fathers,” a title home faster than Paul Revere galloping from Boston
reserved for the senators of Rome and their fami- to Lexington.
lies to distinguish them from the more humble
populace (see plebeian). “Sir Leicester receives pavlova (pavlovb) A dessert comprising a
the gout as a troublesome demon, but still a demon meringue covered with fruit and whipped cream.
of the patrician order” (Charles Dickens, Bleak The dessert was named in honor of the celebrated
House, 1852–53). Russian-born ballerina Anna Matveyevna Pavlova
(1881–1931), who was admired for her lightness
Patroclus See achilles and patroclus. and grace of movement, during a tour she made of
Australia and New Zealand in 1926. The ruffles on
Paul See road to damascus. the edge of the meringue are traditionally sup-
posed to represent the tutu of a ballet dancer. We
Paul Bunyan (bunybn) A person of huge size finished with a pavlova that was as light and enchanting
and strength. Paul Bunyan was a folk hero of the as the ballerina after whom it was named.
362
 pearl of great price

Pavlovian (pavloveebn) Automatic; conditioned; choice of words was clearly influenced by the
reflex. The allusion is to the Russian physiologist versicle in Morning Prayer from the Church of
Ivan Petrovich Pavlov (1849–1936), whose obser- England’s Book of Common Prayer: “Give peace in our
vations of the reaction of hungry dogs trained to time, O Lord”—and Chamberlain’s words are
associate the sound of a bell with the arrival of almost invariably rendered as “peace in our time”
food led him to develop the theory of the condi- not “peace for our time.” The hollowness of the so-
tioned reflex. Such unthinking, knee-jerk reac- called Munich Agreement was quickly exposed,
tions in humans and animals have since been and within 12 months Britain was at war with Hit-
known as Pavlovian responses. Pavlov’s other ler’s Germany. If the union accept the proposal it could
work on digestion earned him a Nobel Prize in mean peace in our time. See also piece of paper.
1904. “The object of this sort of propaganda was
to produce a Pavlovian state of dumb obedience” peacemakers, blessed are the See beatitude.
(Mark Almond, The Rise and Fall of Nicolae and
Elena Ceausescu, 1992). peace of God which passeth all understanding
See pass all understanding.
pax (paks) Peace; truce. In Roman mythology
Pax was the goddess of peace, equivalent to the Pearl Harbor Epitome of a treacherous and cata-
Greek irene. She was often depicted by the Romans strophic surprise attack.The U.S. naval base at Pearl
holding an olive branch, a symbol of peace or rec- Harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, was the
onciliation still familiar today. The younger lad called unsuspecting target of a massed raid by Japanese
out “Pax,” and the fight came to an abrupt end. carrier-borne aircraft on Sunday, December 7,
1941. Many major U.S. warships were sunk or
peace for the wicked, no See no peace for the damaged during the raid, although the carriers the
wicked. Japanese had hoped to find there were at sea at the
time of the attack. The raid shocked U.S. public
peace, goodwill toward men See goodwill to opinion and was a key factor in bringing the United
all men. States into World War II. U.S. troops were subse-
quently reported going into battle shouting
peace in our time A guarantee of peace, espe- remember Pearl Harbor! and Pearl Harbor is still
cially a dubious one.The allusion is to British prime remembered as a prime example of a disastrous
minister Neville Chamberlain (1869–1940) and an setback. “It will take a second Pearl Harbor for the
address he gave to a large crowd in Downing Street Americans to realise how inefficient the NSA really
on his arrival back from Nazi Germany on Septem- is, just as it took the Falklands War of 1982 to reveal
ber 30, 1938, reassuring them about the peace the deficiencies at GCHQ” ( James Rusbridger, The
agreement he had just negotiated with Adolf hit- Intelligence Game, 1991). See also day of infamy.
ler in Munich: “My good friends, this is the second
time in our history that there has come back from pearl of great priceSomething of great value or
Germany to Downing Street peace with honor. I importance.The phrase is biblical in origin, appear-
believe it is peace for our time.” Chamberlain’s ing in Matthew 13:45–46 in one of Christ’s
363
pearls before swine

parables describing the value of spiritual riches: pedagogue (pedbgog) A teacher, especially one
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a mer- that is pedantic or dogmatic. In ancient Greece a
chant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he pedagogos (meaning “boy leader”) was a slave who
had found one pearl of great price, went and sold was required to accompany the children of his
all that he had, and bought it.” Government contracts master whenever they left their home. “Their chil-
are pearls of great price, and competition for them is dren from earliest childhood / Grew up together
usually intense. as brother and sister; and Father Felician / Priest
and pedagogue both in the village, had taught them
pearls before swine Something good or valuable their letters / Out of the selfsame book, with the
that is offered to or in the possession of a person hymns of the church and the plain-song” (Henry
who cannot appreciate it. The expression comes Longfellow, Evangeline, 1849).
from Matthew 7:6: “Give not that which is holy
unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before peel me a grape, Beulah See beulah, peel me a
swine, lest they trample them under their feet, grape.
and turn again and rend you.” “Against establish-
ment predictions—polite variants on the theme Peeping Tom Someone who looks at something
‘pearls before swine’—the project worked, and forbidden; a voyeur. According to a 17th-century
still flourishes” (Guardian, September 12, 2001). addition to the much older legend of lady godiva,
the original Peeping Tom was a tailor called Tom
pearly gates The entrance to heaven or, more who disobeyed the order not to look upon the
loosely, heaven itself. The gates of the Christian naked Lady Godiva as she rode through Coventry
heaven are described in Revelation 21:21: “And in a bid to dissuade her husband Leofric from
the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several imposing new taxes on the local population. Tradi-
gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city tion has it that the moment the tailor peeped
was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.” She through a knothole in his shutters, he was struck
expressed the hope that by the time she came to appear blind. “This Peeping Tom has put his eye to the
before the pearly gates of heaven, she would be reconciled nick or cranny in our walls and peers shamelessly
with her daughter. in” (A. S. Byatt, Possession, 1990).

Pecksniff (peksnif ) An oily, fawning hypocrite. Pegasus (pegbsbs) Archetypal flying horse; any
Seth Pecksniff is an unctuous hypocrite in the 1844 speedy mount, animate or mechanized. In Greek
novel Martin Chuzzlewit by British novelist Charles mythology Pegasus was a winged horse that arose
Dickens (1812–70). He attempts to smooth-talk from the blood of medusa when Perseus cut off
Chuzzlewit into leaving him his fortune, but is her head. The Corinthian hero Bellerophon, with
eventually exposed as the hypocrite he really is. the aid of Athena, managed to catch Pegasus,
His name has also given rise to the adjective Peck- mount him, and kill the chimera, but when Bel-
sniffian. Pecksniff himself couldn’t have done a better lerophon tried to fly on Pegasus to heaven, he fell
job than this young salesman with his flattering manner off and was lamed. Pegasus carried on upward,
and greasy smile. however, and became a constellation. Another
364
 Penelope

tradition has it that the spring of the Hippocrene together, Golaud stabs them both to death. Before
on Mount Helicon poured forth where Pegasus she finally dies Mélisande gives birth to a child.
had struck a hoof, and hence Pegasus has always Like Pelléas and Mélisande, no one knew for sure if their
been linked with the muses, who dwelled on friendship had been purely platonic or guilty as hell. See
Mount Helicon. Thus to mount Pegasus means to also paolo and francesca.
embark on creative or artistic work. He bestrode the
motorbike as if it was Pegasus and the front wheel reared Pelops See ivory shoulder of pelops.
up in the air as he twisted the throttle.
Pelvis, Elvis the See king, the.
Pelé (pelay) A supremely gifted soccer player.
Edson Arantes do Nascimento (b. 1940), other- penalty of Adam See adam’s curse.
wise known as Pelé, became a star player for the
Brazilian club Santos (1955–74) and later played penates See lares and penates.
for the New York Cosmos (1975–77). He also
enjoyed huge success as the leading star with Bra- Penelope (penelbpee) Archetype of the dutiful,
zil’s national side, winning World Cup winner’s loyal wife and the personification of patience. In
medals in 1958 and 1970. By 1969 he had notched Greek mythology Penelope is the wife of odys-
up over 1,000 goals in first-class football and was seus, king of Ithaca, who waited patiently at home
widely acknowledged the most talented footballer while he was absent fighting in the Trojan War.
in the world. Thousands of youngsters in the slums of After 10 years of warfare Odysseus set off for
the city still dream of becoming a new Pelé. home but was delayed by the gods, and it was
another decade before husband and wife were
Peleus See apple of discord. reunited. In the meantime Penelope had to resist
the advances of more than 100 suitors and their
Pelion See pile pelion on ossa. insistent demands that she marry one of them. In
order to appease them she promised to marry one
Pelléas and Mélisande (pelayas, melisond) of them once she had finished weaving a shroud
Archetype of a pair of tragic lovers. The story of for her father-in-law. The suitors reluctantly
the doomed love of Pelléas and Mélisande was first agreed to this proposal, unaware of the fact that
told by the Belgian playwright Maurice Maeter- each night Penelope unwove the threads she had
linck (1862–1949) in a poetic drama of the same worked on during the day so that the shroud was
title (1892) and later provided the basis for an no nearer being complete. A web of Penelope is
opera by Claude Debussy (1902). Maeterlinck’s therefore a metaphor for a task that has no end.
story tells how the beautiful Mélisande marries Fortunately for Penelope, just as the patience of
the king’s grandson Golaud, only to fall in love with the 100 suitors was wearing out, Odysseus arrived
his younger half-brother Pelléas. Golaud is con- home and slaughtered all rivals for his wife’s hand.
sumed with jealousy, although it remains unclear “Whatever I see you doing, you’re not really there:
whether the lovers have ever behaved inappro- you are waiting—like Penelope when she did her
priately. Finding Pelléas and Mélisande alone weaving” (D.H. Lawrence, Sons and Lovers, 1913).
365
Penthesilea

Penthesilea (penthbsileeb) A strong, command- perestroika See glasnost.

ing woman. According to Greek mythology Pen-
thesilea was the daughter of Ares and the queen of perfidious Albion (albeebn) Treacherous En-
the amazons, whom she led to the aid of the Tro- gland. The name albion was applied to England as
jans after the death of Hector. She died in combat early as the Romans, but it was the French who
with Achilles, who lamented over the death of labeled the country “perfidious Albion,” in protest
such a good-looking, courageous woman. She is the against its persistent interference in European
Penthesilea of the Democratic Party. affairs. The phrase is usually attributed to the
French poet the marquis de Ximenès (1726–
peony See paean. 1817), who used it in a poem in 1793, although it
was not until the early 19th century that the phrase
Peoria See play in peoria. became widely familiar in Napoleon’s France,
when English interference played havoc with the
Pepys (peeps) A diarist, especially one whose emperor’s territorial ambitions. “During the 19th
diary present, a vivid and informative depiction and 20th centuries, this came to be known as the
of his or her life and times. The allusion is to the policy of the balance of power, and was principally
English diarist Samuel Pepys (1633–1703), associated with perfidious Albion” (William Cash,
whose diary provides a uniquely colorful insight Against a Federal Europe, 1991).
into life in early Restoration London and an
invaluable record of such important historical peri (peeree) A beautiful girl. In Persian mythol-
events as the Great Plague and the Fire of Lon- ogy a peri was a malevolent spirit who attacked
don. Pepys eventually became concerned that the crops and caused eclipses, among other disastrous
hours he spent writing his diary were harming acts.They were subsequently depicted in the Qur’an
his eyesight and so, after nine years (1660–69), and elsewhere as gentle creatures resembling fair-
he abandoned it (although modern medical diag- ies. “. . . and then, how delightfully refreshing is the
nosis suggests he could have kept on writing it sight, when, perhaps, some ex-member, hurled
without the least damage to his eyes). The lively from his paradise like a fallen peri, reveals the secret
style of the diary, which covered his private life as of that pure heaven” (Anthony Trollope, Doctor
well as events of national importance, have main- Thorne, 1858).
tained to this day Pepys’s reputation as one of the
most celebrated Englishmen of his era and pro- Periclean (perikleebn) Wise; eloquent; honest.
vided a Pepysian standard beside which most The word refers to the respected Athenian states-
other diarists have since been measured. His not man and soldier Pericles (c. 500–429 b.c.), who
infrequent way of ending a day’s entry, and so to assumed the reins of power in 460 and oversaw a
bed, has also entered the annals of familiar allu- golden era in Athenian democracy and the arts.
sions. As a diarist he noted down the chief events of his Important achievements under his leadership
time, but he lacked humor and was no Pepys. included the building of the Parthenon. Typical of
the stories about his integrity, on his death it was
Pequod See moby dick. reported that he had not enriched himself beyond
366
 person from Porlock

what he had inherited by a single drachma. His last in to the distraught Demeter’s requests for her
speech to the Senate was typically Periclean. return, but Persephone had disregarded the
instruction not to eat anything while in the under-
Perils of Pauline (pahleen) A series of breath- world (as this would bind her there forever) and
takingly hazardous adventures. The allusion is to a eaten the seeds of a pomegranate. As a compro-
thrilling silent-movie serial first screened in 1914 mise it was agreed that Persephone would be
and called The Perils of Pauline. It starred Pearl allowed back to the living world for part of the
White as a heroine who finds herself in all manner year but would have to return to Hades for the
of life-threatening situations from which she is remaining months. Her arrival in the upper world
only rescued in the nick of time. “Spooner picked is heralded by the coming of spring, while her
up on this idea and thought the best way to do it return to Hades marks the beginning of winter.
would be as an extended Perils of Pauline-type Persephone had scattered spring flowers through the
adventure, complete with ‘How are they going to meadow.
get out of that?’ endings” ( J. Bentham, Doctor
Who: The EarlyYears, 1986). Perseus (perseebs) Archetype of the classical
hero. In Greek mythology Perseus is the central
Perry Mason (peree maysbn) A brilliant lawyer- character in a number of heroic episodes, includ-
detective. The Perry Mason radio and television ing the killing and cutting off the head of medusa
detective series, based on the best-selling novels and the rescue of andromeda, who became his
of Erle Stanley Gardner (1889–1970), were a wife. He was also a model ruler of Argos and Tiryns
mainstay of broadcast schedules on both sides of and was credited with the foundation of Mycenae.
the Atlantic for many years. The television series, He felt like Perseus facing Medusa, undaunted but unable
featuring Raymond Burr as Perry Mason, ran from to look directly at the danger that threatened him.
1957 to 1966, and Burr reprised the role in a fur-
ther series of television movies from 1985. Mason person from Porlock (porlok) An interruption
appeared for the defense and always proved his in the creative flow. The British poet Samuel Taylor
client’s innocence, usually in a tense courtroom Coleridge (1772–1834) was staying in the village
finale. In the last episode of the original televi- of Nether Stowey in Somerset in 1797, the year he
sion series, Gardner himself made a cameo wrote the fantastical poem “Kubla Khan,” destined
appearance as the judge in the case. “It was a clas- to become one of the most celebrated of all poems
sic Perry Mason prisoner-and-jury setting” (Nor- written in the English language. According to
man Fowler, Ministers Decide, 1991). Coleridge himself, he had composed the poem
while in a drugged sleep and found on waking that
Persephone (persefbnee) Personification of the he could still remember every word of the remark-
cycle of the seasons. In Greek mythology Perse- able work. He wrote down several hundred lines
phone (Proserpina to the Romans) was identified of the poem in a feverish, inspired rush but was
as the daughter of Zeus and Demeter and was then, according to his own account, interrupted
snatched away to the underworld to be the wife of by a “person from Porlock” (a nearby village) call-
Hades, the lord of the dead. Zeus eventually gave ing on a business matter. When Coleridge finally
367
petard, hoist with one’s own

got rid of the visitor he returned to his work, only own incompetence. It was named after the
to find that he could remember no more of the Canadian-born U.S. educationist Dr. Laurence
masterpiece he had composed in his dream. Over J. Peter (1919–90), who devised it alongside
the years, many critics have speculated that the Raymond Hull in The Peter Principle: Why Things
person from Porlock was invented by Coleridge Always Go Wrong (1969). The disastrously low caliber
to cover the failure of his own inspiration. “At least of most of the company’s senior management was an
no person from Porlock was likely to interrupt me ample demonstration of the Peter Principle in action. See
today” (Mary Stewart, Stormy Petrel, 1992). also parkinson’s law.

petard, hoist with one’s own See hoist with Petrarch and Laura (petrahk) Archetype of
one’s own petard. unfulfilled, idealized love. In 1327, while living in
exile in Avignon, France, the Italian Renaissance
Peter Pan A person who never seems to grow poet Petrarch (1304–74) fell passionately in love
old. The allusion is to the central character in the with a woman now known to us only as Laura.
play Peter Pan (1904) by the Scottish playwright Petrarch immortalized Laura in his celebrated love
J. M. Barrie (1860–1937), which was later pub- poetry, although it appears she did not return the
lished in book form (1911) and subsequently pro- love he felt for her. She became his muse, although
vided the foundation for various popular movies their relationship was more like that of Petrarch and
and cartoons. Barrie’s Peter Pan is a young lad Laura than Romeo and Juliet.
who lives a life of perpetual boyhood with his gang
of friends, the Lost Boys, fighting pirates and pur- Peyton Place (paytbn) A seemingly respectable
suing an existence blissfully free of the pressures community that is actually a hotbed of sex, vio-
of adult responsibility. In creating his famous fic- lence, and intrigue. The allusion is to the highly
tional character, Barrie drew on the characters of successful television soap opera Peyton Place
the five young sons of his friends Arthur and Sylvia (1964–69), which was in turn based upon a 1956
Llewelyn Davies, although it was their son Peter best-selling novel by Grace Metalious (1924–64).
who was the chief inspiration. Sadly, several of the The original book, which was apparently inspired
Llewelyn Davies brothers met unfortunate ends, by the actual New England town of Gilmanton
George dying fighting in World War I, Michael Iron Works, New Hampshire, caused a sensation
drowning while at Oxford, and Peter committing with its exposure of illicit relationships and racy
suicide on the London Underground in 1960. goings-on in small-town America. With all these
Michael was the model upon whom the statue of rumors of adultery and betrayal the town was beginning
Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, London, was to feel like Peyton Place.
based. Cliff Richard, with his youthful good looks, is
often described as pop music’s Peter Pan. See also never- phaeton (faybtbn) A light, four-wheeled horse-
never land. drawn carriage with two seats. In Greek mythol-
ogy Phaëthon (or Phaëton) was identified as the
Peter Principle The rule that all people within son of the sun god Helios (or Apollo), although
an organization tend to rise to the level of their elsewhere he was also described as merops’s son
368
 pheasant

(referring to King Merops of Ethiopia). Phaëthon Torah, their insistence on equal prominence for
decided to try his hand at steering his father’s oral law and their emphasis on human behavior
chariot—the Sun—across the sky and very nearly rather than God’s work brought them into conflict
set fire to the Earth by flying too close. As it was, with Jesus. Jesus accused some Pharisees of being
Libya was reduced to a parched desert while the hypocrites because their teaching was inconsis-
rest of Africa was similarly scorched. The Earth tent with their actions” (Selman and Manser, The
was saved from further damage when Zeus killed Hearthside Bible Dictionary, p. 184). Jesus denounced
Phaëthon with a thunderbolt. The swan is some- them in the “seven woes” (Matthew 23:1–36).
times called Phaeton’s bird in commemoration “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypo-
of Cycnus, son of Neptune, who was inconsolable crites! For ye are like unto whited sepulchres,
after the death of his friend Phaëthon and was which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are
eventually transformed into a swan by Apollo and within full of dead men’s bones, and of all unclean-
placed among the constellations. “From the draw- ness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous
ing room they could distinguish nothing in the unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and
lane, and were indebted to Mr. Collins for the iniquity” (Matthew 23:27). “But he’s got tongue
knowledge of what carriages went along, and how enough to speak disrespectful about’s neebors, for
often especially Miss De Bourgh drove by in her he said as I was a blind Pharisee—a-usin’ the Bible
phaeton, which he never failed coming to inform i’ that way to find nick-names for folks as are his
them of, though it happened almost every day” elders an’ betters!—and what’s worse, he’s been
(Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, 1813). heard to say very unbecomin’ words about Your
Reverence” (George Eliot, Adam Bede, 1859).
phalanx (faylanks) A closely ranked, unyielding
mass of people; a body of people united in a pharos (fairbs) A lighthouse or beacon. The
common cause. The name was originally given to name comes from that of the small island off the
an ancient Greek and Macedonian battle forma- Egyptian coast where Ptolemy II (308–246 b.c.)
tion in which spearsmen sheltered behind a wall built a lighthouse made of white marble, subse-
of shields. “I feel that I can face an army with quently included among the seven wonders of the
banners—or all the professors of Redmond in one ancient world. The lighthouse was destroyed in an
fell phalanx—with a chum like Priscilla by my earthquake in 1375. The fleet was guided by the light
side” (Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of the Island, of a pharos marking the entrance to the bay. See also
1915). eighth wonder of the world.

Pharisee (fairbsee) A self-righteous or hypocrit- pheasant A long-tailed bird of the family Pha-
ical person, especially one who insists on legalisti- sianidae, the males of which have brightly colored
cally and slavishly observing rules, regardless of plumage. The bird’s name means “bird of the Pha-
the intent behind them. The Pharisees (a name sis,” the Phasis being the classical name for a river
meaning “separated”) were members of a Jewish of Colchis, the present-day Rioni River, which
sect that emerged in the second century b.c. flows into the Black Sea. Legend has it that pheas-
“Despite their original emphasis on God’s law, or ants originated from that area and were brought
369
Pheidippides

elsewhere by the Argonauts. A white pheasant stalked made his first appearance in the novel The Big Sleep
imperiously back and forth in front of the house. in 1939, was the creation of U.S. crime writer
Raymond Chandler (1888–1959). A cynical anti-
Pheidippides See marathon. hero, he has a laconic sense of humor and a sense
of honor that made him a great favorite of both
Philadelphia lawyer (filbdelfeeb) A particularly readers and cinema audiences, especially when
gifted, cunning lawyer. The phrase is an allusion played on screen by Humphrey Bogart. “She talked
to a 1735 legal case of criminal libel that looked as if she had taken on the mantle of Philip Mar-
so unpromising that only one barrister, a lawyer lowe, a female arch sleuth for whom the teeming
from Philadelphia called Andrew Hamilton, underworld held no secrets” (Lisa Appignanesi,
would agree to take on the defense. Against all Memory and Desire, 1992). See also big sleep, the;
expectations, Hamilton rebutted the accusations chandleresque.
and secured his client’s acquittal. To be called a
“Philadelphia lawyer” was thus originally the philippic (fblipik) An impassioned denunciation
highest of compliments to make to a lawyer, but of an enemy; a bitter tirade. The word refers to
it has since acquired a derogatory tone, signifying the three scathing speeches made by the cele-
a lawyer who is far too clever for his or her own brated Athenian orator Demosthenes (384–322
good. The defendant is going to need a clutch of b.c.) to bolster resistance against the threats
Philadelphia lawyers if he is going to wriggle out of posed to Athenian democracy by Philip II of
this one. Macedon (hence the “Philippics”). Philip intended
to absorb Athens into his kingdom and, despite
Philemon and Baucis (fbleembn, fileembn; bahsis) the efforts of Demosthenes, eventually succeeded
Archetypes of the generous, welcoming host. in this ambition after defeating the Greeks at the
According to Greek legend Philemon and Baucis Battle of Chaeronea in 338. In 322 the Macedo-
were an aged and impoverished Phrygian couple nian ruler Antipater planned to kidnap Demos-
who welcomed the disguised Zeus and Hermes thenes but was thwarted when his quarry escaped
into their home after other richer people had to the island of Calauria and committed suicide
turned the gods away. In gratitude the two deities there before another attempt to capture him
saved the couple from a flood, turned their home could be made. The word was subsequently
into a temple, and granted their desire that neither applied to Cicero’s attacks (Philippics) on Mark
of them should outlive the other. When the couple Antony in 44 and 43 b.c. and thereby entered into
died, the gods transformed Philemon into an oak general usage. “The talk, as usual, had veered
and Baucis into a linden tree, and their branches around to the Beauforts, and even Mr. van der
entwined. Like Philemon and Baucis, the couple threw Luyden and Mr. Selfridge Merry, installed in the
their door open to the strangers, beckoning them to come honorary arm-chairs tacitly reserved for them,
inside without delay. paused to listen to the younger man’s philippic”
(Edith Wharton, The Age of Innocence, 1920). See
Philip Marlowe (mahrlo) The epitome of a hard- also appeal from philip drunk to philip sober;
boiled private detective. Philip Marlowe, who demosthenic.
370
 phoenix

philistine (filbstin) An uncultured, ignorant per- fits. Confidence is the philosopher’s stone for the suc-
son. The original Philistines were a warlike non- cessful athlete.
Semitic people who in biblical times inhabited
ancient Philistia in close and often hostile proxim- Phintias See damon and pythias.
ity to the Hebrews. Individual Philistines to attract
special criticism included the giant goliath phobia (fobeeb) An obsessive, often irrational
(1 Samuel 17) and the seductive delilah (Judges fear of something. The word is Greek in origin and
16). The term was subsequently taken up as a ref- alludes to Phobos, a son of Ares and Aphrodite and
erence to any enemy and ultimately to individuals the Greek god of dread and alarm. Somewhat
or societies perceived as lacking any cultural ironically he was conventionally depicted with the
sophistication or intellectual enthusiasm. It was head of a lion. His sister developed a phobia of snakes
first used in its modern sense by university stu- and ever after refused to go anywhere near the reptile
dents in 17th-century Germany, who applied it to house at the zoo.
townsfolk who lacked a similar education, calling
them “Philisters.” It was transmitted to English Phoebe (feebee) Personification of the Moon.
through the writings of Matthew Arnold (1822– Phoebe was identified in Greek mythology as the
88), who applied it specifically to bourgeois goddess of the moon and as one of the Titans, by
opponents of art and literature. Archaeological whom Zeus sired Apollo and Artemis. She uttered a
finds suggest, however, that ancient Philistine soci- brief prayer to Phoebe before slipping down into the
ety was not as brutish and materialistic as Hebrew moonlit street.
writings suggest, and Philistine pottery in par tic-
ular has been much admired. They were also Phoebus (feebbs) Literary name for the Sun. In
skilled architects and metalworkers and appar- Greek mythology the sun god Apollo was some-
ently had well-developed political and commercial times referred to by the name Phoebus (meaning
structures. “But clearly Anthony was no diploma- “bright” or “shining one”). “He must have passed
tist. His brother-in-law must have appeared to Mr. Rugg on his way out, for, a minute or two
him, to use the language of shore people, a perfect afterwards, that ruddy-headed gentleman shone
philistine with a heart like a flint” (Joseph Conrad, in at the door, like an elderly Phoebus” (Charles
Chance, 1913). Dickens, Little Dorrit, 1855–57).

philosopher’s stone A stone or other object that phoenix (feeniks) Something that rises anew in
has the power to turn base metals into gold. The the face of defeat or adversity. This legendary bird
quest for the philosopher’s stone occupied gen- appears in the mythology of ancient Egypt, ancient
erations of alchemists over the centuries. Greece, and early Christianity and was widely
Although no such magical stone was ever found, considered a symbol of immortality and life after
discoveries made in the search for it provided the death. According to most traditions the phoenix
basis for modern chemistry. The term has since resembled an eagle, with gold and scarlet feathers,
been applied to anything, real or intangible, that and lived for about 500 years.When the time came
constitutes the key to happiness or other bene- for it to die, it lay down on a pyre and allowed itself
371
phone home

to be burned in the flames. It then emerged (1881–1974) earned a reputation as perhaps the
renewed from the ashes, hence the expression a most daring and talented artist of the 20th cen-
phoenix rising from the ashes. “. . . and there tury, developing the concept of cubism and paint-
she is with her plumage unruffled, as glossy as ing some of the best-known masterpieces of his
ever, unable to get old:—a sort of Phoenix free generation, among them the iconic Les Demoiselles
from the slightest signs of ashes and dust, all com- d’Avignon (1907), Three Dancers (1925), and guer-
placent amongst those inanities as if there had nica. His experimental, abstract style won him
been nothing else in the world” ( Joseph Conrad, many admirers as well as many detractors, who
The Arrow of Gold, 1919). were perplexed by his trademark distortion of fea-
tures and figures. The college has trained hundreds of
phone home See e.t. phone home. students but has yet to produce its first Picasso.

Phrynean (frineebn) Of or relating to a prosti- Pickett’s charge (pikit) A heroic but doomed
tute. Phryne was a famous and very wealthy Greek effort. The reference is to an incident that took
courtesan who lived in the fourth century b.c. Her place on July 3, 1863, during the Battle of Get-
beauty was widely admired, and she is supposed to tysburg, the climactic battle of the U.S. Civil War.
have been the model for many celebrated statues. Under severe pressure from the Federal forces,
It is said she made so much money that she offered the Confederate major general George Edward
to pay for the rebuilding of the walls of Thebes. Pickett (1825–75) ordered his 15,000 men into a
“Her underclothes are positively Phrynean” (Aldous last-ditch attack on the Union lines on Cemetery
Huxley, Point Counter Point, 1928). Ridge. Pickett’s force was attacked by artillery fire
as it crossed the open ground in front of the ridge
physician, heal thyself Do not criticize others and was finally ordered to retreat by General Rob-
when you are guilty of the same failings; refrain ert E. Lee. Pickett’s gallant but futile gesture
from tackling the problems of others before you resulted in the loss of three-quarters of his men.
have dealt with your own difficulties first. The The defeat at Gettysburg was widely seen as a final
proverb is of biblical origin and is spoken by Christ blow from which the Confederate cause never
to the people in the synagogue in Nazareth: “Ye recovered. The team made a Pickett’s charge down the
will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, field, but the final result was never in doubt.
heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in
Capernaum, do also here in thy country” (Luke Pickwickian (pikwikeebn) Jovial; benevolent;
4:23). “How can a man . . . teach sobriety or full of curiosity and zest for life. The allusion is to
cleanliness, if he be himself drunken or foul? ‘Phy- the central character in The Pickwick Papers (1837)
sician, heal thyself,’ is the answer of his neigh- by the British novelist Charles Dickens (1812–
bours” (Samuel Smiles, Thrift, 1875). 70). The novel follows Mr. Pickwick and his
friends as they make a tour of the English coun-
Picasso (pikaso) A brilliant, controversial art- tryside, getting involved in various comical esca-
ist, especially one who paints in a challenging, pades and adventures along the way. The term
modernistic style. The Spanish artist Pablo Picasso “Pickwickian” can also be used to describe words
372
 Pilate’s wife

that are not meant to be taken literally, a refer- all living things into following it. Having led the
ence to Mr. Pickwick’s teasing way of phrasing a town’s rats to the river to drown, the Pied Piper
compliment in the form of insult in the first chap- demands payment; when this is refused he leads all
ter of the book. His name may also be applied to the town’s children, except one crippled child,
anyone who is similar in appearance to Dickens’s away from the town and into a hillside, never to be
character, who is described as short, rotund, and seen again. It has been suggested that the original
bespectacled. He had a truly Pickwickian sense of folktale, which purported to describe events in
humor and loved a good practical joke. See also sam Hamelin in 1284, was inspired by the Children’s
weller. Crusade of 1212, which saw thousands of French
and German children join an ill-fated crusade to
piece of paper An agreement that is not worth take back the Holy Land from the Muslims. “Some
the paper it is written on. The allusion is to the fall in behind her, and follow her to the lecture
Munich Agreement made between British prime theatre, so that she appears to be leading a little
minister Neville Chamberlain and Nazi Germany’s procession, a female Pied Piper” (David Lodge,
leader Adolf hitler in Munich on September 30, Nice Work, 1988).
1938 (see peace in our time). When Chamberlain
arrived back in Britain he waved a piece of paper Pierian spring (piereebn) Inspiration or learn-
at the waiting crowds after emerging from his air- ing. According to Greek mythology the Pierian
craft. Many believed that this precious agreement spring lay on the slopes of Mount Olympus and
would ensure lasting peace in Europe; when war was sacred to the muses. It was said that anyone
broke out the following year, however, Chamber- who drank from the spring would enjoy wisdom or
lain’s treaty was revealed to be worthless. Hitler inspiration. “A little learning is a dangerous thing;
himself had a low opinion of Chamberlain and / Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring”
after the agreement was signed is said to have told (Alexander Pope, Essay on Criticism, 1711).
an aide: “If ever that silly old man comes interfer-
ing here again with his umbrella, I’ll kick him pigmy See pygmy.
downstairs and jump on his stomach in front of
the photographers.” That contract is just a piece of Pilate’s wife (pilbtz) A person who claims to
paper that will change nothing. have learned something important from a dream.
In the New Testament the wife of pontius pilate
pied piper A person who entices others with discussed with her husband a distressing dream
delusive promises. The allusion is to a German she had just had, warning him that he should avoid
folktale of the 15th century or earlier that pro- any involvement with the trial of Christ, who was
vided the basis for the poem “The Pied Piper of about to be brought before his court: “Have thou
Hamelin” (1842) by the British poet Robert nothing to do with that just man: for I have suf-
Browning (1812–89). Browning’s poem describes fered many things this day in a dream because of
how the rat-infested town of Hamelin in Westpha- him” (Matthew 27:19). Like Pilate’s wife, she urged
lia is cleared of its thousands of rats by the him not to take this journey. She had dreamed that he
curiously-dressed Pied Piper, whose pipe charms lay in a white coffin.
373
Pilate washed his hands

Pilate washed his hands See pontius pilate; of Geology at the British Museum (Natural His-
wash one’s hands of. tory). Personally, I think his account of events is about
as reliable as the Piltdown Man.
pile Pelion on Ossa (peeleebn, ahsb) To heap dif-
ficulty upon difficulty or embarrassment upon pillar of fire A revelatory sign that serves as a
embarrassment. The expression has its roots in guide to show the way. The allusion is to the bib-
Greek mythology and the legend of the giants lical story of the pillar of fire—a pillar of cloud
who tried to climb up to heaven by piling the by day—set up by God to guide the Israelites out
mountain Pelion on top of Mount Ossa, in eastern of the wilderness on their flight from Egypt, as
Thessaly. Then, piling Pelion on Ossa, the news came related in Exodus 13:21–22. “You are unjust to
through that the date for the completion of the project women in England. And till you count what is a
had been moved forward by two weeks. shame in a woman to be an infamy in a man, you
will always be unjust, and Right, that pillar of fire,
Pilgrim’s Progress A Christian’s progress and Wrong, that pillar of cloud, will be made dim
through life. The allusion is to the epic moral alle- to your eyes, or be not seen at all, or if seen, not
gory The Pilgrim’s Progress (1678, 1684) by the regarded” (Oscar Wilde, A Woman of No Importance,
English writer and Baptist preacher John Bunyan 1893). See also cloud by day, pillar of fire by
(1628–88). The poem follows Christian as he night.
makes the long and difficult journey to the delec-
table mountains and the celestial city. Bunyan pillar of salt See lot’s wife.
himself was no stranger to the difficulties of life,
writing The Pilgrim’s Progress while in prison after pillar of society A person or institution seen as
defying a royal edict forbidding him from preach- part of the establishment. The phrase is closely
ing. He made a Pilgrim’s Progress through the ranks before associated with the 1877 play The Pillars of Society
finally making it to commander-in-chief. See also land by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen (1828–
of beulah; muckraker; slough of despond; val- 1906). Entitled Samfundets støtter in the original
ley of the shadow of death; vanity fair. Norwegian, it was first produced in English in
1888 under the title Quicksands. In Ibsen’s play the
Piltdown Man A scientific hoax. In 1912 the fos- pillars in question are the spirit of truth and the
sil remains of an early man found in a gravel pit at spirit of freedom rather than par ticular individu-
Piltdown in Sussex, England, was thought to prove als. “In fact, he was the archetypal ‘pillar of society’:
the missing link between apes and the develop- flour-miller, magistrate and county councillor”
ment of the first humans. However, closer exami- (Philip Heselton, The Elements of Earth Mysteries,
nation of the find in 1953 revealed that it comprised 1991).
the skull of a human and the jaw of an orangutan.
It remains uncertain who was responsible for this pillars of Hercules (herkyooleez) The limits of
deliberate fraud, although suspicion has rested the known world. In classical times the rocks on
upon rival palaeontologists seeking to discredit opposite sides of the entrance to the Mediterra-
Sir Arthur Smith Woodward (1864–1944), Keeper nean were called the Pillars of Hercules in allusion
374
 pitch defiles

to the legend that Hercules separated them in is transformed into a real boy at the end of the
order to reach Gades (modern Cádiz, in Spain). story. Pinocchio in Italian means “pine seed.” A
Those two constellations are our pillars of Hercules, Pinocchio’s nose is something that indicates that
marking the extremes of the known universe. a lie is being told. Watergate turned Nixon into
Pinocchio.
Pindaric verse (pindarik) A form of irregular
verse characterized by its high-flown style. Such Pinteresque (pintbresk) Reminiscent of the
poetry, written in a variety of meters, was popular- subject matter and style of writing in the plays of
ized by the English poet Abraham Cowley in the British playwright Harold Pinter (b. 1930). Pint-
17th century. Cowley mistakenly believed he was er’s much-admired early plays were notable,
re-creating a form of verse composed by the cele- among other things, for their use of deliberately
brated Theban lyric poet Pindar (c. 522–443 b.c.). long pauses, which the author insisted should be
There are few writers today who excel in the field of observed exactly during performance. His conver-
Pindaric verse. sation was peppered with Pinteresque pauses, suggesting
he didn’t really know what he was talking about.
Pinkerton A private detective.The Scottish-born
Allan Pinkerton (1819–84) made a living smug- pipes of Pan See panpipes.
gling runaway slaves into Canada after immigrat-
ing to the United States in 1850, but then became Pisgah See mount pisgah.
the first detective of the Chicago Police Depart-
ment. He opened what became the famous Pinker- Piso’s justice (pisoz) Strictly correct but not in
ton Detective Agency in 1852 and subsequently the spirit of justice, especially in relation to legal
made many high-profile arrests, although he also decisions. The phrase alludes to a story related
earned a reputation for ruthlessness and crooked by the Roman philosopher Seneca the Younger
tactics. They weren’t satisfied with the efforts of the (c. 4 b.c.–a.d. 65) about a judge called Piso. Piso
local police to find their daughter and decided to hire had condemned a prisoner to death on a charge of
their own Pinkerton. murder and delivered the man to a centurion
for execution; however, the murder victim then
Pinocchio (pinokeeo) A liar, especially a child appeared, and the centurion returned the prisoner
who tells lies. The allusion is to the wooden pup- to Piso. Piso responded by sentencing all three
pet Pinocchio who is the central character in the men to death, the prisoner on the grounds that he
children’s story The Adventures of Pinocchio (1883) had already been sentenced, the centurion on the
by the Italian writer Carlo Collodi (Carlo Loren- grounds that he had disobeyed his orders, and the
zini; 1826–90). Pinocchio is a puppet boy who supposed murder victim for causing the death of
comes magically to life after his maker, Geppetto, two innocent men. It was generally agreed that this
wishes for a child of his own. He has a number of decision was harsh in the extreme, a good example of
bizarre adventures and finds that if he tells a lie his Piso’s justice.
nose grows mysteriously longer, thus revealing
his guilt. Having proved his essential goodness, he pitch defiles See touch pitch and be defiled.
375
pit of the dragon

pit of the dragon See bottomless pit. in which spiritual communion between individu-
als is believed superior to physical union, was first
place of skulls See calvary. described by and thus named after the Greek phi-
losopher Plato (c. 427–c.347 b.c.) in his Sympo-
plague of locusts A mob of people who eat or sium when he discussed the ideal relationship that
strip everything in sight. The allusion is to the bib- his teacher Socrates had with the young men who
lical plague of locusts (Exodus 10:4–19), which studied under him. “The intimacy between them
was the eighth plague inflicted by God upon the had been kept so abstract, such a matter of the
Pharaoh of Egypt and led ultimately to the Exodus soul, all thought and weary struggle into con-
of the Jews. The locusts consumed all the food sciousness, that he saw it only as a platonic friend-
they could find. The children descended upon the meal ship” (D. H. Lawrence, Sons and Lovers, 1913). See
like a plague of locusts, and soon there was not a crumb also plato’s cave.
remaining. See also plagues of egypt.
Plato’s cave (playtoz) An image of the limits of
plague on both your houses, a Both sides in a human knowledge and perception. The phrase
dispute are deserving of equal blame. The allusion alludes to an allegory employed by the Greek phi-
is to William Shakespeare’s tragedy romeo and losopher Plato (c. 427–c. 347 b.c.) to illustrate
juliet (1594), in which Mercutio thus curses the how far removed ordinary perception is from a
rival Montagu and Capulet families, whose dis- vision of ultimate reality. Plato propounded the
putes have indirectly led to his own death in a image of some men chained in a cave in front of a
duel: “I am hurt. A plague o’ both your houses!” fire so that all they could see were the shadows
Neither party has said anything to win my vote and I cast against the firelight: Knowing no better, they
can only wish a plague on both their houses. assumed the shadows were real. For her it was like
emerging into the sunlight of reality after years of being
plagues of Egypt (eejipt) The 10 disasters by trapped in Plato’s cave.
which God punished the Egyptians for oppressing
the Israelites and failing to acknowledge God’s play Cupid See cupid.
power (Exodus 7–12): the plague of water turned to
blood, the plague of frogs, the plague of gnats, the play hardball To adopt a serious, hardheaded
plague of flies, the plague on livestock, the plague of approach to something. The allusion is to baseball,
boils, the plague of hail, the plague of locusts, the which is played with a harder ball than that used in
plague of darkness (see egyptian darkness; ninth the junior version of the game, softball. The govern-
plague of egypt), and the plague of the death of ment have decided to play hardball with the Chinese over
the firstborn. After the last plague, Pharaoh released this issue.
the Israelites from bondage.
play in Peoria (peeoreeb) To win acceptance
platonic (plbtonik) Of or relating to a close, among the ordinary population. In the heyday of
nonsexual relationship or more generally to any vaudeville in the 1930s, the city of Peoria in Illi-
perfect, idealized vision or idea. Such a relationship, nois was one of the places where new stage acts
376
 Pocahontas

were tried out to see how popular they were plowshares See beat swords into plowshares.
before going on to the bigger venues in the big
cities. Peoria has since become a testing ground in Pluto See hades.
other fields, notably business and politics, giving
rise to the metaphorical question will it play in Plutus (plootbs) Personification of wealth. In
Peoria? (meaning “how will this go down with Greek mythology Plutus was the son of Demeter
the average person?”)—also remembered as a and was usually depicted as blind, dispensing
catchphrase of the Nixon administration (1969– wealth indiscriminately. He was also described as
74). It sounds like a good move, but will it play in being lame, to represent the fact that rewards are
Peoria? slow to come, and with wings, because his gifts
rapidly vanished. She had become accustomed to spend-
plead the Fifth See take the fifth. ing much of her time in the realms of Plutus, eating at
the Savoy and being driven everywhere in a chauffeured
plebeian (plebeebn) Of or relating to the com- Rolls-Royce.
mon people, the masses. The term was first
adopted in ancient Rome to describe ordinary Pluvius policy (plooveebs) An insurance policy
citizens, as opposed to slaves and citizens who that offers coverage against a holiday being spoiled
made up the aristocracy (see patrician). “I believe by wet weather. Pluvius was a surname sometimes
you know how very much I dislike what are called given to jupiter, the ruler of the gods in Roman
family affairs, which are only fit for plebeian mythology. Jupiter was routinely worshiped as the
Christmas days, and have no manner of business giver of rain, upon which life depended. The
with people of our condition” (Charles Dickens, weather was so bad they promised that before they went
Barnaby Rudge, 1841). away again they would check to see whether they could
take out a Pluvius policy to compensate them if it hap-
pleiad (pleebd) A group of seven distinguished pened again.
persons. The word comes from Greek mythology,
specifically from the seven daughters of atlas, Pocahontas (pokbhontbs) A Native American
who were known as the Pleiades. The sisters were girl or woman. Pocahontas (c. 1595–1617) was a
transformed into stars to protect them from pur- real historical character, the daughter of a Native
suit by Orion or (according to another version) American chief of Virginia called Powhatan. Leg-
after they killed themselves in grief over the end has it that she saved the life of the English
demise of their half sisters, the Hyades. The clus- Captain John Smith (1580–1631) and subse-
ter of stars in the constellation of Taurus known as quently became the wife of the English tobacco-
the Pleiades may, however, have gotten its name grower John Rolfe. She sailed to England in 1616
from the Greek plein, meaning “to sail,” as sea con- and was presented at the court of James I, but died
ditions were generally calmer when this constella- off Gravesend the following year soon after setting
tion was visible. This pleiad of scientists has become sail back to Virginia. “Is that why you’re creeping
the dominant influence in the field and threatens to about looking like Pocahontas?” (Emma Rich-
revolutionize both theory and practice. mond, A Stranger’s Trust, 1991).
377
Podunk

Podunk (podbnk) A small, sleepy town where events of her life in an autobiography. He thought
the inhabitants are typically narrow-minded or she was just a very nice woman and did not suspect she
culturally unaware. The allusion is to a small town was a budding Polly Adler until he was shown into a
of the name near Hartford, Connecticut. Liberal room full of half-naked women.
ideas like this do not usually go down well in Podunk.
Pollyanna (poleeana) A tireless optimist. The
pogrom (pogrbm, pogrom) A campaign of 11-year-old Pollyanna Whittier was introduced to
extermination aimed at a par ticular ethnic group. the world in the novel Pollyanna (1913) by the U.S.
From the Russian for “devastation” or “destruction,” writer Eleanor Hodgman Porter (1868–1920) and
the term was applied originally to the systematic was subsequently brought to life in plays and mov-
persecution of the Jews and other minority ies. She is portrayed as irrepressibly optimistic and
groups in Czarist Russia, but has since been always capable of finding the bright side in any
applied to similar campaigns elsewhere in the depressing situation. Although the book was hugely
world, particularly where the victims are Jewish. successful, the name of its central character has
Many thousands of Polish Jews were arrested and exe- since come to be used mockingly of anyone who
cuted in concentration camps as a result of Nazi pogroms expresses a persistently and unrealistically rosy
during the war. view of the world. “I am aware that much of what
I am saying makes me sound like some ageing
point man A person who goes ahead, leading the Pollyanna who just wants to pretend that all is
way forward and in so doing risking the greatest sweetness and light” (Molly Horne, Life, Love and
danger. The allusion is of military origin, referring Laughter, 1989).
to the man sent ahead of a patrol to draw any
enemy’s fire, but the term is also often encoun- Polonius (pbloneebs) A long-winded, meddle-
tered in the political sphere. The White House spokes- some old man. Polonius appears in William Shake-
man appears to have become the president’s point man on speare’s tragedy hamlet (c. 1600) as the father of
this contentious issue. Laertes and ophelia and adviser to King Claudius.
Hamlet mocks Polonius for his sententious man-
Poirot, Hercule See hercule poirot. ner and ultimately kills him while he is hiding in
the room of Queen Gertrude (Hamlet’s mother),
Pollock, Jackson See jackson pollock. hoping to spy on an interview between mother
and son. His uncle was a garrulous old man who, like
Pollux See castor and pollux. Shakespeare’s Polonius, was only too happy to share his
views of how others should lead their lives.
Polly Adler (adler) A “madam” who runs a
brothel. Polly Adler (1900–62) was the notorious Polyhymnia See muses.
owner of a high-class bordello in New York, where
her customers included gangsters, politicians, and Polyphemus (pahlifeembs) Archetype of a dim-
many other public figures. She retired from the witted brute; a Cyclops. In Greek mythology Poly-
profession in 1944 and recorded the sensational phemus was a Sicilian Cyclops (see cyclopean)
378
 poor are always with us, the

who fell in love with the nymph Galatea and, when California. To ensure the mail got there in the
she rejected him, killed her lover, Acis. According shortest time possible (at its fastest, just seven
to Homer’s odyssey (c. 700 b.c.) Polyphemus days, 17 hours) riders changed horses at prear-
took Odysseus and his men prisoner when they ranged posts along the route. It operated for less
landed on Sicily and kept them in his cave with his than two years, being superseded by the electric
sheep. In order to escape Odysseus put out Poly- telegraph network in 1862. The proofs left by Pony
phemus’s one eye with a sharpened stake and Express an hour ago.
dressed his men in sheepskins so the blinded mon-
ster could not recognize them by touch. The story Pooh-Bah An overbearing, pompous, self-
of Odysseus and Polyphemus is a classic parable of supe- important official, especially one who holds more
rior intelligence and cunning outwitting brute force and than one post. The allusion is to the light opera The
stupidity. Mikado (1885) by W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and
Sir Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900), in which Pooh-
Pontius Pilate (ponshbs pilbt) A person who is Bah, the Lord-High-Everything-Else and holder of
indifferent to cruelty or injustice as long as his or many senior positions, is a prominent character.
her own interests remain untouched; a person He admits to being an insufferable snob and is
who refuses to take responsibility for his or her impossible to work with, so when others give up
own actions; a hypocrite. Pontius Pilate was the their posts he simply adds them to those he already
Roman governor of Judaea (a.d. 26–36) who holds. “Not that this Pooh-Bah of a person let his
remained unconvinced of Christ’s guilt at his trial duties worry him, even though they were within
but ultimately allowed him to be crucified in his sight at all hours” (Miss Read, The World of
order to avoid provoking a riot (Matthew 27, Thrush Green, 1990).
Mark 15, Luke 23, and John 18). The expression
Pilate washed his hands alludes to the biblical poor are always with us, the There will always be
account of Pilate washing his hands in public as an those who live in poverty and in need of assis-
expression of the fact that he refused to accept tance. The expression appears in Matthew 26:11,
any blame for Christ’s death. Legend has it that Mark 14:7, and John 12:8, which recount an inci-
after the Crucifixion Pilate was overcome with dent in which a woman used expensive ointment
remorse and committed suicide. The district attor- to anoint Christ. The disciples rebuke the woman
ney, like some latter-day Pontius Pilate, refused point for her extravagance, but Christ protests, “Why
blank to accept that he was to blame for this miscarriage trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a
of justice. See also pilate’s wife; wash one’s good work upon me. For ye have the poor always
hands of. with you; but me ye have not always” (Matthew
26:10–11). “Still, with [the almshouse’s] gate-
Pony Express A mail delivery company, espe- way and wicket Meek, in the midst of splendour,
cially one that offers speedy delivery of messages. its humble walls seem to echo Softly the words
The original Pony Express was started by the U.S. of the Lord:—‘The poor ye always have with
government in 1860 and covered the 1,800 miles you’ ” (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Evangeline,
between St. Joseph, Missouri, and Sacramento, 1849).
379
Popeye

Popeye (popi) A man with superhuman Poseidon (pbsidbn) The god of the sea. In Greek
strength. The cartoon character Popeye made his mythology Poseidon was one of the 12 gods of
first appearance in the comic strip Thimble Theater Olympus and a brother of Zeus. As the ruler of the
in 1929 and went on to star in movie and televi- oceans he was usually depicted with a trident and
sion cartoons and even live-action movies. He usually described as being violent and ill tem-
owes his extraordinary strength to his prodigious pered. He was also feared as the god of earth-
consumption of tinned spinach, wears the bell- quakes. As far as anyone knows, both men were lost in
bottomed uniform of a sailor, and is rarely seen the realm of Poseidon when their ship foundered. See also
without his pipe. He has a girlfriend called Olive neptune.
Oyl and an archenemy called Bluto. “A deep-
voiced character with five o’clock shadow all over postmillennialism See millennium.
his face and fists like Popeye the Sailor grabbed
the girl by her Indian beads and slammed her up Potemkin village (potemkin) A showy facade
against the mantelpiece” (Kim Newman, Bad that conceals an unattractive reality. The allusion is
Dreams, 1990). to the Russian statesman Grigory Aleksandrovich
Potemkin (1739–91), who is said to have had card-
Poppins, Mary See mary poppins. board villages constructed to impress Catherine
the Great, during a royal visit to the Ukraine in
pork barrel Legislation that directs federal funds 1787, with the improvements he had apparently
to local projects that just happen to benefit the made. Sad to relate, the story is untrue. “They
district of the member of Congress who promoted built manyattas, but were not to be found in them;
the measure in the first place. The term dates back they were Potemkin manyattas, the real ones flour-
to the custom of presenting slaves on southern ishing in inaccessible places” (Kathryn Tidrick,
plantations with their allowance of pork in a bar- Empire and the English Character, 1992).
rel. “Without close supervision the suggested cuts,
in par ticular, would fall victim to the machinations Potiphar’s wife (potifarz) A woman who gets
of interest groups and the pork barrel orientations revenge on a man who has rejected her advances
of members of Congress” (David Mervin, Ronald by falsely accusing him of rape. Potiphar is
Reagan and the American Presidency, 1990). described in Genesis 37:36 as one of Pharaoh’s
officers who bought joseph as a slave and made
Porlock, person from See person from por- him overseer of his household. Potiphar’s wife
lock. tried to seduce Joseph, but he refused her, so in a
rage she snatched some of his clothing and went to
Porter, Jimmy See angry young man. her husband to complain that Joseph had raped
her, offering his clothing as corroborating evidence.
Porthos See three musketeers. Potiphar believed his wife’s accusations, and Joseph
was thrown into prison (Genesis 39:7–20). “A
Portia See quality of mercy is not strained, good housewife is of necessity a humbug; and
the; shylock. Cornelia’s husband was hoodwinked, as Potiphar
380
 praetorian guard

was—only in a different way” (William Make- autres.” (“In this country, it is good to kill an admi-
peace Thackeray, Vanity Fair, 1847). ral from time to time to encourage the others.”)
“Twelve of their heads were impaled on the
potter’s field A burial ground for paupers and Charles Bridge pour encourager les autres and
unclaimed bodies. The original Potter’s Field was, remained there for more than a decade” (Walter
according to Matthew 27:7, a patch of ground Perrie, Roads that Move, 1991).
outside Jerusalem that was purchased by the
priests of the Temple as a burial place for the pour out the vials of wrath See vials of wrath.
poor. The area was bought with the thirty pieces
of silver that a remorseful Judas Iscariot had powers that be, the The government or those in
received as payment for betraying Christ and had authority; the establishment. The phrase comes
returned to the Temple shortly before taking his from Romans 13:1: “Let every soul be subject
own life. The cemetery’s name referred to the unto the higher powers. For there is no power but
land’s former use as a source of clay for local pot- of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.”
ters. Subsequently the name was borrowed for The powers that be have ordered that there should be no
pauper burial grounds at many locations through- review of department policy.
out the Christian world. Another version claims
that Judas himself bought the field with the thirty praetorian guard (preetoreebn) The protectors
pieces of silver and died there (see aceldama). or closest confederates of an individual or govern-
“She is whimsical, and may really like to have the ment in power. In ancient Rome the Praetorian
truth. It’s quite clear her heart is as insensible to Guard, instituted during the reign of Augustus,
eloquence and poetry, as a Potter’s Field wall, and around 27 b.c., served as the bodyguards of the
it might answer to try her with a little truth” emperor. The very first such guards were a small
( James Fenimore Cooper, Autobiography of a Pocket- body of elite soldiers chosen to protect a com-
Handkerchief, 1843). manding officer on campaign and took their name
from that of a commanding officer’s tent, his prae-
pound of flesh See shylock. torium. Members of the imperial Praetorian Guard,
which numbered some 9,000 men under Augus-
pour encourager les autres (por onkoorahzhay layz tus, wielded considerable power in their own right
otrb) To make an example of someone as a warn- and on many occasions played a prominent role in
ing or incentive to others. The reference is to the installing or deposing the emperor. It is thought
British admiral John Byng, who was executed by that at least nine emperors were murdered by the
firing squad in 1757 after his admittedly fairly Praetorian Guard between the years a.d. 41 and
modest naval force failed to press home an attack 282. The Praetorian Guard was finally disbanded
on the French-held island of Minorca during in 312, having lost its role to the army generals,
the Seven Years’ War (1750–57). The incident upon whom emperors had come to rely directly
prompted the French writer Voltaire to observe of for support. The term, sometimes rendered in the
England in Candide (1759): “Dans ce pays-ci il est bon form palace guard, is still used today to refer to
de tuer de temps en temps un amiral pour encourager les the cohorts of aides and confidants who attach
381
Praxitelean

themselves to those in power. The adjective prae- pricks, kick against the See kick against the
torian may also be applied to regimes of a strong pricks.
military, authoritarian character. In times of trouble
it is the duty of aides to gather around the president as a pride goeth before a fall Overconfidence and
form of praetorian guard, sheltering him from further arrogance often result in humiliation or disaster.
hostile attentions. The proverb is of biblical origin: “Pride goeth
before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a
Praxitelean (praksiteleebn) Of the highest stan- fall” (Proverbs 16:18). It is also encountered in the
dard in sculpture. Praxiteles was an Athenian form pride comes before a fall. “ ‘I suppose he
sculptor who flourished in the fourth century b.c. thinks he’d be mayor himself,’ said the people of
and was regarded as the finest sculptor Greece had Blackstable. They pursed their lips. ‘Pride goeth
ever known. His few surviving works include a before a fall’ ” (W. Somerset Maugham, Cakes and
statue of Hermes carrying the infant Dionysus. Ale, 1930).
“She had bared her plump neck, shoulders, and
arms to the moonshine, under which they looked priests of Bacchus See bacchus.
as luminous and beautiful as some Praxitelean
creation” (Thomas Hardy, Tess of the D’Urbervilles, primrose path An easy path of indulgence and
1891). pleasure, especially one that leads to ruin. The
expression appears in two of William Shake-
premillennialism See millennium.
speare’s plays, hamlet (c. 1600) and macbeth
(1606). He was a long way down the primrose path of
Presley, Elvis See king, the.
wine, women, and song before he realized how it
priapic (priapik) Of or relating to the sexual
might end.
urge in males; phallic. The word alludes to Pria-
pus, the son of Dionysus and Aphrodite and the Prince Charming A male lover, especially one
god of gardens and vineyards and of male repro- who has various ideal qualities, such as charm,
ductive power. He was not too old to feel the need to good looks, and a lot of money. The allusion is to
satisfy the odd priapic urge, although he rarely did any- the fairy tale cinderella, which ends with Cin-
thing about it. derella finally being united with her Prince
Charming, although similar idealized lovers—
price of wisdom is above rubies, the Nothing is sometimes identified by the same name—appear
more valuable than wisdom. This proverb is of in other fairy tales, such as sleeping beauty and
biblical origin, appearing in Job 28:18: “No men- snow white. She’s been on hundreds of blind dates,
tion shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the but she’s still looking for her Prince Charming.
price of wisdom is above rubies.” (See also Prov-
erbs 3:15 and 8:11.) “Who can find a virtuous Prince of Darkness See satan.
woman? for her price is far above rubies” (Thomas
Hardy, Tess of the D’Urbervilles, 1891). prince of Denmark See hamlet.
382
 Professor Moriarty

princes in the Tower Innocent victims of political rights or circumstances. In Greek mythology Pro-
murder. Edward, Prince of Wales (b. 1470), who crustes was a cruel, villainous highwayman who
reigned briefly as Edward V, and Richard, duke of forced his victims to lie on an iron bed, stretching
York (b. 1472) were the heirs of the English king their bodies or lopping off their limbs to make
Edward IV, but after their father’s death in 1483 them fit it perfectly. His name literally means “the
both were incarcerated in the feared tower of stretcher.” His notorious career came to a prema-
london on the orders of their uncle, the future ture end when he was killed by Theseus. A bed of
Richard III. The two boys then vanished and are Procrustes or procrustean bed denotes a sys-
generally believed to have been murdered on their tem, scheme, or standard to which others are
uncle’s orders. Skeletons found in the Tower in obliged to conform. “A certain set of highly inge-
1674 were said to be those of the two boys. “I nious resources are, with the Prefect, a sort of
thought of us as the little princes in the Tower, and Procrustean bed, to which he forcibly adapts his
of the city of London as the cruel torturer Hubert designs” (Edgar Allan Poe, “The Purloined Letter,”
who at any moment might come and put out our 1845).
poetic eyes” ( James Kirkup, A Poet could not but be
Gay, 1991). prodigal son A person who returns after a
lengthy absence, having squandered his or her
princess and the pea A person who is considered money. The allusion is to Christ’s parable of the
unreasonably fussy or sensitive. The allusion is to prodigal son related in Luke 15:11–32, in which
the fairy tale The Princess and the Pea (1836) by a young man returns home after recklessly frit-
the Danish writer hans christian andersen tering away his inheritance. Instead of rebuking
(1805–75), in which an unknown young woman him for his profligacy, and braving the protests of
who claims she is a princess is tested by being his other son, who had stayed at home, the father
offered a bed comprising 20 mattresses and 20 welcomes him back and holds a lavish celebration
eiderdowns. She is unaware that a single pea has in honor of the event. By much the same token a
been concealed deep in the pile, but complains in prodigal is someone who squanders his or her
the morning that she has not been able to get a money. “Then he looked at the highly-coloured
moment’s sleep because of a lump in the bed, thus scripture pieces on the walls, in little black
proving that she has had a truly luxurious, royal frames like common shaving-glasses, and saw
upbringing. His teenage daughter complains at the how the Wise Men (with a strong family likeness
slightest thing, like the princess and the pea. among them) worshipped in a pink manager; and
how the Prodigal Son came home in red rags to a
Priscian See break priscian’s head. purple father, and already feasted his imagina-
tion on a sea-green calf ” (Charles Dickens, Mar-
Procris See unerring as the dart of procris. tin Chuzzlewit, 1843–44). See also kill the
fatted calf.
procrustean (prbkrbsteebn, prokrbsteebn) Achi-
eving conformity through the arbitrary use of vio- Professor Moriarty See napoleon of crime;
lent or ruthless means, regardless of individual sherlock holmes.
383
Promethean

Promethean (prbmeetheebn) Exceptionally cre- Matthew 13:57, which describes how Christ was
ative, inventive, or original. The word alludes to ill received in his home town of Nazareth and
the Greek demigod Prometheus (whose name quotes him as saying: “A prophet is not without
means “forethought”), who was credited with honour, save in his own country, and in his own
making the first man from clay. He later stole fire house.” Also encountered in the form a prophet is
from Olympus and presented it to the human race without honor in his own country. “In Florence
and also taught mortals many artistic, medical, the signori thought him an amusing fellow and his
and agricultural skills. Because of his defiance of letters often made them laugh, but they had no
the gods in stealing fire from Olympus, Zeus had great confidence in his judgment and never fol-
Prometheus chained to a rock so that an eagle (or lowed his advice. ‘A prophet is not without honor
vulture) could feed on his liver, which was magi- save in his own country,’ he sighed” (W. Somerset
cally restored each day. He was eventually rescued Maugham, Then and Now, 1946).
from this agony by hercules. Inspiration, creativ-
ity, or life itself is sometimes referred to as Proserpina See persephone.
Promethean fire. “Now, don’t you suppose, my
inexperienced girl, that I cannot rebel, in high Prospero (prospbro) A person with powerful
Promethean fashion, against the gods and fate as magical powers. Prospero is the central character
well as you” (Thomas Hardy, The Return of the in William Shakespeare’s play The Tempest (1611), a
Native, 1878). nobleman of Milan exiled to a desert island who
has mastered the magical arts and uses them to
promised land A place or situation believed to overcome his former enemies, achieve a reconcili-
offer great happiness, fulfillment, and security. In ation with them, and secure a better future for
the Old Testament the land of Canaan was prom- his daughter miranda. He finally renounces his
ised by God to Abraham and his descendants, and magic and returns to Milan. He seemed to control the
thus Canaan came to be referred to as the Prom- destinies of all those around him, like Prospero with
ised Land: “And the LORD appeared unto Abram his magic staff. See also ariel; brave new world;
and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land” (Gen- caliban.
esis 12:7). In other contexts the same title is
sometimes applied to heaven: “I just want to do protean (proteebn, proteebn) Versatile; variable;
God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the changeable. The word comes from the name of the
mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the Greek sea god, Proteus, who tended the flocks of
promised land” (Martin Luther King, speech, April Poseidon and could change his shape at will. “Don-
3, 1968). See also land flowing with milk and ald appeared not to see her at all, and answered
honey. her wise little remarks with curtly indifferent
monosyllables, his looks and faculties hanging on
prophet is not without honor, save in his own the woman who could boast of a more Protean
country, a A person who issues warnings or variety in her phases, moods, opinions, and also
advice is often taken least seriously by those clos- principles, than could Elizabeth” (Thomas Hardy,
est to him or her. The proverb comes from The Mayor of Casterbridge, 1886).
384
 public enemy number one

Proustian (proosteebn) Reminiscent of the psy- P. T. Barnum (bahrnbm) A person who presents
chology or style of the writings of the French nov- spectacular large-scale shows. Phineas Taylor Bar-
elist Marcel Proust (1871–1922). The subjects of num (1810–91) staged ambitious public enter-
Proust’s novels, which are typically long and highly tainments from the 1840s onward, his many famed
detailed, include memory, heartbreak, sickness, attractions ranging from tom thumb to the ele-
and the passage of time. The term Proustian may phant man. He also opened a Museum of Curi-
allude to any of these, although it is equally likely osities on Broadway in New York City. Most
to be employed in relation to his technique of celebrated of all was his renowned circus, cofounded
using a simple sensation to evoke detailed memo- with James H. Bailey in 1870, which toured the
ries of times long past (see madeleine). The smell United States and Europe under the slogan “The
of her perfume had a Proustian effect, bringing back Greatest Show on Earth.” He is remembered both
memories of his childhood in Africa. for his resourcefulness and for his lack of princi-
ples when it came to exploiting the fee-paying
psyche (sikee) The human mind or soul. The public. The city had seen nothing like it since the last
word alludes to Greek mythology and the beautiful visit by Barnum’s circus.
Psyche, a mortal who was loved by Eros, the god of
love, and visited by him each night on the condition Ptolemaic (tolbmayik) Of or relating to the the-
that she did not ask his name or look at his face. ories of the Greco-Egyptian astronomer and math-
Eventually Psyche, tricked by her sisters into think- ematician Claudius Ptolemaeus, who flourished in
ing her secret lover was a monster, succumbed to the second century a.d. His theory that the uni-
temptation and looked on Eros’s face in the lamp- verse revolved around the Earth remained
light. Eros fled but Psyche sought him out, and after unchallenged until the 16th century, when it was
lengthy wandering and many adventures they were discredited by Nicolaus Copernicus. Since then
reunited. Psyche was granted immortality and Ptolemaic has been variously applied to theories or
became the personification of the soul. Somewhere attitudes based on an assumption that the universe
deep in his psyche was a niggling desire to make himself revolves around the Earth and human affairs.
heard, but he suppressed it with a deliberate effort. “Geology has initiated us into the secularity of
nature, and taught us to disuse our dame-school
Psycho (siko) A situation reminiscent of the measures, and exchange our Mosaic and Ptolemaic
1960 movie Psycho, about a deranged serial killer. schemes for her large style” (Ralph Waldo Emer-
The movie was directed by Alfred Hitchcock son, Nature, 1836).
(1899–1980) and starred Anthony Perkins (1932–
92) as the psychopathic Norman Bates. In the public enemy number one A criminal whose
most memorable and shocking scene in the movie, crimes are especially heinous, or anything that is
the unsuspecting Janet Leigh is stabbed to death in seen to pose a serious threat to the general public.
the shower. “No one of the post-Psycho generation The title was first bestowed, in 1925, upon the
likes being surprised in the shower, so I closed the bank robber and murderer John Dillinger
bathroom door loudly behind me” (Michael Dib- (1903–34), who (with his companion Anna Sage,
din, Dirty Tricks, 1991). See also bates motel. the Lady in Red ) carved his bloody way through
385
Puck

the Midwest until finally shot to death by the FBI the third and second centuries b.c. Conscious that
in 1934, by which time he had killed 10 people. the influence of Carthage represented a serious
The title has since been applied to many other threat to their own republic, Romans accused
murderers and terrorists. “Since 1980 a new envi- their Carthaginian enemies of all manner of dis-
ronmental public enemy number one has replaced honest, treacherous behavior, and the statesman
nuclear power” (Don Hedley, World Energy, 1986). Cato the Elder spoke for many when he took to
ending each speech he made in the Senate with
Puck A mischievous sprite. Otherwise known as “Carthage must be destroyed.” This was finally
Robin Goodfellow, Puck has his roots in English achieved with victory in the Third Punic War in
folklore. He is depicted as an evil spirit in Edmund 146 b.c. As a further demonstration of his Punic faith
Spenser’s Epithalamion (1595) but is best known he gave the authorities full details of his former employ-
from his more innocently provocative appear- er’s bank accounts. See also carthaginian peace.
ances in William Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer
Night’s Dream (1595). Shakespeare’s Puck uses his pure all things are pure, to the See unto the
magic to confound mortals on the orders of his pure all things are pure.
master Oberon, king of the fairies. Someone who
is puckish behaves in an impish, mischievous man- purgatory (pergbtoree) A state or place of suf-
ner. Guests quickly tired of his puckish pranks at the fering or torment. In Catholic tradition purgatory
Christmas party. is the temporary abode of those spirits who are
obliged to spend a period of time being purged of
Punch and Judy A married couple or two other their sins before they can enter heaven. Scriptures
parties who have a knockabout, even violent, rela- that are alluded to in support of this teaching
tionship. The allusion is to the Punch and July pup- include 2 Maccabees 12:44–45 of the Apocrypha,
pet shows, distantly descended from the Italian Matthew 12:32, John 14:2, and 1 Corinthians
commedia dell’arte, that were once a common 3:11–15. The name itself comes from the Latin
feature of the English seaside. Punch was a hunch- purgatorium (“place of cleansing”). “From the surface
backed rogue who strangled his baby, beat his wife of the water rose a dense cloud of steam. Alphonse
Judy, and was eventually sentenced to the gallows, groaned out that we were already in purgatory,
while Judy was almost equally violent; other char- which indeed we were, though not in the sense
acters included a crocodile and a policeman. Mod- that he meant it” (H. Rider Haggard, Allan Quater-
ern politics seems to have descended to the level of a main, 1887).
Punch and Judy show.
puritanical Stern, austere, or unforgiving;
Punic faith (pyoonik) Dishonest, deceitful, opposed to indulgence and excess. The Puritans
treacherous behavior; faithlessness.The Latin word emerged within the Church of England in the late
for a Carthaginian was Punicus (a reference to their 16th and early 17th centuries as a group of reli-
Phoenician origins), and the concept of Punic faith gious dissenters who were determined to rid the
alludes to the hostility that existed between Car- church of any practices left over from Roman
thage and ancient Rome during the Punic Wars of Catholicism. They were also opposed to the
386
 pygmy

absolute power of the monarchy (which was sus- the burgeoning Nazi movement was thus con-
pected of harboring Catholic sympathies) and, hav- firmed. “In this he was to be sadly mistaken, and
ing achieved considerable political influence with the collapse of his position in the face of what was
the overthrow and execution of Charles I and the initially little more than a putsch organized by the
rule of Oliver Cromwell, sought to repress what queen shows how shallowly based his authority
they saw as sinful behavior in society, such as going was, resting on fear and coercion rather than gen-
to the theater and many other forms of frivolity. uine loyalty” (Anthony Tuck, Crown and Nobility
The Puritans lost favor in England after the Resto- 1272–1461, 1986).
ration of Charles II and many emigrated to America
to found new Puritan colonies, thus exercising a Pygmalion (pigmaylybn, pigmayleebn) A person
profound and lasting influence upon the formation who creates or re-creates another individual and
of the national character. Nowadays, however, the then becomes obsessed with the creation. In Greek
term “puritanical” is usually employed to condemn mythology Pygmalion was a sculptor who, repelled
attitudes that are seen as overly rigid and narrow- by the flaws of mortal women, fashioned a statue
minded. “He had, of course, given up cigarettes by of the perfect woman, calling her galatea. This
the time he had gone into the clinic, but as a result act angered Aphrodite, the goddess of love, who
he had abandoned the puritanical principles incul- punished Pygmalion by making him fall in love
cated into him in youth and had started eating with his creation. Driven to distraction by the fact
sweets instead; and this meant that he was putting that he could not consummate his love, Pygmalion
on weight” (Peter Ackroyd, T. S. Eliot, 1988). begged the gods to breath life into the figure.
Eventually Aphrodite agreed to his request, and
push the envelope To go beyond normal limits. Galatea became a real, living woman. The central
The phrase, which was first heard in the 1940s, theme of the myth, a warning to those who obses-
comes from aviation, specifically from graphs illus- sively pursue an artistic ideal, provided the basis
trating an aircraft’s known range and powers, the for George Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion (1913),
lines on the graph suggesting the shape of an enve- in which a linguist sets himself the intellectual
lope. To “push the envelope” is thus to exceed challenge of passing off a common flower vendor
these limits, for instance, in breaking the sound as an aristocratic lady (see eliza doolittle) and in
barrier. We need to push the envelope if this company is the process neglects his own emotional attach-
to get ahead of the opposition. ment toward her until it is too late. The play was
subsequently turned into the musical My Fair Lady
putsch (puuch) A political uprising. Meaning (1956), which in turn became a movie (1964). As
“push” in German, the word is best known from her manager he assumed the role of her Pygmalion, trans-
the Munich Putsch staged by the Nazis in forming her from a talented hopeful into a fully rounded
November 1923, during which hitler and his professional.
followers recruited the support of right-wingers
meeting in a Munich beer hall to march on the pygmy Something or someone very small or
center of Munich. The rising failed and Hitler was insignificant. Pygmies, or pigmies, were featured
imprisoned for five months, but his leadership of in classical lore as a legendary race of dwarfs living
387
Pylades and Orestes

in central Asia and were first recorded in the writ- attacked by a lion. Thisbe fled, and when Pyramus
ings of Homer (c. eighth century b.c.). The word arrived, all he found was her bloody scarf. Assum-
itself comes from the Greek pygme, a measure of ing she was dead, he killed himself, only for Thisbe
length equivalent to the distance from a person’s to find his body and commit suicide in turn. When
elbow to the knuckles. When hercules went into she found his apparently lifeless body, the young woman
battle with the pygmies he overcame them by roll- swooned on the spot, a virtual modern reenactment of
ing them up in his lion skin. The name was subse- Pyramus and Thisbe.
quently applied to certain peoples of equatorial
Africa characterized by their small stature, although Pyrrhic victory (pirik) A hollow victory; a vic-
they are considerably larger than the pygmies of tory so costly that its benefits are relatively insig-
classical legend, who used miniature hatchets to nificant. Pyrrhus (312–272 b.c.) was a king of
cut individual ears of corn and had to wage war Epirus, in western Greece, who waged a lengthy
annually against the cranes that fed on them. campaign against Rome. Following the battle of
Although a significant player in the home market, the Asculum (279), which he won narrowly and only
company is a pygmy on the international stage. at the cost of many of his men, he is said to have
exclaimed, “One more such victory and we are
Pylades and Orestes (pilaydeez, oresteez) undone!” By the time he returned to Epirus he had
Archetypes of devoted friendship. Pylades and lost two-thirds of his army. Such a victory may also
Orestes appear in the writings of Homer (c. eighth be called a Cadmean victory in allusion to the
century b.c.) as a model of perfect friendship. Greek legend of Prince Cadmus, who fought and
Orestes was the son of Agamemnon, while Pylades killed a dragon, but a host of armed men subse-
was Agamemnon’s nephew. Like Pylades and Orestes, quently sprang up from the dragon’s teeth, which
they would have done anything for each other. Cadmus had planted in the ground. Cadmus threw
a stone into their midst and all but five died in the
pylon A steel structure supporting high-tension ensuing mayhem (hence the phrase). Pleased though
electrical cables or other equipment. The original they were to secure the house after such a long struggle,
pylons were the monumental gateways that were a it was a Pyrrhic victory, for there would be very little left
chief feature of ancient Egyptian temples. Most elec- in the kitty after they had met the dramatically inflated
trical companies today try to put their cables under- purchase price. See also sow dragon’s teeth.
ground rather than hoist them up in the air on long
chains of pylons running across the countryside. Pythagorean theorem (pbthagbreebn) Mathe-
matical rule that the square of the length of the
Pyramids See eighth wonder of the world. hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of
the lengths of the other two sides of a right trian-
Pyramus and Thisbe (pirbmbs, thizbee) Arche- gle. Pythagoras (c. 580–c. 500 b.c.) was a Greek
typal tragic lovers of classical legend. Pyramus and philosopher and mathematician. It seems that this
Thisbe were two lovers who defied their parents’ theorem was familiar to ancient Egyptian survey-
opposition to their match and arranged to meet in ors and the Babylonians at least 100 years before
a remote place where Thisbe, arriving first, was Pythagoras. Children are expected to have mastered the
388
 python

basic laws of mathematics, such as the Pythagorean kill their prey by constriction. They are named
theorem, by the time they take their first major set of after a monstrous snake of Greek mythology
examinations. called the Python. Legend had it that this serpent
arose from the mud following the flood sent by
pythonesque See monty python. Zeus that drowned everyone except Deucalion
and his wife, Pyrrha. The Python became the
Pythias See damon and pythias. guardian of Delphi until killed by Apollo, who set
up his oracle there and established the Pythian
python A family of large, nonvenomous snakes Games to celebrate his victory. The feather boa
native to Africa, southern Asia, and Australia that curled like a python round her generous figure.

389
å Q ååååå
quality of mercy is not strained, the Mercy, Queen of Heaven Title traditionally bestowed
which is free, is always an option. The source of upon the virgin mary in the Catholic and Ortho-
this oft-repeated sentiment is William Shake- dox liturgies. Mary was crowned Queen of Heaven
speare’s play The Merchant ofVenice (1596), in which on her Assumption, and a Feast of Mary the Queen
the giving and withholding of mercy is a primary was subsequently instituted by Pope Pius XII
theme. Among the best-known quotations from (1876–1958). Her other titles include Queen of
Shakespeare, it is voiced by shylock’s nemesis Angels, Queen of Apostles, Queen of Confessors,
Portia. He was tempted to humiliate his enemies in his Queen of Patriarchs, Queen of Peace, Queen of
hour of triumph, but reminded himself just in time that Prophets, Queen of Saints, and Queen of Vir-
the quality of mercy is not strained. gins. “But he believed in his mother and sisters as
though they were heaven-born; and he was one
Quasimodo See hunchback of notre dame. who could believe in his wife as though she were
the queen of heaven” (Anthony Trollope, The
Quatermain, Allan See allan quatermain.
Eustace Diamonds, 1873). See also ashtoreth.
Queeg, Captain See captain queeg.
Queen of Sheba (sheebb) Legendary queen
Queen Anne is dead That is old news. The whose name is sometimes applied pejoratively to
Queen Anne referred to, the daughter of James II woman who is suspected of dressing or otherwise
and his first wife Anne Hyde, ruled Great Britain behaving in an inappropriately grand manner.
and Ireland from 1702 to 1714. Queen Anne suf- The biblical Queen of Sheba, described in 1 Kings
fered from ill health for many years before her 10:1–13, 2 Chronicles 9:1–9 and 12, and else-
eventual death on August 1, 1714, at the age of 49. where, is a shadowy figure, supposedly the proud
Rumors that she had died were circulating two ruler of an area equating to modern Ethiopia and
days before her actual death, so that by the time Yemen. She visited Solomon in Jerusalem in order
the reports became official it was already stale to confirm for herself the tales she had heard of
news. “Yes, and Queen Anne’s dead” was his dismissive both his wisdom and of the magnificence of his
comment when they told him the plant was going to palaces. She was greatly humbled when these tales
close. were proved accurate, and “there was no more
390
 Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

spirit in her” (1 Kings 10:4–5). According to thence he shall come to judge the quick and the
some accounts she and Solomon became lovers. dead.” It appears in the Bible in similar form in
Her name is usually invoked as a criticism of Acts 10:42, 2 Timothy 4:1, and 1 Peter 4:5. In
women who are guilty of pretensions of grandeur modern usage it is usually quoted with parodic
or haughty behavior, but it may also sometimes intent. Local tradition insisted that the old churchyard
symbolize vanquished pride, as in Thomas Hardy’s was a place of macabre happenings, where the quick and
Tess of the D’Urbervilles (1891), in which Tess the dead came face to face.
laments, “I’m like the poor Queen of Sheba who
lives in the Bible. There is no more spirit in me.” quick on the draw Quick to respond to an
“ ‘You ought’—‘Ought what, sir?’ demanded the opportunity or threat. The allusion is the gunfight-
lady, gazing at her husband with the air of a Queen ers of the Wild West and the cliché of the duel
of Sheba” (Honoré de Balzac, Cousin Pons, 1847). with guns fought in the streets of Dodge City and
other towns, although these were largely the stuff
Queensberry Rules (kweenzbbree) The rules of of legend somewhat removed from reality. Sur-
fair play. John Sholto Douglas, the marquess of vival in such a duel depended upon being the first
Queensberry (1844–1900), was an enthusiastic to draw the revolver from the holster. An early
sportsman who, in 1867, oversaw the establish- variant was quick on the trigger. “But Goldie,
ment of a new set of rules intended to make box- quick on the draw, intervenes” (Ellen Galford, The
ing a safer sport. The so-called “Queensberry Dyke and the Dybbuk, 1993).
Rules” prohibited (among other tactics) biting,
kicking, and hitting below the belt. Nowadays, Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? (kwis kbstodeebt
anyone who does not play fairly in any sporting or ipsos kbstodayz) Who will guard the guards them-
nonsporting context may be accused of not play- selves? This proverbial word of warning emphasiz-
ing by the Queensberry Rules. “Not exactly the ing the need for those in authority to be themselves
Queensberry Rules, but it worked” (Simon accountable to others comes from the writings of
Romain, How to Live Safely in a Dangerous World, the Roman satirist Juvenal (c. a.d. 55–c. 140),
1989). See also hit below the belt. specifically Satire VI. Juvenal addressed it origi-
nally to ner vous husbands who hired others to
queer as a clockwork orange See clockwork guard the chastity of their wives. The line contin-
orange. ues to be quoted today whenever doubt is cast
about the trustworthiness of people occupying
Queer Street See carey street. posts of considerable power, authority, or oppor-
tunity. “The bad measures or bad appointments of
que sera, sera See che sarà, sarà. a minister may be checked by Parliament; and the
interest of ministers in defending, and of rival par-
quick and the dead, the The living and the dead. tisans in attacking, secures a tolerably equal dis-
The phrase appears in the Apostles’ Creed (in the cussion: but quis custodiet custodes? who shall
Book of Common Prayer), in which Christ is identi- check the Parliament?” ( John Stuart Mill, Consider-
fied as the judge of the living and the dead: “From ations on Representative Government, 1861).
391
quisling

quisling (kwizling) A collaborator or traitor. quixotic See don quixote.

Vidkun Quisling (1887–1945) was a Norwegian
fascist politician who sided with Adolf Hitler’s Quo vadis? (kwo vahdis) Whither goest thou?
Germany prior to the German invasion of Norway This formal challenge comes directly from the
in 1940 and as a reward was made Germany’s Vulgate version of John 13:36, in which the words
puppet president while the country remained are addressed by Peter to Christ at the Last Sup-
under German occupation. Reviled by most per. (See also John 16:5.) According to one
Norwegians, he gave himself up in 1945 after the legend, a variant origin of the phrase is when
defeat of the Nazis; he was tried by a Norwegian Christ appears in a vision during Peter’s flight
court and shot later the same year. Winston from Rome to escape martyrdom. When Christ
Churchill was the first person to use Quisling’s replies “To Rome to be crucified again,” a chas-
name as a synonym for treason. “While setting up tened Peter turns back to the capital to face
the calm surface of village life in a realistic man- his own execution. The quotation was subse-
ner, the film does so only as a contrast to the sav- quently used as a title for several major reli-
agery that ensues: a priest is shot while making a gious paintings depicting the episode. A novel
stand against ‘the enemies and oppressors of man- of the same title (1895) by the Polish writer
kind,’ the Post Office lady kills a German with an Henryk Sienkiewicz, who depicted Rome dur-
axe and is promptly bayonetted herself, and the ing the reign of Nero, has been staged and
vicar’s daughter disposes of the Quisling squire, to filmed several times. The sentry leveled his rifle
whom she had been amorously linked” (James and uttered the time-honored quo vadis as instructed
Park, British Cinema: the Lights that Failed, 1990). by his sergeant.

392
ååååå R å
rabbit hole See down the rabbit hole. Rachel weeping for her children A woman in the
throes of grief, especially one mourning her dead
Rabelaisian (rabblayzeebn) Coarse, licentious, child. According to Genesis 29–35, Rachel was
or ribald; concerned with bodily functions and the the second wife of Jacob and the mother of
pleasures of the flesh. The allusion is to the works Joseph and Benjamin. She died giving birth to
of the French writer François Rabelais (c. 1494–c. Benjamin but subsequently is described as weep-
1553), who is usually remembered for the outra- ing over the fate of her descendants when they
geous comic satires Gargantua and Pantagruel, were about to be carried off into captivity in
about the extravagant and grotesque behavior of Babylon: “Rachel weeping for her children refused
two giants (Pantagruel being Gargantua’s son). to be comforted for her children, because they
Rabelais himself turned to writing only after aban- were not” (Jeremiah 31:15). (See also Matthew
doning life in a monastery, his attacks on both 2:17–18.) “But by her halting course and wind-
religious and secular authorities making him one ing, woeful way, you plainly saw that this ship
of the most controversial figures of his age. “It that so wept with spray, still remained without
could be a bit vulgar, I grant you, but Rabelaisian, comfort. She was Rachel, weeping for her chil-
nothing nasty” (Ruth Dudley Edwards, Clubbed to dren, because they were not” (Herman Melville,
Death, 1993). See also gargantuan. Moby-Dick, 1851).

race is not to the swift nor the battle to the strong, radical chic (sheek) The espousal of leftist causes
the It is not always the stronger or faster side by members of the fashionable elite. The term was
that wins the contest. This proverbial observation coined by U.S. journalist and novelist Tom Wolfe
has biblical origins: “The race is not to the swift, (b. 1931) in his book Radical Chic (Mau-Mauing the
nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to Flak Catchers) (1970) to describe a contemporary
the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, fad for members of high society to identify with
nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance various political radicals, holding fund-raising
happeneth to them all” (Ecclesiastes 9:11). “Poor events and the like to promote their causes (though
child! she lay . . . trying to work out . . . why the usually in order to appear modish rather than
race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong” because of any real political conviction). “In the
(Charlotte Mary Yonge, Pillars of House, 1873). liberated world of radical chic, we may be intended
393
Raffles

to think, favours could be done for the right per- was so titanic it seemed for a moment he was witnessing
son” (Karl Miller, Authors, 1989). the fighting of some Ragnarok in which all creation
would be destroyed. See also götterdämmerung.
Raffles (rafblz) A gentleman thief.The reference
is to the central character in the Raffles stories of E. rainbow See end of the rainbow.
W. Hornung (1866–1921). Introduced in The Ama-
teur Cracksman (1899), A. J. Raffles is a dashing rain check The postponement of something. The
English gentleman and sportsman with a sideline in term comes from baseball, which, being an out-
burglary (usually from unappealing rich victims), door game, is sometimes postponed due to bad
who commits his crimes as much for the challenge weather; spectators who have bought tickets can
they present as for any pecuniary interest. He shared use the counterfoil or a receipt to attend a later
his name with the historical Sir Ernest Stamford game without having to pay again. The phrase has
Raffles (1781–1826), who founded the celebrated since been applied to many other kinds of sport
Raffles Hotel in Singapore. He clearly thought of him- and entertainment and beyond that in many other
self as some sort of modern Raffles, but his shareholders contexts, often in the form take a rain check,
now realized he was just a common thief. used in polite response to an invitation made at an
inconvenient time. I’m afraid I’ll have to take a rain
raft of the Medusa (mbdoosb) A harrowing check on your invitation as I have to get home before the
scene of human suffering, typically one depicting children go to bed.
survivors from a shipwreck. The allusion is to a
painting of the same title by the French artist rain falls on the just and the unjust, the Some
Théodore Géricault (1791–1824), in which he things affect the good and the bad regardless of
depicted a group of stricken survivors on board a their virtues or lack of them. The phrase comes
raft from the Medusa, a French naval frigate bound from Christ’s Sermon on the Mount: “That ye may
for Senegal in 1816. The vessel foundered on reefs be the children of your Father which is in heaven:
off the coast of Africa, and the officers set 154 of for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the
their men adrift on a raft. Just 15 of them man- good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the
aged to survive, allegedly resorting to cannibal- unjust” (Matthew 5:45). The passage is sometimes
ism before being rescued. Géricault’s painting quoted as a reminder to leave retribution against
attracted notoriety for its unromantic realistic one’s enemies to God. The rain falls on the just and
depiction of the raft and its occupants after 13 on the unjust fella, but chiefly on the just because the
days at sea. By the time they managed to get the yacht unjust has stolen his umbrella.
and its occupants back to harbor it looked like the raft of
the Medusa. raise Cain (kayn) To stir up a fuss; to cause a
noisy disturbance. The phrase alludes to the story
Ragnarok (ragnbrok) A cataclysmic struggle of cain and abel, specifically to Cain’s violent
resulting in universal disaster. In Norse mythology temper, which was the underlying cause of his
the world will end in a climactic battle between murdering his brother (Genesis 4:5). In centuries
the good and evil gods. The impact of the two armies past Cain’s name was adopted as a euphemism for
394
 Raskolnikov

the devil, as most people hesitated to mention the preventing further crime, as happened more than
latter’s name for fear of summoning him. “And once during field-work” ( John Brewer and Kath-
look at Charles Second, and Louis Fourteen, and leen Magee, Inside the RUC, 1991).
Louis Fifteen, and James Second, and Edward Sec-
ond, and Richard Third, and forty more; besides rape of the Sabine women (saybin) Archetype
all them Saxon heptarchies that used to rip around of a mass abduction of women. The allusion is to a
so in old times and raise Cain” (Mark Twain, The legendary episode of early Roman history, accord-
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, 1884). ing to which the first Romans, under the leader-
ship of Romulus, finding themselves short of
raising of Lazarus See lazarus. females, invited their male Sabine neighbors to a
festival and meanwhile invaded Sabine territory
rake’s progress The downward passage through and carried off their womenfolk by force. War
life of a dissolute young man or other reprobate. subsequently broke out between the two sides,
The allusion is to a famous set of pictures painted but they were eventually reconciled. It was like the
and engraved under this title in 1735 by the English rape of the Sabine women, terrified girls seeking to elude
artist William Hogarth (1697–1764), in which he the clutches of their grinning partners.
satirized the foibles of contemporary society
through the immorality and ultimate downfall of a Rapunzel (rapbnzbl) A girl or woman with very
reckless young man-about-town. As a young man long hair. The allusion is to a story collected in
with money in his pocket he followed a rake’s progress grimm’s fairy tales by the 19th-century German
through high society until the cash ran out. See also gin folklorists the Brothers Grimm. The story
lane; hogarthian. decribes how the girl Rapunzel, imprisoned by a
witch in a high tower, lets down her hair for a
Rambo (rambo) A man who relies on physical prince to climb up and rescue her. “ ‘What the
strength or force of arms to achieve his purpose. hell?’ said Lydia, leaning indignantly out of the
The allusion is to the muscle-bound hero of a window over the door, like Rapunzel with a hair-
series of adventure films, beginning with First Blood cut” (Alice T. Ellis, Unexplained Laughter, 1985).
(1982), starring U.S. actor Sylvester Stallone as
misfit Vietnam veteran John Rambo, who single- Raskolnikov (raskolnikov) An alienated, angry
handedly overwhelms his foes using a range of young man, especially one who commits murder,
heavy weaponry.The films were inspired by a 1971 believing himself to be above the law. Rodion
novel entitled First Blood by David Morrell. The Romanovich Raskolnikov is a central character in
term later became a nickname of U.S. president the novel Crime and Punishment (1866) by Russian
Ronald Reagan, who referred approvingly to the writer Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821–81), in which he
films in one of his speeches, but has otherwise appears as an impoverished student who falls vic-
come to symbolize an unthinking resort to extreme tim to his own conscience after murdering a
violence. “Of course, there are other situations when woman pawnbroker and her sister. The dictates of his
the toughness that accompanies the Rambo self- conscience forced this sorry Texan Raskolnikov to admit to
image is useful in disarming trouble-makers and a crime that no one knew had even been committed.
395
Rasputin

Rasputin (raspyootin) A person who exercises a gathering: “Our Sovereign Lord the King chargeth
baleful influence on someone else, especially some- and commandeth all persons assembled immedi-
one in a position of power. Grigory Yefimovich ately to disperse themselves and peacefully to
Rasputin (1872–1916) was a notoriously dissolute depart to their habitations or to their lawful busi-
and debauched Russian mystic and healer who ness.” The Riot Act was replaced by the Public
gained influence over the royal family in prerevo- Order Act of 1986, but people still talk of “read-
lutionary Russia by appearing to be able to exert a ing the riot act” to restore peace and order or
beneficial effect upon the czar’s hemophiliac son, reprimand someone for behaving badly. “Every
heir to the imperial throne. Jealousy of growing now and again, Albert’s digestive system revolted,
power of this “mad monk” led a group of courtiers and his hard-pressed medical advisers were called
to plot and carry out Rasputin’s murder, though in, prescribed tablets, and read the riot act yet
they had to poison him, shoot him twice, and throw again” (Miss Read, The World of Thrush Green, 1990).
him in the River Neva before he finally died.
According to the press, the secretary of state’s chief adviser real McCoy (mbkoy) The genuine article; the
was behaving like some latter-day Rasputin. real thing. The allusion is generally said to be to
a celebrated U.S. welterweight boxer, Norman
read my lips Mark my words; I mean what I say. Selby (1873–1940), who had a long and highly
Though not coined by him (it was current in rock successful career in the 1890s fighting under the
music in the 1970s), the phrase is usually associ- name Kid McCoy, becoming world champion in
ated with U.S. president George H. W. Bush (b. 1896. Various other aspiring champions took the
1924), having been used by him as a campaigning name Kid McCoy for themselves, but any possi-
slogan in 1988 to underline his determination not ble confusion was settled in 1899 when Selby
to introduce new taxes: “Read my lips: no new achieved his most impressive victory yet, beating
taxes!” The slogan later came to haunt Bush in the renowned Joe Choynski and prompting one
office, when he went on to raise taxes, and it sports journalist to write “Now you’ve seen the
undoubtedly contributed to his failure to secure a Real McCoy,” hence the modern phrase. An alter-
second presidential term in 1992. “So, if you’re native derivation links the phrase to whiskey, being
out there spying on me, read my lips, little cheat: used in reference to Scottish whiskey as distinct
big brother is not going screwy, young lady, and from the less highly regarded whiskey made in
your thin-ended wedges stop right here!” (Ian Canada and the United States. “Walter stayed in
Maitland, Cathedral, 1993). the North, felt at home there, so his books are
authentic—the real McCoy” (Robert Barnard,
read the riot act To make it clear that further Posthumous Papers, 1992).
misbehavior, incompetence, etc. will not be toler-
ated. Under former British law, if 12 or more peo- Realpolitik (rayahlpoliteek, rayahlpoliteek) Prag-
ple threatened to commit a riot, it was the duty of matic politics. A German term, it is usually
magistrates to order them to disperse by reading applied to politics based on national interests or
them the relevant part of the Riot Act of 1715 practical (not theoretical or ethical) consider-
before sanctioning the use of force to break up the ations. It was coined in 1853 by Ludwig von
396
 redeem the time

Rochau in criticism of the unrealistic policies Frederick Browning. The memory of his previous
advocated by German liberals of the period and girlfriend lingered Rebecca-like in her thoughts as the
was later applied to Otto von Bismarck’s hard- wedding day approached. See also mrs. danvers.
headed and ultimately successful attempts to unify
Germany. In its dealings with some of the more dubious rebel without a cause A person, usually a teen-
regimes in sub-Saharan Africa the government has clearly ager, who rebels instinctively against the adult
bowed to the demands of Realpolitik. world. The allusion is to the 1955 film of the same
title starring james dean as Jim Stark, a troubled
reap the whirlwind See sow the wind and reap young man who became an icon for disaffected
the whirlwind. youth everywhere. After Dean’s premature death
in a road accident before the film had even opened
reap what you sow The benefit you receive the actor became synonymous with the role he
depends on what you have put in. The phrase had played and himself the archetypal rebel with-
comes from Paul’s letter to the Galatians: “God is out a cause. “He was a rebel without a cause, a
not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that born mutineer” ( Jack Caplan, Memories of the Gor-
shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7). (See also 2 Cor- bals, 1991). See also angry young man.
inthians 9:6.) The same image of reaping and sow-
ing is evoked at Matthew 25:24, where it appears receive one’s Nunc Dimittis See nunc dimittis.
in the parable of the talents: “Lord, I knew thee
that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou Rechabite (rekbbit) A teetotaler, especially one
hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not who is a member of the Independent Order of
strawed.” As children they had been brought up with Rechabites (founded 1835) or another similar tem-
the maxim that you reaped what you sowed, so the quali- perance society. Rechab was a biblical character
ties of respect, honesty, and hard work stood them in good who encouraged his family and his descendants to
stead throughout their lives. abstain from alcoholic drink and live strict, mod-
erate lives (Jeremiah 35:1–19). His uncle was a
rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic See Rechabite who would not allow alcohol of any kind in
titanic. the house.

Rebecca (rbbekb) Archetype of a first wife or redeem the time Do not waste time. The origins
lover whose baleful influence blights any later of the phrase are biblical, being a quotation from
relationship. The allusion is to Daphne du Mauri- Paul’s letter to the Ephesians: “See then that ye
er’s 1938 novel Rebecca, in which the shadow of walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise.
the deceased first wife of Maxim de Winter, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil”
owner of the forbidding mansion of Manderley, (Ephesians 5:15–16). “ ‘Therefore,’ urged the
hangs heavily over the happiness of de Winter’s good man, his voice trembling with emotion,
new bride. Du Maurier apparently based her story ‘redeem the time, my unhappy brethren, which is
on her own feelings of jealousy concerning an yet left’ ” (Sir Walter Scott, The Heart of Midlothian,
ex-fiancée of her husband Lieutenant-General 1818).
397
red herring

red herring A false trail; something that is irrele- its name from Rehoboam (10th century b.c.), a
vant to the issue under consideration. The allusion son of Solomon, the last king of the united Israel,
is to smoked herrings, which turn red and release a and the first king of Judah (1 Kings 11:43). His
strong odor in the process of being dried, smoked, name means “expansion of the people.” It has been
and salted. Trails made by smelly red herrings were many years since anyone ordered a rehoboam of claret at
traditionally created in order to train police dogs this particular restaurant.
to follow the scent of a fugitive criminal, and one
ruse used by fleeing felons was to trick the dogs by Reign of Terror A period when a government or
creating a false trail in this way. “On the other hand, other organization institutes a clampdown on dis-
the ‘hero’ label seemed a red herring, something sent. The term alludes to a historical episode dur-
the media themselves had dreamed up” (Ann Wroe, ing the French Revolution when thousands of real
Lives, Lies and the Iran-Contra Affair, 1991). or imagined enemies of the new French state were
executed. Extending from April 1793 to July
red-letter day A special or auspicious day. The 1794, the Reign of Terror saw some 2,300 people
reference is to ecclesiastical calendars in which sent to the guillotine in Paris alone on the orders
important festivals and saints’ days were printed of the Committee of Public Safety under the lead-
in red to mark them out from the rest, which were ership of robespierre. “They instigated a reign of
printed in black. “Finally the couple may be cele- terror in London’s East End, controlling their
brating a birthday, a wedding anniversary or some manor with a ruthless disregard for others” (Stuart
other red-letter day” (M. Holborn and M. Hara- Cosgrove, Hampden Babylon, 1991).
lambos, Sociology: Themes and Perspectives, 1991).
Rembrandt (rembrant) Archetype of a great art-
redneck An ill-educated, narrow-minded, reac- ist. The Dutch artist Rembrandt Harmenszoon van
tionary bigot. The term was first applied to the Rijn (1606–69) is ranked among the finest painters
impoverished rural poor of the Deep South with in the history of Western art, being acclaimed for
reference to the sunburnt necks of farm laborers his varied output of portraits, self-portraits, and
toiling in the fields, but it has since been applied landscapes. He handled light and shade with great
much more widely. “The Maggot, Ellen insisted, was inventiveness and dexterity, and his name is associ-
an untoilet-trained redneck jerk whose only exper- ated with the very greatest achievements in painted
tise was as a player of the most brutal and mindless art. I like some of his paintings, but let’s face it, he’s no
sport to be devised since the lions took on the Chris- Rembrandt.
tians” (Bernard Cornwell, Crackdown, 1990).
remember Pearl Harbor See pearl harbor.
Red Sea See crossing of the red sea.
remember the Alamo (albmo) A rallying cry,
Regan See king lear. especially when faced by overwhelming odds.
The allusion is to the siege by the Mexican army of
rehoboam (reebbobm) A large wine bottle, the former Christian mission building called the
equivalent to six standard-sized bottles. It takes Alamo in San Antonio in 1836 during the struggle
398
 retreat from Moscow

for Texan independence from Mexico. Although learning foreign languages and reading the classics
the Alamo eventually fell and all of the 187 defend- to playing musical instruments and learning how
ers (including davy crockett and Jim Bowie) to dance, ride, fence, and conduct a conversation.
were killed, their resistance became a symbol of In modern usage, the term may be applied to any-
heroism in the face of a probable defeat. The slo- one who demonstrates skill in more than one field,
gan “remember the Alamo!” was taken up by the not necessarily confined to the arts and cultural
army of Texas when it successfully avenged itself pursuits. Having demonstrated his abilities not only as
upon the Mexicans at San Jacinto six weeks later. a diplomat and writer but also as an artist and amateur
The coach tried to restore some enthusiasm during the opera singer on numerous occasions, his admirers com-
break, encouraging his squad to “Remember the Alamo!”, monly described him as a Renaissance man.
but the final result was never in doubt.
render unto Caesar (seezer) Surrender to your
remnant See saving remnant. masters the things that they are entitled to demand.
The phrase appears in the Bible in Matthew 22:21
Remus See romulus and remus. and Luke 20:25, where it is given as Christ’s reply
to the Pharisees’ question as to whether it was
Renaissance (renbsons) A resurgence of vitality lawful to pay tribute to Caesar (hoping to trick
in a par ticular field, originally the arts. From the Jesus into a confession of open disloyalty to the
French word meaning “rebirth,” the term is pri- emperor): “Then saith he unto them, Render
marily associated with the period of religious, cul- therefore unto Caesar the things which are Cae-
tural, and artistic development that took place in sar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.”
various European countries in the 14th, 15th, and The implication in Christ’s reply is that there are
16th centuries, marking the end of the medieval some things that Caesar is not entitled to ask for
era and the start of the modern age. The works of and that his authority is limited. When it comes to
classical authors were rediscovered, laying the taxes, there is little alternative but to bite the bullet and
foundations of modern scholasticism and trigger- render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s.
ing a revival of interest in such fields as science,
philosophy, and literature. “Deep well-springs of respecter of persons, no See no respecter of
ideas were tapped and a new Renaissance set in persons.
motion by men who were unafraid to let their
spirits roam in the new universe of science and rest on one’s laurels See laurels.
invention” (Edward Chisnall, Bell in the Tree: The
Glasgow Story, 1989). retreat from Moscow A costly, full-scale retreat
in the face of overwhelming defeat. The allusion is
Renaissance man (renbsons) A person who to the retreat of napoleon’s invading army from
excels in not just one but several fields. The term Russia in 1812 when defeated by the combined
harks back to the historical renaissance era, onslaught of the Russian winter and the evasive
when courtiers throughout Europe sought to mas- tactics of Russian generals. Thousands of French
ter a range of scholarly and other pursuits, from soldiers died in the course of the retreat, Napoleon’s
399
retreat? Hell, no! We just got here!

costliest setback. History repeated itself in the Rh factor, was named after the rhesus monkey, a
latter stages of World War II, when Germany’s macaque from southern Asia that is widely used in
invading armies were forced into retreat after medical research and in whose blood this protein
being similarly beaten into submission by the Rus- was first discovered. The monkey in turn was
sian winter and by their inability to inflict a final named after Rhesus, king of Thrace and an ally of
crushing defeat on the Red Army. This was a limited Troy, who according to Greek myth was killed by
tactical withdrawal for strategic reasons, not a retreat Odysseus and Diomedes as they stole his horses.
from Moscow. Legend had it that if the horses fed on the grass of
the Trojan plain and drank from the Xanthus River,
retreat? Hell, no! We just got here! Rejection of Troy would never fall. The presence of the rhesus fac-
a suggestion that the best plan might be to aban- tor in a person’s blood is not normally a problem but
don an apparently lost cause. This is a quotation can cause a hemolytic reaction, especially during preg-
from World War I, and is usually attributed to a nancy or following a blood transfusion that lacks this
U.S. army officer called Lloyd S. William as his agglutinogen.
response when advised by retreating French sol-
diers to retire, shortly after arriving on the west- Rhett Butler See gone with the wind.
ern front. It has since been repeated in many other
contexts, not necessarily military. You say we should rich man enter heaven See camel: go through
give up this campaign before it’s even started. Retreat? an eye of a needle.
Hell, no!We just got here!
Richter scale (rikter) A measure of the magni-
Revere, Paul See paul revere. tude of something. The Richter scale was devised
in 1935 by the U.S. seismologist Charles Richter
rhadamanthine (radbmanthin, radbmanthin) (1900–85) to measure the severity of earthquakes,
Stern and incorruptible in judgment. In Greek but the term has since been applied metaphorically
mythology Rhadamanthus was the son of Zeus and to events in many other contexts. Richter himself
Europa and brother of King Minos of Crete. Hav- disapproved of his name being used for his scale, as
ing established his reputation as a wise and incor- it ignored the contribution made in its develop-
ruptible judge in life, he became one of the judges ment by his colleague Beno Gutenberg (1889–
of the dead in the underworld, alongside Minos 1960): he would have preferred it to be called the
and Aeacus. “He accordingly addressed a carefully “magnitude scale.” His sister was average-looking, but
considered epistle to Sue, and, knowing her emo- her scantily-clad best friend hit nine on the Richter
tional temperament, threw a Rhadamanthine strict- scale.
ness into the lines here and there, carefully
hiding his heterodox feelings, not to frighten her” riddle of the Sphinx (sfinks) The legendary rid-
(Thomas Hardy, Jude the Obscure, 1896). dle posed by the Sphinx or any particularly chal-
lenging riddle, puzzle, or problem. According to
rhesus factor (reesbs) Protein found in the red Greek mythology the Sphinx prevented anyone
blood cells of most people. The rhesus factor, or from entering the city of Thebes unless he could
400
 Rip Van Winkle

solve the riddle What creature goes on four legs threat by an armed guard, who typically occupied
in the morning, two legs at noon, and three in the the seat next to the coachman. In modern usage,
evening? Those who got the answer wrong suf- the term is sometimes applied to any person who
fered instant death, but if someone answered cor- sits next to the driver of a vehicle. The army has
rectly, the Sphinx’s power would be destroyed. provided men to ride shotgun with UN convoys bringing
Oedipus correctly identified the answer as “man,” humanitarian aid to the refugee camps on the border.
because he crawls as a child, walks as an adult, and
proceeds with the aid of a staff in old age. Oedipus right hand offend thee See if thy right eye
thus saved the city and won the hand of Queen offend thee.
Jocasta, at the time ignorant of the fact that she
was his mother (see oedipus complex). “The right stuff, the Courage; reliability; toughness.
Interviewer had attempted the riddle of the This was originally army slang, dating from at least
Sphinx, and had failed to get the first hint of its the 1930s and possibly ultimately of 19th-century
solution” (Oliver Wendell Holmes, A Moral Antipa- origin, but it became more widely familiar after it
thy, 1885). appeared as the title of a 1979 book by U.S. writer
Tom Wolfe (b. 1931) about the first U.S. astro-
riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma An nauts. “If you all get on well and are prepared to
impenetrable mystery. This is a quotation from a make the same sacrifices to succeed, you might
speech by British statesman Winston Churchill just be ‘the right stuff’ ” (Norton York, The Rock
(1874–1965) broadcast on October 1, 1939, refer- File, 1991).
ring specifically to the unknowable nature of Rus-
sian policy in the early stages of World War II. Riley, life of See life of riley.
The term has continued to be applied to Russia
ever since, although it has also been used in many Ripper See jack the ripper.
other contexts. Why your father ever married your
mother remains a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an Rip Van Winkle (winkbl) Archetype of a person
enigma. who is evidently completely out of touch with the
surrounding world or contemporary events. The
ride off into the sunset To leave the scene; to allusion is to a story by U.S. writer Washington
depart. The allusion is to Western movies of the Irving (1783–1859), first published in The Sketch
1930s and 1940s, which not infrequently ended Book (1819–20). Irving’s Rip Van Winkle is the
with just such an image of the hero riding away henpecked husband of a nagging wife, who goes
into a glorious sunset. The news is that the old man to sleep for 20 years after sharing a drink with
has ridden off into the sunset for the last time. gnomes in the Catskill Mountains. When he wakes
up, having slept right through the death of his wife
ride shotgun To act as guard over something as is and the fighting of the American Revolution, he is
being taken from one place to another. The allu- astonished to find the world greatly changed.
sion is to the days when people and valuables being “In 1958 Harold Macmillan called him Rip Van
carried in stagecoaches were protected from any Winkle, because he talked about the ‘Concert of
401
rise from the ashes

Europe’ and ‘seemed not to have quite realized roads lead to Rome, all See all roads lead to
what had happened to the world since the end of rome.
the Second War’ ” (Andrew Shennan, De Gaulle,
1993). road to Damascus (dbmaskbs) A process of rev-
elation resulting in a fundamental change of view-
rise from the ashes See phoenix. point or opinion (typically the result of a sudden,
even miraculous insight). The allusion is to the
rise, take up thy bed, and walk Get out about episode in the New Testament (recounted in Acts
your business (usually said after the removal of 9:1–19, 22:1–21, and 26:1–23), in which Saul of
some impediment). The phrase is a quotation from Tarsus has a vision of the risen Christ while on his
John 5:1–9, which relates the story of the crippled way to Damascus to persecute Christians there.
man at the Pool of Bethesda who was cured and Saul immediately declares himself a Christian
“made whole” by Jesus with these same words. and, as Paul, in due course becomes one of the
(See also Mark 2:9.) The doctor took one look at the apostles and a great Christian missionary. A road-
malingerer, snorted and ordered him to rise, take up his to-Damascus experience is a sudden, dramatic
bed, and walk. revelation resulting in a fundamental change of
view or way of life. “You don’t reach Downing
river, sell down the See sell down the river. Street by pretending you’ve travelled the road to
Damascus when you haven’t even left home”
river, send up the See send up the river. (Guardian, October 14, 1989).

rivers of Babylon See by the rivers of babylon. roar like a bull of Bashan See bull of bashan.

road less traveled, the A path that is different robbed, we wuz See we wuz robbed.
from that chosen by the majority of people. The
phrase is a quotation from the poem “The Road Robben Island (robbn) A prison in which politi-
Not Taken” by the U.S. poet Robert Frost (1874– cal prisoners are confined for long periods. Rob-
1963), in which the author describes choosing ben Island off the coast of South Africa was the
between two roads in the woods: “Two roads prison in which Nelson Mandela and other black
diverged in a wood, and I—/ I took the one less activists were imprisoned for many years under
traveled by, / And that has made all the differ- the country’s former apartheid regime. The
ence.” The phrase is often quoted in contempla- release of Mandela in 1990, after 27 years, was
tion of the choices individuals make when seen as a key moment in the ending of the apart-
deciding the future course of their lives. “Under- heid era. The authorities did not want Guantánamo
standing recovery is itself a progressive and Bay to get the reputation of another Robben Island, but
unending process that brings immeasurable perhaps this was inevitable.
rewards to all who share ‘the road less travelled’ ”
(Robert Lefever, How to Combat Alcoholism and robber baronAn unscrupulous business tycoon.
Addiction, 1988). The name was first applied to the speculative
402
 Robinson Crusoe

businessmen who amassed vast fortunes in various Robin Goodfellow See puck.
capitalist enterprises in the second half of the 19th
century by Matthew Josephson in his book The Robin Hood A person who takes from the rich
Robber Barons: The Great American Capitalists 1861– and gives to the poor. Robin Hood was an English
1901 (1934). These tycoons acquired notorious folk hero whose historical existence, allegedly dur-
reputations for their grasping ways and they remain ing the reign of King John (1167–1216), has been
today archetypal examples of the greedy capitalist a subject of heated discussion for centuries. He is
making his fortune off the backs of his toiling variously claimed to have been a dispossessed
employees. In those days the very presidency of the nobleman who lived in Yorkshire or in Sherwood
United States remained largely in the gift of America’s Forest near Nottingham and there to have gath-
robber barons. ered round him a band of merry men—including
friar tuck and Little John—with whom he
Robert the Bruce (broos) A person who perse- waylaid wealthy men traveling through the forest,
veres after initial failure. The allusion is to the tale later sharing among the poor any wealth they had
of Robert I (1274–1329), king of Scotland, who at seized. Numerous tales of his life and death, and
one point early in his reign is said to have gone his love for the beautiful Maid Marian, were
into hiding from his English enemies on the island recorded in ballads and poems, and various loca-
of Rathlin. There he noticed a spider struggling to tions in northeast England bear his name. “Back-
fix its web to a beam in the ceiling; after six failed less Hill, to the north of the loch, was the
attempts, the spider finally succeeded, inspiring 18th-century lair of a Caithness ‘Robin Hood’ said
Bruce himself to make renewed efforts to rally his to have robbed the rich and given to the poor”
followers and lead them to victory at the Battle of (Bruce Sandison, Tales of the Loch, 1990). See also
Bannockburn in 1314. Like Robert the Bruce, he kept sheriff of nottingham.
on trying until he eventually passed the examination.
Robinson, Heath See heath robinson.
Robespierre (robzpyair) A tyrannical despot.
Maximilian Marie Isidore de Robespierre (1758– Robinson Crusoe (robinsbn krooso) A person
94) emerged as one of the radical leaders of the who lives in either voluntary or enforced isola-
French Revolution that swept away the French tion, especially on a desert island or in some other
aristocracy in 1789. It was Robespierre who insti- remote spot. Robinson Crusoe is the eponymous
tuted the bloody reign of terror that led to the central character, a castaway on a remote desert
deaths of thousands of people on the guillotine island, in the classic best-selling novel The Life and
including, after his rivals became jealous of his Strange Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (1719) by Dan-
growing power, Robespierre himself. The mob had iel Defoe (1660–1731). Defoe based his famous
created its own Robespierre, who had no hesitation in character upon a real person, Alexander Selkirk
engineering the arrest and execution of anyone who (1676–1721), who was marooned on the island of
opposed his policies. See also jacobin. Más a Tierra in the South Pacific after falling foul
of his shipmates, though only for four years com-
Robin See batman and robin. pared to the 24 endured by the fictional Crusoe.
403
Rochester, Mr.

“From time to time, generally during long, cold Roland (rolbnd) A hero of exemplary virtue and
winter months, suffering from wander-lust, I courage. Roland and Oliver were two of the 12
descend upon my local library like some latter-day paladins who served at the court of the emperor
Robinson Crusoe, anxious to return to desert charlemagne. Roland was Charlemagne’s nephew
island life” (Bruce Sandison, Tales of the Loch, 1990). and became Oliver’s inseparable friend after the
See also man friday. two fought an evenly matched duel that lasted for
five consecutive days with each matching the oth-
Rochester, Mr. See mr. rochester. er’s blow, hence the saying a Roland for an Oli-
ver for “tit for tat” or “a blow for a blow.” The
Rockefeller (rokbfeler) A fabulously rich names of Roland and Oliver as a combination are
tycoon. John D. Rockefeller (1839–1937) made still sometimes evoked as archetypes of perfect
his fortune from oil and became one of the richest friends. Both knights died celebrated deaths in
men in the world. He used his wealth to endow battle after being betrayed to the Saracens at Ron-
various worthy causes, as did other members of cesvalles in Spain in 778, a last stand immortalized
the family who succeeded to the family fortune in in the 11th-century French epic poem La Chanson
subsequent years. What we need is a Rockefeller to de Roland. Although faced with vastly superior
give us a million or two to get the project started. odds, Roland, who was also known as “the Chris-
tian Theseus” and “the Achilles of the West,” stoutly
Rockwell, Norman See norman rockwell. refused to blow his horn Olivant to summon help
from Charlemagne until it was almost too late.
rococo (rbkoko) Decorated in a flamboyant, When he did finally blow the horn, Ganelon per-
overblown style. The rococo style of architecture suaded Charlemagne that Roland was merely
and design was perfected in France during the hunting deer, and the warriors’ fate was sealed. A
reign of Louis XV (1715–74) and was subse- variation of the legend claims that Roland sur-
quently taken up by architects and artists through- vived the battle but died some time later of starva-
out Europe. In many respects it was essentially tion or thirst while trying to cross the Pyrenees;
an embellishment of the earlier baroque style. In hence, if a person is doomed to die like Roland,
modern usage, the term is sometimes applied he or she faces a similar end. His chivalrous behavior
metaphorically to describe things that are grandly on this occasion earned him the reputation of a latter-
convoluted or exaggerated in some way. “Then day Roland, although those who knew him better were
in June the honours scandal passed from the inclined to scoff at this. See also childe roland to
baroque to the rococo stage” (Roy Jenkins, Bald- the dark tower came; rounceval.
win, 1988).
Rolls-Royce Of the highest quality; the best in
Rogers, Buck See buck rogers. its field. The Rolls-Royce company, founded in the
United Kingdom in 1906 by Charles Stuart Rolls
Rogers, Ginger See fred astaire. (1877–1910) and Frederick Henry Royce (1863–
1933), became celebrated for its expensive, luxu-
Rogers, Roy See roy rogers. rious, and well-made vehicles, which became a
404
 Room 101

favorite choice of the rich and famous all over the of lust and betrayal. See also plague on both your
world. This is the Rolls-Royce of fountain pens. houses, a.

Roman holiday A public performance that fea- Romulus and Remus (romyblbs, reembs) The
tures extravagant acts of barbarity and debauchery. legendary founders of Rome, whose names are
The entertainments that took place in the arenas of still frequently invoked in references to the city.
ancient Rome were notorious for their cruelty, Romulus and Remus were variously identified as
which included gladiatorial combats to the death the twin sons of Mars and Rhea Silvia or of Aeneas’
and the throwing of captives to wild animals. Such daughter Ilia. Because Rhea Silvia was a vestal vir-
bloodthirsty extravaganzas were prohibited by gin, obliged to maintain her virginity on pain of
Emperor Constantine I in a.d. 325 but were soon death, the twins seemed doomed but were saved
revived and carried on until 405. “For I have writ- by the gods and suckled by a she-wolf. Romulus
ten about the Coliseum, and the gladiators, the killed Remus during an argument over where they
martyrs, and the lions, and yet have never once should site their city and in due course became the
used the phrase ‘butchered to make a Roman holi- first king of Rome. The company the two brothers
day.’ I am the only free white man of mature age, built around their initial idea has become one of the
who has accomplished this since Byron originated biggest conglomerates in the world, and they are still
the expression” (Mark Twain, The Innocents Abroad, honored as the Romulus and Remus upon whom this
1869). huge empire was constructed.

Rome See all roads lead to rome; fiddle Roncesvalles See roland; rounceval.
while rome burns; romulus and remus; when
in rome, do as the romans do. room at the inn, no See no room at the inn.

Romeo and Juliet (romeeo, jooleeet) Arche- room of one’s own, a A private place or a retreat
typal pair of tragic lovers. William Shakespeare’s from the world. The phrase was selected by the
tragedy Romeo and Juliet (1594) told the story of British novelist Virginia Woolf for the title of a
two young lovers of Verona, whose love was 1929 essay examining contemporary prejudices
doomed from the outset by the enmity between against women. To survive the stresses of modern urban
their warring families. The play ends with the life it is more important than ever to have a room of one’s
death of both lovers among various others, includ- own in which to escape the constant pressure.
ing Romeo’s best friend Mercutio. Shakespeare
based his tale on a poem by Arthur Brooke entitled Room 101 A place in which people are brought
The Tragicall History of Romeo and Juliet (1562), face to face with what they fear most as a form of
which itself drew ultimately upon an earlier Italian torture. The allusion is to the George Orwell
version by Luigi da Porto, written in 1535. Some- novel Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949), in which Room
what perversely, a man who has the reputation of 101 is the room in which Winston Smith is tor-
being a slick womanizer is often dubbed a Romeo. mented by his fear of rats. The story goes that the
This was no Romeo and Juliet love story, but a sordid tale author had undergone many tedious discussions in
405
room to swing a cat

a Room 101 at London’s Broadcasting House as an compared with Roscius were Shakespeare’s con-
employee of the BBC, hence his choice of the num- temporary Richard Burbage (c. 1567–1619), who
ber for his own infamous room. Bearing in mind the was described as “another Roscius”; Thomas Bet-
team’s dismal run of results so far this season, their sta- terton (1635–1710), who was known as the “Brit-
dium has become a Room 101 for their fans. See also big ish Roscius”; and William Betty (1791–1874),
brother. who was called the “Young Roscius.” “The cele-
brated provincial amateur of Roscian renown”
room to swing a cat Adequate space.The allusion (Charles Dickens, Great Expectations, 1860).
is to nautical jargon and the use of the cat o’ nine
tails (a whip with nine lashes) to punish sailors who Rosebud Something that serves to remind a per-
were guilty of breaking naval rules. Space between son vividly of their youth, or of their unrealized
decks on sailing ships was obviously restricted, and dreams. The allusion is to the classic 1941 movie
a certain amount of room was needed to adminis- citizen kane, in which “Rosebud” is the mysteri-
ter the punishment effectively. The phrase is com- ous final utterance of the dying tycoon, played by
monly used in the negative to describe a cramped Orson Welles. Everyone wonders what it could
space, as in “no room to swing a cat.” They called it a have meant, and it is only the final shot of a child’s
spare bedroom but there wasn’t room to swing a cat. sled labeled “Rosebud” that reveals that the dead
man was thinking back to his early childhood. This
root of all evil See money is the root of all child’s toy was his Rosebud, the key to a thousand distant
evil. happy memories.

Rosa Parks (rozb) A committed campaigner rose of Sharon (sharbn) An unidentified flower
against racism. Rosa Parks (1913–2005) was a whose beauty is variously taken to represent love
black woman who, on December 1, 1956, in Mont- or loveliness, especially as a description of Jesus
gomery, Alabama, defied the state’s race laws by Christ. The image of the rose of Sharon occurs in
refusing to vacate the seat she had taken in the the biblical Song of Solomon 2:1–2, in which it is
white-only section of a bus, thus triggering the put into the mouth of the bride: “I am the rose of
Montgomery bus boycott and rallying opposition Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.” The flower in
to racial segregation. For her act of defiance, Rosa question has been tentatively identified as the
Parks came to be considered the mother of the autumn crocus, asphodel, or narcissus, which flour-
modern civil rights movement. The old woman ished on the plain of Sharon, a fertile area on the
looked set to become South Africa’s Rosa Parks. coast of ancient Palestine. “ ‘The Rose of Sharon and
the Lily of the Valley,’—answered the Prior, in a
Roscius (roshbs) An outstanding actor. This sort of snuffling tone; ‘but your Grace must
epithet alludes to Quintus Roscius Gallus (c. 126– remember she is still but a Jewess’ ” (Sir Walter
62 b.c.), who was a celebrated comic actor on the Scott, Ivanhoe, 1819).
Roman stage and a friend of Cicero. Likewise, the
adjective Roscian describes a theatrical perfor- Rosetta stone (rozetb) The key to unraveling a
mance of great skill. Among later performers code or mystery of some kind. The Rosetta Stone
406
 round up the usual suspects

is a slab of basalt that was unearthed in Egypt dur- anglicization of Roncesvalles, in Spain, where
ing Napoleon’s military campaign in the country roland and his colleagues fell in their final battle.
in 1799. Because it bore the same script in both Years later various large bones found at the site
Greek and hieroglyphics, the French scholar Jean were rumored to belong to these great heroes.
François Champillon (1790–1832) was able (after Large marrowfat peas are sometimes called
many years’ work) to translate the hitherto rounceval peas, and substantially built women
unknown hieroglyphic characters. The stone itself may sometimes be dubbed rouncevals. The abbess
is now preserved in the British Museum. “Perhaps was of such imposing proportions that Rounceval, nay,
we shall be lucky and discover another ‘dictionary’ Gargantuan, would not have been misplaced.
like the Rosetta Stone” ( John Grant, The Great
Unsolved Mysteries of Science, 1990). round table A meeting at which all attending are
considered equal, with no one having precedence
Rosinante See don quixote. over the others. The allusion is to the fabled circu-
lar table that king arthur provided for his knights,
Rose Without a Thorn An epithet of the Virgin the so-called knights of the Round Table: because
Mary. The name alludes to the fact that according to of its shape no one could sit at its head and thus
Catholic tradition Mary is deemed to be without the claim seniority over all present. A round table
taint of Original Sin, just as the rose lacked thorns (allegedly made by the wizard merlin) kept on
when it first grew in Paradise; it acquired its thorns permanent display inside Castle Hall in the English
(sins) when planted on Earth after the expulsion of city of Winchester was formerly claimed to be
Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden, thus com- that of King Arthur, but has since been proved to
ing to represent the moral imperfections of the have been made in the 13th century, probably on
human race. To the other villagers she was a perfect exam- the orders of King Edward I, who wished to link
ple of innocence and virtue, a Rose Without a Thorn. his kingship with that of the legendary Arthur
(Henry VIII later had it repainted to show it off to
Rothschild (rothschild) A fabulously wealthy Francis I of France). The two leaders first met at a
person. The fortune of the Rothschild banking round table organized to bring together many of the most
family was founded during the Napoleonic Wars influential political figures of the developed world. See
by Meyer Amschel Rothschild (1743–1812) and also first among equals; galahad.
was subsequently substantially consolidated by his
sons and their successors. Over the years the fam- round up the usual suspects To make a show of
ily has used some of its vast wealth to benefit a investigating a problem or wrongdoing without
range of Jewish and non-Jewish causes. Unfortu- any real intention of finding out who or what is
nately, like many third world countries, there are no actually to blame. The phrase is a quotation from
native Rothschilds to whom to make appeals for addi- the 1942 Humphrey Bogart movie Casablanca, in
tional local finance. which it is delivered by slippery French policeman
Captain Reynaud (played by Claude Rains), mak-
rounceval (rownsival) Very large or strong. Also ing it plain to Bogart’s Rick that there will be no
spelled rouncival, the word is probably an thorough police investigation into who (actually
407
Roy Rogers

Rick himself ) shot the Nazi officer Major Strasser. rule, golden See golden rule.
The phrase is also used in more general contexts,
with “the usual suspects” referring to things (or rule with a rod of iron To rule harshly; to exer-
people) that are always found in a par ticular situa- cise authority with severity. The expression
tion, items that are always mentioned when a par- comes from the Bible, occurring in Revelation
ticular subject comes up, and so on. “Excise duties 2:27, 12:5, and 19:15 and in Psalm 2:9. “Emme-
are taxes on specific home-produced or imported line took after her father; she was big and dark and
goods, with ‘cigarettes, booze and petrol’ being homely, and she was the most domineering crea-
the usual suspects to be rounded up on each Bud- ture that ever stepped on shoe leather. She simply
get day” (Philip Jones and John Cullis, Public Finance ruled poor Prissy with a rod of iron” (Lucy Maud
and Public Choice, 1992). Montgomery, Chronicles of Avonlea, 1912).

Roy Rogers Archetype of a wholesome cowboy Rumpelstiltskin (rumpblstiltskin) A person who

hero. Roy Rogers (1912–98) was an actor and easily flies into a temper, especially one of rela-
country-and-western singer who starred in a tively small stature. The allusion is to a story col-
series of films and in his own television Western lected in grimm’s fairy tales about a malevolent
series, The Roy Rogers Show (1955–57). Aided by gnome who challenges a princess to guess his
Dale Evans and mounted on a palomino horse name in order to save her firstborn child from
called Trigger, he maintained law and order in him. When she successfully finds out what his
between singing songs about the Old West. He name is, the little man flies into a rage and stamps
looked like Roy Rogers in his check shirt and big his foot through the floor; when he tries to pull it
white hat. free he only succeeds in tearing himself apart. No
one liked the boss, a vindictive little man whose nick-
Rubenesque (roobbnesk) Describing a woman name was Rumpelstiltskin.
who is curvaceous, voluptuous, or generously
fleshed. The allusion is the somewhat corpulent run the gauntlet To risk or undergo a demanding
women who featured in substantial numbers in ordeal or trial. In this phrase the word “gauntlet”
the paintings of the Flemish artist Peter Paul comes from the Swedish gatlopp, meaning “pas-
Rubens (1577–1640). The first woman he was intro- sageway,” and relates to a punishment commonly
duced to at the party was a Rubenesque matriarch with inflicted upon soldiers and sailors at the time of
bright red hair. the Thirty Years’War (1618–48). It involved guilty
men being forced to run between two files of men
Rubicon See cross the rubicon. who beat them with rope ends. “However, such
trust is not shown towards relatives and friends
ruby slippers See wicked witch of the west. who assist suffering people in this way: they must
run the gauntlet of a legal process which accords
Rudolph Nureyev See nureyev. no formal recognition to the circumstances under
which they killed” (Andrew Ashworth, Principles of
Rudolph Valentino See valentino. Criminal Law, 1991).
408
 Ruth

Runyonesque (runyonesk) After the style of it at his own head and pulling the trigger until the
journalist and short-story writer Alfred Damon bullet is actually fired. This hazardous pastime was
Runyon (1884–1946). Runyon’s stories vividly apparently popular among officers at the court of
brought to life the street life of New York City in the czar in prerevolutionary Russia. “Contrary to
the first half of the 20th century, and were charac- popular belief, it was not merely by chance, or
terized by his colorful use of authentic street slang, even more crudely, by a game of Russian Roulette,
which itself became known as “Runyonesque.” The that our ancestors singled out the edible and
dockworkers had their own Runyonesque words for just medicinal plants from those that were poisonous”
about everything, and it took some time to work out what (Christine Wildwood, Aromatherapy Massage with
they were saying. Essential Oils, 1992).

Ruritania (rooritayneeb) A fictitious mid- Ruth (rooth) The archetype of a devoted, loyal
European country, especially one in which there is woman. A Moabite widow, Ruth promised never to
much hollow pageantry. Ruritania was the setting desert her mother-in-law: “Intreat me not to leave
for the romantic adventure novels The Prisoner of thee, or to return from following after thee: for
Zenda (1894) and Rupert of Hentzau (1898) by the whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodg-
British novelist Anthony Hope (1863–1933). “On est, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and
the face of it, in asserting that Ruritania does not thy God my God” (Ruth 1:16). Her kindness to her
exist we seem to be asserting something about mother-in-law impressed the wealthy Boaz, and in
Ruritania” (Edo Pivcevic, The Concept of Reality, due course he and Ruth were married and Ruth sub-
1986). sequently appeared in the genealogy of Matthew
1:5 as the great-grandmother of King David. “Per-
Russian roulette A dangerous activity in which haps the selfsame song that found a path / Through
those participating take risks in turn, or in which the sad heart of Ruth, when, sick for home, / She
death is a random possibility. The allusion is to the stood in tears amid the alien corn” ( John Keats,
“game” in which a gun loaded with a single bullet “Ode to a Nightingale,” 1819). See also amid the
is passed from one person to another, each pointing alien corn; whither thou goest, i will go.

409
å S ååååå
Sabbath A period of rest. The allusion is to the and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sack-
Jewish Sabbath, which is traditionally reserved for cloth and ashes” (Esther 4:3). (See also Esther 4:1,
religious worship rather than work (Exodus 20:8– Jonah 3:6, Matthew 11:21, and Luke 11:13.) “She
11 and Deuteronomy 5:12–15). According to the felt that she might yet recover her lost ground,
book of Genesis (2:2), God rested from creating the that she might yet hurl Mr. Slope down to the dust
Earth on the seventh day, dictating that it become a from which she had picked him and force her sin-
day of rest and worship for the faithful. The word ning lord to sue for pardon in sackcloth and ashes”
comes from the Hebrew shabbath (meaning “rest”). (Anthony Trollope, Barchester Towers, 1857).
A Sabbath day’s journey (Acts 1:12) is a short and
easy journey, an allusion to the Law of Moses, which sacred cow Something that is considered above
forbade Jews to travel any further than the distance criticism and immune from interference. The allu-
between the Ark of the Covenant and the edge of sion is to the sacred cows of Hinduism, which are
their camp (about two-thirds of a mile). “Not even traditionally associated with certain deities and
Lizzie Eustace, on behalf of her cousin Frank, would believed to house the souls of the dead. Even today
have dared to disturb Mr. Gowran with consider- they are allowed to wander freely in the streets of
ations respecting a pony on the Sabbath” (Anthony India without being molested. The term has been
Trollope, The Eustace Diamonds, 1873). applied more generally since the early 20th cen-
tury. This administration’s foreign policy is a sacred cow
Sabine women See rape of the sabine women. as far as the president is concerned.

sackcloth and ashes A public display of grief or sacrificial lamb Someone or something sacri-
remorse. The tradition of donning clothing made ficed to appease an enemy and thus avert a greater
of sackcloth and scattering ashes over one’s head disaster. The allusion is to the Old Testament prac-
as a sign of mourning or repentance dates back at tice of sacrificing lambs and other animals at the
least to biblical times, as described in the book of altar in order to give thanks to God, obtain atone-
Esther: “And in every province, whithersoever the ment and forgiveness, and restore a right relation-
king’s commandment and his decree came, there ship between the people and God (see, for
was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, example, Genesis 8:20, Exodus 29:38–41, and
410
 Saint Trinian’s

Leviticus 4:1–3). “A dreadful performance could South Atlantic was the place of exile chosen for
see Mr. Byers offered up as a sacrificial lamb” the French emperor napoleon after his final
(Guardian, February 20, 2002). defeat at waterloo in 1815. Napoleon remained
there until his death in 1821—according to some
Sadducee (sajbsee, sadybsee) A person who stub- he died as the result of arsenic poisoning (perhaps
bornly refuses to believe a commonly accepted from the arsenic in the wallpaper at Longwood,
truth. The allusion is to the Sadducee sect of the the house he occupied), although a more recent
time of Christ who accepted the authority only of suggestion is that he probably died of stomach can-
the written Law and rejected a belief in the Resur- cer. Napoleon was not the only person to be incar-
rection and angels and demons. Supposedly named cerated on the remote island: in 1890 the son of
after the high priest Sadoq, who was reputed to the Zulu chief Cetshwayo began a seven-year term
have founded the sect, they, like the Pharisees, there, following which the island was used by the
were hostile toward Jesus Christ and his teachings British to accommodate 5,000 Boer prisoners dur-
(Matthew 22:23–33, Mark 12:18–27, and Luke ing the Boer War. His wife liked the peace and quiet of
20:27–38). They lost influence after the fall of the island, but to him it was a Saint Helena far removed
Jerusalem in a.d. 70. “I was quite drawn out to from the urban surroundings he loved. See also elba.
speak to him; I hardly know how, for I had always
thought of him as a worldly Sadducee. But his Saint Mary Mead See miss marples.
countenance is as pleasant as the morning sun-
shine” (George Eliot, Adam Bede, 1859). Saint Stephen’s loaves Rocks. The reference is
to the stoning to death of Saint Stephen, the first
sadism (saydizbm) The infliction of pain or suf- Christian martyr, who died c. a.d. 35 after being
fering on another for the sake of one’s own plea- accused of blasphemy (as described in Acts 6:1–
sure (often specifically sexual gratification). The 8:2). By the same token to be fed with Saint
origin of the term lies in the scandalous reputation Stephen’s bread is a euphemism for being stoned
of Comte Donatien Alphonse François, marquis to death. At this unwelcome news she feared the mob
de Sade (1740–1814), a French writer and soldier would start to toss Saint Stephen’s loaves at her, in time-
whose sexual exploits and pornographic writings honored fashion.
were the source of much controversy during and
after his own lifetime. He was imprisoned on sev- Saint Trinian’s (trineebnz) Archetype of an old-
eral occasions for sexual crimes and in all spent fashioned girls’ school, especially a badly-run one
some 30 years behind bars. “Then one day the where discipline has gone to pieces and the ill-
mask had slipped, and beneath the apparent loving dressed pupils do as they please. The allusion is to
concern she had glimpsed spite and sadism” (Dana the notorious fictional girls’ school created by the
James, Bay of Rainbows, 1993). British cartoonist Ronald Searle (b. 1920) and
immortalized not only in his cartoons and books
Saint Helena (hbleenb) A place of exile, espe- but also in various movies, the first of which was
cially one from which there is no possibility of The Belles of Saint Trinian’s (1954). Searle got the
return. The tiny island of Saint Helena in the name of his famous school from the real Saint
411
Saint Valentine’s Day massacre

Trinnean’s girls’ school in Edinburgh, having had planned this Salamis for months, hoping to lure the
become friends with two of the pupils there. He enemy’s chief vessels away from the relative safety of the
drew his first Saint Trinian’s cartoon to tease them; coastal waters.
the second followed in very different circum-
stances, while he was a Japanese prisoner-of-war salary (salbree) A set payment received for
during World War II and forced to work on the employment. The word comes ultimately from the
infamous “Death Railway” from Siam to Burma. Latin sal (meaning “salt”) and alludes to the ancient
Her mother went to a very strict Catholic school where practice of paying Roman soldiers stationed inland
beatings were a daily feature of life, not a bit like Saint (away from the sea, the usual source of salt in the
Trinian’s. ancient world) a salarium with which to purchase
salt, at that time a valuable commodity. The connec-
Saint Valentine’s Day massacre (valbntinz) An tion with salt had been forgotten by medieval times,
act of mass murder, especially one with gangland but the word remained current. Related phrases
associations, or some other ruthless act of exter- include worth one’s salt (meaning “worth the sal-
mination or purging. The original Saint Valentine’s ary one is paid”). “Her husband was a retired trades-
Day massacre took place on Saint Valentine’s Day man, who had realized a very comfortable fortune;
(February 14), 1929, in a garage on North Clark but could not be prevailed upon to give a greater
Street, Chicago. Seven members of George “Bugsy” salary than twenty-five pounds to the instructress of
Moran’s North Side gang were put up against a his children” (Anne Brontë, Agnes Grey, 1845).
wall and machine-gunned to death by men loyal to
the notorious Chicago mobster al capone. Moran Salem (saylbm) An outbreak of hysteria leading
happened to be late arriving at the garage and to the mass trial of suspects, regardless of any evi-
escaped being murdered, but his power in the city dence available. The allusion is to the infamous
was broken. Capone had a cast-iron alibi on the witchcraft trials that took place in New England in
day of the killings, but the slaughter created such a 1692, arising from accusations of witchcraft lev-
public outcry that the authorities redoubled efforts eled at various local people by two young girls
to ensnare Capone and eventually had the satisfac- living in Salem, Massachusetts. Dozens of suspects
tion of seeing him imprisoned for tax evasion. The were arrested and 19 people were convicted and
management decided to replace at least half their junior hanged before the hysteria (which provided the
staff in a Saint Valentine’s Day massacre. basis of Arthur Miller’s 1953 play The Crucible)
finally died down. The resulting backlash led to
Salamis (salbmis) Archetype of a great naval witchcraft trials being ended once and for all in
victory. The Battle of Salamis took place between New England and elsewhere. Recent terrorist out-
the Greek and Persian fleets in 480 b.c. in the rages have created a Salem-like atmosphere in which any
waters of the Saronic Gulf, between the island of suspicious behavior may provoke instant arrest and
Salamis and the Greek mainland. The Greeks detention.
achieved a famous victory over their Persian ene-
mies, the whole battle being witnessed by the Per- salmanazar (salmbnazbr) A large wine bottle,
sian leader Xerxes from Mount Aegaleos. The staff equivalent to 12 standard bottles. It is named after
412
 Samson, blind, grinds in prison

eighth-century b.c. Assyrian king Shalmaneser V, upsilon (equivalent to the modern y) as a symbol
who appears in the Bible (2 Kings 17:3). The com- of the divergence between vice and virtue. Pythag-
pany stopped providing salmanazars for the hotels of oras himself is sometimes referred to as the
New York several decades ago. Samian sage. “When reason doubtful like the
Samian letter, / Points him two ways, the nar-
Salome (sblomee, salomay) A seductive, deceit- rower the better” (Alexander Pope, The Dunciad,
ful temptress.The allusion is to the biblical Salome, 1728).
the stepdaughter of Herod Antipas, who (at the
prompting of her mother) demanded the head of Samson (samsbn) A person of exceptional phys-
john the baptist; she had been promised what- ical strength. The allusion is to the biblical Sam-
ever she wanted in payment for her dancing before son, a judge of Israel, who was renowned for his
her stepfather (Matthew 14:1–12 and Mark 6:16– great strength. His feats included tearing a lion
29). This Salome, in a figure-hugging red gown and apart with his bare hands, catching 300 foxes, and
long black gloves, advanced slowly toward their table knocking down 1,000 men with the jawbone of a
with a predatory look in her half-closed eyes. donkey (as related in Judges 13–16). He was
brought low, however, by the wiles of delilah,
salt of the earth A person or group of people who cut off the long hair on which his strength
admired for their sterling qualities. The phrase depended and had his eyes gouged out. Once his
comes from Christ’s Sermon on the Mount, as hair grew back, however, his strength returned.
related in Matthew 5:13: “Ye are the salt of the When his Philistine enemies amassed in the tem-
earth: but if the salt have lost its savour, wherewith ple of Dagon, Samson gripped the two central
shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for noth- pillars of the temple and pushed them down, caus-
ing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under ing the whole building to collapse, killing every-
foot of men.” The reference is to the use of salt as one inside (Judges 16:30). “He passed the remainder
a preservative, preventing food from going rotten. of the afternoon in a curious high-strung condi-
“Retired sea-captains, in easy circumstances, who tion, unable to do much but think of the approach-
talked of farming as sea-captains are wont; an ing meeting with her, and sadly satirize himself for
erect, respectable, and trustworthy looking man, his emotions thereon, as a Samson shorn” (Thomas
in his wrapper, some of the salt of the earth, who Hardy, The Mayor of Casterbridge, 1886). See also
had formerly been the salt of the sea” (Henry eyeless in gaza; samson, blind, grinds in
David Thoreau, Cape Cod, 1865). prison.

Sam, Uncle See uncle sam. Samson, blind, grinds in prison (samsbn) Refer-
ence to a worker who is obliged to work long and
Samaritan See good samaritan. hard under terrible conditions. The allusion is to
the fate of the biblical samson, who was betrayed
Samian letter (saymeebn) The letter y. The allu- by Delilah, subsequently blinded, then forced to
sion is to Pythagoras, who was born on Samos in work in the mills of the Philistines ( Judges 16:21).
the sixth century b.c. and who used the Greek A cursory examination of the maquiladora reminded the
413
Sam Spade

inspector forcibly of Samson, blind, grinds in prison. See Sandhurst (sandherst) The officer class of the
also eyeless in gaza. British army. Since 1802 the town of Sandhurst,
near Camberley in Surrey, has been home to the
Sam Spade (spayd) Archetype of a tough, shrewd British army’s officer-training establishment, orig-
private detective. Sam Spade was created by U.S. inally called the Royal Military College but renamed
crime writer Dashiell Hammett (1894–1961) in the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 1947.
his novel The Maltese Falcon (1930) and memorably The term is now synonymous with the training of
brought to life in the cinema by Humphrey Bog- the army’s commanders. Her father was a Sandhurst
art. The inspector is no fool, I grant you, but he’s not type, with a bristling mustache and barking parade-
Sam Spade. ground voice but also a developed eye for a good claret.
See also aldershot.
Samuel (samybwbl, samybl) Archetype of a
prophet whose prophecies always come true. The sansculottes (sonskoolot) Political extremists,
allusion is to the biblical Samuel, the prophet and especially ones hailing from a working-class back-
judge who anointed Saul and David (as related in ground. The original sansculottes were radical
1 Samuel 9–10 and 16). By this time the old man had French Republicans who formed the core of the
acquired a reputation as the party’s Samuel, divining Paris mob duing the French Revolution of 1789.
long before any others which way the political wind was They were so named with reference to the fact
likely to blow. that they wore trousers or pantaloons as opposed
to the knee breeches (culottes) of the wealthy upper
Sam Weller (weler) A constant, devoted com- classes—sans being the French for “without.” “By
panion, especially a personal servant of some kind. this time I was thoroughly disgusted with these fat
Sam Weller is the cheerful cockney manservant of cats taking food from the mouths of the sanscu-
the bumbling Mr. Pickwick in The Pickwick Papers lottes” (Bette Howell, Dandelion Days, 1991).
(1837) by British novelist Charles Dickens (see
pickwickian). Though comically unable to pro- Santa Claus (santb klahz) A jovial, gift-giving
nounce the letter “v,” he is more worldly-wise than Christmas character. The name Santa Claus comes
his master and helps get the latter out of more from the Dutch Sante Klaas, identifying him as the
than one embarrassing mess as he conducts his patron saint of Dutch and German children (else-
famous tour round the countryside. The archbishop where called Saint Nicholas). Although his feast
was very accident-prone and needed his own Sam Weller day actually falls on December 6, Santa Claus
to keep him out of trouble. eventually merged with the British character
Father Christmas in the English-speaking world.
Sancho Panza See don quixote. He now has a developed mythology, supposedly
being a white-bearded, fat old man dressed in a
sanctum sanctorum See holy of holies. bright red suit lined with white fur and delivering
sacks of presents to well-behaved children around
sandals of Theramenes See wear the sandals the world by means of a sleigh drawn by reindeer,
of theramenes. gaining access to houses via the chimney. “Mostly
414
 sardonic

she quizzed me about the burglars and I said they’d Yugoslavia, threatening the stability of the whole
tried to get in through the bathroom window and region before a United Nations ultimatum finally
one of them had put a foot through it, probably restored some kind of peace. This assassination
coming from the roof next door, and I generally could prove to be the Middle East’s Sarajevo.
made out that there was a whole gang of footpads
up there lying in wait for Santa Claus” (Mike Rip- Sardanapalus (sahrdbnapblbs) Archetype of an
ley, Angel Hunt, 1991). extravagant, luxury-loving tyrant, especially one
given to effeminate pleasures. Sardanapalus was
sapphic See lesbian. probably a fictional character resulting from the
combination of three kings of ancient Assyria—
Sapphira See ananias club. Ashurbanipal, Shamash-shum-ukin, and Sin-shar-
ishkun—who reigned around the seventh century
Sarah (sairb) Archetype of an older mother. The b.c. Sardanapalus whiled away much of his time
allusion is to Sarah, the elderly but childless wife wearing women’s clothing and enjoying such
of abraham, who in Genesis 17:15–22 prayed to activities as spinning and making clothes. He gave
God for a child and later gave birth to Isaac. Like up his self-indulgent ways, however, when threat-
the biblical Sarah, she bore her first child at an age when ened by invasion and inflicted several heavy
most women are nearly grandmothers. defeats on his enemies until after a long siege at
Nineveh, he set fire to everything he owned,
Sarajevo (sarbyayvo) A key event that precipi- including his concubines and himself, on a funeral
tates a war. The allusion is to the assassination pyre. “Pleasure shall preside at my last moments,
of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of the Austro- as it has presided at my whole life! I will die like
Hungarian Empire in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914, Sardanapalus, with my loves and my treasures
which triggered the outbreak of World War I. around me; and the last of my guests who remains
Fired by a Bosnian Serb terrorist called Gavrilo proof against our festivity shall set fire to my pal-
Princip, the fatal shot became known as the shot ace, as the kingly Assyrian set fire to his!” (Wilkie
heard round the world and was considered Collins, Antonina, 1850).
indirectly responsible for the millions of deaths
that were to follow in the next four years: Ger- sardonic (sahrdonik) Scornful; mocking; deri-
many sided with Austria-Hungary against Serbia sive. The word derives ultimately from Greek leg-
and its ally Russia, France became involved when end about a poisonous herb that was supposed to
it refused Germany’s demand that it remain neu- grow on the island of Sardinia. Tradition had it
tral, and thus Britain and ultimately the United that those who ate some of this acrid herb found
States (among many other countries) became themselves subject to uncontrollable spasms, their
embroiled in the conflict. Some eight decades face being contorted into a rigid, unnatural smile.
later the word Sarajevo became once again syn- “I had started, on entering the room, at the skele-
onymous with continent-shaking events when it ton, and I started once more at the dog. The old
was besieged (1992–94) by Bosnian Serb forces servant noticed me each time with a sardonic grin”
in the wake of the breakup of the former (Wilkie Collins, After Dark, 1856).
415
Satan

Satan (saytbn) The devil. The word is a Hebrew Kenilworth, 1821). See also saturday; saturna-
term that actually means “the enemy” or “the lian; saturnine.
accuser” ( Job 1:6). In the New Testament Satan is
described as a tempter (Matthew 4:1–11, Mark saturnalian (saternayleebn) Of or relating to
1:11–13, and Luke 4:4–13), “the prince of this wild, unrestrained revelry. The allusion is to the
world” (John 12:31), and “the prince of the power Roman festival of Saturnalia, during which the har-
of the air” (Ephesians 2:2). He seeks to undermine vest was celebrated—reputedly an occasion of much
the kingdom of God, and he opposes and tests licentiousness and debauchery. All the schools and
believers. The New Testament also presents the law courts were closed, and slaves were temporar-
death of Jesus Christ on the cross as the decisive ily released from the strict rules that governed
moment of Satan’s defeat ( John 12:31), which their lives to enjoy feasts at which they dressed up
will be confirmed when Jesus Christ returns and in the clothes of their masters. The festival was
Satan is punished and his work destroyed (Revela- named after Saturn, the god of agriculture. “Alto-
tion 20:10). In the works of John Milton, he is gether this time of trouble was rather a Saturna-
identified as the fallen angel who challenges the lian time to Kezia; she could scold her betters
rule of God in heaven and is exiled to hell as pun- with unreproved freedom” (George Eliot, The Mill
ishment for the rebellion he leads. His many other on the Floss, 1860).
titles include Prince of Darkness and Old Nick.
He sat on top of the company like Satan presiding over saturnine (saternin) Having a gloomy, taciturn
hell. See also beelzebub; lucifer. temperament.The word is an allusion to the planet
saturn, which was traditionally supposed to exert
Saturday The seventh day of the week. It was a depressive influence. “He stands for a moment,
named after Saturn, the Roman god of agricul- saturnine in the ruddy light, to see who is present,
ture. Tradition has it that weddings take place on looking in a singular and rather deadly way at Sir
Saturday. Howard; then with some surprise and uneasiness
at Lady Cicely” (George Bernard Shaw, Captain
Saturn (satern) The sixth planet from the Sun. Brassbound’s Conversion, 1900).
It was named after the Roman god of agriculture
and vegetation, equivalent to the Greek Cronos satyr (sayter) A lecher; a man who exhibits
and thus also representing time. According to leg- abnormally strong sexual desire. According to
end Saturn was once a king of Italy who presided Greek mythology satyrs were minor deities of the
over a golden age of peace and plenty. “Thus, in forest, depicted as having the bodies of unusually
reviewing the horoscope which your Lordship hairy men, the legs and feet of goats and short
subjected to my skill, you will observe that Sat- horns on their head. Representing the raw power
urn, being in the sixth House in opposition to of nature, they attended upon the god Dionysus
Mars, retrograde in the House of Life, cannot but and were notorious for their lustful ways. “ ‘This is
denote long and dangerous sickness, the issue the face of a satyr.’ ‘It is the face of my soul’ ”
whereof is in the will of Heaven, though death (Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray, 1891). See
may probably be inferred” (Sir Walter Scott, also hyperion to a satyr.
416
 say the word

Saul (sahl) Archetype of a troubled, melancholy a larger group. The saving remnant is the group
ruler. Saul is identified in the Old Testament as the with which God can begin again and whose mem-
first king of Israel (1 Samuel 11:15), who led the bers will preserve the existence of Israel. “The
Israelites to victory against the Philistines but remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob,
clashed with the high priest Samuel and ultimately unto the mighty God. For though thy people Israel
went mad and took his own life, upon which he be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them
was succeeded by David. The expression of sur- shall return: the consumption decreed shall over-
prise Is Saul also among the prophets? was flow with righteousness” (Isaiah 10:21–22). The
uttered by those who knew Saul’s character and team will have to rely on a saving remnant of established
then saw him prophesying (1 Samuel 10:11–12). stars if they are to remain at this level next season.
Saul was also the name of the apostle Paul prior to
his revelatory experience on the road to damas- Savonarola See bonfire of the vanities.
cus and his subsequent conversion to Christianity
(Acts 9:1–22). “ ‘Many learned and great men Sawyer, Tom See tom sawyer.
have thought otherwise,’ said Varney; ‘and, not to
flatter your lordship, my own opinion leans that say it ain’t so, Joe Please tell me this piece of
way.’ ‘Ay, Saul among the prophets?’ said Leices- bad news is not true. This is an allusion to the
ter. ‘I thought thou wert sceptical in all such mat- notorious Black Sox baseball scandal of 1919,
ters as thou couldst neither see, hear, smell, taste, which arose with the revelation that eight mem-
or touch, and that thy belief was limited by thy bers of the team had accepted bribes to lose the
senses’ ” (Sir Walter Scott, Kenilworth, 1821). World Series that year to the underdogs, the Cin-
cinnati Reds. The words were originally directed
saved by the bell Prevented in the nick of time by a tearful young fan to “Shoeless Joe” Jackson,
by some outside intervention from suffering one of the eight accused men, as he left a grand
defeat, damage, or a setback of some kind. The jury session. The men were acquitted through lack
allusion is to the ringing of a bell to signal the end of evidence, but were banned from the sport for
of a round in a boxing match. The attorney was about life. The game is off ? Say it ain’t so, Joe!
to ask me where the money had come from, but I was
saved by the bell when the judge announced a recess. say the word To give the go-ahead for some-
thing to be done. The expression derives from
saving remnant A small group of survivors of a Matthew 8:8, when Christ is speaking to the
larger assembly who serve to redeem the whole. Roman centurion whose servant lay paralyzed and
The phrase comes from Isaiah 10:20–23, in which suffering at home: “The centurion answered and
Isaiah describes how the remaining Israelites said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest
would be brought back to the Promised Land after come under my roof: but speak the word only, and
being defeated and exiled by the Assyrians. The my servant shall be healed.” The incident is also
Old Testament idea of a “remnant” is about people reported in Luke 7:1–10. “ ‘I’ll have it done, I will,
who have been saved or delivered from disaster by heavens! if you’ll only say the word,’ protested
rather than those who bring about the salvation of Sir Roger. But the doctor did not say the word,
417
Scaevola

and so the idea was passed off ” (Anthony Trollope, Tabernacle and lots were drawn to decide which
Doctor Thorne, 1858). would be sacrificed. The second goat was then
symbolically laden with the sins of the Israelites
Scaevola (skeevblb) Archetype of a person who and led into the wilderness and allowed to escape.
endures suffering without complaint. According The term scapegoat may be derived from the
to Roman legend Scaevola (meaning “left handed”) Hebrew azazel (which may have been the name of
was the nickname bestowed on one Gaius Mucius, a demon believed to haunt desolate regions).
who entered the camp of the invading Etruscan “Madame Merle defended the luckless lady with a
leader Lars Porsena with the intention of assassi- great deal of zeal and wit. She couldn’t see why
nating him during his siege of Rome. Unfortu- Mrs. Touchett should make a scapegoat of a
nately Gaius Mucius killed the king’s secretary by woman who had really done no harm, who had
mistake and was apprehended. Having been sen- only done good in the wrong way” (Henry James,
tenced to death by burning, Gaius Mucius volun- Portrait of a Lady, 1881).
tarily held his right hand in the flames to show his
indifference to his fate, keeping it there without Scarecrow See friend of dorothy.
flinching until it was quite burned away. Duly
impressed, the Etruscans allowed him to go free scarlet letter A mark of shame. The allusion is to
and agreed to peace with the Romans. Like Scaevola the custom among the early Puritans of New
under torture, he endured the most severe physical abuse England of forcing a woman guilty of adultery to
without a murmur. wear a scarlet letter A (for “adulteress”) on her
dress as a public acknowledgment of her misbe-
scales fell from his eyes This expression is used havior. The practice was famously described by
to describe a person who has been stripped of a U.S. novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804–64) in
former illusion and now recognizes the real truth his novel The Scarlet Letter (1850), in which Hester
of something. The expression comes from Acts Prynne is punished in this way. If you think any wife
9:18, which describes the conversion of Paul on today is going to go round with a scarlet letter on her
the road to damascus: “And immediately there coat you’re very much mistaken.
fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he
received sight forthwith, and arose, and was bap- Scarlet Pimpernel (pimpernel) An elusive per-
tized.” “Then the scales fell from the eyes of the son. The adventure novel The Scarlet Pimpernel
Seven, and one said, Alas, that we drank of the (1905), by the Hungarian-born novelist Baroness
curious liquors. They have made us weary, and in Orczy (1865–1947), featured the escapades of an
dreamless sleep these two long centuries have we English aristocrat called Sir Percy Blakeney, who
lain” (Mark Twain, The Innocents Abroad, 1869). at the time of the French Revolution rescued
intended victims of the guillotine under the pseud-
scapegoat A person who is made to take the onym “The Scarlet Pimpernel” (an allusion to the
blame for others. According to Leviticus 16, the small red flowers he left behind as his calling card).
Day of Atonement included a ceremony in which His assumed foppishness and frivolity as Sir Percy
two goats were brought to the altar of the fooled his enemies into thinking he was the most
418
 Scott of the Antarctic

unlikely person to be the Pimpernel, thus making Sciron (sirbn) Archetype of a vicious robber.
him very difficult to unmask and inspiring him to According to Greek legend Sciron waylaid travel-
taunt his pursuers with the rhyme: “We seek him ers on the Scironian rock in Megara and made
here, we seek him there, / Those Frenchies seek them wash his feet before he kicked them into the
him everywhere. / Is he in heaven?—Is he in hell? / sea, where they were devoured by a sea monster.
That demned, elusive Pimpernel.” “He’s like the Sciron met his death at the hands of theseus. He
Scarlet Pimpernel—totally elusive” ( Jenny Ashe, showed his enemies the mercy of a Sciron, taking pleasure
Sweet Deceiver, 1993). in humiliating his victims before putting them out of
their misery on a permanent basis.
Scarlett O’Hara See gone with the wind.
Scotland Yard The headquarters of London’s
Scarlet Whore of Babylon See whore of police force, or the police themselves. Great Scot-
babylon. land Yard, Whitehall, was the headquarters of the
Metropolitan Police from around 1842 to 1890.
scarlet woman A woman with a reputation for The force then moved to New Scotland Yard on
sexual promiscuity; a prostitute. The allusion is to Victoria Embankment and remained there until
the whore of babylon, a sinful woman described 1967 when the headquarters was transferred to
as wearing scarlet in Revelation 17. “Nay, we might Broadway, Westminster, which was again dubbed
have judged that such a child’s mother must needs “New Scotland Yard.” The original Scotland Yard
be a scarlet woman, and a worthy type of her of was a piece of land granted in the 10th century to
Babylon!” (Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter, the kings of Scotland to be used by them on their
1850). annual visits to London, and was technically con-
sidered to be part of Scotland, hence the name. In
Scarpia (skahrpeeb) A malevolent police chief. modern usage, the Metropolitan Police, or even
Scarpia is the menacing chief of police in the opera the British police in general, may be referred to
Tosca (1900) by the Italian composer Giacomo variously as “Scotland Yard,” “New Scotland Yard,”
Puccini (1858–1924). He lusts after the singer or just “the Yard.” “Gathering his wits, the pot-
Tosca and has her lover Mario Cavaradossi arrested man said, ‘The constable and a man from Scotland
in the hope that she will agree to sleep with him in Yard in London came to Dore’s Lodge today’ ”
exchange for his sparing Cavaradossi from execu- (E. V. Thompson, Wychwood, 1992).
tion, but by the end of the opera all three are dead.
The Italian prime minister did not attempt to defend his Scott of the Antarctic An intrepid explorer,
chief of police, who was behaving more and more like especially one of polar regions.The British explorer
Puccini’s Scarpia. Captain Robert Falcon Scott (1868–1912) is
remembered primarily for his heroic but ulti-
Schwarzenegger, Arnold See arnold schwar- mately tragic expedition to the South Pole, which
zenegger. resulted in the deaths of the whole party. The reso-
lution and self-sacrifice of the expedition mem-
Scipio See continence of a scipio. bers enshrined Scott and his companions as ideals
419
scourge of scorpions

of the courageous exploring spirit. You’d have to be ways and determines to be more generous in the
Scott of the Antarctic to get to town through this snow. future. Her husband is such a Scrooge he doesn’t even
See also captain oates. buy her a birthday present. See also bob cratchit;
harpagon.
scourge of scorpions A particularly severe pun-
ishment. The phrase, also encountered as lash of Scully, Dana See x-files.
scorpions, alludes to 1 Kings 12:11: “My father
hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise Scylla and Charybdis See between scylla and
you with scorpions.” The rebels have threatened to charybdis.
unleash a scourge of scorpions, and the government is
more nervous today than it has been for years. Scythian defiance (sitheebn) A threat or gesture
of resistance, especially one tersely delivered. The
scrip and staff Wallet and stick, as symbols of allusion is to the message the nomadic peoples of
earthly possessions, usually in the context of relin- Scythia sent to Darius I, when he approached with
quishing them. The phrase appears in Mark 6:7– an invading Persian army in 512 b.c. The Scythian
10, Luke 9:3, and Matthew 10:10, in which Christ ambassador arrived at the king’s tent and without
urges his disciples to forsake all possessions when a word produced a bird, a frog, a mouse, and five
embarking on their travels: “Take nothing for your arrows. It was explained to the king that the Scyth-
journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither brand, ians were warning him to fly away like a bird, hide
neither money; neither have two coats apiece.” In in a hole like a mouse, or swim across the river
medieval times the faithful often carried a staff as a like a frog or else suffer death by Scythian arrows
sign that they were on pilgrimage, and somewhat five days later. The attempted Persian conquest
perversely, a purse and staff became recognized failed. This gesture of Scythian defiance did nothing in
emblems of pilgrimage. “. . . from that moment the long run to alter the inevitability of defeat.
until the closing of the curtain it was music, just
music—music to make one drunk with pleasure, season, to every thing there is a; season for all
music to make one take scrip and staff and beg his things See time and place for everything.
way round the globe to hear it” (Mark Twain, What
Is Man and Other Essays, 1906). second Adam See adam.

Scrooge (skrooj) A person who is mean with his second coming A triumphant return from obscu-
or her money; a parsimonious skinflint. The allu- rity. The reference is to the Second Coming, or
sion is to Ebenezer Scrooge, the penny-pinching Second Advent, of Jesus Christ, when he will visi-
miser who is the central character in A Christmas bly return at the end of history to judge the world,
Carol (1843) by the British novelist Charles Dick- destroy evil, and consummate his kingdom (Mat-
ens (1812–70). After being visited by the spirits of thew 16:27 and 24:30, Acts 1:11, 2 Thessalonians
Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas 1:3–10, and Revelation 1:7). The star’s return to the
Yet to Come, and by Marley’s ghost (the ghost of silver screen in this movie was greeted as a second coming,
his deceased partner Jacob Marley), he mends his although he had never really been away.
420
 sell down the river

second front Activities begun on a new front to all knowledge will be complete, but for now we see
divide an enemy’s forces. The phrase is particularly through a glass darkly. “Britain seen through a glass
associated with the long-awaited Allied invasion of darkly” (Guardian, June 6, 2001).
France in 1944 during World War II, which meant
that Nazi Germany was faced with attacks on two Seian horse (seebn) A possession that brings its
fronts, in the east against Russia and now also in owner bad luck. The allusion is to a fine horse that
the west. The government opened up a second front on belonged to the Roman nobleman Cneius Seius.
poverty by shaking up the welfare system. Seius was put to death on the orders of Mark Ant-
ony, and the horse’s next owner, Cornelius Dola-
second mile See go the extra/second mile. bella, similarly met a premature end, dying in
battle in Syria. The horse then passed to Caius
seek and ye shall find Those who make some Cassius, who died a violent death after the Battle
effort to get what they want are more likely to of Philippi (42 b.c.), and it ultimately became the
succeed. The proverb is of biblical origin, coming property of Mark Antony himself, who committed
from Matthew 7:7–8, which commends the power suicide in 30 b.c. after defeat at Actium. Like the
of prayer: “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and Seian horse, the jewel seemed to bring its owners nothing
ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto but bad luck and in some cases even death itself.
you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he
that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it seize the day See carpe diem.
shall be opened.” It can also be found in Luke
11:9–13. Finding the solution to this puzzle will not be Selene (sbleenee) Personification of the Moon.
easy, but seek and ye shall find. Selene, the daughter of the Titans Hyperion and
Theia and the sister of Helios and Eos, was identi-
see the light To experience a significant revela- fied as the moon goddess in Greek mythology.When
tion; to realize the truth. The allusion is to the she fell in love with Endymion, a handsome shep-
revelation undergone by Saul on the road to herd boy, Endymion was cast into an eternal sleep
damascus when he was suddenly bathed in a light so that Selene would always be able to visit him in
from heaven and converted to a follower of Jesus his dreams. Selene cast an eerie glow over the scene, bath-
Christ (Acts 9:1–22). He claimed he saw the light at ing the dead and the living alike in her cool light.
college: Before this he was a hardened atheist, but after-
wards he was a devout Christian. “Stonehenge solstice sell down the river To sacrifice someone else’s
revellers see the light” (Guardian, June 22, 2001). interests for the sake of one’s own advantage. The
allusion is to the slave trade that once flourished
see through a glass darkly To glimpse the truth on the Mississippi, which involved slaves being
despite limitations of the senses. The quotation is sent down the river to plantations where condi-
from 1 Corinthians 13:12: “Now we see through a tions were often much worse. He was a respected
glass, darkly; but then face to face.” In its original broker until he sold his clients down the river when he
biblical context the phrase refers to the imperfect saw the chance of making a killing on the stock market
human understanding of God’s purpose. One day for himself.
421
sell one’s birthright for a mess of pottage

sell one’s birthright for a mess of pottage To give Semite; Semitic See shem.
up one’s rights in something for a paltry sum or
other reward. According to Genesis 25:29–34 send a sow to Minerva (minervb) To attempt to
esau foolishly sold his birthright to his treacher- teach something to a person who is already thor-
ous twin brother, Jacob, in exchange for a bowl of oughly familiar with the subject. The source of the
soup or stew. “And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau image is a Latin proverb, which likens such behav-
came from the field, and he was faint: And Esau ior to a pig attempting to educate Minerva, the
said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same goddess of wisdom. Lecturing a banker in ways in
red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name which to fleece customers is rather like sending a sow to
called Edom. And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy Minerva.
birthright. And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point
to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to send in the clowns Even in times of catastrophe,
me? And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he ordinary life (or the appearances of ordinary life)
sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto must go on. The phrase was originally associated
Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of with the circus, where the stock response when
lentils; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and things went wrong was to amuse the audience with
went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.” a clown act. It became more familiar as the title of a
“But he who sold his birthright for a mess of pot- popular song from the Stephen Sondheim musical
tage existed, and Judas Iscariot existed, and Cas- A Little Night Music (1973), recorded by Judy Col-
tlereagh existed, and this man exists!” (Charles lins in 1975. It looks like there will be a short delay so
Dickens, Hard Times, 1854). we’d better send in the clowns until the band are ready.

Semiramis (sbmirbmis) Archetype of a powerful send to Coventry To ostracize or ignore some-

female ruler. Semiramis was the legendary founder one.The story goes that the residents of the English
of Babylon, a mortal Assyrian sometimes described city of Coventry were once so hostile to the army
as the daughter of the goddess Derceto. She mar- that they shunned any soldiers who were stationed
ried King Ninus of Assyria and persuaded him to among them. Alternatively, the phrase may have its
hand over the crown to her, upon which she had roots in the English Civil War, when Royalist pris-
him put to death. An immensely capable queen, she oners taken in Birmingham were sent to Coventry,
was herself murdered by her son Ninyas. Various a Parliamentarian city, where they were less than
queens and empresses have since aspired to her welcome guests. The young man was sent to Coventry
name, including Catherine II of Russia, who was by his friends until he apologized for what he had said.
dubbed the “Semiramis of the North.” “ ‘Have you
completed all the necessary preparations incident to send up the river To send someone to prison.
Miss Sedley’s departure, Miss Jemima?’ asked Miss The allusion is to Sing Sing, the notorious prison
Pinkerton herself, that majestic lady; the Semiramis that is located at Ossining, which lies up the Hud-
of Hammersmith, the friend of Doctor Johnson, the son River from New York City. If the cops think
correspondent of Mrs. Chapone herself ” (William they’re sending me up the river for this, then they’re
Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair, 1847–48). mistaken.
422
 Sermon on the Mount

separate the sheep from the goats To cull the an echo of the morning: ‘Blind! Blind! Blind!’ ”
good or useful from the bad or useless.The expres- (Charles Dickens, David Copperfield, 1849–50).
sion originated from Matthew 25:31–33: “The
Son of Man . . . shall separate them one from Serbonian bog (serboneebn) A situation from
another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the which it is impossible to extricate oneself. The
goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, allusion is to a vast area of marshland of the same
but the goats on the left.” It is also encountered in name that stretched from the isthmus of Suez to
the form divide the sheep from the goats. “The the Nile delta in ancient times and in which many
political feelings of the country are, as a rule, so armies were said to have been lost. It is now cov-
well marked that it is easy, as to almost every ered in sand. “The lingering twilight served to
question, to separate the sheep from the goats” show them through this Serbonian bog, but
(Anthony Trollope, Phineas Redux, 1869). See also deserted them almost totally at the bottom of a
separate the wheat from the chaff. steep and very stony hill, which it was the travel-
ler’s next toilsome task to ascend” (Sir Walter
separate the wheat from the chaff To divide Scott, Waverley, 1814).
what is valuable from what is worthless. The
expression comes from Matthew 3:12, in which Sermon on the Mount A lengthy and authorita-
John the Baptist describes how Christ will judge tive statement of principle, policy, etc. The allusion
the good and the bad on judgment day. Chaff is to the Sermon on the Mount given by Jesus Christ
describes the husks and other outer material of to his disciples, as described in Matthew 5–7. The
seed, which is separated from the good grain, in passage begins with the beatitudes and contains
this case wheat, during threshing or winnowing. the Lord’s Prayer. “This was the first of a series of
“Everything is most carefully gone into; we endea- moral lectures or Sermons on the Mount, which
vour to sift the wheat from the chaff ” (John Gals- were to be delivered from the same place every
worthy, The Forsyte Saga, 1922). See also separate Sunday afternoon as long as the fine weather lasted”
the sheep from the goats. (Thomas Hardy, The Return of the Native, 1880). See
also city on a hill; deliver us from evil; enter
September 11 See 9/11. into one’s closet; go the extra/second mile;
hide one’s light under a bushel; if thy right
seraphic (sbrafik) Serene; rapt.The word alludes eye offend thee; jot or tittle; judge not, that
to the seraphim, or seraphs, the highest of the nine ye be not judged; lay not up treasures upon
orders of angels. According to the account in Isa- earth; lead us not into temptation; left hand
iah 6:1–7 the seraphim are God’s fiery six-winged know what your right hand is doing, do not
attendants, who sing his praises around his throne. let your; lilies of the field; love your enemies;
The word comes from saraph (meaning “to burn” mote and beam; rain falls on the just and the
in Hebrew). “There was a beggar in the street, unjust, the; salt of the earth; sufficient unto
when I went down; and as I turned my head the day is the evil thereof; tomorrow will
towards the window, thinking of her calm seraphic take care of itself; turn the other cheek;
eyes, he made me start by muttering, as if he were wolf in sheep’s clothing.
423
serpent

serpent A source of trouble; an evil influence. and sloth. Pride he rated as the most serious of all.
The allusion is to the Serpent in the garden of “It was only because she was a Christian woman,
eden, which is described as “more subtil than any with a clear view of the seven deadly sins, that she
beast of the field which the LORD God had made” pushed the bedclothes back firmly” (Susan Hill,
(Genesis 3:1) and which tempts Eve into tasting Gentleman and Ladies, 1969).
the forbidden fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of
Good and Evil, telling her that “in the day ye eat seven last words The seven last sentences of
thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye Christ on the cross. They are as follows: “Eli, Eli,
shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” (Genesis lama sabachthani? . . . My God, my God, why
3:5). The identification of the Serpent with the hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46; see my
devil is based on Revelation 20:2: “And he laid god, why hast thou forsaken me?), “Father,
hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the forgive them; for they know not what they do”
Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years.” (Luke 23:34; see father, forgive them; know
The serpent of international terrorism has reared its not what they do, they), “Today shalt thou be
head, and suddenly no one is safe. with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43), “Father, into
thy hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46),
serve God and mammon See no man can serve “Woman, behold thy son! . . . Behold thy mother!”
two masters. (John 19:26–27), “I thirst” (John 19:28), and “It is
finished” (John 19:30).
serve two masters See no man can serve two
masters. seven pillars of wisdom The fundamental truths
upon which life depends. The phrase appears in
Set (set) Incarnation of evil. Set, or Seth, fea- Proverbs 9:1: “Wisdom hath builded her house,
tured in ancient Egyptian mythology as the god of she hath hewn out her seven pillars.” Various
fertility, warfare, and storms. He was usually authorities have identified the seven pillars with
depicted in the form of a dog and was described as the seven patriarchs—Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abra-
the implacable foe of his brothers Horus and ham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses—while Augustine
Osiris. The sorcerer called upon Set to help him in his linked them to the seven churches that united to
unearthly quest for revenge. form the one true church. These beliefs constitute the
seven pillars of wisdom upon which the city has bur-
set the mark of the beast See mark of the geoned over the last 20 years.
beast.
seventy times seven Many times; ad infinitum.
seven deadly sins The seven chief sins upon The phrase alludes to Matthew 18:21–22, in
which all the crimes of mankind can allegedly be which Peter asks Christ, “Lord, how oft shall my
blamed. According to the Roman Catholic reli- brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven
gious writer Saint Thomas Aquinas (1227–75), in times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee,
his Summa Theologica (1265–74), the seven deadly Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.”
sins are pride, lust, wrath, envy, gluttony, avarice, “ ‘Sir,’ I exclaimed, ‘sitting here, within these four
424
 Shakespearean

walls, at one stretch, I have endured and forgiven shadow of death See valley of the shadow of
the four hundred and ninety heads of your dis- death.
course. Seventy times seven times have I plucked
up my hat and been about to depart—Seventy Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego See fiery
times seven times have you preposterously forced furnace.
me to resume my seat” (Emily Brontë, Wuthering
Heights, 1847). shake off the dust from/on one’s feet To leave
somewhere or disassociate oneself from someone
seven wonders of the world See eighth won- as a result of the treatment one has received. The
der of the world. expression comes from Matthew 10:14, in which
Christ advises his disciples what to do when they
seven-year itch The notion that after a marriage find themselves in places where their preaching
or other relationship has lasted seven years one receives a hostile reception: “And whosoever shall
or both partners are tempted to be unfaithful. not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye
The phrase became widely familiar when it was depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust
used as the title of a George Axelrod comedy of your feet.” “The message had been delivered,
(1952), filmed in 1955 with marilyn monroe and Captain Batsby with a frown of anger on his
providing the temptation. Before Axelrod’s play brow was about to shake the dust off from his feet
the phrase was associated with various medical on the uncourteous threshold when there came
ailments, such as scabies, which were believed to another message, saying that Captain Batsby could
need seven years’ treatment before they were go in and see Sir Thomas if he wished it” (Anthony
fully cured. He never thought he would drive any- Trollope, Ayala’s Angel, 1881).
thing except a Mustang, but he fell victim to a seven-
year itch and exchanged it for a Porsche. See also Shakespearean (shaykspeeribn) Of or relating
dangerous age, a. to the writings of the English playwright William
Shakespeare (1564–1616). Commonly described
seven years of plenty A period of prosperity, as the greatest writer in the English language,
especially one that is likely to be followed by a Shakespeare covered a wide range of themes and
corresponding period of want. The phrase comes genres in his plays and poetry. The term “Shake-
from the biblical episode of Pharaoh’s dream of spearean” typically suggests the epic scale and
“seven well favoured kine and fatfleshed” being poetic intensity of his best-known tragedies,
devoured by seven “ill favoured and leanfleshed though it may equally evoke his comic sense, his
kine” and seven withered ears of corn being con- profound understanding of human nature, or his
sumed by seven good ears (Genesis 41:1–7). unrivaled eye for character. “The picture that thus
Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dream as a prophecy emerges of the tensions and jealousies in the Impe-
of seven years of plenty being followed by seven rial family has a grand, almost Shakespearean feel
years of famine (Genesis 41:25–32). The market to it: the Emperor Shah Jehan governs the Mughal
confidently expects at least seven years of plenty without Empire through its period of greatest magnifi-
having to worry about foreign debt. cence” (William Dalrymple, City of Djinns, 1993).
425
shanghai

shanghai (shanghi) To appropriate someone’s lively, intelligent plays for the theater and as a bril-
services against their will. The allusion is to the liant, controversial observer of the culture and
former practice among naval captains of various society of his time, preserved in essays, letters,
Western nations of kidnapping young men and novels, and other writings as well as in his drama.
forcing them to serve in their ships’ crews, often A person who is described as “Shavian” is likely to
by the means of “press gangs” who roamed the be witty, clever, and playfully biting in his or her
streets and taverns of port towns looking for likely criticisms of others. He had a perverse, Shavian wit
candidates. Many merchant vessels manned by that delighted as much as it hurt its victims.
such crews carried cargoes to the Chinese port of
Shanghai, hence the term. In modern usage the shazam See captain marvel.
word is sometimes applied to projects and other
inanimate things that are deemed to have been Sheba, Queen of See queen of sheba.
summarily taken over. The idea of opening up rela-
tions with potential clients has been shanghaied by our sheep from goats See separate the sheep from
competitors. the goats.

Shangri-La (shangreelah) A paradise far removed sheep to the slaughter See lamb to the
from the troubles of the world. Shangri-La was the slaughter.
name given by British writer James Hilton (1900–
54) to an imaginary utopian retreat in the moun- Sheherezade See arabian nights.
tains of Tibet in his novel Lost Horizon (1933),
later filmed with Ronald Colman in the leading Shem (shem) Archetype of a homeless wanderer

role. The inhabitants of Shangri-La, living in such or vagrant. The allusion is to the biblical Shem, the
beautiful, peaceful surroundings, never grow old eldest son of Noah, who according to the Book of
unless they leave their secluded valley, in which Genesis received Noah’s blessing after he and his
case their great age catches up with them and brother Japheth showed respect to their father
they shrivel to dust. The family used their great when he was drunk. Noah promised his son that
wealth to create a Shangri-La in the distant hills, to God “shall dwell in the tents of Shem” (Genesis
which only their closest friends were ever invited. See 9:24–27), hence his association with wandering
also camp david. peoples and vagrants and his identification as the
ancestor of the Hebrews. His name has also given
Sharon, rose of See rose of sharon. rise to the words Semite and Semitic. Like a latter-
day Shem he spent years wandering with his family.
Sharp, Becky See becky sharp.
Sheriff of Nottingham (notingham, notingbm)
Shavian (shayveebn) Reminiscent in some way An evil, grasping local official. The allusion is to
of the writings, philosophy, or character of the the archenemy of the English folk hero robin
Irish writer and critic George Bernard Shaw hood, who makes himself rich at the expense of
(1856–1950). Shaw is remembered for his many the city’s population. Several of the Robin Hood
426
 shining light

adventures revolve around the sheriff’s attempts ruled by Ayesha, a 2,000-year-old beauty possessed
to capture the famous outlaw and disperse his of eternal youth and an iron will. The phrase was
band of merry men. Like the Sheriff of Nottingham, later adopted by British novelist John Mortimer in
the state believes itself to be entitled to a generous share his Horace Rumpole stories as the means by which
of everyone else’s personal wealth. the lawyer Rumpole refers to his reportedly fero-
cious wife. “Simon Draper took to calling her
Sherlock Holmes (sherlok homz) An ace detec- ‘She who must be obeyed’—if not to her face”
tive. The brilliant, eccentric private detective Sher- (M. Brown, Richard Branson: The Inside Story, 1989).
lock Holmes was the creation of the British novelist
and short-story writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle shibboleth (shibbleth) A watchword or a generally
(1859–1930). He made his first appearance in A accepted rule or fundamental precept; a phrase that
Study in Scarlet in 1887, together with his devoted is difficult to pronounce or a peculiarity of behavior,
friend and biographer doctor watson, and his dress, etc., that is difficult to master and thus may be
adventures quickly attracted a huge readership. used to test whether a person belongs to a particular
Doyle’s attempt to kill Holmes off in 1902 by throw- class, profession, or other group. In its original bibli-
ing him off the Reichenbach Falls in the clutches of cal context ( Judges 12:1–16) the word (meaning
his archenemy Professor Moriarty led only to con- “stream in flood” in Hebrew) was used by Jephthah
certed calls for his revival, and Doyle felt obliged to to tell the Gileadites from their enemies the
resurrect him for a further series of cases. Holmes Ephraimites, who pronounced the word sibboleth
has been brought to life in numerous movies as well and thus betrayed their identity and were summarily
as on radio, television, and the stage and his methods put to death. “If it works, then some of the old shib-
of deduction through minute observation of details boleths about Saturday night being family entertain-
continue to fascinate and beguile. Holmes himself ment night will be buried alongside Noel’s House
professes to think little of his talents, modestly Party” (Guardian, July 2, 2001).
informing Watson that his deductions are “elemen-
tary.” Doyle is said to have modeled his detective’s Shiloah (shilob) A place of heavenly peace and
techniques upon those of Dr. Joseph Bell of the rest. The allusion is to Isaiah 8:6–7, in which Isaiah
Edinburgh Infirmary. The police have so little to go on refers to the “waters of Shiloah that go softly,” and
that even Sherlock Holmes would find it difficult to know also to John 9:1–11, in which Christ heals a blind
what conclusions to draw. See also elementary, my dear man by sending him to wash his eyes in the pool of
watson; three-pipe problem. Shiloah, or Siloam, just outside Jerusalem. (Shi-
loah comes from the Hebrew word shalah, “to
Sherwood Forest See robin hood. send”; Siloam is the Greek form used in the Book
of John.) After a lifetime of trouble and misfortune he
She Who Must Be Obeyed A wife or other found himself able to enjoy a brief respite beside the
woman whose orders are always followed. The softly flowing waters of Shiloah.
term is an allusion to the 1887 novel She by the
British writer H. Rider Haggard (1856–1925), in shining light A person who is recognized as one
which he describes a fictional lost African city of the foremost figures in a particular field; a person
427
Shirley Temple

who shows the way forward. The phrase comes from it by throwing himself onto a funeral pyre.
from John 5:35, which describes John the Baptist: “The words stuck to him like the shirt of Nessus,
“He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were lacerating his very spirit” (Anthony Trollope, Doctor
willing for a season to rejoice in his light.” It also Wortle’s School, 1881).
appears in Proverbs 4:18: “But the path of the just
is as the shining light, that shineth more and more shoot the messenger See kill the messenger.
unto the perfect day.” “She’s a capital girl, and
she ought to marry a missionary, or one of your shot heard round the world The shooting of a
reformer fellows, and be a shining light of some bullet or some other event that proves to have
sort” (Louisa May Alcott, An Old Fashioned Girl, momentous international significance. The phrase
1870). has been applied to more than one such shot in
history, but is particularly associated with the first
Shirley Temple A sweet-natured young girl, shot of the American Revolution. It was fired on
especially one with curly golden hair. The original the morning of April 19, 1775, when a force of
Shirley Temple (b. 1928) became famous through- farmers and minutemen confronted British troops
out the world as a child star in 1930s movies, across a bridge at Concord, Massachusetts. An
among them Little Miss Marker (1934), Curly Top unidentified man fired the first shot without any
(1935), and Dimples (1936). The movies projected order being given, and the first of many battles
her as the ideal child—loving, innocent, and was joined. The phrase was later incorporated by
cheerful—though many found her performances Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) in his “Concord
saccharine. She retired from movies at a fairly Hymn” (1836): “By the rude bridge that arched
early age and later in life found a new career as a the flood, / Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled, /
diplomat. She behaved like Shirley Temple but was Here once the embattled farmers stood, / And
really about as innocent as Mae West. fired the shot heard ’round the world.” In 1914
another “shot heard round the world” was fired by
shirt of Nessus (nesbs) A misfortune from Gavrilo Princip at sarajevo, triggering World
which it is impossible to escape. The allusion is to War I. In 1963 Lee Harvey Oswald fired a shot that was
the death of hercules, which came about after he heard round the world.
put on a shirt soaked in the poisonous blood of the
centaur Nessus, offered to him by his own wife, shoulders of giants See on the shoulders of
Deianeira. According to the legend Deianeira had giants.
become jealous after the dying Nessus told her
Hercules had fallen in love with the beautiful Iole. show the cloven hoof See cloven hoof.
Nessus also told her that by making her husband
wear a shirt soaked in the centaur’s blood her hus- Shulamite (shoolbmit) A remarkably beautiful
band would be restored to her, so Deianeira dipped woman. According to the Song of Solomon 6:13,
the shirt in Nessus’s blood and sent it to her hus- the Shulamite is the beloved. The word could be a
band. The pain inflicted by the centaur’s blood was variant form of Shunammite, which means “a girl
so agonizing that ultimately Hercules sought relief from Shunem,” or a feminine form of Solomon, in
428
 sibyl

which instance the word would signify “Solomon’s was called Siam. They became internationally
girl.” “Love her, Esther! She was to me more than famous and toured the world before settling in
the Shulamite to the singing king, fairer, more North Carolina, finally dying in 1874.They remain
spotless; a fountain of gardens, a well of living history’s best-known conjoined twins, hence the
waters, and streams from Lebanon” (Lew Wallace, term “Siamese twins,” which has only recently
Ben Hur, 1880). fallen from favor in this literal sense. “ ‘Just because
you’re married doesn’t mean you’ve got to be Sia-
shut up the bowels of compassion See bowels mese twins,’ I said loftily” (Bette Howell, Dande-
of compassion. lion Days, 1991).

Shylock (shilok) A heartless, avaricious, money- Siberia (sibeereeb) A cold, inhospitable place,
grasping individual. The allusion is to the Jewish especially one to which outcasts are sent. Siberia
moneylender Shylock who is a central character in northern Russia is a frozen wasteland in which
in William Shakespeare’s play The Merchant of life for most people is a matter of grim survival.
Venice (1596). Shylock is highly resentful of the For many years, notably under Communist rule,
prejudice he has endured from the Christians of Siberia was a dreaded place of exile and imprison-
Venice and sees his opportunity to exact revenge ment for individuals who had offended the state. It
against a respected Christian merchant called was like Siberia in the apartment after the heating sys-
Antonio after the latter unwisely agrees to pro- tem broke down.
vide security for Shylock’s loan to his friend Bas-
sanio, jokingly agreeing to allow the moneylender sibyl (sibbl) A witch, sorceress, or fortune-
to take a pound of flesh from his body if Bassa- teller. The word was originally applied in ancient
nio defaults. When Bassanio fails to repay the Greece and Rome to the prophetesses (between
money, Shylock insists upon his rights to his four and 10 in number) who attended the oracles
pound of flesh, though he is finally outwitted in of the ancient world and delivered messages from
this demand by Bassanio’s lover Portia, who the gods. The most famous of them was the sibyl of
argues that though Shylock is entitled to his Cumae, who advised Aeneas on his journey to the
pound of flesh he is not entitled to the blood that underworld and was the supposed fount of the
will inevitably be spilled when it is removed (see sibylline books, a set of prophetic sayings offering
also quality of mercy is not strained, the). guidance in matters of policy and religion. These
When it came to negotiating the contract her father were kept in the temple of Jupiter on Capitoline
revealed himself to be a Shylock who put money before Hill in Rome until they were lost in a fire in 83
all other considerations. b.c. “Poor Jotham, whose life paid the forfeiture of
his folly, acknowledged, before he died, that his
Siamese twins (sibmeez) Physically joined reasons for believing in a mine were extracted
twins, or two other people who act, speak, or from the lips of a sibyl, who, by looking in a magic
think in a noticeably similar way. Chang and Eng glass, was enabled to discover the hidden treasures
were conjoined identical twins born in Bangkok, of the earth” (James Fenimore Cooper, The Pio-
Thailand, in 1811, when the country of their birth neers, 1823).
429
sick as a parrot

sick as a parrot Fed up; disappointed; dejected. phrase: ‘It is a deplorable sign of the times’ what
The origin of the phrase is somewhat obscure. was, in effect, an austere, general rebuke to the
Suggestions concerning its origin range from the absurd infatuations of the investing public” ( Joseph
traditional melancholy Pierrot character to the par- Conrad, Chance, 1913).
rot disease psittacosis.Whatever the case, the phrase
is strongly associated with a famous monty python Sikes, Bill See nancy.
comedy sketch featuring a disgruntled customer’s
attempts to return a dead parrot to a pet store. Silas Marner (silbs mahrner) Archetype of an
When he heard what the stock he had sold was now unhappy miser. In the novel Silas Marner (1861)
worth he felt sick as a parrot. by George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans; 1819–80), the
title character is an embittered weaver who hoards
sick man of Europe A European country or his wealth and never spends anything on creature
institution that is seen to be in serious decline. The comforts. His attitude slowly changes, however,
description was first bestowed upon what was after a generous-hearted young girl called Eppie
then the ailing Ottoman Empire by Czar Nicholas comes to live with him. He was so mean with his
I of Russia in 1853. It has since been applied to money that he made Silas Marner look like Santa
modern Turkey, among other European countries. Claus.
“The strength of the British economy in the mid-
1980s, the signs of growth and rising prosperity, Silenus (sileenbs) Personification of a jovial,
helped dispel the old image of ‘the sick man of pleasure-loving man. Silenus was identified in
Europe’ ” (Kenneth O. Morgan, The People’s Peace, Greek mythology as the foster father and teacher
1990). of Dionysus and considered the god of springs and
running water. He shared many of the same char-
Siege Perilous See galahad. acteristics as the satyrs and was commonly
depicted as a fat man riding drunkenly on a don-
sign of the times Something that is viewed as key or astride a wineskin, wearing a crown of
symptomatic of present attitudes, fortunes, etc. flowers. “I will invite my friends to a last feast; a
The phrase comes from Matthew 16:3: “And in saturnalia in a city of famine; a banquet of death,
the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the spread by the jovial labors of Silenus and his fauns!”
sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can (Wilkie Collins, Antonina, 1850).
discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern
the signs of the times?” There follows a list of signs Silicon Valley (silikbn) A place where modern
of the times that will herald the Second Coming of technological manufacture is concentrated, or
Christ, such as the appearance of false prophets, such technologies themselves. The name was orig-
wars and rumors of wars, nation rising against inally bestowed upon Santa Clara Valley, south of
nation, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes. “. . . a San Francisco, California, which became a heart-
special financial article in a hostile tone beginning land of the burgeoning electronics industry in the
with the words ‘We have always feared’ and a 1980s. Silicon is a material widely used in the man-
guarded, half-column leader, opening with the ufacture of semiconductors. Variants on the theme
430
 sinister

include Scotland’s Silicon Glen between Glasgow (as related in Acts 8): “And when Simon saw that
and Edinbugh and England’s Silicon Fen at Cam- through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy
bridge. He plans to make his fortune in Silicon Valley Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying,
and spend the rest of his life on the Riviera. Give me also this power” (Acts 8:18–19). The
word has also produced the verb simonize to
Siloam See shiloah. describe such activity. Some modern people could be
accused of simony. They think they can buy their way
Silvanus (silvaynbs) Personification of the coun- into the kingdom of God.
tryside. Silvanus was identified in Roman mythol-
ogy as the god of woodlands, fields, and flocks, the Simple Simon A slow-witted person, a fool. The
equivalent of the Greek god Pan. He was reputed allusion is to a nursery rhyme character who,
to keep wolves away from livestock. They spent the among other nonsensical activities, goes fishing
rest of the afternoon enjoying all the pleasures that Sil- for a whale in a bucket of water. He pretended to be
vanus offered to visitors in that delightful glade. Simple Simon but was really a brilliant thinker.

Silver See lone ranger. Sinai See mount sinai.

Silver, Long John See long john silver. Sinbad A sailor or adventurer of some kind. The
adventures of Sinbad the Sailor were featured in
silver age A period of history considered infe- one of the tales of the arabian nights, which
rior to a golden age. According to Hesiod (fl. c. described his seven voyages to exotic distant lands.
800 b.c.) and other poets of the classical era, the He was a regular Sinbad the Sailor, with his own sail-
original silver age was the second of the ages of boat and everything. See also old man of the sea.
the world, when humans abandoned themselves to
voluptuous and godless ways. Commercialism has sing one’s Nunc Dimittis See nunc dimittis.
entirely replaced the artistic impulse in what has been
termed a second silver age. sinister Ominous; threatening evil or harm. The
word comes from the Latin sinister (meaning “left
silver cord See golden bowl. handed”) and alludes to the ancient notion that in
divination, portents that appeared toward the west
Simon Legree See uncle tom. (on the left of the augur, who traditionally faced
north) were negative, while those that appeared
simony (simbnee) The practice of buying and toward the east (on the augur’s right) were posi-
selling spiritual or church benefits such as par- tive. “The hand he gave me was the hand I had bit-
dons, relics, and ecclesiastical offices. The word ten. I could not restrain my eye from resting for an
comes from the name of Simon Magus, a sorcerer instant on a red spot upon it; but it was not so red
who lived in the first century a.d. and who, having as I turned, when I met that sinister expression
converted to Christianity, sought to buy spiritual in his face” (Charles Dickens, David Copperfield,
power from the apostles until rebuked by Peter 1849–50).
431
Sinon

Sinon (sinon) Personification of a person who commands the reluctant Reubenites and the
betrays others by deceit. Sinon was the Greek who Gadites to cross the Jordan, warning them that if
convinced the Trojans that there was no danger in they refuse to do so they will have committed a
dragging the trojan horse, and the Greek war- crime against God: “But if ye will not do so,
riors hidden inside it, within the city’s walls. He behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be
agreed to act as Sinon, volunteering to go to the meeting sure your sin will find you out.” “It sounds horrible
and tell anyone who would listen that management was and wicked enough, but he cannot be blamed too
now ready to negotiate. much, and be sure his sin will find him out”
(H. Rider Haggard, She, 1887).
sins be as scarlet Even those who are guiltiest of
the worst crimes may be forgiven. The phrase Sion See zion.
comes from Isaiah 1:18, in which sinners are reas-
sured of the possibility of divine forgiveness: siren (sirbn) A seductive or beguiling woman; a
“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the temptress. According to Homer’s Odyssey (c. 700
LORD: Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall b.c.) the Sirens were sea nymphs (part women,
be as white as snow; though they be red like crim- part bird) who lured sailors and their ships to
son, they shall be as wool.” “What if this cursed destruction with their enchanting singing; hence, a
hand / Were thicker than itself with brother’s siren song signifies an extremely attractive and
blood / Is there not rain enough in the sweet tempting but highly dangerous offer or invitation.
heavens / To wash it white as snow?” (William Odysseus was curious to hear the song of the sirens
Shakespeare, Hamlet, c. 1600). and had himself tied to the mast of his ship while
the rest of his crew plugged their ears with wax.
sins of the fathers The misdeeds of one genera- When the Argonauts sailed past the Sirens, they
tion may have to be atoned for by the generations kept themselves safe by listening instead to the
that follow. The phrase comes from the second of superior singing of Orpheus, upon which the Sirens
the Ten Commandments, as rendered in Exodus threw themselves into the sea and were turned into
20:5, which warns that those who offend God rocks. “Of course such a marriage was only what
may find their descendants must pay for their Newland was entitled to; but young men are so
offenses: “Thou shalt not bow down thyself to foolish and incalculable—and some women so
them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God ensnaring and unscrupulous—that it was nothing
am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the short of a miracle to see one’s only son safe past the
fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth Siren Isle and in the haven of a blameless domestic-
generation of them that hate me.” “Do you believe ity” (Edith Wharton, The Age of Innocence, 1920).
in the sins of the father being revisited on the son?”
(Times, January 8, 2002). Sirius (sireebs) The brightest star in the sky, sit-
uated in the constellation of Canis Major. Also
sin will find you out Crimes and other misdeeds called the dog star, it was named Sirius by the
invariably reveal themselves in time. The phrase Romans, who believed that dogs were most likely
comes from Numbers 32:23, in which Moses to go mad when the star was at its height (the
432
 skin of one’s teeth, by the

so-called dog days of mid-summer). The word skeleton at the feast A somber or melancholy
itself comes from the Greek seirios (meaning note in otherwise joyous surroundings. This col-
“scorching”). “The sky was still thick, but looking orful image is of ancient origin, its earliest men-
straight up he saw a single star, and tried vaguely tion being in the Moralia of the Greek historian
to reckon whether it were Sirius, or—or—The Plutarch (a.d. 46–120). According to Plutarch,
effort tired him too much, and he closed his heavy who had traveled widely, the Egyptians were in
lids and thought that he would sleep” (Edith Whar- the habit of placing a mummy among the diners
ton, Ethan Frome, 1911). at their feasts and celebrations as a reminder of
their own mortality. In modern usage the term is
Sisera See stars in their courses. often applied to a person who remains depressed
and gloomy while those around him or her are
Sistine Chapel See painting the sistine throwing themselves into the festivities. “Blunt
chapel. noticed this and remarked that I seemed to be
attracted by the Empress. ‘It’s disagreeable,’ I
Sisyphean (sisbfeebn) Of or relating to a seem- said. ‘It seems to lurk there like a shy skeleton at
ingly endless or futile effort. The allusion is to the the feast. But why do you give the name of
punishment that was imposed by Tartarus upon Empress to that dummy?’ ” (Joseph Conrad, The
Sisyphus, king of Corinth, for various misdemean- Arrow of Gold, 1919).
ors. Sisyphus was condemned for eternity to push
a large rock up a hill, only to find that when he skeptic A person who refuses to accept what he
reached the summit the rock tumbled all the way or she is told. The word comes from the Greek
back to the bottom, so he had to begin all over skeptesthai (meaning “to examine”) and was adopted
again. By the same token any fruitless or never- in the fourth century b.c. by the followers of Pyr-
ending task may be called a burden or labor of rho as a name to describe their philosophical
Sisyphus. For years he had engaged in an apparently movement, otherwise known as Pyrrhonism.
Sisyphean effort to persuade the government to change Essential to their beliefs were the notions that
its mind. nothing could be proved beyond doubt and that
only the reality of the sensations could be trusted.
sit at the feet of Gamaliel See gamaliel. “ ‘Am I a liar in your eyes?’ he asked passionately.
‘Little sceptic, you shall be convinced’ ” (Char-
six million dollar man See bionic man. lotte Brontë, Jane Eyre, 1847).

sixty-four thousand dollar question An all- skid row See on skid row.
important, deciding question, especially one that
is difficult to answer. The allusion is to a U.S. radio skin of one’s teeth, by the By the narrowest of
and television quiz of the 1950s in which the prize margins. The expression comes from Job 19:20:
money gradually escalated until it reached the “My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and
maximum total of $64,000. The sixty-four thousand I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.” He escaped
dollar question is who’s got the key? serious injury only by the skin of his teeth.
433
Skywalker, Luke

Skywalker, Luke See star wars. way that is not available to us in the process of
combating, enduring or avoiding the slings and
slam dunk An impressive success. The term arrows of day-to-day living” (Gavin Bolton, Drama
comes from basketball, in which it describes a shot as Education, 1988).
in which a player leaps high in the air before slam-
ming the ball down into the basket. The party’s slam slough of despond (slow) A state of hopeless
dunk in the primaries was a surprise to everyone. despair or despondency. The allusion is to the alle-
gorical pilgrim’s progress (1678, 1684) by the
slaughter of the innocents See massacre of the English preacher and poet John Bunyan (1628–
innocents. 88), in which the Slough of Despond is a bog
into which Christian and his companion Pliable
Sleeping Beauty A person who is sleeping become stuck on their journey to the celestial
soundly. The allusion is to a fairy tale collected by city. Christian fights his way out, but Pliable gives
the French folklorist Charles Perrault (1628– up and turns back. “It was while I was in this
1703) in 1697, which relates how a princess falls slough of despond that my publisher rang to ask if
into a magic sleep for 100 years until she is woken I would like to read a manuscript that needed
by the kiss of a handsome young prince. You’d better transforming into a readable book before it could
go and wake up Sleeping Beauty over there or he’ll be be published” (Raymond Hitchcock, Fighting Can-
late for school. See also prince charming. cer: A Personal Story, 1989).

Sleepy Hollow See ichabod crane. small is beautiful Sometimes things on a smaller
scale are more satisfactory. The allusion is to the
Sleipnir (sleepneer) Archetype of a fast horse or title of the book Small is Beautiful (1973) by
other animal or vessel. Sleipnir was identified in German-born British economist E. F. Schumacher
Norse mythology as the eight-legged horse belong- (1911–77), although it was actually coined by his
ing to Odin. It was reputed to be able to outstrip publishers Anthony Blond and Desmond Briggs.
the wind while running on land or water or in the The slogan became a favorite of businessmen and
air. He patted his mount lovingly, as though convinced it politicians, but has since been applied in many
would prove a new Sleipnir in the right conditions. other contexts. The company’s survival through turbu-
lent times only goes to show that small is beautiful.
slings and arrows Setbacks; adversity. The
phrase comes from William Shakespeare’s tragedy smile like a Cheshire Cat See cheshire cat.
Hamlet (c. 1600), in which Hamlet muses on the
foibles of fate: “To be, or not to be—that is the smite them hip and thigh To beat someone thor-
question; / Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suf- oughly.The phrase comes from Judges 15:8, which
fer / The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, describes how Samson exacted his revenge on the
/ Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, / And Philistines after they burned his wife and father-
by opposing end them?” “One of the reasons why in-law, smiting them “hip and thigh with a great
play is so absorbing is that it is self-initiated, in a slaughter.” “. . . the old Jew could for some time
434
 sock

only answer by invoking the protection of all the Watergate burglary. The phrase was in frequent
patriarchs of the Old Testament successively against use once more in 2003 in relation to the search for
the sons of Ishmael, who were coming to smite the alleged “weapons of mass destruction” thought
them, hip and thigh, with the edge of the sword” to have been developed in Iraq under Saddam Hus-
(Sir Walter Scott, Ivanhoe, 1819). sein. This could be the smoking gun that sends the
defendants to prison.
smite the rock To perform a miraculous act. The
reference is to Exodus 17:6 and Numbers 20:11, Snow White A girl or woman of stainless virtue,
which relate how God instructed Moses to pro- or one who at least appears to be entirely inno-
vide water for his people journeying in the wil- cent. The allusion is to the fairy tale Snow White and
derness: “Behold, I will stand before thee there the Seven Dwarfs, which tells how the lovely Snow
upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the White becomes housekeeper to some kindly
rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the dwarfs but then falls victim to the scheming guiles
people may drink.” When Moses struck the rock of her stepmother, an evil queen who is jealous of
water poured forth. This time there were no resources Snow White’s beauty and feeds her a piece of poi-
left to save them; the rock had been smitten one too many soned apple. Snow White falls into a deep sleep,
times. See also moses’ rod. from which she is eventually awakened by the kiss
of a young prince. She may look as if butter wouldn’t
smoke-filled room A room in which hard bar- melt in her mouth, but she’s no Snow White. See also
gaining or other intense negotiations take place. prince charming.
The allusion is to the tobacco smoke that tends to
fill the room during long hours of discussion. The soap opera A long-running radio or television
term was first applied to a suite in Chicago’s Black- drama series, usually with a domestic setting and a
stone Hotel, the scene of negotiations leading to melodramatic tone. The first such series were
the selection of Warren Harding as the Republican sponsored by soap manufacturers, hence the name,
presidential candidate in 1920. Her destiny was which is often shortened to simply soap. “The
decided in a smoke-filled room by a bunch of elderly rel- demand for a little something to take the mind off
atives and their lawyers. the day’s troubles is now much more fulfilled by a
soap opera or a half-hour crime story on the telly”
smoking gun Irrefutable evidence that places the (H. R. F. Keating, Writing Crime Fiction, 1986).
guilt for a crime or other act at a par ticular per-
son’s door. The phrase alludes to a gun from which sock A symbol of comic drama. The sock (in
a bullet has just been fired. The search for a “smok- Latin soccus) was a low loose-fitting slipper com-
ing gun” was famously undertaken by journalists monly worn about the house in the ancient world
investigating the watergate scandal of 1973, and also worn on stage by comic actors. “Then to
which led ultimately to the downfall of Richard the well-trod stage anon / If Jonson’s learned sock
Nixon as U.S. president. The evidence that sealed be on, / Or sweetest Shakespeare, fancy’s child, /
the president’s fate was a tape recording in which Warble his native wood-notes wild” ( John Milton,
Nixon was heard sanctioning the cover-up into the L’Allegro, 1631). See also buskin.
435
Socratic

Socratic (sbkratik) Of or relating to the philo- reduce tension and soothe the anger of others.This
sophical approach of the Greek philosopher advice comes from Proverbs 15:1: “A soft answer
Socrates (c. 470–399 b.c.) or more generally to turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up
anyone who adopts unconventional philosophical anger.” The situation could easily have gotten out of hand,
ideas. Transmitted through his pupils Plato and but the teacher, clearly knowing that a soft answer turns
Xenophon, as Socrates left no written account of away wrath, calmed down both parties with a quiet word.
his thinking, the Socratic method recommends
the use of questions and answers to reach the Sol Personification of the Sun. Sol was identi-
truth. By employing Socratic irony (feigning igno- fied in Roman mythology as the sun god, equiva-
rance in an argument) the interrogator may lent to the Greek Helios. In Norse mythology Sol
quickly reveal the greater ignorance of an oppo- was identified as the maiden who steered the
nent in a philosophical debate or encourage stu- chariot of the Sun. The beach was crowded with scant-
dents to develop their own ideas about something. ily clad tourists making their annual obeisance to the
Socrates’ own use of such tactics made him many great god Sol.
enemies in Athens, and ultimately he was forced
to commit suicide by drinking hemlock. “Mr. sold his birthright for a mess of pottage
See sell
Craig paused a moment with an emphatic stare one’s birthright for a mess of pottage.
after this triumphant specimen of Socratic argu-
ment” (George Eliot, Adam Bede, 1859). solecism (solbsizbm) A grammatical mistake; a
violation of etiquette or good manners. The word,
Sodom and Gomorrah (sodbm, gbmorb) A place from the Greek soiloikos (meaning “speaking
that is notorious for depravity and vice, especially of incorrectly”), alludes to the ancient Athenian col-
a sexual nature. Sodom and Gomorrah are described ony of Soli (or Soloi) on the coast of Cilicia in
in the book of Genesis as cities of corruption, and Asia Minor, whose inhabitants spoke a form of
for this reason they are both destroyed by fire and Greek considered degenerate in comparison to
brimstone sent by God: “Then the LORD rained Greek as spoken in Athens. “It often is so felt, but
upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and we are inclined to say that it never produces half
fire from the LORD out of heaven; And he over- the discomfort or half the feeling of implied infe-
threw those cities, and all the plain, and all the riority that is shown by a great man who desires
inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon his visitor to be seated while he himself speaks
the ground” (Genesis 19:24–25).The term sodomy, from his legs. Such a solecism in good breeding,
for anal intercourse, comes from the name of when construed into English, means this: ‘The
Sodom, whose inhabitants were infamous for such accepted rules of courtesy in the world require
practices (Genesis 19:5). The preacher warned his con- that I should offer you a seat; if I did not do so,
gregation in the strongest possible terms against following you would bring a charge against me in the world
the sexual sins of Sodom and Gomorrah. of being arrogant and ill-mannered; I will obey
the world, but, nevertheless, I will not put myself
soft answer turns away wrath, a A gentle on an equality with you’ ” (Anthony Trollope,
response to an insult or other provocation will Barchester Towers, 1857).
436
 Somme, the

solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short See by the draconian code. His reforms did much to
hobbesian; nasty, brutish, and short. give power back to the Athenian people and helped
to lay the foundation for Athenian democracy. “I
Solomon See judgment of solomon; solo- saw thee once give a penny to a man with a long
mon’s seal; solomon’s temple. beard, who, from the dignity of his exterior,
might have represented Solon” (Sir Walter Scott,
Solomon’s seal (solbmbnz) A flowering plant of Redgauntlet, 1824).
the genus Polygonatum and a member of the lily
family. The plant owes its name to the shape of the some are more equal than others See all ani-
prominent leaf scars on its stem that supposedly mals are equal, but some animals are more
resemble seals. Another suggestion has it that it is equal than others.
so called because its roots may be used medicinally
to seal wounds. The star of david emblem has something is rotten in the state of Denmark
always been closely associated with Solomon him- Something is wrong. This is a quotation from Wil-
self and is sometimes referred to as Solomon’s liam Shakespeare’s tragedy hamlet (c. 1600), in
seal. Celandine and Solomon’s seal were growing by the which it is voiced by Marcellus, an officer of the
side of the road. Danish palace guard, after the ghost of the dead
king has appeared. In modern usage, it tends to
Solomon’s temple (solbmbnz) A lavish building be employed facetiously. A government spokesman
or other structure notable for its extravagance. denied there was anything in the rumors, but the press all
The allusion is to the great Temple in Jerusalem agreed that there was something rotten in the state of
built on the command of King Solomon. The Tem- Denmark.
ple, as described in 1 Kings 5–8 and 2 Chronicles
3–7, was remarkable for the magnificence of its something nasty in the woodshed A shocking
decoration, which included rich cedar wood pan- secret, a hidden scandal, etc. The phrase comes
els and gold ornamentation. “In this process the from the comic novel cold comfort farm (1932)
chamber and its furniture grew more and more by the British novelist Stella Gibbons, in which the
dignified and luxurious; the shawl hanging at the aged Ada Doom claims to be haunted by a terrible
window took upon itself the richness of tapestry; trauma (never detailed) that she experienced long
the brass handles of the chest of drawers were as ago, when as a young child she “saw something
golden knockers; and the carved bed-posts seemed nasty in the woodshed.” You’d better not put yourself
to have some kinship with the magnificent pillars up for election if you have anything nasty in the
of Solomon’s temple” (Thomas Hardy, Tess of the woodshed.
D’Urbervilles, 1891).
Somme, the (som) A battle that leads to huge
solon (solbn) A wise lawgiver; any member of losses on both sides without a decisive result being
a legislative body. The allusion is to the Athenian reached, or more generally a very muddy piece of
statesman Solon, who in the sixth century b.c. ground. The Battle of the Somme on the western
repealed most of the unfeasibly severe laws imposed front in 1916 was one of the bloodiest episodes of
437
Somnus

World War I, fought in a devastated landscape of variant skills and motives of these teachers meant
mud and corpse-strewn trenches. The first day of that in time it came to refer to those who cynically
the battle resulted in the British losing 60,000 used their cunning to mislead or dupe others. “He
men, the greatest loss on a single day ever suffered looked at her imploringly, as if he would willingly
by the British army. The atrocious weather had turned have taken a lie from her lips, knowing it to be
the field into something resembling the Somme. See also one, and have made of it, by some sort of soph-
flanders; passchendaele; ypres. istry, a valid denial” (Thomas Hardy, Tess of the
D’Urbervilles, 1891).
Somnus (somnbs) Personification of sleep. Som-
nus was the god of sleep in Roman mythology, equiv- Sophoclean (sofbkleebn) Direct, simple, clear,
alent to the Greek Hypnos. He was said to be a and reasonable. The Greek playwright Sophocles
son of Night and a brother of Death. The call of (c. 496–406 b.c.) is considered perhaps the finest
Somnus was almost irresistible, but he knew he must stay classical writer of tragic drama, seven examples of
awake until the relief arrived at dawn. which survive out of a total of some 130. He is
admired for his economy and simplicity of style
sons of Adam See adam. and for his relatively straightforward approach to
character and plot in such plays as Oedipus Rex,
sons of Bacchus See bacchus. Antigone, and Electra. No one present could have failed
to be impressed by the Sophoclean explanation he gave of
sons of Belial See belial. the company’s actions.

sons of thunder See boanerges. sop to Cerberus (serbbrbs) A bribe or gift

designed to neutralize a potential threat. In Greek
Sophie’s Choice (sofeez) An agonizingly difficult mythology, Cerberus was the terrifying three-
decision. The allusion is to the 1979 novel by U.S. headed dog that guarded the entrance to the under-
writer William Styron (b. 1925) about a Polish world. When a person died it was customary in
woman called Sophie Zawistowska who struggles classical times to place with the body a cake or
to come to terms with having to choose which of some other choice offering with which to pacify
her two children should go to the gas chambers of Cerberus and thus gain entry to Hades unmolested.
a German concentration camp and which should When Aeneas ventured into the underworld he
survive. The book was turned into a highly success- went past Cerberus by feeding him a cake of honey
ful movie, starring Meryl Streep, in 1982. She was and poppy that put him to sleep. This offer of finan-
forced into a Sophie’s Choice between her two children. cial compensation is nothing more than a sop to Cerberus,
a bribe to prevent the complainants from going to court.
sophistry (sofistree) The use of subtle reasoning
to deceive. The word alludes to the Sophists, wan- sound and fury Meaningless commotion and
dering teachers and philosophers throughout uproar. The phrase comes from William Shake-
ancient Greece in the fifth and fourth centuries b. speare’s tragedy Macbeth (1606), in which it
c. The word means “wise man,” although the widely appears in a famous speech delivered by Macbeth
438
 sow the wind and reap the whirlwind

himself: “Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor confidence in a speculative venture launched by
player, / That struts and frets his hour upon the the British lawyer Sir John Blunt in 1710. Blunt’s
stage, / And then is heard no more; it is a tale / ambitious plans involved controlling trade in the
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, / Signifying South Seas and South America; for a time the
nothing.” “Fatima had an emotional outburst and scheme prospered, but investors ultimately became
stormed out first with Giselle and the Renaissance ner vous and in 1720 the whole project collapsed,
Man in tow, taking all her sound and fury and pho- ruining many of those connected with it. This ven-
bias elsewhere, and everyone was profoundly ture could turn into another South Sea Bubble unless
relieved” ( Jean Bows, Jane’s Journey, 1991). more capital is found soon.

sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal A meaning- sow dragon’s teeth To plant the seeds of future
less noise. The phrase comes from 1 Corinthians conflict. The allusion is to Greek mythology, spe-
13:1: “Though I speak with the tongues of men cifically to the story of Cadmus, who killed a
and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as dragon and was instructed to give half the dragon’s
sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.” “I hearkened teeth to the goddess Athena and to plant the other
and hearkened the ministers, and read an’ read at half in the ground. The latter sprouted into war-
my prayer-book; but it was all like sounding brass riors who fought one another until only five were
and a tinkling cymbal: the sermons I couldn’t left. These survivors then accompanied Cadmus
understand, an’ th’ prayer-book only served to on his mission to found the city of Thebes. Athena
show me how wicked I was, that I could read such gave her part of the teeth to the king of Colchis,
good words an’ never be no better” (Anne Brontë, who passed them on to Jason, leader of the Argo-
Agnes Grey, 1847). nauts. Among other challenges Jason had to plant
the teeth and kill the warriors who sprang up from
sound of many waters See voice of many them before he could secure the Golden Fleece (in
waters. which task he was eventually successful). Few peo-
ple realized at the time that those who agreed the com-
sour grapes Resentment or bitter feelings, usu- promises necessary to facilitate the state’s foundation
ally against something that one cannot enjoy one- were actually sowing dragon’s teeth that would lead to
self. The allusion is to Aesop’s fable about a fox the loss of thousands of lives in the decades to come. See
that on finding itself unable to reach a delicious also pyrrhic victory.
bunch of grapes consoled itself with deciding that
they were sour anyway. He said that the book I wrote sow the wind and reap the whirlwind Those who
is not worth reading, but that is sour grapes because he behave irresponsibly or carelessly will find that
would like to write one himself. they have to face disastrous consequences of their
misdeeds later on. The expression is of biblical
South Sea Bubble A financial collapse based on a origin, appearing at Hosea 8:7: “For they have
sudden failure of confidence in a doubtful project. sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind:
The South Sea Bubble was the name given origi- it hath no stalk: the bud shall yield no meal: if so
nally to a sudden rise and equally sudden fall in be it yield, the strangers shall swallow it up.” In its
439
Spade, Sam

original biblical context, it referred specifically to sparrow’s fall See fall of a sparrow.
the idolatry of the Israelites, which proved a pre-
cursor to the Assyrian invasion. People who behave so Spartacus (spahrtbkbs) Archetype of a slave who
irresponsibly in the future will find that they sow the rises up in revolt against his masters. Spartacus was
wind and reap the whirlwind. See also reap what a Thracian slave who was forcibly recruited to the
you sow. gladiator school at Capua in Italy. He managed to
escape and raised an army of slaves, who achieved
Spade, Sam See sam spade. a series of memorable victories in battle against
the legions of ancient Rome. Ultimately he was
Spanish Armada (ahrmahdb) A large fleet of killed when his army was defeated by Crassus in
ships or boats. The allusion is to the Spanish inva- 71 b.c. The story of Spartacus has inspired a novel
sion fleet of 130 ships that sailed to England in by J. Leslie Mitchell (1951), a ballet by Aram Kha-
1588, only to be defeated in the English Channel chaturian (1954), and a film (1960), starring Kirk
by the English fleet under the command of Sir Douglas in the title role. This lowly cleric long cham-
Francis Drake and then dashed to final destruction pioned the rights of the dispossessed but like some latter-
by storms on its way back to Spain. There were so day Spartacus was doomed to defeat in the end.
many canoes and kayaks on the lake that it looked like
the Spanish Armada. Spartan (spahrtbn) Austere; frugal; very strict,
especially in relation to a person’s lifestyle or
Spanish Inquisition See inquisition. upbringing. The people of Sparta, the capital city
of Laconia, were renowned for their rejection of
spare the rod and spoil the child Children who comfort and sophistication (which they were
are overindulged and never disciplined will grow much given to early in their history) in favor of a
up to be unruly, maladjusted individuals. This much more rigorous, self-denying existence—
advice, often quoted in defense of corporal pun- adopted, it was said, at the prompting of the poet
ishment and other forms of firm discipline, comes Tyrtaeus (fl. c. 650 b.c.). Great emphasis was put
from Proverbs 13:24: “He that spareth his rod on physical endurance and self-discipline. New-
hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth born babies were commonly left exposed on bare
him betimes.” Further support for such chastise- mountainsides so that the weak would die and
ment may be found in Proverbs 23:13–14: “With- only the strong would live to maturity. Children
hold not correction from the child: for if thou began military training at the age of seven, and
beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou the only respectable career was that of a soldier;
shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his mourning of those who fell in battle was discour-
soul from hell.” “ ‘I ain’t doing my duty by that aged.As a result the Spartans were widely respected
boy, and that’s the Lord’s truth, goodness knows. in the ancient world as fighters, although the
Spare the rod and spile the child, as the Good primitive state of their cultural life was decried
Book says. I’m a laying up sin and suffering for us by their more sophisticated neighbors, and their
both, I know’ ” (Mark Twain, The Adventures of Tom reluctance to accept new thinking led ultimately
Sawyer, 1876). to defeat on the battlefield at the hands of the
440
 Spock, Doctor

more sophisticated Macedonians. “But although distinction of Phipps is his impassivity. He has
she wondered, she could not help loving him the been termed by enthusiasts the ideal Butler. The
better for his odd combination of Spartan self- Sphinx is not so incommunicable. He is a mask
control and what appeared to her romantic and with a manner” (Oscar Wilde, An Ideal Husband,
childish folly” (Virginia Woolf, Night and Day, 1895).
1919). See also laconic.
Spider-Man A person who has an apparently
spear-carrier Someone who plays a minor sup- superhuman power as a climber. The allusion is to
porting role in a play, movie, or some other con- the superhero of U.S. comic strips created by Stan
text; a subordinate. The allusion is to the plays of Lee and Steve Ditko and popular since the 1950s.
the Shakespearean era, many of which require Otherwise known as Peter Parker, he acquires
large numbers of nonspeaking actors playing sol- various spiderlike powers (such as the ability to
diers, often literally carrying spears. The party has spin webs and cling to walls) after being bitten by
already got its spear-carriers out to spread the message a mutant spider and uses them imaginatively to
that their candidate is the man of the hour. overcome his enemies. He went up that skyscraper
like Spider-Man.
spears into pruninghooks See beat swords into
plowshares. Spillane, Mickey See mickey spillane.

Speedy Gonzales (gonzahlez) A person who gets spirit giveth life See letter of the law, the.
things done quickly. The allusion is to a popular
cartoon character, a nimble Mexican mouse, It is not
spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak, the
invented by Friz Freleng for Warner Brothers in always possible for a person to achieve or live up
1953. He’s normally very slow, but put a paintbrush in to the standards he or she espouses. In modern
his hand and suddenly he’s Speedy Gonzalez. usage the line is usually quoted in circumstances
where the speaker is apologizing for some moral
spheres, music of the See music of the spheres. lapse. The saying comes from Matthew 26:41, in
which Christ warned his disciples to remain alert:
sphinx (sfinks) An inscrutable or enigmatic “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into tempta-
person. The allusion is to the Sphinx of Greek tion: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is
mythology, a monster with the body of a lion and weak.” “Since then I have written many books;
the breasts and face of a woman that attacked and though ceasing my methodical study of the
Thebes and challenged its victims, on pain of old masters (for though the spirit is willing, the
death, to solve the seemingly insoluble riddle flesh is weak), I have continued with increasing
of the sphinx. Today the sphinx is best known assiduity to try to write better” (W. Somerset
through the surviving statue at Giza in Egypt, Maugham, The Summing Up, 1938). See also flesh
although the Egyptian version is male and lacks is weak, the.
the wings that the Greek Sphinx was supposed to
have. The word itself means “the strangler.” “The Spock, Doctor See doctor spock.
441
Spock, Mr.

Spock, Mr. See star trek. Nazi era. Its members dominated both the mili-
tary and civil structures of the Third Reich. People
spoil the Egyptians To plunder an enemy, espe- in the crowd complained that the soldiers had behaved
cially through deception or subterfuge. According like the SS, beating up protesters indiscriminately. See
to Exodus 12:36 the Israelite women were told to also night of the long knives.
take whatever they could from their Egyptian cap-
tors before the flight from Egypt: “And the LORD stadium (staydeebm) A sports arena with tiered
gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyp- seating for spectators. The word comes from the
tians, so that they lent unto them such things as Greek stadion, which denoted a length of around
they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.” 606 feet. This was the distance run by competitors
When the workers realized their dismissal was inevitable on the sports track at Olympia, and in time the
they elected to spoil the Egyptians by stealing every tool word came to be applied to the arena itself. Leg-
they could lay their hands on. end has it that Hercules himself set the length of
the track at Olympia. The competitors entered the
spread one’s net To prepare to capture or stadium to a deafening roar.
ensnare someone or something. The expression is
of biblical origin, appearing at Proverbs 29:5: “A staff of Aesculapius (eskblaypeebs) Emblem of
man that flattereth his neighbour spreadeth a net the medical profession, including the American
for his feet.” The government will have to spread its Medical Association and the Royal Medical Corps,
net very wide if it is to make any significant impact on consisting of a staff with a serpent entwined
tax evasion. around. Aesculapius was the god of medicine or
healing in Roman mythology, equivalent to the
spread the gospel To spread news of some kind; Greek Asclepius, who was reputed to have learned
to support a par ticular belief, outlook, etc. The his skills from the centaur Chiron and become the
allusion is to the spreading of the Christian mes- first physician prior to being slain by Zeus for
sage, as undertaken originally by Christ’s disciples compromising the god’s power over living things.
(Mark 16:15). “Fifa is taking a risk in spreading the Doctors with the organization wear badges bearing the
World Cup gospel” (Guardian, January 2, 2002). staff of Aesculapius to denote their role as healers. See
also caduceus.
Squeers, Wackford See dotheboys hall.
Stalin (stahlin) An authoritarian, tyrannical
SS A ruthless and much feared military organi- leader. Josef Stalin ( Josif Vissarionovich Dzhugash-
zation synonymous with brutal oppression. The vili; 1879–1953) succeeded Lenin as the leader of
SS, or Schutzstaffel (German for “protective ech- Communist Russia in 1922 and under his rule
elon”), was one of the most dreaded parts of the countless thousands of Russians were imprisoned
Nazi establishment. Recruiting dedicated Nazis in the gulags of Siberia or condemned to death,
devoted to Adolf hitler and its own commander especially during the purges he instituted during
Heinrich Himmler, the SS were responsible for the 1930s. Millions more died of starvation as a
carrying out many of the worst atrocities of the result of the disastrous collectivization of
442
 Star Trek

agriculture that took place under his direction. starship Enterprise See star trek.
The name Stalin, incidentally, means “man of
steel.” The council has come under the influence of a stars in their courses Fate; destiny. The phrase is
local Stalin, who is ready to sacrifice anyone to his will. a quotation from Judges 5:20, which describes
how “the stars in their courses fought against
Stallone, Sylvester See rambo. Sisera.” Sisera was a Canaanite general who was
doomed to defeat by Deborah and Barak and to his
Stanley, Henry Morton See darkest africa; own murder at the hands of Jael, the wife of Heber
doctor livingstone, i presume? ( Judges 4:17–22). He has since become an arche-
type of a person who struggles futilely against his
star chamber A tribunal that is noted for its fate. “Thus the stars in their courses, fought for
severity and which operates free from the usual Darwin” (George Bernard Shaw, Back to Methuse-
checks and measures. The original Star Chamber lah, 1921).
was a room in Westminster Palace in London in
which a special court sat to try powerful nobles Starsky and Hutch A pair of heroic, dashing
who had offended the Crown; its name referred to police detectives. The 1970s U.S. television series
the gilt stars that were painted on the ceiling. The Starsky and Hutch introduced two stylish and lik-
tyrannical power of the Star Chamber, which able undercover Los Angeles detectives, Dave
employed torture to obtain confessions, ended Starsky (played by Paul Michael Glaser) and Ken
with its abolition by Parliament in 1641. “Finally, Hutchinson (played by David Soul), and became
ministers who could not agree were sent before a one of the most popular police procedurals of its
‘Star Chamber’ of nonspending ministers or min- era. They arrived in town like Starsky and Hutch, driv-
isters who have ‘settled’ ” (H. Glennerster, Paying ing a big red car and wearing thick knitted sweaters.
for Welfare: The 1990s, 1992).
Star Trek Archetypal science-fiction series. First
star of David A symbol consisting of two super- screened in 1966, the series introduced many
imposed equilateral triangles arranged in the form stock features of future science-fiction programs
of a star. The origins of the symbol are uncertain and made stars of such characters as Captain
but appear to go back to biblical times, although it Kirk, the Vulcan Mr. Spock, chief engineer Scotty
is not mentioned specifically in the Bible or the (see beam me up, scotty) and medical officer Dr.
Talmud. It was adopted by the first Zionist Con- McCoy. The series following the journeys through
ference in 1897 and in due course became the space of the starship Enterprise continued with
symbol on the flag of independent Israel. During movies for the cinema and further television series
the Nazi era, authorities implemented, beginning featuring new characters. It also introduced one of
in 1939, the obligatory wearing of the star of the best-known examples of a split infinitive in its
David by Jews on their clothing as a “badge” dis- opening statement of the starship’s mission “to
playing their racial origins. The Jewish nation has boldly go where no man has gone before.” The
united under the star of David and will stand together hotel had been fitted out with so much chrome and auto-
until the crisis is past. See also solomon’s seal. matic doors it looked like something out of Star Trek.
443
Star Wars

Star Wars High technology, especially space Statue of Liberty An internationally recognized
technology. The allusion is to the six Star Wars emblem of freedom.The Statue of Liberty, formally
movies of George Lucas (b. 1944), which began entitled “Liberty Enlightening the World,” is a
with Star Wars (1977) and was completed with colossal statue of a woman in classical drapery hold-
Revenge of the Sith in 2005. These epic space movies ing aloft a burning torch and carrying a tablet bear-
traced the evolution of such memorable characters ing the date July 4, 1776. It stands on Liberty Island
as Luke Skywalker (the young hero of the first at the entrance to New York harbor (close to but
three movies), darth vader, obi-wan kenobi, not actually on Ellis Island, which was until 1954
and yoda. The series became synonymous with the the main point of entry for foreign immigrants).
military use of space and in the early 1980s, when The statue, unveiled in 1886, was the work of
President Ronald Reagan announced plans to develop French sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi (1834–
a system of space lasers (the Strategic Defense Initia- 1904) and was a gift from France to the United
tive) to knock out nuclear missiles before they could States. He was as American as the Statue of Liberty.
reach their targets, the press were quick to dub the
project “Star Wars.” Modern hospitals are making steal someone’s thunder To preempt someone,
extensive use of Star Wars laser technology. and thus to deprive him or her of credit or recog-
nition that he or she is due. The story goes that the
stations of the cross A series of landmark now largely forgotten English playwright and
events. The original Stations of the Cross recorded critic John Dennis (1657–1734) conceived a sim-
14 incidents that occurred during Christ’s journey ple device to produce the sound of thunder for his
from the judgment hall in Jerusalem to his death own play Appius and Virginia (1709), possibly con-
by crucifixion at Calvary: 1) Christ is condemned sisting of a series of hollowed logs. The play was
to death, 2) Christ receives the cross, 3) Christ’s not a success, but his thunder device was, and
first fall en route to Calvary, 4) Christ meets his Dennis was incensed when he heard it being used
mother, 5) Simon of Cyrene is made to carry the in a performance of William Shakespeare’s Mac-
cross, 6) Christ’s face is wiped by Veronica (a beth (1606), exclaiming: “Damn them! They will
woman of Jerusalem), 7) Christ’s second fall, 8) not let my play run, but they steal my thunder!” He
Christ comforts the women of Jerusalem, 9) rushed round to tell everyone the news, only to find that
Christ’s third fall, 10) Christ is stripped of his gar- someone else had got there first and stolen his thunder.
ments, 11) Christ is nailed to the cross, 12) Christ
dies on the cross, 13) Christ’s body is taken down stentorian (stentoreebn) Very loud, especially as
from the cross, and 14) Christ’s body is laid in the regards speaking, or forcefully expressed. The
tomb. Representations of these incidents are often word alludes to a Greek herald called Stentor,
arranged around the interior of a church and vis- whose voice (according to Homer) was so loud it
ited in sequence for prayer and meditation, espe- was equivalent to those of 50 other men. He died
cially during Lent. Her divorce marked the last and after losing a shouting contest with Hermes, the
most important of the personal stations of the cross she herald of the gods. The word itself means “voice of
would have to endure on the road to artistic self- bronze.” “The stentorian tones of the auctioneer,
knowledge. See also via dolorosa. calling out to clear the way, now announced that
444
 stoic

the sale was about to commence” (Harriet Beecher still small voice An inner sense of right and
Stowe, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, 1852). wrong; the voice of one’s conscience. In 1 Kings
19:11–13, God speaks to Elijah on Mount Horeb:
Stepford wives (stepfbrd) Women who sub- “And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount
merge their own personality in order to be perfect before the LORD. And behold, the LORD passed
wives for their husbands. The 1974 movie Stepford by, and a great and strong wind rent the moun-
Wives, based on a 1972 Ira Levin novel, depicted a tains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the
suburban community in which all the carefully LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and
groomed wives (actually robotic copies of the origi- after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was
nal women) are dedicated solely to domestic chores not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a
and serving the needs of their husbands. All is fire; but the LORD was not in the fire; and after
exposed when a newlywed couple move into the the fire a still small voice . . . and said,What doest
community and the bride refuses to accept such thou here, Elijah?” “. . . no louder, no softer; not
unthinking chauvinist servility. A second movie ver- thrusting itself on people’s notice a bit the more
sion of the novel was released in 2004. We were really for having been outdone by louder sounds—tink,
surprised to find that virtually overnight her sister had tink, tink, tink. tink. It was a perfect embodiment
abandoned her old radicalism and become a Stepford wife. of the still small voice, free from all cold, hoarse-
ness, huskiness, or unhealthiness of any kind”
Stephen See saint stephen’s loaves. (Charles Dickens, Barnaby Rudge, 1841).

stigmata (stigmahtb) The brands or other prom- Stockholm syndrome (stokhom) The tendency
inent marks or scars on a person’s body, especially for kidnap victims or hostages to sympathize or
those associated with suffering or disgrace of some form a bond with their captors. The reference is to
kind. The reference is ultimately to the Greek and a hostage situation that developed in Stockholm,
Roman practice of branding slaves and criminals Sweden, on August 23, 1973, when four bank
with a mark known as the stigma, but the word has employees were confined in a bank vault with two
par ticular relevance for Christians, who associate bank robbers. Over the following days the kid-
it with the wounds Christ sustained to his hands, napped staff came to identify more closely with
feet, and side at the Crucifixion ( John 19:16–36). their kidnappers than they did with the authorities
Many saints and other holy people over the centu- outside the bank. It was like a mass outbreak of Stock-
ries have reportedly (and apparently miraculously) holm syndrome when the crowd started cheering on the
displayed similar bleeding wounds resembling other team.
those inflicted on Christ. “We know too well the
child of syphilitic parents; the type is classical; the stoic (stoik) Accepting one’s fate without show-
doctors can pick it out anywhere. Those little old ing emotion. The word alludes to the Stoics, mem-
creatures who have the appearance of having bers of a philosophical school founded in ancient
already lived, and who have kept the stigmata of all Greece in the fourth century b.c. influenced by the
out infirmities, of all our decay” (Upton Sinclair, teachings of Zeno of Citium, they recommended the
Damaged Goods, 1913). repression of emotion and advocated the supremacy
445
stolen thunder

of a cool-headed, rational approach. They came to straight and narrow The honest or moral path.
be called the Stoics because they held meetings at The phrase is biblical in origin, from Matthew
the Painted Portico, or Stoa Poikile, in Athens. “At 7:13–14, which warns that it is much easier to fol-
the pronounced words and the spontaneous echo that low the path to eternal condemnation than it is to
voluminously rebounded them, Captain Vere, either take the path that leads to salvation: “Enter ye in at
thro’ stoic self-control or a sort of momentary the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is
paralysis induced by emotional shock, stood erectly the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many
rigid as a musket in the ship-armourer’s rack” there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the
(Herman Melville, Billy Budd, 1924). gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto
life, and few there be that find it.” (Strait in this
stolen thunder See steal someone’s thunder. context means “narrow.”) “You can walk the
straight and narrow, but with a little bit of luck
stolen waters are sweet pleasures acquired ille- you’ll run amuck” (Alan Jay Lerner, “With a Little
gally or through otherwise dubious means are all Bit of Luck,” 1956).
the more enjoyable. The sentiment comes from
Proverbs 9:17: “Stolen waters are sweet, and bread strain at a gnat and swallow a camel To make
eaten in secret is pleasant.” “. . . his eyes dancing much fuss over a relatively insignificant detail yet
with all the glee of a forbidden revel; and his fea- ignore what is important. The expression comes
tures, which have at all times a mischievous arch- from Matthew 23:24, in which Christ compares
ness of expression, confessing the full sweetness of the superficial attitude of the Pharisees to those
stolen waters, and bread eaten in secret” (Sir Walter who worry about the tiny insect that has fallen
Scott, Redgauntlet, 1824). See also forbidden fruit. into their drink, while drinking down one of the
largest of animals that has also fallen in: “Ye blind
stonewall To offer stubborn resistance to some- guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a
thing. The term is often linked to the Confederate camel.” “Go where you may, you will attract atten-
general Thomas J. Jackson (1824–63), who became tion; you will make an enemy of every ugly woman
known as “Stonewall” Jackson for the heroic action who looks at you. Strain at a gnat, Catherine, and
of his troops at the First Battle of Bull Run during swallow a camel. It’s only a question of time”
the U.S. Civil War, after General Robert E. Lee (Wilkie Collins, The Evil Genius, 1886).
observed “There stands Jackson like a stone wall.”
Jackson died after being accidentally shot by his strait and narrow See straight and narrow.
own troops during the Battle of Chancellorsville
in May 1863. In reality, the term was probably Strangelove, Doctor See doctor strangelove.
already in use before this and may have started life
as a cricketing term, describing a batsman who stranger and ye took me in See i was a
stubbornly refuses to hit out at the ball and thus stranger, and ye took me in.
risk losing his wicket. The witness was happy to put a
name to the suspect but stonewalled when it came to giv- stranger in a strange land A person who is unfa-
ing an address. miliar with his or her surroundings and the people
446
 Stygian

near him or her. The origin of this phrase is Exo- lecture was rather strong meat for some of the more
dus 2:22: “And she, bare him a son, and he called impressionable members of his audience, who begged to
his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a be excused and left in some haste.
stranger in a strange land.” The name Gershom
sounds like the Hebrew for “an alien there.” “After stumbling block An obstacle that hinders prog-
thirteen years of romantic mystery, the brethren ress. The phrase occurs several times in the Bible,
who had wronged Joseph, came, strangers in a as in Romans 14:13: “Let us not therefore judge
strange land, hungry and humble, to buy ‘a little one another any more: but judge this rather; that
food’; and being summoned to a palace, charged no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall
with crime, they beheld in its owner their wronged in his brother’s way.” “We’ve studied hard and Miss
brother” (Mark Twain, The Innocents Abroad, 1869). Stacy has drilled us thoroughly, but we mayn’t get
through for all that. We’ve each got a stumbling
streets of gold A place where there are plentiful block. Mine is geometry of course, and Jane’s is
opportunities to make an easy fortune.The expres- Latin, and Ruby and Charlie’s is algebra, and Josie’s
sion comes from Revelation 21:21, in which John is arithmetic” (Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of
describes his vision of new jerusalem (the celes- Green Gables, 1908).
tial city of heaven) in terms of streets paved with
gold: “And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; Sturm und Drang (shtuurm unt drang) A crisis
every several gate was of one pearl: and the street involving torment, rebellion, and stress. The lit-
of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent eral meaning of the phrase in German is “storm
glass.” “Oh, London is a fine town, A very famous and stress.” Named after a play of the same title
city, Where all the streets are paved with gold” (1776) by the German writer Friedrich von
(George Colman the Younger, The Heir-at-Law, Klinger, the German Sturm und Drang literary
1797). movement of the late 18th century found expres-
sion in the works of Johann von Goethe (1749–
strong, out of the See out of the strong came 1832), Johann von Schiller (1759–1805), and
forth sweetness. other writers. It involved a rejection of classicism
and an impassioned adoption of the ideals of the
strong meat Something that arouses repulsion, Romantic movement, with all its accompanying
fear, or anger among people of a sensitive disposi- rebelliousness and extravagant emotional turbu-
tion. The phrase comes from Hebrews 5:12: “For lence. “Why does he have to go through all this
when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have Sturm und Drang?” (Michael Munn, Hollywood
need that one teach you again which be the first Rogues, 1991).
principles of the oracles of God; and are become
such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.” Stygian (stijbn) Dreadful; very gloomy; impen-
In this original biblical context the “strong meat” etrably dark. The word comes from the name of
refers to more advanced teachings of God that the the Styx, the river that according to Greek mythol-
faithful are deemed not yet capable of absorbing. ogy encircled Hades. The dead were carried across
The fascinating but scandalous subject of the professor’s its waters by Charon the boatman. “A beam from
447
Stymphalian birds

the setting sun pierced the Stygian gloom” zikali was never one to suffer fools, and doubtless
(H. Rider Haggard, She, 1887). she is another of the pawns whom he uses on his
board of policy” (H. Rider Haggard, Finished,
Stymphalian birds See labors of hercules. 1917).

Styx See stygian. suffer the little children To show greater for-
bearance to children and other innocents. The
sub rosa (sbb rozb) Secretly; confidentially. The phrase comes from Matthew 19:14, in which
rose was a great favorite of the ancient Romans Christ tells his disciples that he welcomes children
and among other qualities was understood to rep- to come to him for his blessing: “Suffer little chil-
resent secrecy, an association it acquired either dren to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of
through its earlier identification with the Egyptian such is the kingdom of heaven.” Suffer here means
god Horus, who listed secrecy among his virtues, “let” or “allow.” (See also Luke 18:15.) The priest
or through the legend that Eros bribed Harpo- frowned as the boys raced about the vestry and reflected
crates with a rose so that he would not tell Venus that it was not always easy to “suffer the little children,”
of their intimacies. Consequently a rose was as he so often instructed his parishioners.
sometimes suspended over council tables as a
reminder that any conversations that took place sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof It is
happened “under the rose,” that is, in confidence. enough to worry about one’s present troubles
Similarly a bouquet of roses over a doorway was without concerning oneself with possible future
supposed to be a sign that anything said inside problems as well. The expression comes from the
would be kept confidential and thus all present account of Christ’s Sermon on the Mount at Mat-
could speak freely. The phrase had acquired a legal thew 6:33–34: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God,
connotation by the 19th century, referring to the and his righteousness; and all these things shall be
confidentiality that exists between lawyer and cli- added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the
ent. By mutual agreement these meetings always took morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for
place sub rosa, and no records were made of what was the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the
said. evil thereof.” There’s no point in getting anxious about
tomorrow—sufficient into the day is the evil thereof. See
such a time as this See for such a time as this. also tomorrow will take care of itself.

suffer fools gladly To tolerate foolish people sulk in one’s tent To retreat into moody seclu-
with patience. The expression comes from 2 Cor- sion while nursing a private grievance. The refer-
inthians 11:19: “For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ence is to the behavior of Achilles after he lost his
ye yourselves are wise.” In the original biblical ref- prize of the beautiful slave girl Briseis to his rival
erence Paul commends the Corinthians for their Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, during the Trojan
forbearance, underlining that it is a proof of wis- War. According to Homer’s Iliad (c. 700 b.c.),
dom to tolerate those who lack it. “A clever Achilles retreated to his tent and only consented
woman and thoroughly coached, thought I. Well, to come out again after the death of his close
448
 Svengali

friend Patroclus. In his absence the Greeks sus- debilitating effects of kryptonite. He has a girl-
tained several serious reverses on the battlefield. friend, Lois Lane, who for several decades
Variants of the phrase include to sulk like Achil- remained innocent of his dual personality, and an
les and to sulk like Achilles in his tent. After this archenemy in the shape of the evil Lex Luthor.
initial reverse the party’s candidate refused to take part Superman himself couldn’t clear that amount of snow in
in any more television showdowns and instead retired to an hour.
sulk in his tent.
Superwoman A woman who achieves more than
Sundance Kid See butch cassidy and the sun- would appear humanly possible. The allusion is to
dance kid. the comic-strip heroine, a female equivalent of
superman, complete with cloak and the power of
sun go down on one’s anger, don’t let the Never flight. In modern usage, the name is often given to
end the day unreconciled with those with whom women who successfully combine a challenging
one has quarreled. This proverbial advice comes career with a fulfilling domestic life, especially
from Ephesians 4:26: “Be ye angry, and sin not: let since the publication of Shirley Conran’s book
not the sun go down upon your wrath.” Variants Superwoman (1975). “It’s easy to think you are
include don’t go to bed angry. Her husband recalled Superwoman and try to give everyone 100 per
the saying about not letting the sun go down on one’s cent of your attention” (Linda Stoker, Having It All,
anger and resolved to go around to their neighbors’ house 1991). See also wonder woman.
to apologize before dinnertime.
survival of the fittest The natural law that the
Sunnybrook Farm (suneebruuk) A place where strongest species are the species that survive in
everything is unrealistically perfect. The allusion the long term. Otherwise known as the law of the
is to the children’s book Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm jungle, the phrase is closely associated with the
(1903) by Kate Douglas Wiggins. Rebecca herself evolutionary theories of British naturalist Charles
is indomitably cheerful, loyal, and hardworking, Darwin (see darwinian), though it appears to
and Sunnybrook Farm is equally divorced from have been coined originally by Herbert Spencer in
the harsh realities of life. There’s no way you would Principles of Biology (1864–67). Things may be differ-
confuse the South Bronx with Sunnybrook Farm. ent where you come from, but out here it’s the survival of
the fittest.
Superman A person with apparently superhu-
man powers. Superman made his first appearance Susanna and the Elders See daniel come to
in the 1930s as a comic-strip hero invented by judgment, a.
Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster and later became the
central character in numerous movies and televi- Svengali (svengahlee) A person who exercises a
sion series. A native of the planet Krypton, and malign hypnotic influence over others. Svengali is
otherwise known on earth as mild-mannered jour- a villainous impresario in the 1894 novel Trilby by
nalist Clark Kent, he has fantastic strength and a the British novelist George du Maurier (1834–
range of other powers, but is susceptible to the 96). He exercises a pernicious influence over the
449
sweat of thy face

young heroine of the book, singer Trilby O’Ferrall, sword of Damocles (dambkleez) A looming
inspiring her to sing beyond her natural ability; threat; an impending danger. According to Greek
after Svengali dies she loses her musical powers legend Damocles was a nobleman who sought to
and also dies. “Lydon’s counsel alleged that Mal- ingratiate himself with Dionysus the Elder (405–
colm McLaren ‘regards himself as a Svengali of 367 b.c.) by remarking enviously upon the great
these people to do whatever he cares without ask- happiness that Dionysus must enjoy as ruler of
ing anybody else’ ” (M. Brown, Richard Branson: The Syracuse. In response Dionysus invited Damocles
Inside Story, 1989). to dine with him. Only after Dionysus had sat
down to eat did Damocles realize that there was a
sweat of thy face See adam’s curse. sword suspended over his head by a single hair.
Thus threatened, Damocles did not enjoy his meal
Sweeney Todd (sweenee tod) A murderer who and came to appreciate how Dionysus himself had
cuts the throats of his victims. The allusion is to to live with the perpetual fear of assassination or
Sweeney Todd (1756–1802), the so-called Demon deposition by jealous enemies. “True, in old age
Barber of Fleet Street, who murdered custom- we live under the shadow of Death, which, like a
ers at his Fleet Street barber shop in London by sword of Damocles, may descend at any moment”
slitting their throats with his razor and then dis- (Samuel Butler, The Way of All Flesh, 1903).
posed of their bodies by cutting them up and put-
ting them in meat pies or sausages to be sold from swords into plowshares See beat swords into
a neighboring bakery. “The magazine was launched plowshares.
ceremoniously and seven weeks later was scup-
pered in as blatant an act of back-stabbing as Fleet sybaritic (sibbritik) Pleasure-loving; luxurious;
Street has seen since Sweeney Todd set up shop self-indulgent. The inhabitants of the town of Syb-
there” (Maureen Lipman, Thank You for Having Me, aris in ancient Lucania (southern Italy) were noto-
1990). rious for their pleasure-loving ways and their
indulgence in all manner of comforts and luxuries.
sweetness and light Amiable relations; har- By the same token, any person who shows a fond-
mony. The phrase first appeared in The Battle of the ness for the good things in life may be dubbed a
Books (1697) by the Irish satirist Jonathan Swift sybarite. The sybaritic ways of the urban young were
(1667–1745), although it later became better never likely to win much approval among their elders.
known as a quotation from Culture and Anarchy
(1869) by the English poet and critic Matthew sycophant (sikofbnt, sikofant) A person who
Arnold (1822–88). According to Arnold the flatters to win favor; a parasite; a toady. The word
qualities essential to “sweetness and light” are comes from the Greek sykon (meaning “fig”) and
moral virtue and intellectual truth. In modern phainein (meaning “to show”). It is supposed to
usage the phrase tends to be employed face- allude to informants who told the ancient Greek
tiously. He thought that once he had apologized all authorities about neighbors who were illegally
would be sweetness and light, but he counted without exporting figs or helping themselves to the fruit of
the very human need for revenge. sacred fig trees. Another derivation suggests a link
450
 syrinx

with a class of Athenian lawyers called sycophants, would press together when a ship came between
who were known to blackmail their clients with them, crushing it to pieces. The Argonauts success-
the threat of revealing their guilt, thereby “shaking fully negotiated this obstacle by the ruse of sending
the fig tree” to obtain money or other favors. Once a bird through the gap and then slipping through as
in power the young king disposed of the aged counselors the rocks opened again, sustaining only minor dam-
who had advised his mother and surrounded himself with age to the stern of the ship as they went through.
sycophants. Ever since then the Symplegades, sometimes called
the Cyanean rocks, have been fused as one. “I saw
Sydney Carton See it is a far, far better thing fastened to a shed near the light-house a long new
that i do. sign with the words ‘Anglo Saxon’ on it in large gilt
letters, as if it were a useless part which the ship
Sylvester Stallone See rambo. could afford to lose, or which the sailors had dis-
charged at the same time with the pilot. But it inter-
Symplegades (simplegbdeez) Rocks or other ested somewhat as if it had been a part of the Argo,
obstacles that may prove treacherous to passing ves- clipped off in passing through the Symplegades”
sels. The Symplegades (meaning “clashing ones”) (Henry David Thoreau, Cape God, 1865).
were two moving rocks located at the entrance to
the Black Sea. According to legend, these rocks syrinx See panpipes.

451
å T ååååå
tabernacle (tabernakbl) A shrine or other place Taenarum (taynahrbm) A gloomy, ominous place.
of worship or by extension any building, cupboard, Greek legend identified a cave at Taenarum, the
etc., in which something precious is preserved. southernmost tip of the Peloponnesus, as one of
The allusion is to the Tabernacle of the Old Testa- the entrances to the underworld. He shuddered at
ment, a portable sanctuary in which God was wor- the thought of being consigned to this melancholy
shiped from the time of Moses to Solomon. It is hole in the ground, gaping like Taenarum, the portal to
described in Exodus 25–31 as a large tent (the Hades.
Latin word tabernaculum meaning “tent”) divided
by a veil creating the holy of holies (an inner tail wags the dog, the See wag the dog syn-
chamber), and an outer area called the Holy Place; drome.
the whole structure was surrounded by an enclo-
take a little wine Drink a small amount of wine
sure. “Not a soul attended; one of the most anxious
to settle the digestion. This proverbial piece of
afternoons that he had ever known was spent by
advice comes from 1 Timothy 5:23, in which Paul
Richard in a vain discussion with Mrs. Hollister,
advised Timothy, “Drink no longer water, but use a
who strongly contended that the Methodist (her
little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often
own) church was the best entitled to and most
infirmities.” “Take a little wine,” said the general, offer-
deserving of, the possession of the new tabernacle”
ing to fill her glass.“It will do you a world of good.”
(James Fenimore Cooper, The Pioneers, 1823).
take a rain check See rain check.
Tabitha See dorcas society.
take for a ride To cheat or swindle someone. The
table of Pythagoras (pbthagorbs) The multipli- phrase originally meant “to murder someone” and
cation table as represented by a square divided has its origins in underworld slang of the 1920s,
into 100 squares. The multiplication table is tradi- when gangsters operating in Chicago and other
tionally credited to the Greek mathematician and crime-ridden areas might remove rivals by luring
philosopher Pythagoras (c. 580–c. 500 b.c.). The them into a car and then having them murdered by
table of Pythagoras is still in common use in classrooms an accomplice hidden in the back seat. The body
around the world. was then driven away and hidden where it was
452
 tall poppy

unlikely to be found. It was only when I examined my take the wings of the morning See wings of the
purchase more closely that I realized I had been taken for morning.
a ride—the “porcelain” ornament was made of cheap
plastic. take time by the forelock See carpe diem.

take in vain See take the name of god in vain. take up thy bed and walk See rise, take up thy
bed, and walk.
take one’s cross See bear/carry/take one’s
cross. talents See parable of the talents.

take the fifth To rely on the constitutional right tale that is told Life as a transient phenomenon
not to offer evidence that might incriminate one- with no more substance or importance than a
self. Under the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Con- story. The phrase comes from Psalm 90:8–9,
stitution (1789), no person can be forced to give which depicts God as a refuge for the human race:
evidence that might be damaging to their own “Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our
cause in court. The phrase “take the fifth” or plead secret sins in the light of thy countenance. For all
the fifth became notorious for its frequent use by thy days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend
witnesses called before the House Un-American our years as a tale that is told.” In 1606 William
Activities Committee seeking to rout out commu- Shakespeare wrote in Macbeth, “Life’s but a walk-
nist sympathizers in the 1950s. When her parents ing shadow, a poor player, / That struts and frets
interrogated her about her private life she wisely opted to his hour upon the stage, / And then is heard no
take the fifth. more; it is a tale / Told by an idiot, full of sound
and fury, / Signifying nothing.” “Thus man passes
take the name of God in vain To show disrespect away; his name perishes from record and recollec-
toward God; to blaspheme. The phrase comes tion; his history is as a tale that is told, and his very
from the third of the Ten Commandments, as given monument becomes a ruin” (Washington Irving,
in Exodus 20:7: “Thou shalt not take the name of “Westminster Abbey,” 1820).
the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not
hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.” In tall poppy A prominent member of society; a
modern usage the phrase is used more widely, and leader. The phrase alludes to the reply of Tarquin-
any act of disrespect toward another person may ius Superbus, the seventh and last legendary king
be described in terms of taking that person’s name of Rome, when his son Sextus asked him how to
in vain. His mother dropped the vase in horror. She had subdue the inhabitants of the city of Gabii.
never heard her son take the name of God in vain Instead of answering in words, Tarquinius simply
before. strode about his garden striking the heads off the
tallest poppies with his stick. By this Sextus
take the sword, perish with the sword See live by understood that if he executed all the most
the sword shall die by the sword, those prominent people in the city the rest of the pop-
who. ulace would fall in line. Several tall poppies are
453
talmudic

expected to be scythed down as a result of official inves- Tammany Hall (tambnee) A political organiza-
tigations into the industry. tion or other place in which corruption is believed
to be rife. Tammany Hall in New York was the
talmudic (talmoodik) Of or relating to the Tal- headquarters of the Tammany Society, which
mud, a body of Jewish ethical sources. The name under the leadership of William Marcy “Boss”
derives from a Hebrew root word for “study.” The Tweed (1823–78) sought to promote the interests
Talmud is a record of wide-ranging discussions of of the Democratic Party. Founded in 1789, the
ethical matters in the early centuries of the com- society became notorious for bribery and corrup-
mon era (a.d.) held both in the land of Israel and in tion. It was named after a Native American chief
Babylonia. All such discussions followed a formula: of the Delaware tribe in the 17th century, whose
They began with a practical question or problem to name was later adopted by various groups opposed
which rabbis offered a response or solution, sup- to British colonial rule. Their methods smacked
ported by reasoned argument, biblical references, uncomfortably of Tammany Hall.
and established principles and practices of an ethical
or legal nature. Consensus was sought but not tantalize To tease or torment someone with
always achieved, and minority opinions were something desirable while at the same time pre-
recorded and credited. By the year 200 the assem- venting him or her from obtaining or enjoying it.
bled material was edited for duplication and was The word alludes to the legend of Tantalus, myth-
structured logically for ease of reference. Six major ical king of Phrygia and a son of Zeus. Tantalus
orders (topics) were delineated, and each order was was consigned to Hades after stealing his father’s
further subdivided. This editing process resulted in favorite dog, stealing ambrosia nectar and giving it
a work known as the Mishnah (from a word mean- to men, and killing his own son and serving him
ing “repeat” or “teach”), which in turn became the up as food for the gods. He was punished by being
focus of discussion and was further extended and made to stand in water that retreated whenever he
embellished. The resulting work was the Gemara tried to drink it and under a bough bearing deli-
(from a root meaning “complete”). The Mishnah cious fruit that remained just beyond his grasp. “To
and the Gemara, as well as subsequent contribu- surround his interior with a sort of invidious sanc-
tions, were dovetailed into it. By 500 there were tity, to tantalize society with a sense of exclusion,
two versions of the Talmud: the Talmud Yerushalmi to make people believe his house was different
( Jerusalemite) and the more substantial Talmud from every other, to impart to the face that he pre-
Bavli (Babylonian), which is thought more authori- sented to the world a cold originality—this was
tative and is referred to more frequently.Traditional the ingenious effort of the personage to whom Isa-
observant Jews believe the Talmud to be the “oral bel had attributed a superior morality” (Henry
Torah,” mirroring the written Torah. The Talmud James, Portrait of a Lady, 1881).
contains some legend and folklore, but most of this
material is found in the Midrash. An archaic usage Tara See tomorrow is another day.
of talmudic denoted “cryptic” or “esoteric”—a usage
that was offensive to Jews. The precepts were traced to tar baby A sticky situation from which it is vir-
their talmudic source. tually impossible to extricate oneself. The allusion
454
 Tarzan

is to one of the Uncle Remus children’s stories of tartar (tahrter) A fearsome or formidable per-
Joel Chandler Harris (1845–1908), in which Brer son, especially one with a shrewish character or
Fox attempts to capture Brer Rabbit by tricking very bad temper. The origins of the word lie in the
him into fighting with a doll covered in tar: Brer Tartar (or Tatar) warriors who swept through
Rabbit gets stuck to the tar baby and only nar- postmedieval Asia and eastern Europe, led by geng-
rowly manages to escape. This issue is a political tar his khan and spreading terror wherever they went.
baby that wise old campaigners know better than to They were so called in reference to Tartarus, the
tangle with. Latin name for the lowest region of hell, because
they seemed like demons from the underworld.
Tardis (tahrdis) A machine offering the possibil- According to Greek legend the region of Tartarus
ity of traveling through time and space, or any- was reserved for the Titans and those criminals
thing that looks larger on the inside than it does on deserving of the most severe punishments. “At last
the outside. The Tardis is the time machine used by Mr. Guppy came back, looking something the worse
the eponymous Doctor in the BBC’s long-running for the conference. ‘My eye, miss,’ he said in a low
science-fiction television series Doctor Who, first voice,‘he’s a Tartar!’ ” (Charles Dickens, Bleak House,
broadcast in 1963. From the outside it appears to 1852–53).
be an old-fashioned blue police telephone box, but
it is much larger on the inside and capable of carry- Tartuffe (tahrtoof ) A hypocrite. The allusion is
ing its occupants across the universe and from one to the central character in the French writer
era to another. Tardis is actually an acronym, short Molière’s play Le Tartuffe; ou, L’Imposteur (1664),
for “Time and Relative Dimensions in Space.” If I who conceals his greedy and lecherous nature
had a Tardis I would love to visit ancient Rome. beneath a show of religious piety but is finally
exposed as the conman he really is. It was only when
Tarpeian rock (tahrpeebn) A height from which the great man’s diary was published that everyone recog-
a condemned person may be hurled to destruc- nized him for the Tartuffe he was beneath his public
tion. The reference is to Tarpeian Rock on the persona.
Capitoline from which criminals guilty of treason
were thrown to their death in ancient Rome. Leg- Tarzan (tahrzan) An agile, muscular hero figure.
end had it that it was named after Tarpeia, the The fictional character Tarzan was created by the
daughter of the general who held the fortress on the British novelist Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875–
hill against the Sabines.When the Sabines attempted 1950) in Tarzan of the Apes (1914) and developed in
to storm it, Tarpeia treacherously opened a gate to numerous later stories. The loincloth-clad Tarzan
the invaders in the expectation of being rewarded was identified as the son of a British aristocrat,
with the gold bracelets they wore on their left arms reared by apes after being lost in the jungle and
but was instead crushed to death by the soldiers’ able to summon the assistance of various animals
shields, which they also carried on the left arms. in his many adventures, which were also filmed for
When the market crashed the towering stock exchange cinema and television. In some versions of his
building became a Tarpeian rock from which stricken exec- adventures, he is comforted by an American com-
utives hurled themselves to oblivion. panion called Jane; their first meeting gave rise
455
Teapot Dome

to the oft-quoted introduction me Tarzan, you Teiresias See tiresias.

Jane. “Ken looked like a waterborne Tarzan,
swinging through the air from wave to wave” telamon (telbmbn) An architectural column in
(Andy Martin, Walking on Water, 1991). the shape of a male figure. The allusion is to
Telamon, a mythological king of Salamis who par-
Teapot Dome A major political scandal. The Tea- ticipated in the calydonian boar hunt and was
pot Dome scandal erupted in the United States in one of the Argonauts. He is also identified as the
the 1920s, when secret payments made by the father of Ajax and Teucer. The temple portico was sup-
Mammoth Oil Company to drill on a government ported by a dozen telamons in the Greek style. See also
oil field at Teapot Dome in Wyoming came to caryatid.
light, leading ultimately to the trial and imprison-
ment of Secretary of the Interior Albert B. Fall Telemachus See odysseus.
(1861–1944), who had received the bribes. Water-
gate developed into the biggest political scandal since the Tell, William See william tell.
Teapot Dome.
tell it not in Gath (gath) Do not allow your ene-
tears, vale of See vale of tears. mies to make capital out of your misfortunes; be
careful to whom you reveal your weaknesses. Gath
tears of Eos (eeos) The morning dew. The allu- is identified in 2 Samuel 1:17–20 as the city of the
sion is to the tears that were supposedly wept every Philistines: “And David lamented with this lamen-
morning by the Greek goddess Eos in mourning for tation over Saul and over Jonathan his son . . . the
her son Memnon, who was slain by Achilles during beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how
the Trojan War. The lawns sparkled with the “tears of are the mighty fallen! Tell it not in Gath, publish it
Eos” as the old romantic liked to say. not in the streets of Askelon; lest the daughters of
the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the
teeth set on edge See sour grapes. uncircumcised triumph.” “Tell this not in Gath, lest
the Scots rejoice that they have at length found a
Teflon-coated Impervious to criticism or blame. parallel instance among their neighbours, to that
The allusion is to a tough nonstick coating (trade- barbarous deed which demolished Arthur’s Oven”
named Teflon) for cooking pans and other utensils (Sir Walter Scott, Ivanhoe, 1819).
developed in the 1940s from polytetrafluoroeth-
ylene. In modern usage the term “Teflon-coated” Tellus (telbs) Personification of the Earth. Tellus
(or simply “Teflon”) is often applied to politicians, was identified in Roman mythology as the goddess
criminals, etc., who appear to be immune from of the Earth, equivalent to the Greek gaea. “On
any blame for their actions or associations: accu- the following morning it was known that Lord De
sations or criticism directed at them do not Terrier was with the Queen at Buckingham Pal-
“stick.” Ronald Reagan’s ability to avoid personal ace, and at about twelve a list of the new ministry
blame for any policy failure led to him being called the was published, which must have been in the high-
Teflon President. est degree satisfactory to the whole brood of giants.
456
 terpsichorean

Every son of Tellus was included in it, as were also 5, 2001). See also thou shalt have no other gods
very many of the daughters” (Anthony Trollope, before me; thou shalt not steal.
Framley Parsonage, 1861).
Tenth Muse Poetical inspiration, sometimes
Tempe, vale of (tempee) A beautiful valley. The used in reference to a female poet or a literary
picturesque wooded valley of Tempe in Thessaly, woman; an inspiring or influential nontraditional
situated between Mount Olympus and Mount Ossa, art form. The allusion is to Sappho (c. 650–c. 580
was considered sacred to Apollo and it was here b.c.), the poetess of Lesbos who was sometimes
that he pursued Daphne until she forever escaped referred to as the Tenth Muse. “ ‘You were right in
his clutches by being transformed into a laurel telling me she would do me no good. But you were
tree. “Indeed, it is a question if the exclusive reign wrong in thinking I should wish to be like her.’
of this orthodox beauty is not approaching its last ‘Wouldn’t you really like to be a tenth Muse, then,
quarter. The new Vale of Tempe may be a gaunt Maggie?’ said Philip, looking up in her face as we
waste in Thule; human souls may find themselves look at a first parting in the clouds, that promises
in closer and closer harmony with external things us a bright heaven once more” (George Eliot, The
wearing a sombreness distasteful to our race when Mill on the Floss, 1860). See also muses.
it was young” (Thomas Hardy, The Return of the
Native, 1878). Teresa, Mother See mother teresa.

Temple, Shirley See shirley temple. Terminator, the A person who is hired to kill oth-
ers or otherwise brings things to a premature end.
ten commandments A set of rules that must not, The allusion is to the 1984 thriller of the same title
under any circumstances, be broken. The original starring arnold schwarzenegger as a cyborg
Ten Commandments were the laws revealed by robot sent back in time to kill a future leader of
God to Moses on the top of Mount Sinai for the mankind.The character (revived in popular sequels
guidance of the Israelites (as related in Exodus to the original movie) has produced memorable
20:3–17 and Deuteronomy 5:6–21).The first four quotations that have entered the popular lexicon,
describe the responsibilities of the Israelites to notably hasta la vista, baby and I’ll be back. He
God; the last six describe their responsibilities to had the reputation of a troubleshooter and terminator
one another. Moses carried the Ten Command- sent into struggling companies to cut out anyone not
ments, inscribed by the finger of God on two stone pulling their weight.
tablets, down the mountain but later smashed them
to pieces in disgust when he found that in his terpsichorean (terpsikbreebn, terpsbkoreebn) Of
absence his people had begun to worship an idol or relating to dancing. The allusion is to Terpsi-
called the Golden Calf. Subsequently Moses chore, identified in Greek mythology as the muse
returned to Mount Sinai and was presented with of choral dance and song (see muses) and con-
two new stone tablets, which were placed in the ventionally depicted holding a lyre. “The old-
Ark of the Covenant. “The business world needs the fashioned fronts of these houses, which had older
10 commandments of email” (Guardian, November than old-fashioned backs, rose sheer from the
457
terrible beauty

pavement, into which the bow windows pro- combined. The hunting breeches are put on first,
truded like bastions, necessitating a pleasing and the black trowsers are drawn over them”
chassez-dechassez movement to the time-pressed (Anthony Trollope, Hunting Sketches, 1865).
pedestrian at every few yards. He was bound also
to evolve other Terpsichorean figures in respect Tethys (teethis) The sea; the third satellite of the
of door-steps, scrapers, cellar-hatches, church planet Saturn.Tethys was one of the Titans of Greek
buttresses, and the overhanging angles of walls mythology, a sea goddess who was the daughter of
which, originally unobtrusive, had become bow- Uranus and the wife of Oceanus and by him became
legged and knock-kneed” (Thomas Hardy, The the mother of the sea nymphs called the oceanids.
Mayor of Casterbridge, 1886). He slipped soundlessly over the side of the boat and into
the welcoming arms of Tethys, goddess of the sea.
terrible beauty Something that is at once appall-
ing and yet awe-inspiring. The phrase was a coin- Teucer (tyooser) Archetype of a skilled archer.
age of the Irish poet and playwright W. B. Yeats According to Greek legend Teucer was the son of
(1865–1939), making its first appearance in his Telamon and Hesione and became famous for his
poem “Easter 1916,” about the Easter Rising in skills in archery with the Greek army during the
Dublin that year, a violent rebellion that marked a Trojan War. On his return from Troy he was sent
significant point in the struggle for Irish indepen- into exile by his father for having failed to avenge
dence: “Now and in time to be, / Wherever green the death of his brother, ajax, at the hands of
is worn / Are changed, changed utterly: / A ter- Odysseus. “ ‘But,’ thought he, ‘I may, like a second
rible beauty is born.” The phrase has remained Teucer, discharge my shafts from behind the shield
strongly associated with the birth of the Irish state, of my ally; and, admit that he should not prove to
although it has also been applied in other contexts be a first-rate poet, I am in no shape answerable
in succeeding years. The image of the Twin Towers for his deficiencies, and the good notes may very
crashing to the ground remains a terrible beauty. probably help off an indifferent text’ ” (Sir Walter
Scott, The Antiquary, 1816).
tertium quid (tersheebm kwid, terteebm kwid)
An unknown, unclassifiable, or nameless thing that Thais (thaybs) A woman who uses her beauty to
has the features of two other things. The phrase is influence her lover. The original Thais was an
credited to the Greek philosopher and mathemati- Athenian courtesan of the fourth century b.c. who
cian Pythagoras (c. 580–c. 500 b.c.), who once became the mistress of Alexander the Great. She
offered the following definition of a biped: “A man exercised her influence over him to persuade him
is a biped, so is a bird, and a third thing.” Accord- to order the burning of the palace of Persepolis.
ing to Iamblichus (c. a.d. 250–c. 330), another “ ‘ “The lovely Thais sits beside you. Take the goods
Greek philosopher, the “third thing” Pythagoras the gods provide you.” I often say that to my wife,
had in mind was himself. “And there is another till the children have got calling her Thais. The
mode of dress open to him, which I can assure my children have it pretty much their own way with
readers is not an unknown costume, a tertium us, Mr. Crawley’ ” (Anthony Trollope, The Last
quid, by which semi-decorum and comfort are Chronicle of Barset, 1867).
458
 Thelma and Louise

Thalatta! (thblata) A cry of joy or triumph. theater of the absurd A form of drama or other
Greek soldiers retreating from their Persian ene- entertainment that seeks to emphasize the futil-
mies were reputed to have exclaimed, “Thalatta! ity and meaningless of existence, often using
Thalatta!” (meaning “the sea! the sea!”) on catch- bizarre or unorthodox methods. The reference
ing sight of the waters of the Black Sea. In modern is to an avant-garde movement in world drama
usage the soldiers’ cry is sometimes rendered as that gathered pace after World War II, champi-
“Thalassa! Thalassa!” Like the Greeks at the sight of oned by such playwrights as Samuel Beckett,
their deliverance, he felt like shouting out “Thalatta! Jean Genet, and Edward Albee. The campaigning
Thalatta!” at this first glimpse of his rescuers. efforts of the extreme right had slipped into the realms
of the theater of the absurd. See also waiting for
Thalia (thblib) A source of poetical or comic godot.
inspiration. Thalia was one of the muses of Greek
mythology, identified as the muse of comedy and their finest hour A moment of glory. The
pastoral poetry. The word comes from the Greek phrase was famously delivered by British prime
thaleia (meaning “blooming”). Thalia herself would minister Winston Churchill (1874–1965) in a
appear to have sat at his elbow, guiding his pen as a speech broadcast on June 18, 1940, in which he
young man, but in his latter years she seems to have sought to bolster resistance to the threat of a
deserted him for other rivals. See also three graces. possible Nazi invasion of the United Kingdom:
“Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties,
Thanatos (thanbtos) The personification of and so bear ourselves that if the British Empire
death. According to Greek mythology Thanatos and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years,
was the son of Nyx, the goddess of night, and was men will still say, ‘This was their finest hour.’ ”
identified as the god of death. In the first half of Surveying the wreckage of their home after the party,
the 20th century Sigmund Freud selected Thanatos the boys were forced to admit this had not been their
as a name for the universal death instinct. This urge finest hour.
for self-destruction, the magnetic pull of Thanatos, is
hard for some people to resist at such moments. theirs not to reason why See ours not to rea-
son why.
that’s all, folks! This is the end, there is no more.
This was the famous slogan scrawled across the Thelma and Louise Archetypes of two women
screen at the end of the Warner Brothers Merry who seek to assert their equality in a repressively
Melodies cartoons, from 1930. Mel Blanc (1908– male world. The 1991 movie Thelma and Louise
89), who provided the voices of many of the most starred Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon as two
popular characters in the cartoons, memorably friends who behave in an increasingly lawless
chose “That’s all, folks!” for his epitaph. That’s all, fashion after shooting a male attacker and being
folks! The bar’s closed. forced to go on the run from the police. The char-
acters became icons of feminist solidarity and
that’s the way it is, and See and that’s the way remain symbols of escape from a male-dominated
it is. culture. The couple burst into the party like Thelma
459
Themis

and Louise, driving all self-respecting males into the there’s gold in them thar hills There are oppor-
shadows. tunities to be taken advantage of. The allusion is to
the gold rushes that took place at various locations
Themis (theemis) Personification of justice. The- in the late 19th century, when there was literally
mis was identified in Greek mythology as the daugh- gold to be found in the hills, although the phrase
ter of Uranus and Gaea and respected as the goddess itself probably dates only from Western movies of
of law and order, alongside her husband Jupiter. She the 1930s and 1940s. Thousands of businesses have
is perhaps best known today through her visual opened sites on the Internet, sensing there’s gold in them
representation, conventionally holding a cornuco- thar hills.
pia and a pair of scales. “By next day’s post, the
solicitor sent the case to London, a chef-d’oeuvre there’s the rub That is where the problem lies.
of its kind; and in which, my informant assured me, This is a quotation from hamlet’s famous to be
it was not necessary on revisal to correct five words. or not to be soliloquy in William Shakespeare’s
I am not, therefore, conscious of having overstepped tragedy Hamlet (c. 1600): “To sleep, perchance to
accuracy in describing the manner in which Scottish dream. Ay, there’s the rub; / For in that sleep of
lawyers of the old time occasionally united the wor- death what dreams may come, / When we have
ship of Bacchus with that of Themis” (Sir Walter shuffled off this mortal coil, / Must give us pause.”
Scott, Guy Mannering, 1815). The word “rub” in this sense refers to an obstacle
or obstruction, specifically an unevenness of the
Theon’s tooth (theeonz) A sharp or penetrating ground. There’s the rub—if no one tidies up the house,
criticism. The allusion is to the ancient Roman we will end up living in a pigsty.
poet Theon, who was noted for his biting satires. It
was clear that both actors were suffering acutely from the there was no more spirit in her See queen of
poisonous imprint of Theon’s tooth in that morning’s sheba.
reviews of the performance.
there were brave men before Agamemnon See
Theramenes, sandals of See wear the sandals brave men before agamemnon, there were.
of theramenes.
Thermopylae (thermopblee) A decisive battle or
there is a time and a place for everything See moment, especially when facing overwhelming
time and place for everything. odds. It was at the narrow pass of Thermopylae
in Thessaly (the only route connecting north and
there is no joy in Mudville See casey at the bat. south Greece) that Leonidas and 300 Spartans
heroically held off a much larger invading Per-
there is no peace for the wicked See no peace sian army in 480 b.c., fighting to the death after
for the wicked. being betrayed by a Greek traitor. Their courage
became a symbol of Spartan indomitability. The
there is nothing new under the sun See nothing word itself means “ hot gates.” “He would much
new under the sun. prefer not to die. He would abandon a hero’s or
460
 they also serve

a martyr’s end gladly. He did not want to make the actor in the guise of a figure from history or
a Thermopylae, not be Horatius at any bridge, legend as an alternative to the convention of the
nor be the Dutch boy with his finger in that chorus narrating the action. As an adjective thespian
dyke” (Ernest Hemingway, For Whom the Bell Tolls, is applied to anything of or relating to the theater as
1941). a whole. “Vergil Gunch thundered, ‘When we man-
age to grab this celebrated Thespian off his lovely
Thersites (thersiteez) Archetype of an impudent, aggregation of beautiful actresses—and I got to
foul-tongued critic, especially one who criticizes admit I butted right into his dressing-room and
everyone and everything. Thersites was a trouble- told him how the Boosters appreciated the high-
making deformed Greek warrior who was killed class artistic performance he’s giving us.’ ” (Sinclair
by a blow from Achilles during the Trojan War Lewis, Babbitt, 1922).
after daring to mock him for Achilles’ grief over
the death of his friend Penthesilea. “And first, it Thestylis (thestilis) A rustic maiden. The allu-
may be said, there is a pelting kind of thersitical sion is to the young female slave called Thestylis
satire, as black as the very ink ’tis wrote with . . .” who appears in the Idylls of the Greek pastoral
(Laurence Sterne, Tristram Shandy, 1759). poet Theocritus (c. 310–250 b.c.). He was immedi-
ately captivated by this Thestylis and her beautiful voice
Theseus (theeseebs) Archetype of a mythologi- and within a month had written a dozen magnificent
cal hero and adventurer. Theseus was the son of poems in her honor.
Aegeus, the king of Athens, and the central figure
in a series of legendary encounters. These epi- Thetis’s hair stone (theetis) Rock crystal con-
sodes included the slaying of the Minotaur, the taining hairlike filaments. It is also called Venus’s
conquest of the Amazons, taking part in the Caly- hair stone. The allusion is to Thetis, the leader of
donian hunt, and seeking the Golden Fleece. ‘ “I the sea nymphs known as the nereids in Greek
will tell you what, Mistress Mary—it will be mythology and remembered as the mother of
rather harder work to learn surveying and draw- Achilles. Instead of leaving, the little girl reached into
ing plans than it would have been to write ser- her bag and handed him a crystal lump of the type some
mons,’ he had said, wishing her to appreciate people call Thetis’s hair stone.
what he went through for her sake; ‘and as to
Hercules and Theseus, they were nothing to me. they also serve The contribution of people
They had sport, and never learned to write a behind the scenes is also valuable, though not
bookkeeping hand’ ” (George Eliot, Middlemarch, always acknowledged. The allusion is to a quota-
1871–72). tion from the poem “On His Blindness” by the
English poet John Milton (1608–74): “They also
thespian (thespeebn) An actor. The word was serve who only stand and wait.” It is variously
originally coined in tribute to the Greek poet Thes- encountered both in its full form and in the abbre-
pis, who is traditionally credited with having been viated “they also serve.” It may not be the most glam-
the founder of Greek tragic drama in the late sixth orous of occupations, but they also serve who only stand
century b.c. With great success Thespis introduced and wait.
461
they know not what they do

they know not what they do See father, for- things ain’t what they used to be See fings
give them. ain’t wot they used t’be.

they shall not pass A declaration of resistance to things fall apart, the center cannot hold We are
an enemy. The origins of this slogan are thought on the verge of chaos. This is a quotation from
to date back to World War I, being variously the poem “The Second Coming” by the Irish poet
ascribed to Marshal Pétain or General Robert W. B. Yeats (1865–1939): “Things fall apart; the
Nivelle, but it is also strongly associated with the centre cannot hold; / Mere anarchy is loosed upon
Spanish Civil War of the 1930s, having been the world.” The question is how long the government
memorably delivered in a famous radio broadcast will hold on, for when things fall apart, the center can-
on July 19, 1936 to Republican supporters by not hold.
Dolores Ibarruri (La Pasionaria). The team’s strat-
egy was based on the determination that “They shall not things in common, all See all things in com-
pass!” mon.

they that sow the wind shall reap the whirlwind things to all men, all See all things to all
See sow the wind and reap the whirlwind. men.

they toil not, neither do they spin See lilies of thin red line An apparently brittle but defiant
the field. line of defense. This was originally a tag applied to
the British army, specifically the 93rd Highland-
thief in the night, like a Suddenly; unexpect- ers, who stood successfully against an attack by a
edly; surreptitiously. The phrase is biblical in ori- much larger Russian force during the Battle of
gin, appearing in 1 Thessalonians 5:1–3, where it Balaclava in the Crimean War of 1853–56. The
describes how Jesus Christ will return: “But of regiment consequently became known as the “thin
the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no red line,” after the color of their uniforms, and in
need that I write unto you. For yourselves know due course the description came to be applied to
perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a the British infantry as a whole. The variant “thin
thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace blue line” is sometimes used of the police, for sim-
and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon ilar reasons. The troops formed a thin red line against
them, as travail upon a woman with child; and the rioting mob.
they shall not escape.” “For the Son of Man cometh
as a thief in the night, and there is not one of us thirty pieces of silver The price of an act of
can tell but what this day his soul may be required betrayal. The allusion is to the 30 shekels of silver
of him” (Samuel Butler, The Way of All Flesh, that was paid by chief priests to judas in
1903). exchange for information about Christ’s where-
abouts (Matthew 26:14–16), thus setting in
thieves break through and steal See lay not up motion the trail of events that led to the Cruci-
treasures upon earth. fixion. According to Matthew 27:3–5 Judas soon
462
 thou art the man

repented of his deed and “cast down the pieces of thorn in the flesh A persistent irritation or
silver in the temple, and departed, and went and annoyance, especially one that cannot be easily
hanged himself.” Thirty shekels of silver was also escaped. The phrase comes from 2 Corinthians
the compensation laid down under the law of 12:7, in which Paul complains about his own
Moses for the loss of an ox. Rumor has it that any troubles: “And lest I should be exalted above mea-
executive who is prepared to give evidence against the sure through the abundance of the revelations,
company will be offered thirty pieces of silver in the there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the
form of an official pardon. See also aceldama; pot- messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be
ter’s field. exalted above measure.” The precise nature of
Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” has been much debated
Thisbe See pyramus and thisbe. and various chronic illnesses ranging from blind-
ness to malaria have been proposed as the cause of
this is another fine mess you’ve got me into See his discomfort. There was, perhaps significantly, a
laurel and hardy. sect of Pharisees whose practice was to insert
thorns into their clothing to prick their legs as
Thomas, doubting See doubting thomas. they walked and make them bleed. The phrase is
also encountered as thorn in the/one’s side.
Thomas Gradgrind (gradgrind) A soulless per- “Sadly, it was a road accident . . . which finally
son who believes only in hard facts and sticks took the wind from his quixotic career as bye-
unbendingly to his or her principles. The allusion is lection candidate, champion of lost causes, and
to Thomas Gradgrind, a hard-hearted retired mer- thorn in the flesh of authority” (Guardian, April 7,
chant turned schoolmaster in the Charles Dickens 1986).
novel Hard Times (1854). The novel ends tragically
with Gradgrind realizing too late the damage he thorns, crown of See crown of thorns.
has caused to his own children. Our headmaster was
a real Gradgrind who had absolutely no interest in the thou art the man You are the guilty person, or
arts. the person for the job in question. The quotation is
biblical in origin, appearing in 2 Samuel 12:7 in
Thor (thor) A man of enormous strength. Thor the account of the adultery of david and bath-
is identified in Norse mythology as the son of Odin sheba. After Nathan told David the parable of the
and Frigga and the god of thunder and war. He rich man who stole the ewe lamb belonging to his
was renowned for his great strength, which was poor neighbor, David exclaimed that the rich man
redoubled by the belt he wore, and was conven- deserved to die, upon which Nathan replied, “Thou
tionally depicted wearing iron gloves and carrying art the man.” Nathan here was referring to David’s
a great hammer (the Mjollnir). “Thaw with his “theft” of Bathsheba from her husband. The child
gentle persuasion is more powerful than Thor with who resulted from their union died a week after
his hammer. The one melts, the other but breaks in birth. The girls would not listen to his denials of any
pieces” (Henry David Thoreau, Walden, or Life in involvement in the matter: It was clearly a case of “thou
theWoods, 1854). art the man.”
463
though he slay me, yet will I trust in him

though he slay me, yet will I trust in him An generally just commander it was a case of “thou shalt
expression of loyalty and faithfulness to someone, have no other gods before me.”
even though such loyalty may not be reciprocated.
The expression comes from Job 13:15, in which thou shalt not steal Do not steal from others.
Job resisted suggestions that, after all his troubles, This appears as the eighth of the ten command-
he owed no duty of loyalty to God: “Though he ments (Exodus 20:15 and Deuteronomy 5:19).
slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain “Thou shalt not steal,” said the old woman severely as
mine own ways before him.” The corporal gestured she retrieved the necklace from the little girl.
ruefully after the departing emperor and refused to voice
any complaint at the harsh treatment he had received on thou shouldst be living at this hour You should
the latter’s orders. “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in be living now to witness this. This is a quotation
him” was his only comment. from the poem “To Milton” by the English poet
William Wordsworth (1770–1850), in which
thought police An oppressive secret police force, Wordsworth expressed the sentiment that the
especially one that makes it its business to suppress long-dead English poet John Milton (1608–74), a
subversive ideas.The thought police were an inven- fellow opponent of tyrannical monarchy, would
tion of British novelist George Orwell (1903–50) have much appreciated the triumph of the French
in his book Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949), in which Revolution of 1789. “John F. Kennedy, thou shouldst
they maintain constant surveillance of those sus- be living at this hour,” intoned the presenter as Neil
pected of wavering from prescribed thinking. Armstrong stepped onto the Moon.
Those found guilty of such transgressions are tor-
tured at the Ministry of Love and then brainwashed thrasonical (thraysahnikbl, thrbsahnikbl) Boastful;
or vaporized. “George Barker had taken his place in arrogant; vain. The word alludes to Thraso, a sol-
1940 but had escaped to the United States before dier in the comedy Eunuchus by Terence (c. 185–c.
Pearl Harbor, for he had been followed everywhere 159 b.c.), who brags of his own achievements.
by the ‘thought police,’ the sinister kempeitai, who “Novi hominem tanquam te: his humour is lofty,
suspected him of being a communist spy” ( James his discourse peremptory, his tongue filed, his eye
Kirkup, A Poet could not but be Gay, 1991). See also ambitious, his gait majestical, and his general behav-
big brother; doublethink; room 101. ior vain, ridiculous, and thrasonical” (William
Shakespeare, Love’s Labour’s Lost, 1594–95).
thousand cuts See death by a thousand cuts.
thread of destiny See fates.
thousand days See hundred days.
three bears See goldilocks.
thou shalt have no other gods before me De-
mand for unswerving loyalty (sometimes used Three Graces Personifications of beauty and
ironically). This is the first of the ten command- charm. The Three Graces were beautiful goddesses
ments, listed in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5. identified in Greek mythology as the sisters Aglaia,
The men quickly realized that with the unyielding, yet Thalia, and Euphrosyne. “As for the graces of expres-
464
 throne of grace

sion, a great thought is never found in a mean dress; detective stories of the British writer Sir Arthur
but though it proceed from the lips of the Woloffs, Conan Doyle (1859–1930), in the course of
the nine Muses and the three Graces will have which the detective likes to consider unfathom-
conspired to clothe it in fit phrase” (Henry David able cases over one, two, or (rarely) three pipe-
Thoreau, Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers, fuls of tobacco. Reducing pollution in China while not
1849). hindering economic progress is a three-pipe problem for
environmentalists.
Three Mile Island A nuclear accident threaten-
ing a widespread catastrophe. Three Mile Island threescore years and ten The age of 70. Once
was the name of a nuclear power station at Mid- considered the average length of time that a per-
dletown, Pennsylvania, which, on March 28, son might expect to live, the phrase comes from
1979, was the scene of an accident resulting in Psalm 90:10: “The days of our years are threescore
the release of radioactive material threatening the years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be
lives of 36,000 people living in the area. Ever since fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and
then the term Three Mile Island has been quoted sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.” “By
as a warning of the ever-present risk of environ- and by we are called in to see an old baby, three-
mental disaster associated with reliance upon score years and ten or more old” (Oliver Wendell
nuclear power. According to the press, we came peril- Holmes, Elsie Venner, 1861).
ously close to suffering another Three Mile Island. See
also chernobyl; china syndrome; meltdown. Three Stooges, the (stoojbz) An incompetent
or comical trio. The Three Stooges were a popular
Three Musketeers A trio of swashbuckling cinema slapstick comedy act who starred in some
heroes or loyal friends. The novel The Three Muske- 200 movies from the 1930s to the 1960s. The
teers (1844) by the French writer Alexandre original Stooges were Larry Fine (Louis Feinberg;
Dumas père (1802–70) was set in 17th-century 1902–75), Moe Howard (Moses Horwitz; 1897–
France and related the adventures of three of the 1975), and Curly Howard (Jerome Lester Hor-
king’s dashing sword-wielding musketeers, Athos, witz; 1903–52), although Curly was replaced by
Porthos, and Aramis, together with new recruit another Howard brother, Shemp Howard (Samuel
D’Artagnan, as they sought to defend the inter- Horwitz; 1895–1955), in 1947. Watching the three
ests of the king against the scheming Cardinal men trying to sort out the mess they had made was like
Richelieu. “She was barely seventeen, the youngest watching the Three Stooges.
of the Three Musketeers, as they had styled them-
selves long ago; yet in everything except appear- three wise men See magi.
ance she might have been at least ten years older”
(Mary Gervaise, The Distance Enchanted, 1983). See throne of grace The throne of God and, by exten-
also all for one and one for all. sion, heaven. The phrase appears in the letter to
the Hebrews 4:16: “Let us therefore come boldly
three-pipe problem A particularly difficult prob- unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy,
lem. The allusion is to the sherlock holmes and find grace to help in time of need.” The term
465
through a glass darkly

is sometimes associated with depictions of the picked the gauntlet up this meant he accepted the
Trinity, with God holding the body of Christ on challenge. “Since, in 1850, the one bastion of that
his knees while the Holy Spirit, in the form of a order which had escaped major trouble in 1848
dove, hovers overhead. Other names for the was the Russian Empire, it was likely that at some
throne of grace include the mercy seat. “Ah, Mr. point France would throw down the gauntlet to
Cassilis, my sin has found me out, you see! I am the tsar” (David Saunders, Russia in the Age of Reac-
very low, very low; but I hope equally penitent. tion and Reform 1801–1881, 1994).
We must all come to the throne of grace at last,
Mr. Cassilis” (Robert Louis Stevenson, New Arabian throw in the towel To give in; to concede defeat.
Nights, 1882). The allusion is to boxing, in which the trainer of a
losing fighter might toss a towel into the ring to
through a glass darkly See see through a glass signal that their side are unwilling to go on with
darkly. the bout (usually because of injury to the fighter
concerned). When they were threatened with court
through the looking-glass In weird, incompre- action they decided to throw in the towel.
hensible territory; in a situation where the normal
rules do not apply. The allusion is to the classic throw the apple of discord See apple of
children’s tale Through the Looking-Glass and What discord.
Alice Found There (1872) by the British writer Lewis
Carroll (Charles Lutwidge Dodgson; 1832–98), a throw the first stone See let him who is with-
book that was characterized by its topsy-turvy out sin cast the first stone.
view of the world and comic reversal of familiar
logic. When I heard what had been decided it really felt throw to the lions To expose someone to an
like we had gone through the looking-glass. See also unpleasant fate. The phrase harks back to ancient
alice in wonderland. Rome, where army deserters, common criminals,
and Christians were often put to death by being
throw a curveball To unsettle an opponent by sent into the arena to face wild animals. The prac-
delivering a blow (real or metaphorical) that is dif- tice reached a peak during the reign of the
ficult to return or respond to. The allusion is to emperor Nero in the wake of the destruction of
baseball, in which a ball pitched with a spin on it is Rome in the fire of a.d. 64, for which the city’s
especially difficult to deal with. The press threw the Christians had been blamed. It seems the leadership
governor a curveball when they came up with some tell- has decided to cut its losses and throw the spokesman to
ing observations about his private life. the lions.

throw down the gauntlet To issue a challenge. In Thule See ultima thule.
this phrase the word “gauntlet” is used in its more
familiar sense, meaning “protective glove.” In thumbs-up An indication of approval or encour-
medieval times, one knight might challenge another agement, in which the thumb is pointed up and
by throwing down his gauntlet; if the other knight the other fingers are closed in a fist. This gesture is
466
 tilt at windmills

popularly supposed to have its origins in the Lord’s Prayer, as rendered in Matthew 6:9–10:
gladiatorial arenas of ancient Rome. When a gladi- “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy
ator was defeated, the crowd was invited to decide name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in
his fate by showing a collective thumbs-up, in earth, as it is in heaven.” (See also Luke 22:42.)
which case the gladiator was allowed to live, or a “Thy will be done,” replied the managing director’s secre-
thumbs-down, in which case he was put to death. tary with heavy irony as she gathered together the docu-
In reality no one is sure exactly what sign the crowd ments he had left on the desk for her.
made with their thumbs to indicate their decision,
as suggested by John Dryden’s description of such Tiananmen Square (teeanbnmen) An act of vio-
a moment in his translation of the Third Satire of lent repression directed against supporters of
Juvenal (1693): “Influenced by the rabble’s bloody democracy. Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China,
will, / With thumbs bent back they popularly kill.” was the scene of a huge popular demonstration in
The use of thumbs-up or thumbs-down as under- favor of democratic political reform in 1989; it
stood today may date back only as far as early Hol- ended on June 4 when the Chinese army moved
lywood film reenactments of such gladiatorial in and massacred many of the unarmed students
contests. The chairman has just given his thumbs-up to maintaining their peaceful protest in the square.
the new project, providing certain conditions are met in God forbid we ever see a Tiananmen Square in this
advance. country.

Thursday The fifth day of the week. The day was tidings of great joy See good tidings of great
named after thor, the Norse god of thunder. In joy.
Britain elections generally take place on a Thursday. In
the United States Thanksgiving is always the last Thurs- tilt at windmills To oppose imaginary threats or
day in November. enemies. The reference is to Don Quixote (1605,
1615) by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (1547–
Thyestean feast (thiesteebn) A feast at which 1616), in which the deluded hero don quixote
human flesh is served. The reference is to Thyes- mistakes a group of distant windmills for giants
tes, a Greek who committed adultery with the and rides off to fight them, only to impale his lance
wife of his brother Atreus. In revenge Atreus mur- in the sails and be lifted high off the ground. In
dered the children of Thyestes and fed them to modern usage, the phrase is also sometimes
him at a banquet. Thyestes realized what he was employed when people commit themselves to a
being offered and fled the feast, laying a curse on struggle they appear very unlikely to win. “To crit-
his brother’s household. No one ever found the body, icize language for being ‘misleading’ as to the state
but few dared voice the suspicion that many shared, that of affairs in the real world is to tilt at windmills,
the unlucky parents had unwittingly taken part in a because language is not so much a limpid pool
Thyestean feast. through which we are to glimpse the truth as a
muddy pond full of the debris of history and
thy will be done An expression of acquiescence ideology” (Deborah Cameron, Feminism and Lin-
to another’s wishes. The phrase comes from the guistic Theory, 1992).
467
Timbuktu

Timbuktu (timbuktoo) A far distant place. time for all things See time and place for
Timbuktu is a real place, a city in Mali in west- everything.
ern Africa, founded in 1087. Its fabled reputa-
tion as a center of the gold trade made it a goal timeo Danaos et dona ferentes See beware of
of 19th-century explorers, though it was not greeks bearing gifts.
until 1828 that a French explorer managed to
visit the city (by then largely in ruins) and return Times Square A very busy place. Times Square
in one piece to describe what he had seen. When in New York City is famous for its bustling crowds
they moved from next door to the next street it might and animated neon advertisements, which add to
as well have been to Timbuktu, as we haven’t seen them the atmosphere of frenetic urban activity. It is
since. located at a crossroads, where 42nd Street and
broadway meet. It owes its name to the presence
Time, Father See father time. nearby of the former headquarters of the New York
Times newspaper. Traffic diversions turned the nor-
time and place for everything There is an appro- mally quiet intersection into Times Square, with horns
priate time for all things and, therefore, times when blaring and pedestrians running for their lives.
certain things should not be said or done. The prov-
erb has its origins in Ecclesiastes 3:1–8: “To every- time to be born, and a time to die See time and
thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose place for everything.
under the heaven: a time to be born, and a time to
die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that Timon (timbn) Archetypal misanthrope. Timon
which is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a was a rich Athenian citizen who spent his entire
time to break down, and a time to build up; a time fortune on lavish entertainments for his friends.
to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and When his money was all gone, Timon found him-
a time to dance . . . a time to get, and a time to self deserted by his erstwhile companions and
lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time became a recluse, living in a remote cave and bit-
to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, terly avoiding all human contact, with the single
and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to exception of the exile Alcibiades. He was repre-
hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.” The saying sented on stage in William Shakespeare’s play
is also encountered in the forms time for all Timon of Athens (1605). In modern usage his name
things, season for all things, and to every thing appears most frequently in the phrase to out-
there is a season. “ ‘There is a time for everything, Timon Timon, meaning to be even more misan-
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from thropic than Timon. A sour and embittered Timon, he
embracing; the first is now going to be mine’ ” lurked on the fringes of society for years, savaging any-
(Thomas Hardy, Tess of the D’Urbervilles, 1891). See body who ventured near him.
also word in season.
Tinkers to Evers to Chance A successful display
time as this, for such a See for such a time as of coordinated teamwork. The allusion is to the
this. Chicago Cubs baseball team of the early 1900s,
468
 titanic

and its stars Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers, and Frank generations of pilots, he himself served as Tiphys to many
Chance, who entered baseball history for their major passenger liners plying the treacherous waters in
perfection of the double play. The plan was to keep that part of the world.
the ball rolling by switching the money from one part-
ner to another and then to a third in lightning Tinkers to Tiresias (tireeseeas) Archetype of a wise old
Evers to Chance style. prophet. Tiresias, or Teiresias, was famed in The-
bes for his prophetic gifts but was blinded by the
tinkling cymbal See sounding brass or a tin- gods for having seen Athena bathing in the foun-
kling cymbal. tain Hippocrene. Another version of the legend
relates how Tiresias became involved in an argu-
Tin Man See friend of dorothy. ment between Zeus and Hera, who when Tiresias
spent seven years transformed into a woman con-
Tin-Pan Alley The music industry. Tin Pan Alley sulted him over the question of whether men or
is both the name of a district around broadway women experience more pleasure from sex. Tire-
and 14th Street in New York City and a nickname sias declared that women found sex nine times
for Denmark Street off Charing Cross Road in more enjoyable than men and thus incurred the
London, both of which were once centers of the wrath of Hera, who blinded him in her rage. Zeus
music industry, crowded with music promoters, then granted Tiresias prophetic powers in com-
publishers, and aspiring songwriters. Though all pensation for the loss of his sight. It was Tiresias
have long since moved elsewhere, the name Tin- who revealed to Oedipus the awful truth that the
Pan Alley is still widely used to refer to the music latter had unwittingly murdered his father and
industry as a whole, especially to the songwriting married his mother. He was also reputed to under-
part of it. The name itself was probably derived stand the language of the birds and continued to
from the slang use of “tin-pan” to refer to a cheap, dispense wisdom until a very advanced age. The old
tinny-sounding piano. He decided he needed some new man, like some venerable Tiresias, dispensed wisdom from
songs from Tin-Pan Alley. his throne on the stoop for all the world.

Tinseltown Nickname for hollywood. Reflect- Tisiphone See furies.

ing the hollow superficial glamor of the popular
film industry, the nickname was coined in the 1940s titanic (titanik) Immensely huge or powerful.
by actor and composer Oscar Levant. It’s Oscar time The word makes reference to the Titans of Greek
again and all Tinseltown will be there to join the stars on myth, the 12 primeval gods and goddesses identified
the famous red carpet. as the sons and daughters of Uranus (the sky) and
Gaea (the Earth). Legend had it that they ruled the
Tiny Tim See bob cratchit. earth in a golden age until the youngest of them,
Cronus, overthrew Uranus and was subsequently
Tiphys (tifis) A pilot.According to Greek mythol- himself overthrown by his son Zeus. He and the
ogy Tiphys was the pilot for the Argonauts during other Titans were consigned to Tartarus. By the same
their epic voyage of adventure. Descended from many token a person or thing that is immensely huge or
469
Titanic

powerful may be called a titan. “On the Prome- Tithonus (tithonbs) Archetype of a very old,
nade des Anglais, where Ned Silverton hung on decrepit person. According to Greek mythology
him for the half hour before dinner, he received a Tithonus was the brother of King Priam of Troy
deeper impression of the general insecurity. and much admired by Eos, the goddess of the
Silverton was in a mood of Titanic pessimism” dawn, for his great beauty. When he prayed for the
(Edith Wharton, The House of Mirth, 1905). gift of immortality, Eos persuaded Zeus to grant
him his wish, but as she had forgotten also to ask
Titanic (titanik) A doomed ship or other vessel, for the gift of eternal youth on his behalf, Tithonus
project, etc. The White Star liner RMS Titanic became wizened and feeble as he aged. Unable to
was considered the most luxurious liner of its die, he was eventually transformed by Eos into a
day and was claimed by its designers to be unsink- grasshopper. “And did you ever imagine that you
able. During the night of April 14–15, 1912, and Nick, of all people, were going to escape the
however, having set sail on its maiden voyage common doom, and survive like Mr. and Mrs.
from Southampton for the United States with Tithonus, while all about you the eternal passions
3,000 people on board, it struck an iceberg off were crumbling to pieces, and your native Divorce-
Newfoundland and sank in under three hours, states piling up their revenues?” (Edith Wharton,
leading to the deaths of 1,513 people. The disas- Glimpses of the Moon, 1922).
ter subsequently acquired semimythical status
and has been reenacted on the cinema screen sev- tittle See jot or tittle.
eral times.The phrase rearrange the deck chairs
on the Titanic, signifying a futile gesture, has Tityrus (titirbs) Poetical name for a shepherd.
also entered the annals of the political cliché. Shepherds appear with this name in the works of
When the funding dried up, the whole business went early Greek poets and of the Roman poet Virgil
down like the Titanic. (70–19 b.c.). It was subsequently adopted for
similar characters by such English poets as
tithe of mint, anise, and cumin A relatively triv- Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1342–1400) and Edmund
ial obligation, duty, or other matter, usually in Spenser (1552–99). “Heroes and their feats / Fatigue
comparison with a much more significant matter me, never weary of the pipe / Of Tityrus, assembling
that has been neglected. The phrase comes from as he sang / The rustic throng beneath his favou-
Matthew 23:23, in which Christ criticized the rite beech” (William Cowper, The Task, 1785).
Pharisees for busying themselves with trivialities
while neglecting more important matters: “For ye Tityus (titybs) Archetypal sufferer of great tor-
pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have ment. According to Greek mythology Tityus was
omitted the weightier matters of the law, judg- a giant who tried to rape Leto, the mother of
ment, mercy and faith: these ought ye to have done, Apollo and Artemis. As punishment he was con-
and not to leave the other undone.” This pitiful offer- signed to the underworld, where a vulture per-
ing reminded her of the tithe of mint, anise, and cumin petually tore out his liver. When he lay down on
paid by the Pharisees, a very inadequate replacement for the ground his body covered nine acres. Suddenly
the total amount owed. he envisioned the dreadful fate that could be in store for
470
 Tom and Jerry

him, doomed to suffer eternal agony like some modern- toil not, neither do they spin See lilies of the
day Tityus. field.

Tiw See tyr. Tokyo Rose (tokeeo) A woman who betrays

her country. The allusion is to Iva Ikuko Togori
Tobacco Road Squalid and degenerate surround- D’Aquino (b. 1916), a woman of Japanese descent
ings. The allusion is to a novel (1932) of the same who was born in Los Angeles and later made pro-
title written by Erskine Caldwell (1903–87), in paganda broadcasts for the Japanese during World
which he vividly described the harsh realities of War II. Though her broadcasts had little real effect
life among the impoverished sharecroppers of the upon U.S. troops serving in the Pacific, her efforts
Deep South, specifically the rural community of were enough to have her arrested and tried for
Tobacco Road in Georgia. Even as a rich man living treason; she served six years in prison. The papers
in a big house on Long Island, he never forgot his humble dubbed her the Soviet Union’s Tokyo Rose but no one
Tobacco Road beginnings. took her seriously. See also lord haw-haw.

to be or not to be Should one do or not do some- Tolkienesque (tolkeenesk) Reminiscent of the

thing? This most famous of all quotations from the style or subject matter of the writings of the Brit-
plays of William Shakespeare comes from his trag- ish novelist J. R. R. Tolkien (1892–1973). Author
edy hamlet (c. 1600), opening a soliloquy in which of The Lord of the Rings (1954–55) and other epic
the central character debates the arguments for and tales, Tolkien has become indelibly linked in the
against suicide. In modern usage, the phrase is com- popular imagination to a fantasy world of wizards,
monly applied in a much wider range of contexts, hobbits, and other folkloric creatures. Many details
often with a different verb in place of “be.” To vote of his inventive stories were prompted by his stud-
or not to vote, that was the question being faced by the ies as a professor of Anglo-Saxon and of English
bulk of a politically indifferent electorate. Language and Literature at Oxford. He first attracted
attention with a clever Tolkienesque short story pub-
to boldly go where no man has gone before See lished in a magazine when he was just twelve years old.
star trek. See also gandalf; golum; hobbit; orc.

Todd, Sweeney See sweeney todd. Tom and Jerry A pair of individuals who behave
in a boisterous, slapstick manner. The allusion is
to everything there is a season See time and to the classic Tom and Jerry cartoons made by the
place for everything. animators William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, fea-
turing the comical antics of a cat called Tom and a
to him that hath See whosoever hath, to him mouse called Jerry as they seek to outwit one
shall be given. another (sometimes employing extreme violence).
They first appeared in a 1940 cartoon called Puss
toil in the groves of Academe See academia; Gets the Boot. It has been suggested that the charac-
groves of academe. ters’ names may have been prompted by the fact
471
Tommy

that much earlier they had been applied to a pair from Christ’s Sermon on the Mount: “Take there-
of lively young men who featured in Pierce Egan’s fore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow
Life in London; or, The Day and Night Scenes of Jerry shall take thought for the things of itself ” (Matthew
Hawthorn, Esq, and His Elegant Friend Corinthian Tom 6:34). His grandmother was notorious for her procrasti-
(1821). “It was like a Tom and Jerry cartoon to see nation in such matters. She was a great believer in the
him bang his head on the door, bounce back, look philosophy tomorrow will take care of itself. See also
a little dazed, and then remember the terrifying sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
‘nightmare’ he was escaping from, and shoot for
cover behind the sofa” ( Jon Hadwick, Owl Light, Tom, Uncle See uncle tom.
1991).
Tom Paine A political radical, especially one
Tommy A soldier in the British army. Associated committed to the cause of liberty. Tom Paine
particularly with soldiers fighting in World War I, (1737–1809) was born in England but became
the nickname was actually familiar to British sol- identified with the cause of liberty and revolution
diers through most of the 19th century as a short- in other countries, fighting for the Americans in
ened form of Tommy Atkins, the name given on the the American Revolution and subsequently becom-
specimen forms handed out to new recruits as a ing a member of the French revolutionary parlia-
guide to filling out their own enlistment docu- ment. His most influential publications were The
ments. “O it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ Rights of Man (1791–92) and The Age of Reason
‘Tommy, go away’; / But it’s ‘Thank you, Mister (1794). As a political thinker he was sometimes described
Atkins’, when the band begins to play” (Rudyard as a modern Tom Paine.
Kipling, “Tommy,” Barrack Room Ballads, 1892).
Tom Sawyer (soyer, soier) Archetype of a mis-
tomorrow is another day Fortunes can change chievous, resourceful young boy. The central
radically from day to day. Common to the extent character of the novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
of being a cliché, this is the closing line of the clas- (1876) by Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clem-
sic 1939 movie gone with the wind, in which it ens; 1835–1910), he famously exercises his cre-
is delivered by Vivien Leigh in the guise of Scarlett ativity to get out of school and to escape the risk
O’Hara as she resolves to make up for some of her of doing any hard work. The kids on the corner
earlier mistakes by devoting her energies to restor- seemed to have more in common with Darth Vader than
ing her neglected Tara estate: “After all, tomor- they did with Tom Sawyer. See also huckleberry
row is another day.” This was also to have been the finn.
title of a sequel Margaret Mitchell planned to
write to her original novel, upon which the film Tom Thumb A very small person. Tom Thumb,
was based. It is undeniable that today’s events have just the size of his father’s thumb, was originally a
been disappointing, but tomorrow is another day. nursery tale character, whose adventures were in
wide circulation by the 16th century. In the 19th
tomorrow will take care of itself Do not worry century the diminutive Charles Sherwood Strat-
about the future until it comes.The proverb comes ton (1838–83), just 40 inches in height, was
472
 Tower of London

marketed by the showmen Barnum and Bailey (see and he that hath fellowship with a proud man,
p. t. barnum) as “General Tom Thumb” and trav- shall be like unto him.” A concise variant may be
eled to Europe, where he was presented to both found in the form pitch defiles. “Not in election-
Queen Victoria of England and Louis Philippe of eering, Mr. Romer, any more than in any other
France. The space for the driver is so restricted you pursuits, can a man touch pitch and not be
would need to be Tom Thumb to feel comfortable. defiled; as thou, innocent as thou art, wilt soon
learn to thy terrible cost” (Anthony Trollope,
tongues, gift of See gift of tongues. Doctor Thorne, 1858).

Tonto See lone ranger. touch the hem of his garment See hem of his
garment, touch the.
tooth for a tooth See eye for an eye.
Tower of Babel (baybbl, babbl) A scene of gen-
Tophet See gehenna. eral confusion and noise. The allusion is to the
biblical Tower of Babel, which according to Gene-
Topsy Something that develops steadily under its sis 11:4–9 was built with the intention of reaching
own volition and despite the fact that no one has heaven. The Tower of Babel may have been a type
taken responsibility for it. The reference is to a of Babylonian temple called a ziggurat. Ziggurats
slave girl called Topsy in the antislavery novel Uncle were pyramid shaped, and some may have reached
Tom’s Cabin (1851) by Harriet Beecher Stowe more than 325 feet (100 meters) high. God
(1811–96). When asked to account for her origins, thwarted the efforts of the builders by making
lacking any knowledge of her parents she replies them speak in different languages so that no one
simply: “I ‘spect I grow’d. Don’t think nobody could make himself or herself understood to
never made me.” Once the initial idea for the project another. The word Babel itself means “gate of
had been formed, it continued to grow over the years, like God.” At the international airport, he stood still for a
Topsy. moment and listened to the many languages being spo-
ken all around him. It was a veritable Tower of Babel.
tortoise See hare and the tortoise.
Tower of London A state prison. The Tower of
to the pure all things are pure See unto the London, which was built on the site of a fort
pure all things are pure. erected by the Romans under Julius Caesar, was
constructed by the Normans under William the
touch me not See noli me tangere. Conqueror in the 11th century and substantially
enlarged by later monarchs. It acquired a dreaded
touch pitch and be defiled It is inevitable that if reputation as a prison in which the state’s most
a person has dealings with wickedness he or she important prisoners were confined and sometimes
will be tainted with it. The proverb is from the executed, including several members of the royal
apocryphal book of Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 13:1: family and the senior aristocracy. Carry on like that
“He that toucheth pitch, shall be defiled therewith, and you’ll end up in the Tower of London.
473
Tracy, Dick

Tracy, Dick See dick tracy. tree of knowledge A source of knowledge or

wisdom. The phrase appears in biblical descrip-
trail of tears A route, real or metaphorical, that tions of the garden of eden, in which it is identi-
is lined with evidence of suffering. The allusion is fied as the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil
to the Trail of Tears that the Cherokee followed (Genesis 2:9). It is the disobedience of adam and
when forced to abandon their ancestral lands in eve in disregarding God’s command not to eat of
Georgia and to migrate to Oklahoma in 1829–43, the fruit of this tree that leads to their expulsion
despite their having previously won a Supreme from Paradise. Today the tree is sometimes inter-
Court decision in their favor. Around 4,000 of their preted as a symbol of the truth that the gaining of
number died on the journey of cold, exhaustion, knowledge necessarily requires the loss of inno-
and disease. Survivors of the battle were forced to follow cence, hence the expression eat from the tree of
a thousand-mile trail of tears to safety. knowledge meaning to learn such knowledge. “And
so the poor child, with her soul’s hunger and her
Travis Bickle (travis bikbl) Archetype of an illusions of self-flattery, began to nibble at this
unhinged killer. Travis Bickle is the name of the thick-rinded fruit of the tree of knowledge, filling
deranged Vietnam War veteran who turns killer in her vacant hours with Latin, geometry, and the
the 1976 movie Taxi Driver. Played by Robert De forms of the syllogism” (George Eliot, The Mill on
Niro, Bickle turns to violence in a misguided one- the Floss, 1860). See also forbidden fruit.
man crusade to clean up the streets. He was a quiet
man whom no one would have suspected of being a Travis tree of life Life or the fount of life. The tree is
Bickle. described in Genesis 2:9 (and elsewhere) as a cen-
tral feature of the garden of eden: “And out of
treasure in heaven See lay not up treasures the ground made the LORD God to grow every
upon earth. tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food;
the tree of life also in the midst of the garden.” The
treasures upon earth, lay not up See lay not up tree of life is generally interpreted as a symbol of
treasures upon earth. God’s gift of life. (See also Proverbs 3:18 and 11:30
and Revelation 2:7 and 22:1–19.) “But we have not
tree is known by its fruit, the People should be to do with the wars of the Mulberry Hills and the
judged not by their appearances but by how they act Dry Docks. We must to Rooney’s, where, on the
and by what they produce (for example, with refer- most blighted dead branch of the tree of life, a little
ence to their offspring). The proverb is biblical in pale orchid shall bloom” (O. Henry, Strictly Busi-
origin, coming from Matthew 12:33: “Either make ness, 1910).
the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the
tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is trial by ordeal A challenge involving consider-
known by his fruit.” “If then the tree may be known able mental or physical endurance. The allusion is
by the fruit, as the fruit by the tree, then, peremp- to the early medieval custom of testing a person’s
torily I speak it, there is virtue in that Falstaff ” (Wil- guilt by putting them through a form of torture in
liam Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part 1, 1597–98). the belief that if they were innocent God would
474
 triumvirate

prevent them from suffering injury. Accused per- romance, Tristan (or Tristram) was the nephew of
sons might face ordeal by water (having their hand King Mark of Cornwall, while Isolde (or Iseult)
plunged into boiling water or being tossed into a was the daughter of an Irish king. Isolde was prom-
pond with hands and feet tied), by fire (being ised in marriage to King Mark, but when Tristan
forced to hold a red-hot bar or walk across heated went to Ireland to bring her to Cornwall, the pair
plowshares), or by eating consecrated bread to see fell in love after unwittingly drinking a love potion
if they choked on it. “During this trial by ordeal made for the bridal couple by Isolde’s mother. The
the restaurant was almost empty although people story ends tragically, although there are several
kept arriving and being turned away because: different versions of the events surrounding the
‘There are no tables’ ” (Walter Perrie, Roads that pair’s demise: in one, King Mark finds the lovers
Move, 1991). asleep in the forest, with a sword between them to
keep them apart. “But always my dreadful secret
tribes of Israel See lost tribes of israel. lay between us, like the sword between Tristan
and Isolde” ( John Fowles, The Magus, 1988).
tribune of the people A democratic leader, spe-
cifically one who acts as a champion of public rights. Triton (tritbn) A mythological sea creature; the
In ancient Rome the senior rank of tribune denoted larger of Neptune’s two satellites. The Greek sea
a chief magistrate, who wielded great influence in god Triton was the son of Poseidon and Amphitrite
the city. During the revolt of 494 b.c. two tribunes and was said to have the upper half of a human
were elected by the plebeians to prevent the patri- fixed to a fish’s tail. He is often depicted in art and
cians from taking revenge on the rebels (the num- literature blowing a horn formed from a conch
ber was subsequently increased to 10). Tribunes shell in order to calm the sea at Poseidon’s approach.
were immune from prosecution and had various His name is sometimes encountered in the form a
powers of veto at their command. “The man on the Triton among the minnows, signifying a great
little stool behind the President, is the Capo Laz- person among inferiors. “. . . on the right of the
zarone, a kind of tribune of the people, appointed stage is the public fountain, with a triton in green
on their behalf to see that all is fairly conducted: bronze blowing from a conch; around the fountain
attended by a few personal friends” (Charles Dick- is a stone seat; the bell of the Cathedral is ringing,
ens, Pictures of Italy, 1845). and the citizens, men, women and children, are
passing into the Cathedral” (Oscar Wilde, The
tried and found wanting See writing on the Duchess of Padua, 1891).
wall.
triumvirate (tribmvirbt) Three people acting as
Trigger See roy rogers. one body. The original triumvirates were the groups
of three magistrates who were appointed to fulfill
triple whammy See double whammy. various official functions in ancient Rome. The
most famous triumvirate of all was the political
Tristan and Isolde (izoldb) Archetype of a pair alliance of Julius Caesar, Marcus Licinius Crassus,
of tragic lovers. According to a medieval English and Pompey the Great that wielded power from
475
Troilus and Cressida

60 b.c. “He showed her a letter which he was horse and filled it with warriors before making a
about to dispatch to Robespierre himself, vindi- pretense of leaving their camps around Troy and
cating his suspected patriotism, and indignantly sailing away. The Trojans, fooled into thinking the
demanding to be allowed to prove it by filling some horse was an offering to the goddess Athena,
office, no matter how small, under the redoubtable dragged it within their walls. After dark the
triumvirate which then governed, or more prop- Greek warriors poured out of the horse and
erly terrified, France” (Wilkie Collins, After Dark, sacked the city. In modern usage a Trojan horse
1856). usually refers to an apparently harmless gift
through which an enemy may be defeated or dis-
Troilus and Cressida (troylbs, kresidb) Arche- rupted. The term has par ticular relevance in
typal tragic lovers. According to Homer’s Iliad computer circles, where it can refer to an appar-
(c. 700 b.c.), Troilus was the youngest son of King ently innocent program or system that subse-
Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy and died in the quently releases a damaging computer virus. “A
course of the Trojan War. His romance with Cres- ‘Trojan horse’ cancer treatment that slips inside
sida was a later invention of around the fourth or tumour cells and destroys them with radiation
fifth century a.d. subsequently elaborated by medi- has been successfully tested in the U.S.” (Times,
eval writers. “ ‘Troilus loved and he was fooled,’ November 16, 2001). See also beware of greeks
said the more manly chaplain. ‘A man may love and bearing gifts.
yet not be a Troilus. All women are not Cressids ’ ”
(Anthony Trollope, Barchester Towers, 1857). Trophonius See cave of trophonius.

Trojan (trojbn) A hard-working, determined, Trump, Last See last trump.

or otherwise reliable person. The Trojans were
much respected for their courage in battle, as evi- truth?, What is See what is truth?
denced in the course of the lengthy Trojan War
against the Greeks, as related in Homer’s Iliad truth shall make you free, the Knowledge of the
(c. 700 b.c.) and Virgil’s Aeneid (30–19 b.c.). The truth is the key to salvation. The sentiment is bibli-
word, occasionally has other connotations: In Wil- cal in origin, appearing in John 8:31–32, in which
liam Shakespeare’s day it could be used as a syn- Christ promised the Jews that if they obeyed his
onym for a robber or dissolute rogue. He worked like word, they would be his true disciples. Such
a Trojan until dawn broke and the danger had passed. knowledge—God’s revelation of his truth—would
set them free from sin: “If ye continue in my word,
Trojan horse (trojbn) A deception designed to then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know
undermine an enemy from within. The allusion is the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” “ ‘Well,
to the wooden horse with which the Greeks if you won’t accept Tennyson as an authority, per-
achieved the final overthrow of Troy at the conclu- haps you will believe the words of a Greater than
sion of the Trojan War. According to Homer (in the he,’ said Gilbert seriously. “ ‘Ye shall know the truth
Iliad, c. 700 b.c.) and Virgil (in the Aeneid, 30–19 and the truth shall make you free.” I believe that,
b.c.), the Greeks built a large, hollow wooden Anne, with all my heart. It’s the greatest and grand-
476
 twilight zone

est verse in the Bible—or in any literature’ ” (Lucy the looking-glass (1865) by Lewis Carroll.
Maud Montgomery, Anne’s House of Dreams, 1917). They are depicted as two very fat twin brothers
with identical mannerisms and appearance and the
Tuck, Friar See friar tuck. habit of each repeating everything the other says.
The names were in existence before Carroll, how-
Tuesday The third day of the week. It is named ever, and were applied as early as 1715 to the rival
after Tiw (tyr), the Anglo-Saxon god of war and composers Giovanni Bononcini and George Frid-
the sky. Shrove Tuesday is the day before Lent begins, on eric Handel, as immortalized in a poem by the con-
AshWednesday. temporary writer John Byrom: “Some say, that
Signor Bononcini / Compar’d to Handel’s a mere
turn the other cheek To accept a personal insult ninny; / Others aver, to him, that Handel / Is
or injury passively and without retaliating. The scarcely fit to hold a candle. / Strange! That such
expression is biblical in origin, being quoted by high dispute should be / ’Twixt Tweedledum and
Christ in the course of his Sermon on the Mount, Tweedledee.” “The umpires conferred, then, like
as related in Matthew 5:38–39: “Ye have heard Tweedledum and Tweedledee in their striped shirts,
that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a cantered over to the third man in the stands, who’d
tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist been gazing at Mrs. Sherwood at the time and
not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy missed the incident altogether, and who now waved
right cheek, turn to him the other also.” “It is well, his down-turned palms back and forth to indicate
I think, that violent offences, when committed, no foul” ( Jilly Cooper, Polo, 1991).
should be met by instant rebuke. To turn the other
cheek instantly to the smiter can hardly be suitable twilight of the gods See götterdämmerung.
in these days, when the hands of so many are raised
to strike” (Anthony Trollope, The Last Chronicle of twilight zone A mysterious area between reality
Barset, 1867). See also eye for an eye. and fantasy, in which all manner of weird things
might occur. The allusion is to the cult U.S. science-
Tuscan Belonging to a relatively plain and unor- fiction television series The Twilight Zone (1959–
namented order of classical architecture derived 63), which featured such bizarre phenomena as
from the doric style. The architects chose a grand time warps and machines capable of independent
but somewhat restrained Tuscan style for the portico of thought and began with the words: “There is a fifth
the bank’s new headquarters in the center of the city. See dimension beyond that which is known to men. It
also corinthian; ionic. is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as
infinity. It is the middle ground between light and
Tweed, “Boss” See tammany hall. shadow, between science and superstition, and it
lies between the pit of man’s fears and the summit
Tweedledum and Tweedledee A pair of individu- of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagi-
als or things that are so similar they are virtually nation. It is an area we call The Twilight Zone.”
indistinguishable. The allusion is to two characters Things were turning out so unexpectedly it was a bit like
who appear in the children’s fantasy through being in the twilight zone.
477
twinkling of an eye, in the

twinkling of an eye, in the Instantaneously; very edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder
quickly; in the briefest time. The phrase comes of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and
from 1 Corinthians 15:51–52, in which Paul writes is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the
about the resurrection of the dead on the return of heart.” According to Revelation 1:16: “And he had
Christ: “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth
all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, went a sharp two-edged sword: and his counte-
in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the nance was as the sun shineth in his strength.’ (See
trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised also Revelation 2:12 and the apocryphal book of
incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” “I don’t Ecclesiasticus [Sirach] 21:3.) “The honest soldier
understand these matters very well, but from was confused. The lawyer’s eloquence overpow-
Fyne’s narrative it seemed as if the creditors or the ered him. He felt guilty. Josephine saw his simplic-
depositors, or the competent authorities, had got ity, and made a cut with a woman’s two-edged
hold in the twinkling of an eye of everything de sword. ‘Sir,’ said she coolly, ‘do you not see it is an
Barral possessed in the world” ( Joseph Conrad, affair of money?’ ” (Charles Reade, White Lies, 1857).
Chance, 1913).
two or three gathered together See where two
Twist, Oliver See oliver twist. or three are gathered together.

twist slowly in the wind To be left alone to Tyburn (tibern) A place of execution by hang-
endure prolonged public humiliation, regret, ing. Tyburn was the name of a location in London
etc. The reference is to the turning of the body of where public executions took place regularly
a hanged man on a gibbet. The phrase is particu- from 1388 to 1783, using a triangular gallows
larly associated with the public downfall of lead- that made it possible to hang several people at the
ing political figures and featured prominently same time. It was originally the name of a tribu-
during the watergate scandal, when it was tary of the River Thames, after which the settle-
voiced by Richard Nixon’s Assistant for Domes- ment of Tyburn was named. The name was
tic Affairs John D. Ehrlichman: “I think we ought similarly applied to other places of execution
to let him hang there. Let him twist slowly, around the country, such as Tyburn in York. His
slowly in the wind.” She could have rescued him from career of larceny and murder finally ended at Tyburn.
public humiliation in front of the other parents, but she
decided to let him twist slowly in the wind. Typhoid Mary A carrier of disease. The refer-
ence is to Mary Mallon (c. 1870–1938), a house-
two-edged sword Referring to something that is hold cook who was a carrier of typhoid fever,
open to two different interpretations, such as an leading to the outbreak of epidemics in various
argument or policy that has an effect against both locations throughout the New York area where
parties involved. The phrase comes from the Bible. she had worked. Immune to the disease herself,
Hebrews 4:12 reads: “For the word of God is between 1904 and 1914 she passed it on to at
quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two- least 51 other people, of whom three died. “Such

478
 Tyre

people are infectious however, and if they are Tyr (tir) Personification of war. Tyr, or Tyrr or
involved in food preparation and are careless Tiw, was identified in Norse mythology as the
about washing their hands, they may be the mod- son of Odin and was revered as the god of war.
ern equivalent of ‘Typhoid Mary,’ passing Giardia Valhalla must be bursting at the seams with young
on to others” (Linda Gamlin and Jonathan Brost- warriors recently slain at the call of Tyr.
off, The Complete Guide to Food Allergy and Intoler-
ance, 1989). Tyre See nineveh and tyre.

479
å U ååååå
über alles (oober alez) Dominant; above all. An the expression was the best-selling book of stories
expression of German origin, meaning “over entitled The Ugly American (1958) by William J.
all,” it comes from the German national anthem Lederer and Eugene Burdick, which dealt with the
“Deutschland über alles,” which became notorious United States’ disastrous involvement in Southeast
as the anthem (1922–45) of the Nazi regime of Asia in the postwar period. Resentment in the region
Adolf hitler. The phrase is commonly employed at the presence of a large number of “ugly Americans” did
in circumstances where a person or organization is little to help soothe ruffled local sensibilities over what
suspected of acting in a dictatorial manner. With was seen as unwarranted interference from theWest.
her sister it’s a case of fun über alles, even if that means
sacrificing her family and career. ugly duckling An unprepossessing person or
thing who against all expectations proves a great
Ubi sunt? (oobee sbnt) Where are they now? success. The reference is to the children’s story
This lament in Latin on the transitory nature of “The Ugly Duckling” (first translated into English
earthly greatness has biblical origins, the words in 1846) by Danish writer hans christian ander-
arising from a medieval reworking of David’s sen (1805–75). Andersen’s tale, often interpreted
lament for Saul and Jonathan: “The beauty of Israel over the years on the large and small screens and
is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty in song, concerns a duckling who seems to lack
fallen!” (2 Samuel 1:19). The ubi sunt motif became the natural abilities and good looks of his young
a popular theme of medieval poetry, designating “a siblings, until he grows up and turns out not to be
mood or theme in literature of lament for the muta- a duck at all, but a magnificent swan. The phrase is
bility of things” (Oxford English Dictionary). They were often applied to children of ordinary appearance
among the most celebrated players of their generation, but who confound expectations by becoming great
as is so often the case in the world of sport, once they beauties as adults, but it may also be applied to a
retired, their names rarely cropped up outside the usual wider range of human or animal misfits, projects,
Ubi sunt? inquiries. commercial enterprises, etc., that exceed all pre-
dictions for them. “Even when made up with the
Ugly American An American who acts in an finest cosmetics money could buy it would never
overbearing manner while abroad. The origin of be beautiful, but still . . . not bad for an ugly
480
 Uncle Tom

duckling, Sally thought, smiling wryly” ( Janet Tan- to use effectively. Legend has it that the great bow
ner, Folly’s Child, 1991). belonging to the Greek adventurer Ulysses (odys-
seus) could only be drawn by the celebrated hero
Ugly Sisters Two (or more) people or other himself. It was through his ability to draw his bow
entities that behave in a jealous, even cruel way and his skill as an archer, specifically in shooting an
toward others. The allusion is to the two Ugly arrow through 12 rings, that Ulysses was recog-
Sisters in the folktale and pantomime story Cin- nized by his wife, Penelope, when he returned
derella, the ugly but vain daughters of an impover- home after 20 years away. The bow, which was
ished baron who cruelly mistreat their stepsister also reputed to have prophetic powers, was at one
cinderella, only to be thwarted when she wins time the property of Eurytus of Oechalia. So many
the hand of prince charming. These two female adventurers had come to grief trying to pull off this mod-
critics developed into a pair of Ugly Sisters who held ern Ulysses’ bow that it was soon believed that no one
every show on Broadway in their thrall. would ever succeed in the feat.

ultima Thule (bltimb thoolee, bltimb thyoolee) A Uncas See last of the mohicans.
far-distant place; a remote destination; the ends of the
earth or the very limit of what is attainable. Latin Uncle Fester See addams family.
for “farthest Thule,” ultima Thule in Roman times
was the northernmost limit of the known world. Uncle Sam The United States. The United States
Thule was identified by the Greek explorer Pyth- has been personified as “Uncle Sam,” depicted visu-
eas (fl. 300 b.c.) as being located six days’ sailing ally as a gaunt-looking white-bearded old showman
beyond the north of Britain (possibly Norway, Ice- dressed in top hat and a stars-and-stripes dress suit,
land, or the Shetland Islands). Pliny the Elder since the early 19th century. It has been suggested
described Thule in Historia Naturalis (a.d. 77) as that the name was first bandied about in the neigh-
“an island in the Northern Ocean discovered by borhood of Troy in New York around 1812, pre-
Pytheas, after sailing six days from the Orcades.” sumably inspired by the letters “U.S.” stamped on
The phrase appears in the first book of Virgil’s government supplies, although another theory links
Georgics (c. 36 b.c.): “Tibi serviat Ultima Thule.” the name to a real Uncle Sam who handled army
“My cognizance of the pit had become known to the supplies in the neighborhood. His image was ubiq-
inquisitorial agents—the pit whose horrors had uitous during World War I, when potential army
been destined for so bold a recusant as myself—the recruits were encouraged by a stern-looking Uncle
pit, typical of hell, and regarded by rumor as the Sam with pointed finger over the slogan “Uncle Sam
Ultima Thule of all their punishments” (Edgar Allan Wants You!” In modern usage the tag is employed
Poe, “The Pit and the Pendulum,” 1843). with similar frequency both fondly and critically.
“Suddenly, the Kremlin is falling over itself to get
Ulysses See odysseus. close to Uncle Sam” (Peter Cave, Foxbat, 1979).

Ulysses’ bow (yooliseez) Something extremely Uncle Tom A black person who acts in an obse-
difficult to handle or that only one person is able quious manner toward white people. The allusion
481
understanding heart

is to the central character in the hugely popular a dart that always hit its target and then returned
novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852) by U.S. author and to its owner’s hand. Unfortunately when Procris
antislavery campaigner Harriet Beecher Stowe hid in some bushes to spy on her husband and any
(1811–96). Uncle Tom is an aged, loyal, gentle lover he might be with, she made too much noise,
black slave whose sufferings and ultimate martyr- and thinking he was being stalked by a wild beast,
dom at the hands of the vicious slave owner Simon Cephalus hurled his javelin into the bushes, kill-
Legree vividly evoke the realities of life as a slave ing her. Upon discovering his mistake Cephalus
in the period leading up to the Civil War. He was killed himself out of grief. This last shaft was as
allegedly based upon Josiah Henson (1789–1883), unerring as the dart of Procris and left its victim
a black slave and Methodist preacher brought to stunned.
London in 1876 to be presented to Queen Victo-
ria. He had been a firebrand as a youth but he had been unforgivable sin See unpardonable sin.
outpaced by a new generation of black radicals who saw
their elders as a generation of Uncle Toms. unicorn A fabulous animal resembling a white
horse with a single horn in the middle of its fore-
understanding heart See judgment of solomon. head, most familiar today as an emblem in heraldic
devices. Its name derives from the Latin unus cor-
under the aegis of See aegis. nus (“one horn”).The unicorn made its first appear-
ance in literature in the writings of Ctesias around
under the sun See nothing new under the 400 b.c. and was subsequently mentioned in many
sun. medieval bestiaries. Originally described as having
a lion’s tail, a stag’s legs, and a horse’s head and
unequally yoked Improperly or unsuitably linked body, the unicorn was believed to be very fierce
in a very close partnership (usually by marriage). but also fatally attracted by chastity, allowing it to
The phrase is biblical in origin, being a quotation be tricked into laying its head in the lap of a young
from 2 Corinthians 6:14 in which Paul warns the virgin and thus captured. Allusions to the unicorn
Corinthians, “Be ye not unequally yoked together in modern iconography usually invoke the crea-
with unbelievers.” The phrase has been variously ture’s identification with chastity, although Chris-
applied to marriages between Christians and non- tian tradition sometimes also depicts Christ as a
Christians and more generally to any pair of part- unicorn. He came to think of her as some elusive uni-
ners deemed ill matched. The two nations entered a corn, uncatchable and remote from the ordinary world
coalition against their common enemy, but it quickly of men.
became apparent that they were unequally yoked.
unkindest cut of all, the The most hurtful of
unerring as the dart of Procris(prokris) Unde- injuries or insults, especially one delivered by a
viating; deadly accurate. According to Greek person previously thought to be a friend. The
legend the jealous Procris deserted her husband, allusion is to William Shakespeare’s play Julius
Cephalus, and was presented by the sympathetic Caesar (1599), in which Mark Antony shows the
Diana with a dog that always caught its prey and crowd the “most unkindest cut of all” made in the
482
 unto the pure all things are pure

assassinated Caesar’s mantle by the dagger wielded aries. “After all, for a seaman, to scrape the bot-
by Marcus Brutus, Caesar’s supposed friend. “He tom of the thing that’s supposed to float all the
followed this with the unkindest cut of all: ‘Or is time under his care is the unpardonable sin”
it that he is afraid I will ask him for money?’ ” (Joseph Conrad, “Heart of Darkness,” 1902).
(Philip Callow, Van Gogh: A Life, 1990).
unto dust shalt thou return You will not live for-
unknown God An unidentified god or other ever. The phrase is biblical in origin, appearing in
object of veneration. The phrase alludes to the various forms at Genesis 2:7 and 3:19, Job 10:9
biblical story of Paul, who was on the way to speak and 33:6, and Isaiah 64:8. It appears in Genesis
to a group of skeptical Greek philosophers in Ath- 3:19 in the fuller form “dust thou art, and unto
ens when he noted an altar inscribed with “TO dust shalt thou return.” In biblical usage dust and
THE UNKNOWN GOD” (Acts 17:23). On meet- clay are symbols of mortality. Job subsequently
ing his audience he asserted that all he aimed to do echoes the phrase in protest at God’s actions
was to identify the god whom they already wor- toward him: “Remember, I beseech thee, that thou
shiped. It is thought that such altars were originally hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me
erected by Greeks as votive offerings when they into dust again?” (Job 10:9). Henry Wadsworth
were unsure which god they should thank. The Longfellow, in “A Psalm of Life,” wrote: “Dust
phrase has been used in many contexts, including thou art, to dust returnest.” Today the term is
the title of John Steinbeck’s novel To a God Unknown most familiar in the form ashes to ashes, dust to
(1933). This benefaction of an unknown God prompted dust, a phrase frequently spoken in the course of
many of the workers to offer silent prayers of thanks. burial ser vices. “Life is real! Life is earnest! / And
the grave is not its goal; / Dust thou art, to dust
unpardonable sin An offense (sometimes rela- returnest, / Was not spoken of the soul” (Henry
tively trivial) that is considered certain to attract Wadsworth Longfellow, “A Psalm of Life,” 1839).
the condemnation of others. Although the phrase,
sometimes rendered in the form unforgivable sin, unto the pure all things are pure How a person
does not actually appear in the Bible, it is the con- sees something and the influence that he or she
ventional way of describing the sin of blasphemy exerts on it depend largely on the nature of his or
against the Holy Spirit (see Matthew 12:31–32 and her own moral character. The saying comes from
Luke 12:10). The NIV Thematic Reference Bible the letter of Paul to Titus: “Unto the pure all things
defines the unforgivable sin as “The willful, out- are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbe-
wardly expressed and impenitent slander against lieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and
the Holy Spirit, when Jesus Christ’s mighty works, conscience is defiled” (Titus 1:15). The line is
clearly performed by the power of the Holy Spirit, sometimes quoted in defense of an individual’s
are attributed to Satan, thus subjecting Christ to right to read whatever he or she chooses to read
public disgrace” (p. 2,074). In general modern or in other defenses of freedom of choice. The
usage the phrase is sometimes employed in a priest refused to believe that what he was being told
parodic sense in reference to some minor social could be true, but then unto the pure all things are
transgression or overstepping of accepted bound- pure.
483
untouchable

untouchable A law enforcer or other government Uriah See letter of uriah.

agent who is immune to being bribed. The allusion
is to a famously incorruptible group of detectives Uriah Heep (yoorib) An obsequious, untrust-
called the Untouchables that was led by Eliot Ness worthy hypocrite. The allusion is to the clerk of
(1903–57) of the U.S. Department of Justice the name in Charles Dickens’s novel David Copper-
against the notorious al capone gang in Chicago field (1849–1850) who deceitfully pretends to be
during the 1920s. Their adventures, detailed by the “ ’umble servant” of the lawyer Mr. Wickfield
Ness himself in a book entitled The Untouchables while stealing money from his business. The loath-
(1947), later inspired a popular television series some Heep’s deceit is finally revealed and his plot
and a movie (1987), both with the same title. A team to force Wickfield into letting him marry his
of untouchables has been put together to find out how far daughter comes to nothing. He was horrified to find
the corruption in the department has really gone. that his assistant was a Uriah Heep who had brought the
family business to the brink of ruin.
upstairs, downstairs The contrast between the
upper and lower classes. The phrase alludes to U.S. cavalry A force that arrives in the nick of
the fact that in the great houses of former times time to save the situation. The allusion is to the
the kitchens and other rooms that were the prov- many Western movies made over the decades in
ince of the servants were usually located on the which a troop of the U.S. 7th Cavalry arrives just
lower floors, while the owners of the buildings in time to save beleaguered heroes from attack by
conducted their lives in the floors above. The hostile Native Americans. The arrival of help just
phrase became doubly familiar as the title of a pop- in time is likely to be hailed with a thankful “here
ular BBC television series, broadcast around the come the cavalry” delivered in more or less rever-
world in the 1970s, about life in a large London ent tones according to the severity of the situa-
home in the early decades of the 20th century. He tion. “One must resist seeing Bakhtin as the U.S.
specializes in stories about upstairs, downstairs in mod- Cavalry, riding in to rescue a threatened human-
ern Manhattan. See also hudson. ism from howling poststructuralists” (Bernard Ber-
gonzi, Exploding English, 1990).
Urania See muses.
use a little wine See take a little wine.
Uranus (yoorbnbs, yooraynas) A planet in the
solar system, seventh in distance from the Sun. In Usher, House of See house of usher.
Greek mythology Uranus was a personification of
the sky, a god who ruled the universe and who by usual suspects See round up the usual
his own mother, Gaea (the Earth), fathered the suspects.
Titans and Cyclopes. He was subsequently over-
thrown by his son Cronus, who thus separated utopia (yootopeeb) An ideal society or a perfect
heaven from earth. The old lady warned him that his place or paradise. The word comes ultimately from
life would never be easy because of the baleful influence the Greek for “no place,” but owes its modern
of Uranus in his birth chart. familiarity largely to the fact that the English
484
 utopia

statesman and philosopher Sir Thomas More (1478– istic,” with the implication that whatever is being
1535) used it as the title of a book (1516) in which discussed is also unrealistic. “Assumptions vary:
he described an imaginary ideal society, situated on some people take the more recent past as their
an island, in which reason held sway. The adjective benchmark, others look to a more distant Utopia”
utopian is usually employed in the sense of “ideal- ( J. Finch, Family Obligations and Social Change, 1989).

485
å V ååååå
Vader, Darth See darth vader. vale of Tempe See tempe, vale of.

Valentine’s Day massacre See saint valentine’s Valhalla (valhalb) The afterworld, where the souls
day massacre. of the brave go after death. According to Norse
mythology, Valhalla is situated in Asgard and is
Valentino (valbnteeno) A handsome, sexually connected to Earth by a rainbow bridge. It con-
attractive male, especially one who has such sists of a vast banqueting hall with walls of gold
qualities to excess. The allusion is to movie star and a roof made of warriors’ shields. Here the
Rudolph Valentino (Rodolfo di Valentina souls of heroes slain in battle spend eternity engag-
d’Antonguolla; 1895–1926), who became a heart-
ing in mock battles, feasting with Odin and
throb for silent-movie audiences through such
recounting their exploits. The wounds they sustain
films as The Sheikh (1921) and Blood and Sand
in combat are magically healed each day. In mod-
(1922) before his early death from peritonitis. “I
ern usage Valhalla may denote any place (real or
don’t care if he looks like Rudolph Valentino and
otherwise) to which only the bravest or most dis-
goes in every bistro in the country every night of
tinguished of persons may be admitted in recogni-
the year” (Alice T. Ellis, Pillars of Gold, 1993).
tion of their achievements. “At first it looked like a
vale of tears Life as a series of misfortunes and vast blue fort or Valhalla; but when they began to
sadnesses. The image of life as a vale of tears is tuck the coarse meadow hay into the crevices, and
believed to have biblical origins, being derived orig- this became covered with rime and icicles, it
inally from the Valley of Baca (the Hebrew bakah looked like a venerable moss-grown and hoary
meaning “weeping” ) mentioned in Psalm 84:5–6. ruin” (Henry David Thoreau, Walden, or Life in the
Baca trees are balsams that exude gum in tearlike Woods, 1854).
drops. “I excused myself and dropped to the rear of
the procession, sad at heart, willing to go hence Valkyrie (valkiree, valkbree) A formidable
from this troubled life, this vale of tears, this brief woman, especially one of statuesque proportions
day of broken rest, of cloud and storm, of weary and Nordic appearance. In Norse mythology the
struggle and monotonous defeat” (Mark Twain, A Valkyries were the 12 beautiful blond handmaid-
ConnecticutYankee in King Arthur’s Court, 1889). ens of Odin who roamed battlefields on flying
486
 vandal

horses picking out the bravest of the slain and for “Jehovah is judge,” and the prophets were
carrying them to valhalla where they might more concerned with the certainty and reality of
spend eternity in the company of other great future judgment than in its exact location, the
heroes. The word Valkyrie literally means “chooser language is probably metaphorical and its precise
of the slain.” In modern usage the Valkyries are location is not known. “. . . nothing was to be
most familiar from Wagnerian opera, in which found but dry, sapless, mouldering, and dis-
they are conventionally depicted in horned Viking jointed bones, such as those which filled the val-
helmets and armor. “The lawn-mower was sin- ley of Jehoshaphat” (Sir Walter Scott, Ivanhoe,
cerely intended to pass longitudinally over the 1820). See also judgment day.
body of Mr. Collins from heel to head; and it was
the time for a death-song. Black Valkyrie hovered valley of the shadow of death A situation in
in the shrieking air” (Booth Tarkington, Penrod, which death is close by or imminent. The phrase
1914). comes from Psalm 23:4: “Yea, though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear
valley of dry bones A situation in which life no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff
seems impossible; the abode of death. The phrase they comfort me.” John Bunyan, in pilgrim’s
is a reference to Ezekiel 37, in which God puts progress (1678), gives a fuller description of the
Ezekiel “down in the midst of the valley which valley: “The Valley it self . . . is as dark as pitch: we
was full of bones . . . and, lo, they were very also saw there Hobgoblins, Satyrs, and Dragons of
dry. And he said unto me, Son of man, can these the Pit: We heard also in that Valley a continual
bones live?” (Ezekiel 37:1–3). On God’s com- howling and yelling, as of a People under unutter-
mand through the prophet, the bones rise up and able misery; who there sat bound in affliction and
live again. (The episode is usually considered an Irons: and over that Valley hangs the discouraging
allegory of the restoration of Israel.) The valley cloud of confusion, death also doth always spread
of dry bones symbolizes a situation in which hope his wings over it: in a word, it is every wit dreadful,
is completely gone because of the irreversibility being utterly without Order.” Other writers have
of death. “As the dry bones shook and came generally accepted the gloomy nature of the valley.
together in that dreadful valley of Ezekiel’s, so “One would have thought Inverary had been the
now a philosophical theorem, cerebrally enter- Valley of the Shadow of Death, the inferior Chiefs
tained, began to stir and heave and throw off its showed such reluctance to approach it” (Sir Walter
gravecloths, and stood upright and became a liv- Scott, A Legend of Montrose, 1819).
ing presence” (C. S. Lewis, Surprised by Joy,
1955). vandal A person who deliberately defaces or oth-
erwise spoils property. The original Vandals were a
valley of Jehoshaphat ( jbhoshbfat) A location nomadic Teutonic people from central Europe
for the final judgment of the nations; any place (originally of Scandinavian origin) whose warlike
where a final reckoning shall be held. The valley behavior contributed to the final destruction of the
of Jehoshaphat is referred to in Joel 3:2, but Roman Empire in the fourth and fifth centuries
since the name Jehoshaphat is a play on words a.d. They overran Gaul, Spain, and North Africa
487
Vanderbilt

and sacked Rome in 455, causing widespread satirizes the follies of contemporary society. He
destruction to great works of art and buildings. feared that if his daughters were set loose in the world
The Vandals were especially notorious for looting they would soon fall prey to the temptations of Vanity Fair.
and laying waste the lands that fell into their hands.
“Though she did think that Uncle Tom had been vanity of vanities An act or belief that is consid-
worse than any vandal in that matter of selling her ered entirely futile. The word vanity today gener-
lover’s magnificent works, still she was ready to ally signifies personal pride or conceit, but in its
tell of his generosity” (Anthony Trollope, Ayala’s original biblical context the word suggested rather
Angel, 1881). the notions of meaninglessness, emptiness, futil-
ity, or idolatry. The word appears many times in
Vanderbilt (vanderbilt) A very wealthy person, the Bible, notably in Ecclesiastes 1:2: “Vanity of
a tycoon. Cornelius Vanderbilt (1794–1877) estab- vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is
lished his family’s fortune in the railroad and ship- vanity.” The phrase is sometimes rendered in
ping businesses. He went on to use much of his vast Latin as vanitas vanitatum or in another quota-
wealth for charitable purposes. You’d think he was a tion from the same verse as all is vanity. “Oh how
Vanderbilt the way he has been throwing his money vain it is, the vanity of vanities, to live in men’s
around. thoughts instead of God’s!” (Lytton Strachey, Emi-
nentVictorians, 1918).
van Gogh (van go) A talented artist, especially
one who is mentally anguished. Dutch artist Vin- Van Winkle, Rip See rip van winkle.
cent van Gogh (1853–90) suffered from depres-
sion that was intensified by lack of recognition as an veil of Isis See lift the veil of isis.
artist during his own lifetime, which ended with
his suicide at the age of 37. He has since been veil of the temple rent A revelation or a moment
hailed as a leader of the Postimpressionists and as of revelation. The image of a torn veil as a symbol
one of the world’s greatest artists of all time. His of revelation is biblical in origin, referring to the
paintings sell pretty well but let’s face it, he’s no van moment of Christ’s death on the cross, when
Gogh. “behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain
from the top to the bottom” (Matthew 27:51).
Vanity Fair A town or other place that is notable (See also Mark 15:38, Luke 23:45, and Hebrews
for corruption and vice, or the world of men, with 6:19–20, 9:6–9, and 10:19–20.) The veil in ques-
all its follies and lusts, generally. The phrase comes tion was the curtain in the Temple at Jerusalem
from pilgrim’s progress (1678, 1684) by John that separated the Holy Place from the holy of
Bunyan (1628–88), in which Vanity Fair is the holies (the innermost room of the tabernacle)
name given to a fair held in the town of Vanity, the (see Exodus 26:31). “The fact that the curtain pre-
attractions of which include all manner of vice and vented ordinary worshipers from entering the
sin. The phrase is best known today as the title of a ‘Most Holy Place’ came to be seen as pointing to
novel by William Makepeace Thackeray (1811– the much deeper separation between God and sin-
63), published 1847–48, in which he similarly ful humanity.The curtain thus came to be a symbol
488
 vesta

of the barrier placed between God and humanity saith the Lord, and I will repay it’ ” (Sir Walter
by human sinfulness. At the time of the crucifixion Scott, Kenilworth, 1821).
of Jesus Christ, the curtain of the temple was torn.
This dramatic event, noted in the Gospels, is seen veni, vidi, vici See i came, i saw, i conquered.
as a symbol of one of the chief benefits brought
about by the death of Jesus Christ: the barrier Venus (veenbs) The archetype of a feminine

between God and humanity caused by sin has been beauty. Venus was the Roman goddess of fertility
torn down, so that there is now free access for and love and the equivalent of the Greek Aphro-
believers to God on account of Christ’s death” dite. According to mythology she emerged from
(NIV Thematic Reference Bible, p. 1,099). Legend has the sea, variously from the foam of the waves or
out of a seashell. She was herself the mother of
it that the veil was spun by the virgin mary her-
Eros. In modern usage any woman described as a
self. The image of the torn veil was variously taken
Venus is considered exceptionally beautiful. Other
up, for example, at the time of the Reformation
derivatives of the name of Venus include the adjec-
(when it represented the abolition of the official
tive venereal, which variously refers to the gen-
priesthood), by Romantic poets (who used it as an
italia and related sexual matters, especially to sexually
image of the search for personal truth or liberty),
transmitted diseases. “The sleeping Faun that lay in
and by many other writers as a simple image of
the alcove by the doorway had its twin brother
spiritual, sexual, or other revelation. This last thun-
that slumbered, and the silver Venus that stood in
derous communication brought him understanding. At
the sunlight held out her arms to a Venus as lovely
last the veil of the temple was rent, and he comprehended
as herself ” (Oscar Wilde, A House of Pomegranates,
for the first time how he had been betrayed. 1891).

venereal See venus. Venus’s hair stone See thetis’s hair stone.

vengeance is mine My revenge over my enemy is vesta (vestb) A type of short match, found com-
complete. Generally quoted today by those who monly in the home since its introduction early in
are gloating over some victory against their rivals, the 20th century. The name is an allusion to Vesta,
the phrase comes from the Bible, although it was the Roman goddess of the hearth and the equiva-
originally meant to convey the desirability of leav- lent of the Greek Hestia, who was widely wor-
ing matters of retribution to divine providence. It shiped throughout the Roman Empire. Her sacred
appears in its original context in the form of a fire at the Temple of Vesta in the Forum at Rome
quotation of Paul writing to the Romans: “Dearly was kept burning by specially chosen maidens
beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give known as the vestal virgins. These attendants were
place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is trained from the age of 10 and were expected to
mine; I will repay, saith the Lord” (Romans 12:19, keep themselves pure; if they were found to have
quoting Deuteronomy 32:35). “ ‘Thank God, that been unfaithful they faced death or severe punish-
kept thine hand from blood-guiltiness, rash young ment. In modern usage any woman who is deemed
man!’ answered the curate. ‘Vengeance is mine, to place undue (or hypocritical) importance on her
489
via Dolorosa

own chastity is likely to be accused of acting like a Joseph Conrad’s Typhoon (1902), in which an
vestal virgin. The young man struck a vesta against the approaching storm is described as “something for-
rough wall and by its feeble light strained to see further midable and swift, like the sudden smashing of a
into the room. vial of wrath.”

via Dolorosa (veeb dolbrosb, veeb dolbrosa) A Vicar of Bray A person who changes his or her
painful or sorrowful experience; a period of suf- principles to suit the times. The allusion is to a
fering; any unfortunate series of events leading to song of the early 18th century that celebrated the
a melancholy conclusion. Literally translated memory of a 16th-century vicar of Bray in Berk-
from Latin as “sad road,” the original via Dolorosa shire who was notorious for changing his religious
was the route taken by Christ through Jerusalem stance, switching from Catholic to Protestant and
on his way to the Crucifixion after his condemna- vice versa as the times demanded in order to keep
tion by Pontius Pilate (Matthew 27:31–33, Mark his living through the various religious upheavals
15:20–22, Luke 23:26–33, and John 19:16–17). that took place under the Tudors: “And this is the
Although the site of Pilate’s judgment hall is not law, I will maintain, / Unto my dying day, Sir, /
known and the modern city plan bears little rela- That whatsoever King shall reign, / I will be the
tion to that of 2,000 years ago, tradition identifies Vicar of Bray, sir!” “When Margaret finally found-
a par ticular route as that taken by Christ on his ered, some hoped that he had gone down with the
way to Golgotha, complete with 14 stations of ship, but here he was as buoyant as the Vicar of
the cross marking the locations of certain events Bray” ( Julian Critchley, The Floating Voter, 1993).
that took place in the course of the procession.
“She was well aware that directly Mrs. Neale Victorian (viktoreebn) Stern, prudish, strait-
received her money she went round the corner to laced, old-fashioned. The Victorian period lasted
drink ardent spirits in a mean and musty public- from the coronation of Queen Victoria in London in
house—the unavoidable station on the Via Dolo- 1837 to her death in 1901. The period saw Britain
rosa of her life” ( Joseph Conrad, The Secret Agent, emerge as the world’s leading industrial and mili-
1907). tary power, with an empire that extended across the
globe. It also witnessed a significant rebellion against
vials of wrath Vengeance, especially on the the relatively lax moral standards of the preceding
wicked. The allusion is biblical, referring, in the period and a greater value being placed upon self-
vision of John in Revelation 15:7, to the vials reliance, restraint, and piety. Later generations
(bowls) “full of the wrath of God” that the seven came to view the Victorians, for all their other
angels will pour on the earth. With the emptying achievements, as smug, narrow-minded, and censo-
of the vials will come seven terrible plagues or rious. We all thought it was very Victorian of the vicar
other terrible afflictions (part of the Last Judg- when he refused to allow us to hold a fund-raising disco in
ment). The image usually appears nowadays in the the church hall.
phrase empty the vials of one’s wrath (signifying
to discharge one’s anger), although the phrase has Vietnam (veeetnahm, vyetnahm) The Vietnam
made many appearances in literature, including in War, or a situation that looks set to become a
490
 voice of many waters

disaster on a similar scale. The trauma of the Viet- derness of Judaea, and saying, Repent ye: for the
nam War (1965–73), which cost over 55,000 U.S. kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that
lives, is reflected in the fact that it is customarily was spoken of by the prophet Esaias [Isaiah], say-
referred to as “Vietnam,” without any further ing, The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
need for clarification. This remains true more than Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths
30 years after the war ended. In some respects this straight” (Matthew 3:1–3). (See also Mark 1:3,
constitutes a more accurate way of referring to Luke 3:4, and John 1:23.) The phrase is typically
the conflict, as a state of war was never actually applied to prophets whose words of warnings or
formally declared. The last thing the White House advice are generally ignored. She did her best to stop
wants in Iraq is another Vietnam. the committee from voting against the proposal, but hers
was a voice crying in the wilderness, and the suggestion
Village, the See greenwich village. was thrown out.

Vincent van Gogh See van gogh. voice from the whirlwind Through the workings
of nature God communicates to human beings. In
Virgin Mary Archetype of a virtuous, innocent Job 38:1 it is Job himself who hears the voice of
woman. As the virginal mother of Christ (see Mat- God in a whirlwind, rebuking him for his com-
thew 1:16–25 and Luke 1–2), Mary has special plaints about the sufferings he has experienced
significance for Christians, especially within the and subsequently offering him comfort. In mod-
Roman Catholic tradition. She stared back at them ern usage the phrase may refer to any message or
unblinking, the Virgin Mary herself, and it was almost moral that emerges out of a desperate situation.
impossible to believe she could be guilty of the charges Like a voice from the whirlwind, just when it seemed all
being laid at her feet. See also queen of heaven; hope was lost came the realization that if the submerged
rose without a thorn. car was full of water it should become much easier to
open the door and escape.
visit the cave of Trophonius See cave of tro-
phonius. voice in the wilderness See voice crying in the
wilderness.
Vladimir See waiting for godot.
voice of many waters A tremendous noise, spe-
Vlad the Impaler See dracula. cifically one considered equal to the crashing sound
of the sea. The phrase comes from Psalm 93:4,
voice crying in the wilderness A lone voice of which reads: “The LORD on high is mightier than
protest raised against prevailing opinion, typically the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty
one expressing views that meet with an indifferent waves of the sea.” It is also encountered as the noise
or openly hostile reception. The original voice in of many waters and as the sound of many waters.
the wilderness was that of john the baptist, who “I saw the mighty walls rushing asunder—there
preached about the coming of Christ: “In those was a long tumultuous shouting sound like the
days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wil- voice of a thousand waters—and the deep and
491
voice of the turtle is heard in the land, the

dank tarn at my feet closed suddenly and silently band of the beautiful but faithless Venus. Working at
over the fragments of the House of Usher” (Edgar his forge, Vulcan created the thunderbolts hurled by
Allan Poe, “The Fall of the House of Usher,” Zeus and the suit of armor worn by Achilles. He also
1839). modeled the first mortal woman, Pandora, from
clay. Other words that come from the name include
voice of the turtle is heard in the land, the A call vulcanist, a person who studies volcanoes, and vul-
to love; the coming of spring. The phrase comes canize, to improve the natural properties of rubber
from the biblical Song of Solomon 2:11–12, in by treating it with chemicals. “ ‘Pray be serious,’
which it refers to the call of the turtledove herald- remonstrated Neelie. ‘We are both sitting on a vol-
ing the coming of spring: “For, lo, the winter is past, cano’ ” (Wilkie Collins, Armadale, 1866).
the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on
the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, Voltaire (voltair) A preeminent man of letters.
and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land.” The allusion is to the French philosopher, writer,
“But he did; he told us at prayers in the Pilgrims’ and poet Voltaire, the pseudonym under which
tent, last night, and he seemed as if he was reading François-Marie Arouet (1694–1778) published his
it out of the Bible, too, about this country flowing many admired plays, essays, and other writings. A
with milk and honey, and about the voice of the leading figure of the enlightenment, who freely
turtle being heard in the land” (Mark Twain, The criticized the faults of contemporary society, he
Innocents Abroad, 1869). set a high intellectual standard to which many
later writers and thinkers have aspired. Voltaire is
volcano A mountain or other opening in the said to have arrived at his pseudonym through an
Earth’s crust from which fire and molten matter anagram of his real name, in the form Arouet l(e)
issue periodically; any potentially explosive situa- j(eune) (“Arouet the younger”), with v for u and i
tion. The word has its roots in the name of Vulcan, for j, although another theory suggests it was
the Roman god of fire and metalworking and the derived from Veauterre (“valley land”), the name of
equivalent of the Greek Hephaestus. Although an estate he bought near Asnières-sur-Oise. It may
made lame by an injury resulting from his being not be too much of an exaggeration to call him America’s
thrown from heaven by his father, Jupiter, for tak- Voltaire.
ing his mother Juno’s side in a quarrel, and described
as very ugly in appearance, Vulcan became the hus- Vronsky, Count See anna karenina.

492
åååååW å
Wackford Squeers See dotheboys hall. Wagnerian (vargnereebn) In a manner reminis-
cent of the musical works of the German com-
Wacky Races A chaotic car race or other disorga- poser Richard Wagner (1813–83).Wagner’s operas
nized scramble of some kind. The allusion is to a are well known for their grandiose and melodra-
popular long-running children’s cartoon series of matic nature as well as for their epic length, hence
the same title first broadcast in 1969–70. Featur- the application of the term Wagnerian to anything
ing such outlandish characters as dick dastardly, that seems overlong or larger-than-life. The project
Penelope Pitstop and the Slag Brothers, it was was Wagnerian both in its scope and its duration.
loosely based on a 1965 movie starring Jack Lem-
mon and Tony Curtis, The Great Race. “Roger, how- wag the dog syndrome The strategy of doing
ever, had a few tricks of his own to counter with something to distract attention from something
and a long hot summer season in Yarmouth was else. The allusion is to the 1997 movie Wag the Dog,
turned into ‘The Wacky Races’ ” (Marti Caine, A in which a U.S. president sanctions war with Alba-
Coward’s Chronicles, 1990). nia in order to divert the attention of the press
from a sex scandal. The ultimate source for the
wages of sin Suffering of some kind as a punish- name of the syndrome is presumably the expression
ment for the sins that a person may have commit- “the tail wags the dog,” which refers to a situation
ted. The phrase comes from Romans 6:23, in that is dominated by a relatively unimportant ele-
which Paul writes, “The wages of sin is death; but ment. Call me an old cynic, but this looks to me like a
the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ prime example of wag the dog syndrome.
our Lord.” In modern usage the suffering or pun-
ishment under consideration may be no more than wailing wall A place where people gather to
a slight sense of guilt. “ ‘The wages of sin,Watson— lament their woes. The allusion is to the Wailing
the wages of sin!’ said he. ‘Sooner or later it will Wall (also called the Western Wall ) in Jerusalem, sup-
always come. God knows, there was sin enough,’ posedly the only part of Herod’s Temple left intact
he added, taking up a brown volume from the after the building was destroyed by the Romans in
table” (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, A Study in Scarlet, a.d. 70 and thus the focus for lamentations over the
1887). fall of Israel. This holy site is revered by Jews, who
493
waiting for Godot

flock to pray there and to slip pieces of paper bear- over the water of the Sea of Galilee. Over the years
ing prayers and requests between the stones. The his performances on the soccer field won him countless
paper has an agony column that acts as a sort of wailing fans, many of whom believed he could walk on water if he
wall for those people working in the industry who feel they chose to.
have been short-changed by their employers.
walk with God See enoch.
waiting for Godot (godo) Waiting at length for
something to happen, especially something that is walls have ears Say nothing, as it is all too easy to
unlikely ever to take place. The allusion is to Sam- be overheard. Though probably much older, the
uel Beckett’s celebrated play Waiting for Godot expression is most familiar as a slogan of World
(1952), in which two tramps, named Vladimir and War II warning people to be guarded in their con-
Estragon, wait for someone called Godot, who versation lest they let slip information that could
never comes. An eloquent comment upon the futil- be useful to enemy agents. I would tell you every-
ity of existence, the play confounded and fascinated thing here and now, but walls have ears.
contemporary critics and audiences and has since
exercised a profound influence upon world drama. walls of Jericho (jeriko) A seemingly invincible
Beckett himself denied that Godot was God. “It was obstacle that is miraculously overcome without a
an appealing image, and an appealing movement for blow being struck. The reference is to the biblical
radicals hunting their red snark, and tired of wait- episode of the fall of the city of Jericho before the
ing for Godot” (Nigel Fountain, Underground: The Israelites. Joshua 6:1–20 describes how Joshua and
London Alternative Press, 1988). his forces, bearing the Ark of the Covenant, sur-
rounded Jericho for six days. On the seventh day
Walden (woldbn) An idyllic rural retreat. The they awaited a signal from their leader “when the
allusion is to the book Walden; or, Life in the Woods people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the
(1854) by U.S. writer Henry David Thoreau (1817– people shouted with a great shout, that the wall
62), in which the author describes two years he fell down flat, so that the people went up into the
spent living in seclusion in a cabin in the woods on city, every man straight before him, and they took
Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts, seeking to the city.” Like the walls of Jericho, the board’s objections
escape the complications of the modern urban world against the proposal collapsed as soon as promises of
and to regain contact with nature. After ten years in substantial compensation were received.
the big city, he longed for a Walden to escape to and
bought a lonely cottage a couple of hours out of town. Wall Street The financial center of the United
States. The allusion is to the street in lower Man-
walk on water To achieve the apparently impos- hattan in New York where the Stock Exchange
sible and emerge unscathed. The allusion is to the and other banking and insurance concerns have
biblical episode (related in Mark 6:45–56 and Mat- their headquarters. The term is now commonly
thew 14:22–33) describing how Christ rescued his used fairly loosely to refer to the U.S. stock market
disciples during a storm by walking to their boat and big business in general. The wall in the street’s

494
 war in heaven

name was a wooden structure built by Dutch set- place. The reference is to a medieval legend which
tlers in the 17th century to defend New York from identifies the Wandering Jew as a Jew who taunted
attack by the English. The term often occurs in Christ on his way to be crucified, or refused to let
connection with the infamous Wall Street Crash him rest at his door; for this sin he was cursed to
of 1929, when a collapse in share prices triggered wander the world restlessly until the Day of Judg-
the great depression. Several Wall Street analysts ment. In some versions of the legend he is
believe a global recession may be just around the corner. described as a cobbler and given the name Ahasu-
erus. Various reports of sightings of the Wandering
Walt Disney See disneyfication; disneyland. Jew have been made over the centuries, most
recently in Salt Lake City in 1868. “And Carl,
Walter Mitty (mitee) A daydreamer who escapes pointing the bow of his fiddle at me, ‘Here comes
reality by whiling away the time imagining himself our wandering Jew, my other little brother, Izzy-
or herself in different roles. The allusion is to a Jack’ ” ( Jack Caplan, Memories of the Gorbals, 1991).
short story called “The Secret Life of Walter
Mitty” (1939) by U.S. humorist James Thurber wander in the wilderness To languish as an out-
(1894–1961), which describes how a henpecked cast while out of office, in exile, or otherwise out of
husband called Walter Mitty finds relief in his fan- favor. The phrase, typically used in the context of
tasies. The story was filmed in 1947 with Danny party politics, is biblical in origin. It appears several
Kaye in the central role. “Many men basically have times but is best known in reference to the period
a Walter Mitty attitude to housework” (V. Donald, the Israelites spent wandering in the wilderness
C. Orton, C. Dudley, and S. Ward, What Every after their flight from Egypt under the leadership of
Woman Should Know About Retirement, 1987). See Moses. Moses is quoted in Numbers 14:33 warning
also billy liar. his people that it will be many years before their
exile comes to an end: “Your children shall wander
Waltons, the (woltbnz) Stereotype of a large, in the wilderness forty years.” After his expulsion from
loving family living in the impoverished American the party he spent nearly a decade wandering in the wil-
Midwest during the depression. The Waltons, with derness, quite unable to reclaim his position in the politi-
their clean-living all-American values, first cal limelight.
appeared in a semiautobiographical novel and film
(1963) written by Earl Hamner Jr. but are perhaps war in heaven Conflict or disagreement at the
best remembered today as the stars of an highest level of an organization, company, or other
immensely popular, if saccharine-sweet, television institution or group. The allusion is to Revelation
series (1972–81). With all those mutual congratula- 12:7–9, which describes John’s vision of a battle
tions and teary-eyed expressions of affection going on fought between the angels and Satan: “And there
it was like a particularly mushy episode of The Waltons. was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought
against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his
Wandering Jew A person who changes address angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place
frequently and never seems to settle long in one found any more in heaven.” Shortly after, rumors

495
War of Jenkins's Ear

began to spread that those controlling the project had hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent
had a falling-out and war had broken out in heaven. of the blood of this just person: see ye to it” (Mat-
thew 27: 24). Following his dismissal as manager of the
War of Jenkins’s Ear See jenkins’s ear, war of. team he washed his hands of them and refused to accept
any responsibility for any further disappointments in the
war to end all wars, the World War I. This expres- competition.
sion was first adopted while the war was still con-
tinuing, presumably in a halfhearted attempt to watch and pray Be alert and put your trust in
make the slaughter seem more justified. It may God. The expression is biblical in origin, occur-
have been suggested originally by an H. G. Wells ring in Matthew 26:41 and Mark 14:38 (where
book entitled The War That Will End War (1914), Christ is speaking to his disciples at Gethsemane).
but was soon shown to be a hollow sentiment with “I shall expect your clear decision when I return
the outbreak of World War II, among other con- this day fortnight. Meantime, watch and pray that
flicts. “Tolkien himself fought in ‘the war to end you enter not into temptation: the spirit, I trust, is
all wars,’ but saw his sons fighting in the one after willing, but the flesh, I see, is weak. I shall pray for
that” (T. A. Shippey, The Road to Middle-Earth, 1982). you hourly” (Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre, 1847).

washed in the blood of the lamb Redeemed by Watergate (wahtergayt) The political scandal
faith or otherwise purified. The phrase comes that shook the United States in the 1970s and
from Revelation 7:14, which describes a host of resulted in the resignation of President Richard
people in white robes before the throne of God: Nixon and the besmirching of the U.S. political
“. . . they which came out of great tribulation, and establishment as a whole. Watergate was actually
have washed their robes, and made them white in the name of an apartment complex in Washington,
the blood of the Lamb.” “Make them clean, oh D.C., which was the scene of a break-in that led to
God; wash away their offences in the blood of the the uncovering of official attempts to conceal a
Lamb; and when their spirits pass, oh receive Thou high-level conspiracy in which Nixon himself
them into the heaven of the just” (H. Rider Hag- was implicated. Ever since then the term Water-
gard, Allan Quatermain, 1887). gate has been synonymous with political corrup-
tion. “Many teachers know of their own cover-up
wash one’s hands of To refuse to accept guilt for operations, and fear lest a personal Watergate
some misdeed or to involve oneself further in a scandal be revealed” (Guy Claxton, Being a Teacher,
dubious or apparently ill-fated enterprise. The 1989). See also all the president’s men; deep
expression alludes to the episode in Matthew in throat; -gate; smoking gun.
which pontius pilate washes his hands to empha-
size his refusal to accept any responsibility for cru- water into wine The miraculous transformation
cifying Christ after the mob has rejected his offer of something ordinary into something much more
of a pardon in favor of Barabbas: “When Pilate saw valuable. The allusion is to the biblical episode
that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a describing the marriage in Cana, during which
tumult was made, he took water, and washed his Christ turned water into wine for the guests at a
496
 way of transgressors, the

marriage feast ( John 2:1–11). The play went down the post-Civil War era when Republicans meta-
well enough, but the critics were generally agreed that phorically waved the bloody shirt to remind vot-
you can’t turn water into wine. ers that in their opinion the Democratic Party was
to blame for causing the war and the bloodshed
Waterloo (wahterloo) A final, climactic defeat, that had ensued. When he changed the subject to argue
especially one from which there is no hope of that the current administration had the blood of U.S.
recovery. The allusion is to the Battle of Waterloo casualties in Iraq on its hands he was accused of waving
fought between the French armies of napoleon the bloody shirt.
and those of Britain and her allies under the com-
mand of the duke of Wellington on June 18, 1815 way it is, and that’s the See and that’s the way
near the village of Waterloo in Belgium. Napo- it is.
leon’s comprehensive defeat ended his reign once
and for all and resulted in his permanent exile to Wayne, Bruce See batman and robin.
the remote island of saint helena. Ever since
then those who are seen to suffer a serious defeat Wayne, John See john wayne.
may be said to meet their Waterloo. As far as his
future in competitive athletics was concerned, this was way of all flesh See go the way of all flesh.
his Waterloo.
way of a man with a maid, the The mysterious
waters of Babylon See by the rivers of nature of relationships between the sexes. This ref-
babylon. erence to the mystery of sexual attraction is of
biblical origin, appearing at Proverbs 30:18–19:
water, water everywhere and not a drop to “There be three things which are too wonderful
drink Though something may appear to be in for me, yea, four which I know not: The way of an
plentiful supply, it is not actually in a form that is eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock;
of any use. The allusion is to the poem “The Rime the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the
of the Ancient Mariner” (1798) by the English way of a man with a maid.” What on earth she saw in
poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772–1834), which him I shall never know, but I suppose that’s the mystery of
includes the lines: “Water, water everywhere, / And the way of a man with a maid.
all the boards did shrink; / Water, water every-
where / Nor any drop to drink.” The flooding con- way of transgressors, the The troubled, difficult
taminated the water supply, prompting residents to lives of those who refuse to live by the law. The
lament that there was water, water everywhere and not a expression comes from Proverbs 13:15: “Good
drop to drink. understanding giveth favour: but the way of trans-
gressors is hard.” “It is not enough to tell me that
Watson, Doctor See doctor watson. you worked hard to get your gold. So does the
Devil work hard. The way of transgressors may be
waving the bloody shirt Rousing popular feeling; hard in many respects” (Henry David Thoreau, Life
fomenting unrest or rebellion. The allusion is to Without Principle, 1863).
497
weaker vessel

weaker vessel Womankind; “a person less able weaver’s shuttle Something that goes very quickly,
to withstand physical or mental strain, tempta- especially life. The phrase comes from Job’s consid-
tion or exploitation, than others” (Oxford Dic- eration of his own death: “My flesh is clothed with
tionary of Current Idiomatic English, vol. 2, p. 579). worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and
The phrase comes from 1 Peter 3:7: “Likewise, become loathsome. My days are swifter than a
ye husbands, dwell with them according to weaver’s shuttle, and are spent without hope” ( Job
knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto 7:5–6). “She slid the length of the room; her tender
the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of shoulders swayed; her feet were deft as a weaver’s
the grace of life; that your prayers be not hin- shuttle; she laughed, and enticed Babbitt to dance
dered.” The phrase is sometimes applied to peo- with her” (Sinclair Lewis, Babbitt, 1922).
ple of either sex who are considered less capable
than others but is generally avoided in contem- web of Penelope See penelope.
porary usage as misogynistic and offensive to
wedding in Cana See water into wine.
women. “ ‘I’ll give up smoking to please you, if
you will give up something to please me,’ said
Wednesday The fourth day of the week. It was
Prince, seeing a good chance to lord it over the
originally called Woden’s Day, Woden being the
weaker vessel at small cost to himself ” (Louisa
Old English rendering of odin, the ruler of the
May Alcott, Eight Cousins, 1875).
gods and the god of wisdom, war, and culture in
Norse mythology. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning
wealth makes many friends The rich are never
of Lent.
short of friends attracted by their wealth. The
proverb is of biblical origin, appearing at Proverbs week is a long time in politics, a Situations can
19:4 in the form “Wealth maketh many friends; change very quickly in the world of politics. This
but the poor is separated from his neighbour.” She observation is usually credited to British prime
was a great believer in the old saw that wealth makes minister Harold Wilson (1916–95) speaking to
many friends and had no doubt that as soon as her son lobby correspondents after the 1964 general elec-
had snared a rich wife, they would be surrounded perma- tion. It is generally assumed to mean that political
nently by admirers. circumstances change very rapidly, although Wil-
son himself insisted that what he had in mind was
weariness of flesh See of making many books. that politics should be judged on a longer timescale.
No one expected the home secretary to ride the storm, but
wear the sandals of Theramenes (therambneez) a week is a long time in politics.
To change one’s views according to the prevailing
fashion. Theramenes (died c. 404 b.c.) was a weeping and gnashing of teeth The expression of
Greek aristocrat who was notorious for his vacil- extreme frustration, grief, or regret. The phrase
lating opinions and loyalties. The vice president was comes from the biblical episode in which Christ
accused of wearing the sandals of Theramenes, altering foresees the Day of Judgment and describes the
his standpoint for electoral gain. severe punishment of those who reject him:
498
 we wuz robbed

“. . . but the children of the kingdom shall be cast the line is spoken by Dorothy shortly after she
out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and finds herself transported by a twister from her
gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 8:12). (See also Mat- native Kansas to the fantastical land of Oz: “Toto,
thew 22:13, 24:51, and 25:30 and Luke 13:28.) I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.”
“There was weeping and wailing and gnashing of Looking at all the weird people round here, we’re clearly
teeth in the camp of the outsiders now” (Mark not in Kansas anymore. See also friend of dorothy;
Twain, Life on the Mississippi, 1883). wizard of oz.

we few, we happy few A band of confederates. we shall fight them on the beaches We shall do
The phrase comes from William Shakespeare’s whatever is necessary to achieve victory. This
play Henry V (1598), specifically from a famous expression of stalwart resistance to enemy invasion
speech in which the young King Henry exhorts is a quotation from one of the most celebrated
his exhausted army to defeat the much larger speeches delivered by British prime minister Win-
French army at the imminent Battle of Agincourt: ston Churchill (1874–1965) during the course of
“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers . . . World War II, forming part of a speech delivered
And gentlemen in England now a-bed / Shall to the House of Commons on June 4, 1940, fol-
think themselves accurs’d they were not here, / lowing the evacuation of British soldiers from
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any Dunkirk: “We shall fight in France, we shall fight on
speaks / That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s the sea and oceans, we shall fight with growing
day.” We few, we happy few who have been assigned to confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall
the night shift. defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we
shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the
weighed in the balances and found wanting See landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in
writing on the wall. the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never
surrender.” “We shall fight them on the beaches,” his
well done, good and faithful servant A compli- father murmured as he saw the massed ranks of his in-
ment to someone on a job well done (sometimes laws bearing down on them. See also churchillian.
intended ironically).The phrase is a quotation from
Matthew 25:14–30, in which Christ relates the West, Mae See mae west.
parable of the talents. The general made an
attempt to wipe the soup off his sleeve, then gazed wea- we wuz robbed We were cheated of victory. This
rily at the waiter as if to say “well done, good and faith- familiar expression of indignation at defeat is
ful servant.” actually a quotation dating back to June 21, 1932,
when it was famously shouted into the micro-
Weller, Sam See sam weller. phone by U.S. boxing manager Joe Jacobs after his
boxer, German heavyweight champion Max
we’re not in Kansas anymore We are entering Schmeling, had been defeated on points by Jack
unfamiliar, menacing territory. This is a quotation Sharkey. Say what you like about the game, but I reckon
from the 1939 movie The Wizard Of Oz, in which we wuz robbed.
499
whammy

whammy See double whammy. 18:37–38 as Pontius Pilate’s reply to the follow-
ing assertion by Christ: “To this end was I born,
What hath God wrought! What great things God and for this cause came I into the world, that I
has done! The sentiment comes from Numbers should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that
23:23 and is remembered today chiefly through its is of the truth heareth my voice. Pilate saith unto
being chosen as the first message to be transmitted him, What is truth?” “ ‘The whole truth?’ Miss
by telegraphy on May 28, 1844. A suggestion that Bart laughed. ‘What is truth? Where a woman is
trips to the Grand Canyon should be publicized under concerned, it’s the story that’s easiest to believe’ ”
the slogan “What hath God wrought!” was not taken seri- (Edith Wharton, The House of Mirth, 1905).
ously by most present at the meeting.
whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap
What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole See reap what you sow.
world? Material wealth and power is ultimately
of no consequence. The sentiment was voiced by whatsoever thy hand findeth to do One should
Christ in Matthew 16:26 and Mark 8:36, in which dedicate oneself fully to the task in hand or to
he compares transient earthly riches with a per- one’s work in general. The expression comes from
son’s immortal soul: “For what is a man profited, if Ecclesiastes 9:10: “Whatsoever thy hand findeth
he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own to do, do it with thy might, for there is no work,
soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the
soul?” “Only last Sunday dear Mr. Scoles had been grave, whither thou goest.” The old cleric rolled up
so witty in his sermon, so sarcastic: ‘For what,’ he his sleeves and beamed at them both. “Whatsoever thy
had said, ‘shall it profit a man if he gain his own hand findeth to do,” he said, with a shrug.
soul, but lose all his property?’ ” ( John Galswor-
thy, The Forsyte Saga, 1922). wheat and tares See parable of the wheat and
tares.
What is man? A reminder that human beings are
but one element in the order of things. According wheel of fortune Fortune; fate. fortuna was the
to Psalm 8:4–5 human beings rank below God and Roman goddess of fortune, who was variously
a little lower than the angels but above the beasts: prayed to, thanked, or blamed for the fickle work-
“What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the ings of fate. She was conventionally depicted with a
son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast wheel in her hand, a symbol of inconstancy. Humans
made him a little lower than the angels, and hast were often represented bound to the wheel and ris-
crowned him with glory and honour.” “What is man ing or falling as Fortune turned it. “Fortune good
but a mass of thawing clay? The ball of the human night; / Smile once more; turn thy wheel” (William
finger is but a drop congealed” (Henry David Tho- Shakespeare, King Lear, 1607).
reau, Walden, 1854).
wheels within wheels A complicated and inter-
What is truth? What value does the truth have? connected arrangement of forces or circumstances
This cynical observation is recorded in John that typically exerts an obscure or surreptitious
500
 where there's no vision, the people perish

influence upon events. The allusion is to Ezekiel Bremner was always in the thick of disputes and
1:16, in which Ezekiel describes his vision: “The played according to the old motto, when the going
appearance of the wheels and their work was like gets tough, the tough get going” (Stuart Cosgrove,
unto the colour of a beryl: and they four had one Hampden Babylon, 1991).
likeness: and their appearance and their work was
as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel.” “Ger- where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt See
trude, truth is a very complex thing, and politics is lay not up treasures upon earth.
a very complex business. There are wheels within
wheels. One may be under certain obligations to where’s the beef? Where is the substance in what
people that one must pay” (Oscar Wilde, An Ideal is being claimed? This expression was widely heard
Husband, 1895). in the 1980s when it was used by Democratic pres-
idential nominee Walter Mondale to question poli-
when in Rome, do as the Romans do One should cies put forward by his rival Gary Hart. Mondale in
conform to the manners, customs, and way of turn had borrowed it from an advertising campaign
life practiced in one’s surroundings. This piece of launched in 1984 by the Wendy International ham-
proverbial advice is generally credited to Saint burger chain, which featured an elderly lady thus
Ambrose and appears in the text of his Advice to criticizing the inadequate amount of meat in a rival
Saint Augustine, written in a.d. 387. The legend company’s products. That all sounds very well, but
goes that this was the reply Ambrose gave when where’s the beef ?
approached by Augustine (in correspondence
from Milan) on the question of whether he should where the carcass is, there will the eagles be gath-
fast on Saturday, as they did in Rome, or ignore ered People tend to gather where they see an
this custom, as they did in Milan. This sage saying opportunity to obtain some benefit for them-
is often clipped to when in Rome. Equivalents in selves. The proverb comes from Matthew 24:28:
other cultures include the advice “Never wear a “For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the
brown hat in Friesland.” I don’t like kissing total eagles be gathered together.” Sometimes the phrase
strangers, but in this country it’s considered impolite not is encountered with vultures instead of eagles.The
to, and when in Rome we must do as the Romans do. press had already learned the news and descended upon
the house, confirming that “where the carcass is, there
when the going gets tough, the tough get going will the eagles be gathered.”
Some people only produce their best efforts when
circumstances are at their most testing. This where there’s no vision, the people perish People
became well known as a favorite slogan of Joseph cannot exist without having hopes and dreams to
P. Kennedy (1888–1969), father of U.S. president aim for. This is a quotation from Proverbs 29:18:
John F. Kennedy, although it has also been credited “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but
to American football coach Knute Rockne (1888– he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” Now that their
1931). It enjoyed a new lease of life as a publicity last hope of rescue had disappeared, many gave up the
line for the 1985 movie The Jewel of the Nile. struggle to go on, for where there’s no vision, the people
“Although he never grew much above 5 ft 5 ins, perish.
501
where two or three are gathered together

where two or three are gathered together Wher- Whistler’s Mother A severe-looking woman.
ever people meet in small groups. The phrase is The allusion is to the painting Arrangement in Grey
biblical in origin, coming from Matthew 18:20, in and Black, No. 1: The Artist’s Mother (1871–72) by
which Christ reassures his followers that wherever the U.S. artist James McNeill Whistler (1834–
they meet, he himself will be with them: “For 1903). The model for the painting was Whistler’s
where two or three are gathered together in my own mother, though his main preoccupation was
name, there am I in the midst of them.” The expres- the use of color and the arrangement of shapes
sion is particularly associated with religious gather- within the painting rather than the subject itself.
ings but is sometimes used in a more general sense The story goes that his mother offered to help
for small gatherings of any kind. “Very singular to after the artist’s regular sitter did not turn up;
look into it: how a kind of order rises up in all con- also, that Whistler originally intended to have his
ditions of human existence; and wherever two or model standing, but allowed his mother to be
three are gathered together, there are formed seated as she found standing for long periods
modes of existing together, habitudes, observances, uncomfortable. She had absolutely no sense of humor
nay gracefulnesses, joys!” (Thomas Carlyle, History and sat through the whole show poker-faced, like
of the French Revolution, 1837). Whistler’s Mother.

whiff of grapeshot A taste of battle or a show of white as snow See sins be as scarlet.
force. The expression is particularly associated with
the outbreak of the French Revolution in 1795 whited sepulchre (sepblker) Someone or some-
and Thomas Carlyle’s description of how the thing that appears dignified and perfect from the
young napoleon successfully suppressed a mob outside but is actually corrupt within. The image is
of his opponents on the streets of Paris. Napoleon biblical in origin, coming from Matthew 23:27, in
was an artillery officer by training and packed his which Christ likens the Pharisees to the white-
cannon with grapeshot, which comprised masses washed tombs (made of stone or otherwise set in
of cast-iron balls that spray outward when fired. caves) of the dead: “Woe unto you, scribes and
It’s funny how a whiff of grapeshot can make a man Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited
change his mind about things. sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful out-
ward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and
whip the offending Adam To punish someone for of all uncleanness.” In the time of Christ, Jewish
his or her sins in order to improve the future char- tombs were usually painted white in order to dis-
acter. The reference is to Adam as the first man to courage the living from accidentally touching and
disobey God and to fall into sin (Genesis 3). The thus defiling them. “Surely it is high time that the
use of Adam’s name as a synonym for sin is also whited sepulchre of the BBC is acquainted with
encountered in the expression the old Adam, the reality that licence fees can be withheld” (Daily
describing sin in general terms. “Consideration, Telegraph, September 17, 2001).
like an angel, came / And whipped the offending
Adam out of him” (William Shakespeare, Henry V, Whitehall The British government. Whitehall is
1599). the name of a busy London road close to the
502
 whom God hath joined together let no man put asunder

Houses of Parliament and the location of many whither thou goest, I will go Expression of com-
government and civil ser vice offices. It takes its plete devotion by a committed follower. The saying
name from a royal palace (originally a mansion is of biblical origin, spoken by ruth when promis-
called York Place, belonging to Cardinal Wolsey), ing to accompany her mother-in-law, Naomi, to
which was called White Hall by Henry VIII. It was Bethlehem: “Intreat me not to leave thee, or to
largely destroyed in 1698 in a fire that left only the return from following after thee: for whither thou
Banqueting Hall standing. No one is sure what White- goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will
hall will make of this latest development. lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God
my God.Where thou diest, will I die, and there will
white man’s burden The supposed duty of the I be buried” (Ruth 1:16–17). “ ‘I fear, my lord,’ the
white races to govern and educate other, more girl answered timidly. ‘Then give me the basket.’
“backward,” races of the world. A notion that ‘Nay, my lord, whither thou goest there I go also’ ”
harks back to the days of the British Empire, (H. Rider Haggard, King Solomon’s Mines, 1886).
when many less-developed countries came under
British colonial rule, the concept was perhaps who dares wins Those who are prepared to take
best expressed by Rudyard Kipling in his poem risks are the most likely to succeed. Famous as the
“The White Man’s Burden” (1899): “Take up the motto of Britain’s SAS (Special Air Ser vice), an
White Man’s Burden—/ Send forth the best ye elite commando unit, since 1942, it was originally
breed—/ Go bind your sons to exile / To serve the motto of Brigadier Robert Yerburgh, Lord
your captives’ need.” It is now viewed as a redun- Alvingham (1889–1955). It was a dangerous mission,
dant relic of the imperial past. No one talks about with no certainty of success, but who dares wins.
the white man’s burden anymore, though many third
world countries continue to operate under the shadow whole duty of man Religious faith or something
of the rich West. else considered as a person’s essential duty in life.
The phrase comes from Ecclesiastes 12:13: “Let us
white smoke A sign that an important decision hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God,
has finally been reached. The allusion is to the vot- and keep his commandments: for this is the whole
ing practices at the Vatican when the ballots are duty of man.” “. . . to buy it for as little as he could
collected to elect a new pope. At the end of each possibly give, and sell it for as much as he could
round of voting among the cardinals the ballots possibly get; it having been clearly ascertained by
themselves are burned together with an added philosophers that in this is comprised the whole
chemical (originally wet straw), producing black duty of man—not a part of man’s duty, but the
smoke and thus advising the crowds outside the whole” (Charles Dickens, Hard Times, 1854).
Vatican that no decision has yet been made. When
agreement is finally reached white smoke is whom God hath joined together let no man put
released from the chimney by burning the ballots asunder No one should come between husband
alone. There is no sign yet of white smoke from Camp and wife. This now-formulaic phrase from the
David to tell the world that the rift between the parties marriage ser vice (“The Form of Solemnization of
has been healed. Matrimony” of the Book of Common Prayer) warns
503
Whore of Babylon

third parties not to separate a married couple. The worship includes ritual prostitution). For some years
phrase is a quotation from Matthew 19:6 and Mark the senator’s loyalty had been suspect, but this was the
10:9, appearing as Christ’s response to questions first time he had been openly accused of whoring after
put to him about divorce. It is sometimes quoted other gods.
(often facetiously) in other contexts when separa-
tion threatens two people or things that should not whosoever hath, to him shall be given Those who
be parted. “ ‘The Church don’t recognize divorce in already have something are sometimes rewarded
her dogma, strictly speaking,’ he says: ‘and bear in with more before those who have nothing. This
mind the words of the ser vice in your goings out saying of Christ is recorded in Matthew 13:11–12
and your comings in: What God hath joined when explaining why he used parables: “Because it
together let no man put asunder’ ” (Thomas Hardy, is given unto you to know the mysteries of the
Jude the Obscure, 1895). kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he
Whore of Babylon (babilon) A personification shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath
of corruption and sexual depravity. The allusion is not, from him shall be taken away even that he
to Revelation 17:1–7, which describes a whore hath” (Matthew 13:11–12). (See also Matthew
mounted upon a scarlet beast with seven heads 25:29, Mark 4:25, and Luke 8:18 and 19:26.) The
and 10 horns and with the words “Mystery, Baby- tax cuts for the wealthy is a straightforward case of
lon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and Abomina- “whosoever hath, to him shall be given.”
tions of the Earth” written on her forehead: “The
woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, whosoever will save his life shall lose it Those
and decked with gold and precious stones and who are preoccupied only with their own interests
pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of will in the long run be disappointed. The expres-
abominations and filthiness of her fornication.” In sion appears in Matthew 16:24–25, as well as in
its biblical context the Whore of Babylon was a Mark 8:35 and Luke 9:24 and 17:33, where Christ
metaphor for Rome, pictured as the embodiment tells his disciples: “If any man will come after me,
of corrupt earthly power. The Puritans later let him deny himself, and take up his cross and fol-
adopted the name as an insulting epithet for the low me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose
Roman Catholic Church, and eventually it came to it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake
be used more generally. It also appears as the Scar- shall find it.” Their action could be judged foolhardy in
let Whore of Babylon. “I’d marry the W—of the extreme, but then again, whosoever will save his life
Babylon rather than do anything dishonourable!” shall lose it.
(Thomas Hardy, Jude the Obscure, 1895).
Wicked Witch of the West A woman who is
whoring after other gods Abandoning one’s pre- deemed to behave in a wicked manner. The
vious loyalties in favor of a new master. The Wicked Witch of the West is the evil witch who
expression comes from Judges 2:17, which refers seeks to rob Dorothy of her precious ruby slip-
to the lapse of the Israelites when they abandon pers in L. Frank Baum’s book The Wizard of Oz
God to worship pagan Canaanite gods (whose (1900), filmed in 1939. She dissolves, however,
504
 wild geese

when Dorothy throws a bucket of water over her. wife, Potiphar’s See potiphar’s wife.
He had never got on with his mother-in-law, whom he
referred to as the Wicked Witch of the West. See also Wild Bill Hickok See dead man’s hand.
friend of dorothy; wizard of oz.
Wild Bunch An unruly group of people. The
widow’s cruse (krooz) A small but apparently original Wild Bunch was a gang of outlaws who
never-ending supply of something. The allusion is spread terror throughout the Old West under the
to a biblical episode describing how Elijah sought leadership of Butch Cassidy (see butch cassidy
help from a widow of Zarephath during a time of and the sundance kid) in the 1890s. They
drought and famine. Elijah had been relying on the robbed banks and trains until around 1902, by
water of the brook Cherith and on food brought which time most of the various gang members had
to him night and morning by ravens as sources of been killed or imprisoned. Their escapades were
sustenance. But when the brook dried up God brought to the big screen in the classic Western
instructed him to seek out the widow, even though movie The Wild Bunch (1969). “The wild bunch
she had only “an handful of meal in a barrel and a were giggling helplessly as I was escorted, proud
little oil in a cruse” to offer him. In reward for this and unprotesting, to the exit” (Ian Breakwell, See-
generosity, Elijah promised her that “The barrel of ing in the Dark, 1990).
meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil
fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon wilderness, voice crying in the
See voice crying
the earth” (1 Kings 17:12–14). Like the widow’s cruse in the wilderness; wander in the wilderness.
of biblical fame, it seemed that the young hoodlum’s sup-
ply of feeble jokes knew no end. wild geese Mercenary soldiers. The term was
originally applied to the Irish Jacobites who fought
widow’s mite A small offering from someone in mainland Europe after the deposition of the
who can ill-afford it. The allusion is to an episode Catholic James II in 1689, getting involved in vari-
described in Mark 12 and Luke 21, in which Christ ous conflicts—though it is by no means clear that
favorably compares the tiny amount of money paid the term was thus employed at the time. The earli-
into the treasury by a poor widow with the larger est application of it to such soldiering appears to
amounts given by those who are better off: “. . . this date only from 1845 and Michael Barry’s poem
poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which “Spirit of the Nation”: “The wild geese, the wild
have cast into the treasury: for all they did cast in of geese, ’tis long since they flew, / O’er the billowy
their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all ocean’s bright bosom of blue.” The term is today
that she had, even all her living” (Mark 12:43–44). particularly associated with the mercenaries from
A mite was the lowest denomination in ancient Jew- various countries who offered their ser vices to
ish coinage. “ ‘Twas the boy’s ‘mite,’ and, / like the the Congolese government when the Congo was
‘widow’s,’ may / Perhaps be weigh’d / hereafter, if threatened with rebellion in 1964, events brought
not now” (Byron, Don Juan, 1819–24). to the big screen in the 1978 film The Wild Geese,
starring Roger Moore, Richard Harris, and Rich-
wife, Lot’s See lot’s wife. ard Burton. Several African states are rumored to have
505
Wilkins Micawber

recruited wild geese with wide experience in different wind bloweth where it listeth, the The spirit, or
theaters of war to bolster their military forces. the mind, moves wherever it chooses. The expres-
sion comes from John 3:6–8, in which Christ
Wilkins Micawber (wilkinz mbkahber) An explains to Nicodemus the Pharisee what it means
incurable optimist. Wilkins Micawber is a charac- to be born-again: “That which is born of the flesh
ter in the novel David Copperfield (1849–50) by the is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is
British novelist Charles Dickens (1812–70). Always spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee,Ye must be
confident, even in the face of imminent disaster, born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and
that “something will turn up,” he was based upon thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell
the author’s own father, who spent much of his whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is
life struggling to cope with a burden of crushing every one that is born of the Spirit.” “You are a
debt. “The labour movement bewitched by the happy man, Frank—you go and come, as the wind
enemy, bothered and bewildered by the passivity bloweth where it listeth” (Sir Walter Scott, Rob
of the people, waits like Micawber for something Roy, 1817).
to turn up” (Beatrix Campbell, Wigan Pier Revis-
ited, 1985). windmills, tilt at See tilt at windmills.

William Tell A legendary medieval hero. The wind of doctrine A changeable belief, especially
15th-century Swiss hero William Tell was one subject to a sudden whim or enthusiasm. The
renowned for his skill with the crossbow. Legend expression comes from Ephesians 4:14, in which
relates how he was challenged by the Austrian gov- Paul advises the Ephesians that there were many
ernor Hermann Gessler to shoot an apple off his false teachings that would all too readily turn
own son’s head: he succeeded and later killed immature believers away from the right path:
Gessler himself, thus paving the way for Swiss “Henceforth be no more children, tossed to and
independence. The story has, however, no basis in fro, and carried with every wind of doctrine.” She
historical fact. It was the greatest father and son act drifted from one school of thought to another, seemingly
sinceWilliam Tell shot the apple off his son’s head. incapable of resisting being blown along by every wind of
doctrine that wafted in her direction.
will it play in Peoria? See play in peoria.
wings of a dove The power of flight, especially
Willy Loman (loman) Archetype of a disillu- from oppression of some kind. In Psalm 55:6 the
sioned, failed businessman. Willy Loman, driven narrator yearns for the wings of a dove in order to
to suicide by the collapse of his family and profes- escape the hostilities of his enemies: “And I said,
sional life, is the central character in the play Death Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I
of a Salesman (1949) by U.S. playwright Arthur fly away, and be at rest.” This biblical exclamation
Miller (1915–2005). His sad fate is often inter- is usually quoted as Oh, for the wings of a dove!
preted as a searing indictment of the failure of the “Pray don’t suppose I write in anger; I am only
American Dream. Her father was a Willy Loman sorry and disheartened. My state of mind resem-
who rarely cracked a smile after getting back from work. bles David’s. If I had the wings of a dove, I would
506
 Wise Men

flee away and be at rest” (Wilkie Collins, Arma- winter of our discontent See now is the winter
dale, 1866). of our discontent.

wings of the morning A swift passage.The phrase wisdom crieth in the streets Sensible advice is
comes from Psalm 139:9–10: “If I take the wings made known widely, but sometimes also meaning
of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts that such wisdom is ignored.The expression comes
of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and from Proverbs 1:20: “Wisdom crieth without; she
thy right hand shall hold me.” Thus to take the uttereth her voice in the streets.” In times like these
wings of the morning means to make swift prog- all reason flies out of the window, and wisdom crieth in
ress from somewhere. “ ‘Fast enough,’ said the the streets.
Antiquary; ‘the gentleman wished to take the
wings of the morning, and bolt in the what d’ye wisdom is better than rubies It is preferable to
call it,—the coach and four there’ ” (Sir Walter be wise than rich. This is a quotation from Prov-
Scott, The Antiquary, 1816). erbs 8:11: “For wisdom is better than rubies; and
all the things that may be desired are not to be
win one for the Gipper (giper) To make a special compared to it.” The sentiment is also encoun-
effort in the face of difficult odds for the sake of tered in the form wisdom is better than wealth.
someone. The allusion is to George Gipp (1895– She was very beautiful and very rich, it is true, but she
1920), a legendary player for the Notre Dame was not very bright, and wisdom, they say, is better than
football team until his premature death from pneu- rubies.
monia at the age of 25. As he lay dying Gipp told
the team’s coach Knute Rockne: “Some time, Rock, wisdom of Solomon See judgment of solomon.
when the team is up against it, when things are
wrong and the breaks are beating the boys—tell wise as serpents and harmless as doves Shrewd
them to go in there with all they’ve got and win but innocent. The expression comes from Mat-
just one for the Gipper.” On November 10, 1928, thew 10:16, in which Christ instructs his 12
when Notre Dame were struggling against Army, apostles: “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the
Rockne passed on Gipp’s request, telling the team midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents,
to win one for the Gipper:The exhortation worked and harmless as doves.” “. . . with little or no
and Notre Dame won the game. Some have ques- sharpness of faculty or any trace of wisdom of
tioned the veracity of this legend, pointing out that the serpent, nor yet quite a dove, he possessed
Gipp never referred to himself as the Gipper, but that kind and degree of intelligence which goes
it has become a cherished piece of U.S. sports his- along with the unconventional rectitude of a
tory nonetheless. The U.S. actor (and later presi- sound human creature” (Herman Melville, Billy
dent) Ronald Reagan played the role of George Budd, 1924).
Gipp in a 1940 film of Rockne’s life, and the nick-
name “the Gipper” stayed with him throughout his wise as Solomon See judgment of solomon.
subsequent political career. If ever there was a time to
win one for the Gipper, this is it. Wise Men See magi.
507
Wise Men of Gotham

Wise Men of Gotham See gotham. Wizard of Oz A person who is believed, however
mistakenly, to hold the solution to some problem
wise virgins See parable of the wise and fool- or other. The allusion is to L. Frank Baum’s cele-
ish virgins. brated children’s book (1900) of the same title,
which was turned into a classic of the musical
witch-hunt A systematic campaign to root out cinema when filmed in 1939. Most people are
subversive elements of one kind or another. The unaware that Baum wrote numerous sequels to this
allusion is to the notorious hunts for people sus- first book. At the end of the book it is revealed that
pected of practicing witchcraft that were prose- the wizard is no wizard at all, but an old man who
cuted throughout much of Europe and, later, in has been blown to Oz in a balloon from his home in
parts of the Colonial America from the late medi- Omaha. People have great faith in the managing direc-
eval period until the late 17th century. The stereo- tor, but he’s not the Wizard of Oz. See also end of the
typical targets of such campaigns were impoverished rainbow; friend of dorothy; munchkin; we’re
old peasant women who had fallen out with their not in kansas anymore; wicked witch of the
neighbors, although in some regions such as Ger- west; yellow-brick road.
many the emphasis was upon accusing wealthier
members of society in the expectation of confiscat- Woden; Wodin See odin.
ing their property for the state. Nowadays, the
term is applied freely to any concerted effort to woe is me Expression of self-pity at one’s own
unearth enemies of the state, political or social plight. The expression appears several times in
misfits, etc. “In the coming witch-hunt thousands the Bible, for example, in Isaiah 6:5, when the
of people were to be deprived of their livelihood prophet sees the Lord in his holiness and is then
and reputation but, as we now know, the most seri- utterly dismayed at his own sin: “Then said I, Woe
ous spies went undetected” (Peter Lewis, The Fif- is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of
ties: Portrait of a Period, 1989). unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people
of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King,
Witch of Endor (endor) Archetypal witch or the LORD of hosts.” The phrase is particularly
medium with supernatural powers. The reference associated with Jeremiah in the following lament:
is to the sorceress of Endor, who (according to 1 “Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne
Samuel 28:3–25) on the command of King Saul me a man of strife and a man of contention to the
summoned up the spirit of the prophet Samuel; whole earth!” ( Jeremiah 15:10). “Woe is me
the spirit warned the king of his imminent defeat when all men praise me!” (George Bernard Shaw,
and death in battle against the Philistines. “I merely Saint Joan, 1924).
lit that fire because I was dull, and thought I
would get a little excitement by calling you up woe to them that are at ease in Zion See at ease
and triumphing over you as the Witch of Endor in zion.
called up Samuel. I determined you should come;
and you have come! I have shown my power” wolf in sheep’s clothingA person or thing that
(Thomas Hardy, The Return of the Native, 1880). appears to be harmless but is masking its real,
508
 word and deed, in

harmful nature. The allusion is to Matthew 7:15, Woodstock Icon of the hippie movement of the
in the Sermon on the Mount, in which Christ con- 1960s. Farmland near the town of Woodstock in
demns false prophets who claim to be genuine; New York State became the venue, in August
in reality they maliciously destroy the faithful: 1969, for an almost legendary rock concert fea-
“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in turing such artists as Joan Baez, Arlo Guthrie, and
sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening Jimi Hendrix. It marked the zenith of hippie cul-
wolves.” The expression also evokes Aesop’s fable ture and is fondly remembered for its celebration
about the wolf that disguises itself in a sheep’s skin of antiestablishment values and individual free-
in order to evade detection by its intended prey. dom. To the end of his days, he never got Woodstock
The stranger gave the impression of being the friendliest out of his system.
and most trustworthy of men, but as things turned out he
was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Wooster, Bertie See jeeves.

wolf shall dwell with the lamb See lion shall Word, the The word of God; Jesus Christ, the
lie down with the lamb. second person of the Trinity, representing the com-
munication of God to people. A translation of the
woman taken in adultery See go and sin no Greek logos, the term appears in John 1:1: “In the
more; let him who is without sin cast the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
first stone. God, and the Word was God.” “The use of logos
bonds not only the being of the God-man Jesus
Wonderland See alice in wonderland. into one fused personality, but also bonds the natu-
ral and supernatural aspects of the written logos.
wonders of the world See eighth wonder of Jesus the living Word, like the written Word,
the world. becomes the place of meeting, where God’s hidden
glory is unveiled and the Father becomes known”
Wonder Woman A woman who proves herself (Lawrence O. Richards, Expository Dictionary of Bible
capable of seemingly superhuman achievements. Words, 1985).
The allusion is to a comic-book heroine modeled
on superman, who made her first appearance in word and deed, in As one says and does. The
1942, the creation of Charles Moulton Marston expression is found in Romans 15:18, “to make the
and Harry Peter. Armed with a magic lasso, she Gentiles obedient, by word and deed,” and is
later became an icon of the feminist movement. In alluded to in 2 Corinthians 10:11, “Let such an one
modern usage the tag is commonly applied, like think this, that, such as we are in word by letter
superwoman, to any woman who successfully when we are absent, such will we be also in deed
combines, or attempts to combine, an active home when we are present,” and in 1 John 3:18, “My lit-
life with a full-time career. She must be Wonder tle children, let us not love in word, neither in
Woman to manage the things she does. tongue; but in deed and in truth.” “. . . she believed
them still so very much attached to each other, that
wooden horse See trojan horse. they could not be too sedulously divided in word
509
word in season

and deed on every occasion” ( Jane Austen, Sense quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the
and Sensibility, 1797–98). fire is not quenched.” “. . . his lord felt, amid all
the pomp and magnificence we have described,
word in season A timely warning or piece of the gnawing of the worm that dieth not” (Sir Wal-
advice. The phrase is biblical in origin, appearing ter Scott, Kenilworth, 1821).
in Isaiah 50:4 in the course of one of the Servant
Songs: “The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue wormwood and gall See gall and wormwood.
of the learned, that I should know how to speak a
word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth worship the golden calf See golden calf.
morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to
hear as the learned.” (See also 2 Timothy 4:2.) worth one’s salt See salary.
“ ‘Or if there should be any little hitch between
’em,’ thought the Captain, meaning between Wal- would you buy a used car from this man? This
ter and Mr. Dombey, ‘it only wants a word in sea- man is probably not trustworthy. This expression
son from a friend of both parties, to set it right is strongly associated with U.S. president Rich-
and smooth, and make all taut again’ ” (Charles ard Nixon, having been used by the Democratic
Dickens, Dombey and Son, 1848). See also time and Party as a campaign slogan in 1968, though it is
place for everything. said to have made its first appearance in connec-
tion with Nixon as early as 1952. Nixon became
Word made flesh The embodiment of an idea or president, but the slogan acquired a new reso-
truth. The phrase comes from the Bible, appearing nance when he was forced to resign during his
in John 1:14, which refers to the Word of God as second term as a result of the watergate scan-
Jesus Christ, hence God as a human being: “And dal. He is enjoying greater popularity in the polls than
the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, ever before, but you have to ask yourself would you buy
(and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only a used car from this man?
begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
Their leader was a magnificent figure, tall, handsome wrath of Agamemnon (agbmemnon) Extreme
and courageous—heroism made flesh. anger. According to Greek mythology when
Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, was told that in
Word of God See word, the. order to appease the god Apollo he must return
his prize, a Trojan girl named Chryseis, to her
work the oracle See oracle. father, his anger knew no bounds. Unable to defy
Apollo, he returned the girl but then demanded
worm that dieth not The conscience or some- Achilles’ prize, a girl named Briseis, provoking a
thing else that continues to exert a troubling influ- violent quarrel between them. “The frogs and the
ence.The phrase comes from Mark 9:43–44, which mice would be nothing to them, nor the angers
quotes Christ as saying, “. . . it is better for thee to of Agamemnon and Achilles” (Anthony Trollope,
enter into life maimed, than having two hands to Barchester Towers, 1857). See also brave men before
go into hell, into the fire that never shall be agamemnon, there were.
510
 Wuthering Heights

wrath to come A future punishment or revenge. lem (Daniel 5:1–28). The occasion ended in con-
The phrase is biblical in origin, appearing in Mat- sternation when a spectral hand appeared and
thew 3:7, Luke 3:7, and 1 Thessalonians 1:10, wrote the enigmatic words “mene, mene, tekel,
referring each time to the wrath of God for sin- upharsin” on the palace wall. Belshazzar was seized
ners at judgment day. “Must I beg to him then? with fear (see belshazzar’s palsy) and offered a
Must I kneel to him? Must I ask him to save me share of his kingdom to any astrologer who could
from the wrath to come?” (Anthony Trollope, Lady interpret the message. He was subsequently
Anna, 1874). informed by Daniel that the words meant “MENE;
God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.
Wreck of the Hesperus (hespbrbs) An appalling TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art
disaster or other dreadful event or sight. The allu- found wanting. PERES; Thy kingdom is divided,
sion is to a shipwreck that occurred off the coast and given to the Medes and Persians” (Daniel
of Massachusetts in 1839, when the schooner Hes- 5:26–28). That very night the Median and Persian
perus struck an offshore reef and was lost. The armies swept into Babylon, conquering it and slay-
event was commemorated in a famous poem, ing Belshazzar. The phrase is also encountered as
“The Wreck of the Hesperus” (1840), which handwriting on the wall. “As the government
became a favorite choice for public recital during announces plans to regulate its special advisers, is
the Victorian period: “It was the schooner Hespe- the writing on the wall for these little Machiavel-
rus, / That sailed the wintry sea; / And the skipper lis?” (Guardian, June 25, 2001).
had taken his little daughter, / To bear him com-
pany.” She staggered out of the swamp looking like the Wuthering Heights (wbTHering) A desolate,
wreck of the Hesperus. weather-beaten, comfortless place. The allusion is
to the novel (1847) of the same title by Emily
writing on the wall A warning of imminent catas- Brontë, which takes its name from the moorland
trophe or failure. The allusion is to the biblical story farmstead that is home to the turbulent heath-
of belshazzar’s feast, which relates how King cliff. “Wuthering” means “wild weather” in York-
Belshazzar entertained a thousand nobles at a mag- shire dialect. He had promised his aunt a comfortable
nificent banquet at the royal palace, the food served luxury hotel so she was not best pleased when she found
on golden vessels looted from the Temple at Jerusa- herself in Wuthering Heights.

511
å X ååååå
Xanadu (zanadoo) A magnificent, exotic resi- Another school of thought has it that Socrates
dence or other place, especially one with mystical deliberately held his celebrated discussions in the
qualities. The allusion is to Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s open air primarily to escape his wife’s censorious
unfinished poem “Kubla Khan” (1816), which attentions. William Shakespeare subsequently
begins with a reference to the great summer resi- referred to Xanthippe in her role as the archetypal
dence of the Mongol emperor Kublai Khan (1215– nag in The Taming of the Shrew (c. 1593): “Be she as
94) at Shang-du, north of Beijing: “In Xanadu did foul as was Florentius’ love, / As old as Sibyl, and
Kubla Khan / A stately pleasure-dome decree.” as curst and shrewd / As Socrates’ Xanthippe, or a
Coleridge was drawing upon a description of the worse, / She moves me not.” She reappears in a
palace at Shang-du written by Samuel Purchas in similar role in many other works, including the
Purchas his Pilgrimage (1613), in which it was said to novel Tom Jones (1748) by Henry Fielding: “ ‘By this
encompass 16 miles of land, with fertile meadows, Xanthippe’ (so was the wife of Socrates called, said
pleasant springs, and a sumptuous house. Centu- Partridge)—‘by this Xanthippe he had two sons, of
ries later Xanadu was the name was given to the which I was the younger.’ ”
vast mansion built by the fictional Charles Foster
Kane in the movie citizen kane (1941). “Oxford xanthous (zanthbs) Yellowish or reddish-yellow;
was my Xanadu” (Irene Young, Enigma Variations, having yellowish hair and a light complexion. The
1990). word is descended from the name of the Xanthus
River (meaning yellow river), the ancient Greek name
Xanthippe (zanthipee, zantipee) An ill-tempered, for the river Scamander and hence the name also of
peevish, shrewish woman; a nag. The original fifth- the city that sprang up on its banks. Legend has it
century b.c. Xanthippe, or Xantippe, was the wife that the river was named by the poet Homer, who
of the Greek philosopher Socrates, who acquired a noted how the fleeces of local sheep were stained
notorious reputation for her scolding of her hus- golden red by its silt-laden waters. Another deriva-
band, variously attributed to her impatience at her tion, though, suggests a link with a Greek hero of
husband’s neglect of her in favor of philosophical the same name who reputedly routed a force of
discussion and to his lack of interest in practical Trojans on the banks of the river. They watched as a
matters, specifically the business of making a living. xanthous stain spread through the sluggish water.
512
 X-Files

xenocratic (zenokratik) Chaste; continent; unim- Salamis the same year and his army overcome at
pressed by wealth. Xenocrates (396–314 b.c.) was a Plataea in 479. He was eventually murdered by
Greek philosopher who combined the ideas of Artabanus, the commander of his own bodyguards.
Pythagoras with those of his own teacher, Plato. The name Xerxes is usually associated with military
Xenocrates’ sense of personal virtue was so strong and political leaders but may occasionally be applied
that he was immune even to the temptations prof- more widely, as in Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick
fered by the renowned courtesan Laïs, as alluded (1851), in which it was applied to a stallion: “He
to by the Italian poet Ludovico Ariosto: “Warmed was the elected Xerxes of vast herds of wild horses,
by such youthful beauty, the severe / Xenocrates whose pastures in those days were only fenced by
would not have more been chaste” (Orlando Furioso, the Rocky Mountains and the Alleghanies.” See also
1532). She behaved with xenocractic indifference to all esther.
the fine things that were paraded before her by her
wealthy admirers. X-Files The world of the paranormal. The allu-
sion is to the popular U.S. television series The
Xerxes (zerkseez) A powerful leader. The origi- X-Files (1993–2002), which starred David Ducho-
nal Xerxes I (c. 519–465 b.c.), king of Persia, vny and Gillian Anderson as FBI agents Fox Mul-
attacked Greece at the head of a vast army of more der and Dana Scully, investigators into incidents
than 2.5 million men, defeating his enemies at of an apparently paranormal nature. All this talk of
Thermopylae (480) but subsequently having to lights in the sky and little green men is very X-Files,
retreat after his fleet was scattered at the Battle of don’t you think? See also men in black.

513
å Y ååååå
yahoo (yahhoo) A rude, uncivilized person, a Year Zero A point at which the old way of doing
brute. The allusion is to the satire Gulliver’s Travels things is replaced by new thinking. The term has
(1726) by the Irish writer Jonathan Swift (1667– dark connotations, the most famous Year Zero
1745), in which the disgusting, savage Yahoos are being 1975, when the notorious Khmer Rouge
one of the outlandish races visited by Lemuel regime in Cambodia began a bloody systematic
gulliver. The uncouth and philistine behavior purge of everyone who had been connected with
of these creatures, who resemble human beings, the previous government. “The year 1936 was Year
marks them out from the gentle and civilized Zero for macroeconomics” ( J. A. Trevithick, Invol-
Houyhnhnms, a race of horses who are theYahoos’ untary Unemployment, 1992). See also killing field.
masters. The bar was packed with yahoos roaring,
brawling, and throwing up. See also brobdingnag- yellow-brick road The apparent way to happi-
ian; laputa; lilliputian. ness, or the route to solving a problem or realizing
one’s desires. The Yellow-Brick Road features
Yahweh See jehovah. prominently in Frank L. Baum’s children’s book
The Wizard of Oz (1900), filmed in 1939, as the
Yankee Doodle (yankee doodbl) An American route paved with yellow bricks down which Dor-
or, more specifically, a New Englander. The refer- othy and her companions make their way to see
ence is to the popular song “Yankee Doodle,” which the wizard of oz himself in the City of Emeralds
was originally sung by English soldiers during the in the hope that he will grant their various desires.
French and Indian War (1755–63) at the expense In the big-screen adaptation the road was the sub-
of American colonists, who were shabbily dressed ject of one of the film’s most memorable songs,
by comparison and exhibited little sense of fashion “Follow the Yellow-Brick Road.” In modern usage,
in their appearance: “Yankee Doodle came to town / the term is often applied to quests that do not
Riding on a pony; / Stuck a feather in his cap / And necessarily meet with expectations when com-
called it Macaroni.” The Yankee Doodle, with his sun- pleted. “The road that led to the sea was her own
hat, loud check shirt, and cameras, became a familiar ‘yellow brick road’ leading to excitement and
sight in picturesque English market towns and tourist adventure” (E. Nash, Strawberries and Wine, 1993).
sites from the 1950s. See also friend of dorothy.
514
 Ypres

yellow press The sensationalist newspapers. The Turks, which attracted widespread support among
expression alludes to a first attempt to introduce students following its foundation in Geneva in
color printing in the course of a circulation battle 1891 and led ultimately to the overthrowing of
between Joseph Pulitzer’s New York World and Wil- Sultan Abdul Hamid in 1908 and the transforma-
liam Randolph Hearst’s New York Journal in 1895. tion of Turkey into a modern European state under
An issue of the New York World included a comic Mohammed V. The Young Turks remained highly
strip by Richard Outcault in which a child—“The influential within Turkey until the end of World
Yellow Kid”—appeared in a long yellow shirt. War I, when the party was dissolved. “The young
Soon many papers were publishing comic strips Turk of theoretical physics could not have guessed
in color to attract new readers. Subsequently all that this very point in classical optics, probed by
attempts by newspapers to attract a wider reader- Wien, was to be of importance in one of the most
ship through such gimmicks, or through the use of fundamental papers he was subsequently to write”
sensationalist attention-grabbing headlines and so ( J. C. Polkinghorne, The Quantum World, 1984).
forth, were dubbed “yellow” journalism. “When
she read about his new marriage she said, The yel- your country needs you It is your patriotic duty
low press have caught him, poor boy” (S. Bedford, to serve your country.This slogan dates from World
A Compass Error, 1993). War I, specifically to a British recruiting poster that
had the words “Your country needs you!” under a
Yoda (yodb) A wise person, especially one of
portrait of the impressively mustachioed Lord
diminutive and comical appearance.Yoda is a char-
Kitchener (1850–1916), the hero of Khartoum,
acter in the immensely successful star wars films
pointing belligerently at the viewer. It’s time to step
of George Lucas, the first of which was released in
up to the plate—your country needs you!
1977. Apart from his great wisdom and his odd
appearance (his small furry figure being crowned
Ypres (eeprb) A bitter battle resulting in huge
with long pointed ears), his most endearing (or
numbers of casualties but little tactical gain. The
irritating) feature is his habit of juggling the usual
First Battle of Ypres took place in and around the
order of words in sentences. The professor is our very
own Yoda, telling us exactly what to do when the rest of town of Ypres in Belgium from October 20 to
us are stumped. November 18, 1914, not long after the outbreak
of World War I. The massive number of losses on
Yossarian See catch-22. both the Allied and German sides for virtually no
territorial advantage established a pattern that was
young Lochinvar See lochinvar. to be repeated time and again over the next four
years. The Second Battle of Ypres took place
young Turk An ambitious and capable young between April 22 and May 25, 1915, and wit-
man, especially one who supports radical reform nessed the first military use, by the Germans, of
(typically in the field of politics or business). The chlorine gas. Ypres gave a new meaning to stalemate.
allusion is to a political party called the Young See also flanders; passchendaele; somme, the.

515
å Z ååååå
Zeboiim See admah and zeboiim. president was credited with having the insight and all-
encompassing authority of a Zeus. See also eighth
zephyr (zefer) A gentle breeze; a soft wind. The wonder of the world.
allusion is to Zephyrus, the god of the west wind
in Greek mythology, identified as the son of Astraeus Zeuxis (zooksis) An artist noted for the realism
and Aurora and the father of Xanthus and Balius of his or her work. The original Zeuxis, a fifth-
(the two immortal horses of Achilles) by the Harpy century b.c. Greek painter famed for the verisi-
Podarge. The west wind itself was sometimes militude of his painting, was a native of Heraclea
referred to by the name Zephyrus, which might in southern Italy. He is remembered chiefly for the
itself have come ultimately from the Greek zophos contest in which and he and his younger rival, Par-
(meaning “darkness” or “west”). “He felt a zephyr rhasius, attempted to outdo each other with the
curling about his cheek, and turned. It was Bathshe- realism of their still lifes. Zeuxis painted a bunch
ba’s breath—she had followed him, and was look- of grapes so realistic that birds tried to eat the
ing into the same chink” (Thomas Hardy, Far from fruit, but he subsequently admitted defeat when
the Madding Crowd, 1874). Parrhasius invited him to pull aside the curtain
concealing his painting, only to find when he tried
Zeus (zoos) The king of the gods in Greek to grip the cloth that the curtain itself was painted.
mythology and thus, by association, any person Alone among the new generation of artists she has donned
who makes decisions or dispenses advice from a the mantle of Zeuxis through the lifelike character of her
position of apparently unquestionable authority. work.
The son of Cronus and Rhea, he was reputed to rule
heaven and earth from his seat on Mount Olympus Zion (zion) The name of the hill on which the
in Thessaly and to be the father of many gods, city of Jerusalem was first built and sometimes
demigods, and mortals. He is conventionally called David’s City. In biblical times, the city of
depicted with the lightning bolts that he could aim Jerusalem grew significantly, and Mount Zion is
at will at those who displeased him. The name is now in the southeast of the old city of Jerusalem.
thought to have come originally from the Greek In poetic and prophetic writing of biblical times,
for “bright.” His equivalent in Roman mythology Zion referred to Jerusalem as a whole (for exam-
was the supreme god jupiter. For a short time the ple, Isaiah 2:3 and 33:14) and even for the land
516
 Zorro

and people of Judah as a whole (for example, Isa- and continues as a movement for the upbuilding of
iah 10:24; 51:11, 16; and 59:20). The phrase the land and people. “Glorious things of thee are
Daughter(s) of Zion meant Jerusalem and its spoken, / Zion, city of our God! . . . / Blest
inhabitants, both male and female (see Isaiah 1:8 inhabitants of Zion, / Washed in the Redeemer’s
and Song of Solomon 1:5). Sometimes, confus- blood— . . . / Saviour, if of Zion’s city / I through
ingly, other parts of Jerusalem were also referred grace a member am, . . . / Solid joys and lasting
to as Zion, as is the case in Joel 3:17 and 21, which treasure / None but Zion’s children know” ( John
is actually indicating the Temple Mount. Zion has Newton, “Glorious things of thee are spoken,”
significance for Christians and Jews. For Chris- Olney Hymns, 1779).
tians, it signifies the church of God or the king-
dom of heaven (as in Isaiah 4:2–6, Hebrews 12:22, Zoilus (zoylbs) A spiteful critic. The allusion is
and Revelation 14:1). For Jews, as early as the to a Greek rhetorician of the name who lived in the
destruction of the first Temple and the exile of the fourth century b.c. and became notorious for his
Jews to Babylonia (586 b.c.), it expressed the witty, biting remarks about the works of Isocrates,
yearning of the Jewish people for their homeland. Plato, and Homer, among others, earning him the
Most famously this use of Zion appears in Psalm nickname “the Thracian Dog.” It was specifically
137: “. . . we wept when we remembered Zion.” for his attacks on Homer’s epics that he earned
This longing to return also found expression in yet another moniker: “Homeromastix” (Homer’s
Jewish prayer, which sometimes reflects the belief scourge). His most outrageous remarks concern-
that God’s presence has also been exiled from ing the writings of Homer included his dismissive
Zion. For example, one of the prayers said three description of the companions of Ulysses on the
(or more) times a day has, “Let our eyes behold island of Circe as “weeping porkers.” “The duty of
Your return in mercy to Zion.” The term Zionism the critic is to act as judge, not as enemy, of the
first appeared in the 19th century. It encapsulated writer whom he reviews; a distinction of which the
the idea of building up the land and the people and Zoilus of the Messenger seems not to be aware”
mostly referred to the movement to enable Jews (Edgar Allan Poe, Criticism, 1850).
in the diaspora to return to the land of Israel.
Here, again, Zion represented Israel. The Zionist zombie A dull-witted person. The allusion is to
movement has taken many forms, and the term the undead zombies supposedly raised by voodoo
Zionist is shared by organizations with varying magic. Zombie was originally the name of a python
emphases in their political philosophies. Labor god worshipped by various West African tribes.
Zionists, for example, focus on Jewish self- “You wouldn’t want to lay the family heirloom on
determination and self-development. Religious a horse ridden by a zombie, would you?” ( John
Zionists focus on the land of Israel as a gift from Francome, Stone Cold, 1990).
God and the responsibility of Jews to fulfill God’s
commandments in the land of Israel, including the Zorro (zoro) An expert swordsman. The allu-
commandment to inhabit the land. Since the cre- sion is to the black-masked, black-caped hero of
ation of the state of Israel, Zionism has concen- stories written by Johnson McCulley, the first of
trated on the defense and development of Israel which appeared in 1919. They have since been
517
Zuleika

filmed many times, with the role of Zorro being name by Max Beerbohm (1872–1956), is a beauti-
taken by the likes of Douglas Fairbanks, Tyrone ful young woman who brings heartbreak and
Power, and Antonio Banderas. The name Zorro destruction to the many Oxford undergraduates
itself comes from the Spanish for “fox” or “cun- who fall irrevocably for her charms. Beerbohm is
ning.” He waved his umbrella around his head like a said to have based this, his most famous character,
short, indignant Zorro. upon the actress Constance Collier (1878–1955),
to whom he was once engaged. Who is this Zuleika
Zuleika (zoolikb) Archetype of a femme fatale. who has turned a dozen grown men into whimpering
Zuleika Dobson, in the 1911 novel of the same children?

518
 Index
R
This index does not include allusions that are entries in the book; those allusions are listed alphabetically. The index
lists concepts related to the entries, in order to help readers find allusions that are relevant to a particular topic or
theme.

A alarmists 91 aristocracy 64, 286, 362

abduction 395 alcohol 108–109, 187, 290 arrogance 103, 230, 382,
abstraction 245 alienation 16, 395 464
absurdity 112 aliens 97, 152 art 28–29, 112, 245, 309, 313,
abundance 104 allegiance 323 372, 382, 398, 488, 516
acceptance 310, 376–377 All in the Family (television series) assertive 459–460
accident 51 25 astrology 24, 36
accurate 482 alumni 345–346 Atlantic Ocean 342
accusation 245 ambition 302, 515 atrocity 206, 325
achievement 144, 185, 233 Americanism 19 auspicious 398
acquiescence 467, 481–482 Americans 480 austere 440–441
action 266 anachronism 102 Australian 330
actor 406, 461 angels 178 authority 162, 190, 222, 248,
Acts (book of Bible) 127, 418 anger 490, 510 251, 286, 442–443
adaptation 287 anguish 118 autobiography 310
adherence 282 animals 131, 162, 174 avarice 429
ad infinitum 424–425 annoyance 463 awesome 458
adventure 151, 238, 367 anticlimax 143, 339–340 awkward 234
adversity 434 apocalypse 135, 173, 276
advice 384 apology 142 B
advisers 71, 265, 312 appalling 458 Bacon, Francis 235–236
African American 481–482 appetite 238 bad luck 212, 254, 421
afterworld 486 approval 417, 466–467 bad news 262
age 283 archery 458 balance 226–227
agility 455–456 architecture 42, 80–81, 456 baldness 266
aid package 306 argumentation 126–127 bankruptcy 79
airtight 219 arise 371–372 barbarian 183, 279–280
519
Index

barbarism 117, 405 James 362 Romans 447, 493, 509

bargaining 435 Jeremiah 92, 96, 508 Ruth 303
barrier 241 Job 45, 109, 362, 382, 433, 1 Samuel 2, 7, 119–120,
battleship 138 483, 491 142, 189, 300
beacon 369 John 142–143, 189–190, 2 Samuel 3, 119, 154, 291
beginnings 37, 183 195, 281, 284, 379, 392, Song of Solomon 428–429,
beguile 329 402, 424, 476, 500, 506, 517
Belgium 99 509, 510 1 Thessalonians 462, 511
belief 196–197, 506 Joshua 95 1 Timothy 165
benevolent 372–373 Judges 54, 124, 155, 352, Titus 483
betrayal 152, 432, 462–463, 434–435, 443 Zephaniah 128–129
471 1 Kings 97–98, 145–146, bigot 398
Bible 240, 251, 256–257, 302, bitterness 179, 303, 439
Acts 127, 418 327, 390–391, 420, 505 bizarre 221
1 Chronicles 193 2 Kings 45, 146 blame 456
2 Chronicles 390–391 Leviticus 418 blasphemy 453
1 Corinthians 104, 122, Luke 3, 54, 178, 189, 195, bliss 336
439, 463 269, 306, 421, 424, blonde 304
2 Corinthians 448–509 488–489, 511 bloodthirsty 246
Daniel 511 Mark 54, 159, 358, 379, boasting 62, 464
Deuteronomy 7, 23, 186, 496, 510 boat 304
457 Matthew 6, 29, 43, 56, body snatchers 68
Ecclesiastes 468, 503 105, 150, 157, 163, 167, bohemian 248
Ecclesiasticus 473 183, 184–185, 199, 256, boisterous 471–472
Ephesians 238 266, 279, 282, 284, 326, bomb 318
Esther 171–172 359, 363–364, 379, 417, books 344
Exodus 27, 95, 166, 321, 423, 424–425, 430, bottle 330
376, 435, 442, 452, 457, 462–463, 488–489, 496, boxer 323
488–489 501, 502, 511 brainwashing 97
Galatians 158 Nathaniel 1 brand 305, 445
Genesis 5, 45, 73, 119, Numbers 46–47, 74, 186, brevity 329
149, 158, 168, 169, 171, 432, 435, 500 bribery 193, 438, 484
190, 242, 273–274, 291, 1 Peter 93, 498 brief 478
422, 424, 483 Philippians 176, 361 British Broadcasting Corporation
Gospels 196–197 Proverbs 49, 214, 226, 32
Hebrews 447, 465–466 497, 501 British press 168
Hosea 439–440 Psalms 70, 191, 203, 242, Britons 242, 329
Isaiah 65, 126, 168–169, 453, 465, 487, 491–492, brooding 322
273, 274, 285, 301–302, 500, 506–507 brothel 378
338, 417, 423, 427, 508, Revelation 21, 54, 447, brothers 83
510 490, 495–496 buildup 106
520
 Index

Bunyan, John 85, 123, 374, Christmas 329, 414–415 compromise 287
487, 488 chronicler 60 concise 270
burden 345 1 Chronicles (book of Bible) condemnation 483
bureaucracy 132, 230–231 193 conditioning 363
Burke, Edmund 173–174 2 Chronicles (book of Bible) confidence 230, 352–353
businessman 506 390–391 confidential 448
busy 468 church 229 conflict 160, 164–165, 172
butler 7, 230, 248 Churchill, Winston 56–57, conformity 383
241 confrontation 207
C cities 73, 132, 197, 327, confusion 473
calculating 355 335–336 Congress 380
cannibalism 20, 211, 272, 467 class 484 connection 361
canticle 340 clean cut 226 conscience 445
carelessness 233–234 cleanliness 232 consequences 159
carriage 368–369 clear 438 conservative 212, 345
cars 125, 493 Cleopatra VII (queen of Egypt) conspiracy 207–208
cataclysm 394 5, 21 contemplative 306
catastrophe 511 cleverness 224 contest 119
Catholicism 46, 503. See also climbing 441 control 161
Bible clothing 98, 135 controversy 372
caution 156 cloying 149 convention 277
cavalier 308 coarse 393 cool 247
celebration 354–355 code 406–407 1 Corinthians (book of Bible)
celebrities 358 Cody, William Frederick 66 104, 122, 439, 463
censorship 101 cold 59, 232, 429 2 Corinthians (book of Bible)
challenges 189, 321, 466, cold war 154 448, 509
474–475 Coleridge, Samuel Taylor 10 corruption 260, 454, 488
champion 355 collaborator 392 countryside 431
change of subject 18 comedy 69, 87, 111, 163, courage 119, 122, 401, 404
chaos 44–45, 462 261–262, 306, 319, 435, court case 247, 259–260
charity 135, 195, 292, 403 459, 465 covet 327
charm 464–465 comfort 252 cowardice 78
chastity 116, 119, 249–250, 513 commander 330–331 cowboys 254, 305, 408
cheat 452–453 commitment 134 creativity 367–368, 384
children 61–62, 91–92, 113, common man 153–154, crime 39, 133, 324, 385–386
121, 125, 132, 169, 211, 376–377 criminal 330
216–217, 286, 352, 448 commotion 438–439 Crippen, Hawley Harvey 131
Chinese 88, 176–177 communist 357 crisis 447
chivalry 263 complaints 318–319 criticism 168, 175, 372, 456,
choice 223 complicated 70, 500–501 460, 461, 517
choreography 68 compliment 499 Cronkite, Walter 18–19
521
Index

cruelty 351–352, 379, 481 demanding 354 discharge 234

culture 309 demotions 334 disciplinarian 341
cunning 180, 370 departure 401 discovery 153
cure 356 depravity 36, 436 discrimination 251
curiosity 316 Descartes, René 80 discussion 172–173
currency 319 desert 277 disease 478–479
curses 6, 170 desertion 304 dishonesty 125, 136, 147,
curveball 466 desolate 511 159, 386
custom 501 despair 109, 434 disillusioned 506
cynicism 186 desperation 325 dislike 235
despot 331, 403 dismissals 334
D dessert 362 disorder 10, 87, 356
dance 174, 334, 340, 457–458 destiny 443 dispute 376
danger 45–46, 50, 51, 77, 115, destitute 348 dissent 190, 398
160–161, 450 destruction 138, 283, 455 distant 468, 481
Daniel (book of Bible) 511 detached 234 distinguished 357, 377
Dardanelles 217 detective 219, 317, 333, 375, distraction 211, 493
darkness 143–144, 150, 336, 414, 427, 443 distress 114
351 detective fiction 314 disturbance 394–395
dashing 238, 250, 322 determined 476 divide 201, 228
daughters 103 Deuteronomy (book of Bible) 7, divining rod 320–321
daydreamer 291, 495 23, 186, 457 divorce 267
death 10, 19, 21, 23, 88–89, devil 1, 45, 46, 98, 314–315, dominance 480
107, 115, 122, 173, 205, 340, 416 doom 372, 470
214–215, 254, 275, 459, 487 devotion 408, 414, 503 double talk 332
debauchery 218, 405 diary 366 downfall 233–234
decadence 36, 79, 165–166, 169 Dickens, Charles 28, 40, drama 459
decisions 22–23, 50, 68, 105, 127–128, 156–157, dreams 373
107, 223, 227, 256, 438, 243–244, 484 drink 313–314
471, 503 difficulty 63–64, 75–76, 170, driver 249
decisive moment 213 356, 374, 465, 481 drugs 302–303, 320
decline 430 dignity 502 dualism 301
decrepit 470 dilemma 227 duo 276
dedication 500 direct 438 dutiful 365
deface 487–488 disagreement 495–496 duty 148–149, 302, 470
defeat 77, 466, 497 disappearance 251
defender 355 disappointment 121–122, 143, E
defense 95, 462 226, 430 Earth 178, 456–457
delay 108, 226 disaster 67, 90, 128, 155, 182, earthquakes 400
delegation 251 293, 311, 323, 394 easy living 269, 270, 273

522
 Index

eavesdropping 494 evidence 435 fate 173, 210, 443, 445–446,

Ecclesiastes (book of Bible) 468, evil 98, 118, 120, 131, 138, 500
503 183, 243, 325–326 fault 321
Ecclesiasticus (apocryphal book evolution 118, 449 fear 84, 86, 123, 238, 371,
of Bible) 473 example 381 405–406
economics 130, 261, 306, 332 exasperation 161 feelings 289
education 136 excess 165–166 femme fatale 305, 518
effort 197, 235–236, 421, 433, exclusive 206 fertility 29, 175, 242, 489
501, 507 excuse 285 festival 255–256
egg-shaped 231 execution 478 fight 249
Egyptian mythology 424 exhaustion 211–212 finance 77, 439, 494–495
elegance 164 exile 70, 144, 302, 411 fireworks 83–84
Eliot, T. S. 24 exit 170 flamboyant 404
eloquence 265 Exodus (book of Bible) 27, 95, flattery 450–451
elusive 418–419 166, 321, 376, 435, 442, flaws 170
embarrassment 374 452, 457, 488–489 flowers 406
emergency 335 experienced 331 Foley, Larry 28
Emerson, Ralph Waldo 66 expertise 277 folk tales 24
employment 188, 412 exploration 100–101, 115, follies 292
end of the world 27 419–420 followers 22, 326
endurance 474–475 explosion 267 food 21, 62, 68, 103, 149–150,
enemy 102–103, 370, 456, 489 exposure 323, 466 163, 262, 280
England 366 extravagant 415, 437 foolishness 197, 263–264,
enigmatic 124, 319, 441 extremism 252, 414 431
entertainment 459 eye 241 force 257
enthusiasm 300 forgetfulness 281
environmental disaster 155 F forgiveness 87–88
Ephesians (book of Bible) 238 fables 9 formidable 455, 486–487
epic 226, 236–237 failure 158, 511 fortune 325, 472, 500
erudite 253–254 fair play 391 foundling 346
escape 106–107, 139–140, 151, faithfulness 464 freedom 444
201, 216, 228 false 398 friendship 4, 113–114,
essence 260 fame 159–160 119–120, 132, 227, 291,
establishment 374, 381 family 92, 103, 145, 229, 324, 336, 376, 388
Esther (book of Bible) 171–172 495 frigid 232
estimates 38 fanatic 252–253 frivolity 304
Euhemerus 152 fantasy 130–131, 204–205 frugal 280
eulogy 147 farming 6 frustration 498–499
evangelism 167 fashion 79, 168, 393–394, 498 fulfillment 384
eventful 288 fat 175, 317 fuss 394–395, 446

523
Index

fussy 383 grammar 72, 436 Hebrews (book of Bible) 447,

futility 86, 109, 433, 488 grandiosity 353 465–466
future 236, 285, 345, 472 greatness 362 height 321
greed 429 Hell 182
G Greek mythology 4, 5, 7–8, help 228
Gaius Caesar 74 10, 20, 26, 28, 30, 62, helplessness 114, 155
Galatians (book of Bible) 158 73–74, 85, 93, 98, 104, 124, henchman 326
gambling 276 150–151, 188–189, Henri, Robert 29
garbage 39 192–193, 209, 232, 241, heroes 8, 81, 101–102, 109,
Garland, Judy 175–176 244, 272–273, 318–319, 114, 168, 185–186, 214,
gawky 234 324, 328, 342, 343, 356, 226, 248, 287, 288, 367,
gender 219 364–365, 367, 368–369, 408, 461, 506
generation 290 373, 380, 389, 400–401, heroin 302–303
generations 432 492, 516 heroines 151
generosity 83, 213–214, 270, grief 215–216, 282, 336, 410 Hinduism 33
370 grievance 213 history 220
Genesis (book of Bible) 5, 45, Gropius, Walter 42 Hitchcock, Alfred 41
73, 119, 149, 158, 168, gruesome 199 hoax 374
169, 171, 190, 242, guests 302 Holocaust 32–33
273–274, 291, 422, 424, guidance 97 home 65–66, 199, 275
483 guidebooks 37 homeless 426
genocide 378 guilt 56, 463 homosexuality 175–176, 280,
genuine 396 gusto 354–355 291
geometry 152 honesty 129, 156, 159, 233,
gibberish 245 H 446
gift 301 hair 395 honor 276
girlfriend 330 handsome 486 hope 117–118, 171
give in 187–188 hanging 478 hopelessness 171, 434
giving 243 happiness 209, 347, 384 horses 65, 434, 482
gloom 447–448, 452 harm 238 Hosea (book of Bible)
glory 62, 237, 459 harmony 450 439–440
goals 165, 225 harrowing 394 hospital 278
goblin 203–204 harsh 408 hospitality 370
Goebbels, Joseph 241 hazards 367 hostility 99–100, 361
going too far 64 health 232 housekeeper 247
gold 371 hearing 141 huge 181, 469–470
Gospels 196–197 hearth 489–490 human condition 101, 260
gourmand 21 heat 116, 132–133 humanity 300
government 268, 502–503 heaven 147, 229, 242, 332, 359, human nature 336–337
graffiti 263 364 humble 310

524
 Index

humiliation 107, 122, 478 initiation 38–39 Job (book of Bible) 45, 109,
hunting 75, 335 inner sanctum 225 362, 382, 433, 483, 491
hurtful 482–483 innocence 35, 171, 191, John (book of Bible) 142–143,
hypnotism 312 359–360, 491, 507 189–190, 195, 281, 284,
hypocrite 25, 106, 136, 256, insignificant 314, 324, 387–388, 379, 392, 402, 424, 476,
369, 449–450, 455 446 500, 506, 509, 510
hysteria 412 insincerity 106 jolly 159, 175
inspiration 82, 217, 324, 373, Joshua (book of Bible) 95
I 457 journey 289, 343–344
ideal 484–485 instantaneous 478 jovial 372–373, 414–415, 430
idealism 134, 170, 338, 509 insurance 377 Judaism 454, 493–494
identity 266 intelligence 144 judge 248–249
idyllic 285 intentions 157 Judges (book of Bible) 54, 124,
ignorance 117, 371 intercept 110 155, 352, 434–435, 443
ignore 422 interpretation 478 judgment 359, 475, 487
illness 122 intervention 417 jumble 170
illogical 259 intimidation 215 justice 177, 375, 460
imagination 92, 97, 467 intolerable 17
I’m No Angel (film) 50 invention 143 K
importance 363–364 investigation 407–408 karma 18
impossible 269–270, 345, 487, invincible 494 Kennedy, Jackie 26
494 invisibility 11, 155, 208 Kennedy, John F. 29
improper 482 irony 132 Kerouac, Jack 43
impudence 461 irrelevant 398 kidnapping 445
incompetence 2, 112, 174–175, irresponsible 439–440 kindness 195, 244
261–262, 276, 306, 322, 465 irritation 463 1 Kings (book of Bible) 97–98,
incomprehensible 243, 466 Isaiah (book of Bible) 65, 126, 145–146, 240, 251,
inconsolable 336 168–169, 273, 274, 285, 256–257, 302, 327,
indecisive 210 301–302, 338, 417, 423, 390–391, 420, 505
independence 304, 337 427, 508, 510 2 Kings (book of Bible) 45, 146
indifference 174, 179, 334–335 Islam 34 kitchen 489–490
indolence 338 isolation 403
indulgence 169, 283, 382, 450 L
industry 118 J lackluster 240
ineffectual 327–328 James (book of Bible) 362 ladder 246
inevitability 90, 128 jealousy 203, 309, 481 lamentation 250, 352–353,
inexplicable 237 jellyfish 309–310 493–494
influence 396, 483 Jeremiah (book of Bible) 92, 96, landmark events 444
ingenious 112–113, 355 508 language 186, 193, 332, 473
inhuman 279–280 Jews 105, 443 languish 495

525
Index

largeness 100, 237–238, 407 mail 379 brutish 74

large scale 65 majestic 346 dashing 151
law 437, 453 manners 501 disenchanted 19
lawyer 367, 370 maps 31 fashionable 168
lazy 342 Mark (book of Bible) 54, 159, ferocious 67
leadership 104, 130, 167, 210, 358, 379, 496, 510 foolish 263–264
263, 264, 278, 284, 328, Mark Antony 5 handsome 486
378, 453–454, 475, 513 markings 445 masculine 305
learning 373 marriage 116, 150, 218, 274, old 47–48, 112
leftist 393–394 293, 386, 425 physically fit 88
letter 281–282 masculine 305 rugged 120
Leviticus (book of Bible) 418 mass murder 412 seductive 134
licentious 393 masturbation 347 simple 252
lies 17, 307, 375, 438 match 489–490 suave 81, 96
life/living 63, 120, 274, 329 materialism 73, 131, 300 tempestuous 57
light 317 mathematics 25, 332, 388–389, vs. women 311
lighthouse 369 452 wise 342
lily 231–232 Matthew (book of Bible) 6, 29, womanizing 290
literature 89, 101, 149, 162, 43, 56, 105, 150, 157, 163, menacing 288
255, 264, 361, 425 167, 183, 184–185, 199, mercenaries 133, 505
lithe 341 256, 266, 279, 282, 284, mercy 281, 390
long hair 395 326, 359, 363–364, 379, Merrick, Joseph 145
lost 290 417, 423, 424–425, 430, message 281–282
loud 444–445 462–463, 488–489, 496, messenger 312
Louis XV (king of France) 23 501, 502, 511 migration 127, 154
love 2, 108, 115–116, 122, 128, Maxwell, Gavin 190 military 126, 128, 186, 206,
222, 242, 269, 368, 388 maze 270 210, 259, 325, 328, 337
low class 484 meager 280 mind 385
loyalty 191, 408, 464 meaning 220 miniature 285
luck 121, 172, 212, 254, 325, medicine 72, 85–86, 103, miracles 139–140, 435,
472 131–132, 169, 179, 222, 496–497
Luke (book of Bible) 3, 178, 278, 442 misanthrope 468
189, 195, 269, 306, 421, medieval 197–198 mischief 30, 258, 288, 386,
424, 488–489, 511 meeting 407 472
luxury 71, 161, 208, 283, melancholy 417, 433 miser 430
292–293, 304, 450 memory 406 misfortune 215–216, 428,
men 486
M abusive 57 mismanagement 163
magic 183, 312, 318, 384 appearances of 7 mismatch 119, 343
magnitude 400 beautiful 148 mistaken 344

526
 Index

mistakes 226 narrow minded 322–323 Octavian 32

mocking 415 Nathaniel (book of Bible) 1 offense 483
moderation 102 Native American 377 official 300
modesty 220–221 nature 110 old order 17
momentum 260–261 naughtiness 113 ominous 431, 452
money 125, 130, 131, 165, 193, naval victory 412 opium 320
300, 315 Neanderthal 316 opportunity 79–80, 171–172,
monster 174, 194, 204 necessities 300 182, 234, 303, 333–334,
mood 237 negativity 111, 143 391, 460
Moon 111, 371, 421 negotiations 435 opposites 216
morality 84, 102, 103, 446 neighbors 194, 261, 292 oppression 464
morning dew 456 new 333, 339 optimism 77, 216–217, 321,
mothers 98, 284, 336, 344, 415 New Englander 514 356, 378, 506
movies 84–85, 87, 97, 110, news 390 opulent 292–293
131, 160–161, 225, 238, 469 New York City 51, 64–65, 164, orator 242
murder 60, 88, 211, 225, 246, 202 ordeal 184, 408
280, 287, 383, 412, 450, nightmarish 221, 259, 334 orders 340, 351
457, 475 noise 439 ordinary 376–377
music 255, 321–322, 324–325, nonsense 67, 190, 245 orphan 286, 310, 346
357, 469, 493 Norse mythology 288, 338, ostracize 422
mysterious 145, 283–284, 401 463, 486, 498 outcast 241–242, 360
mythology nuclear disaster 90, 222, outcome 318
Greek 4, 5, 7–8, 10, 20, 465 outlandish 258
26, 28, 30, 62, 73–74, 85, nudity 271 outlaws 59
93, 98, 104, 124, Numbers (book of Bible) out of touch 401–402
150–151, 188–189, 46–47, 74, 186, 432, 435, outrageous 196, 318, 324
192–193, 209, 232, 241, 500 outsider 495
244, 272–273, 318–319, nurse 341 overbearing 379
324, 328, 342, 343, 356, overkill 187, 196
364–365, 367, 368–369, O oversight 391
373, 380, 389, 400–401, obligation 315, 470
492, 516 obscenity 314 P
Norse 288, 338, 463, 486, obscure 124 pacifism 180
498 obsequious 484 painful 490
Roman 34, 162, 240 observation 234–235 Palestine 242–243
Scandinavian 343 obsession 77–78, 132, Pan 356–357
160–161, 317–318, 328–329 panic 91
N obstacles 123–124, 167, paradise 146, 148, 171, 181,
nagging 260, 320 193–194, 447, 451, 494 242, 332, 426
nanny 307 obviousness 145 paranormal 513

527
Index

parents 17, 58, 132, 145 plunder 442 prostitute 76, 272, 328, 358,
pariah 330 Poe, Edgar Allan 229 372, 378, 419
Parker, Robert LeRoy 69 poetry 315, 361, 375, 457, 459 protection 124, 157, 202,
parking 125 poison 317 355
parting remark 361 police 128, 130, 262, 419 protest 262, 491
passion 69–70, 188–189 politics 103, 181–182, 185, Proverbs (book of Bible) 49,
passivity 477 188, 246, 332, 383, 387, 214, 226, 497, 501
past 166 396–397, 414, 454, 456, provocation 238
patience 212, 448 472, 496, 498 prudishness 490
patriotism 139, 251–252, 362, pompous 379 Psalms (book of Bible) 70, 191,
515 postponement 394 203, 242, 453, 465, 487,
peace 43, 80, 102, 137, 160, poverty 107, 185, 282, 345, 491–492, 500, 506–507
240–241, 273, 346, 427 348, 379, 381 psychology 175, 385
peevish 512 power 20, 283, 327, 384, 449, publishing 100
Pentateuch 346 469–470 punch bowl 254–255
perception 376 pragmatism 396–397 punishment 164, 189, 221, 420,
perfection 196, 332, 359–360, praise 283, 354 493, 502
449 prayer 124, 361 purification 496
perseverance 403 preacher 146, 254 puritan 75, 105
persistent 320 preempt 444
personality 483 preparation 160, 187 Q
persuasion 344 presidency 231 quack 147
1 Peter (book of Bible) 93, 498 press 173–174, 358, 515 quagmire 490–491
Philippians (book of Bible) 176, prevention 182 quality 404–405
361 principles 360, 490 quarantine 103
philistine 35 prison 41, 99, 118, 206, 292, quest 343–344
philosophy 26, 111, 223, 402, 422, 473 questioning 238–239, 433
235–236, 376, 436, 492 private 405
phony 106, 233 prized possession 154 R
photographers 358 problem solving 109–110 race 303–304, 493
pilot 355, 469 progress 148 racism 21, 251, 267–268,
pioneering 115, 265 promiscuous 419 286–287, 406, 503
pirate 243, 289 promises 172, 373 radical 246, 472
plans 49 promotion 188 rally 398–399
plants 130, 152, 169, 179, propaganda 289 ramble 308
183–184, 437 prophecy 145–146, 241, 274, rape 380
Plato 208, 436 339, 414, 469 rapt 423
plea 228 proposal 318 rascal 289
pleasure 216 prosperity 90–91, 162, 192, “raspberry” (noise) 65
plenty 497 425 rations 267

528
 Index

reading 344 revenge 105, 155, 177, 283, 1 Samuel (book of Bible) 2, 7,
reality 237, 265 380, 489, 511 119–120, 142, 189, 300
reasoning 438 revival 280, 339 2 Samuel (book of Bible) 3,
rebellion 497 revolutionary 181 119, 154, 291
reckless 178, 233–234 rhetoric 242 satire 224
reckoning 235 rights 422, 453 satisfaction 191
reconciliation 101, 240–241 right wing 252 savior 313
redemption 279, 496 rigid 277 scandal 181–182, 322, 437,
reflexive 363 robber 419 456, 496
regret 478, 498–499 rock 342, 451 Scandinavian mythology 343
rejection 110, 400 rogue 250, 303 scars 445
relaxation 188, 232 Roman mythology 34, 162, 240 school 136, 211, 293–294,
relentless 335 Romans (book of Bible) 447, 411–412
reliability 401, 476 493, 509 scornful 415
remedy 356 romantic 247 scramble 493
remorse 351, 410 Rome 151, 405 sculpture 382
remoteness 214, 351, 481 Roosevelt, Franklin D. 166–167 sea 331, 458
repetition 205 rout 307 sea monster 113, 475
repression 467 royalty 191, 281, 282 seasons 367
repulsion 447 rude 514 seclusion 244, 448–449
reputation 72–73, 87, ruined 333, 335–336 secondary consequences 159
347–348 rules 3–4, 188, 193, 282, 391, secret 437, 448
rescue 265–266 457 secret agent 246–247,
resemblance 311 running 76 311–312
resentment 439 rural life 64, 93, 104, 431, security 172, 206, 384
resistance 420, 446, 462 494 seductive 413, 432
respect 292 Russia 58 segregation 286–287
responsibility 66, 325, 326, Ruth (book of Bible) 303 selfishness 133
473 ruthlessness 59, 73, 107, 223, selflessness 199
rest 410, 427 241, 442 self love 328–329
restraint 102 self-righteous 224
retirement 94 S sensationalist 515
retreat 399–400, 405 sacking 334 sensitive 383
retribution 155, 331 sacrifice 3, 11, 56–57, 78, 138, sentimentality 141, 214, 315
return 420 139, 215, 421 serene 22, 423
revelation 282–283, 321, 402, sadness 486 serial killers 60, 88, 211, 246,
421, 488–489 sailor 431 385
Revelation (book of Bible) 21, Saint-John’s wort 1 serious 376
54, 447, 490, 495–496 saintly 321 servant 236, 301
revelry 416 salvation 484 ser vice 109

529
Index

setbacks 434 smile 319 suffering 62–63, 74–75, 107,

severe 137–138 snakes 389 310, 386, 394, 411, 418, 475
sex 82, 145, 150–151, 232, soccer 365 suicide 211, 259
243, 255, 259, 312–313, socialite 225 suitable 490
344, 347, 382 somber 433 summer 132–133
Shakespeare, William 26, 40, Song of Solomon 428–429, 517 Sun 217, 317, 371, 436
43, 62, 73, 103, 125–126, sorrowful 490 superficiality 113
133, 159, 171, 233, 242, soul 385 superiority 89
340, 429, 437, 460, 468, soulless 463 surprise 69, 152
482–483, 499, 512 sound 143 survival 240
sham 22 source 347 survivors 417
shame 418 South Africa 21 sustenance 113
shanty town 226 space 406 sweater 79
sharks 248 speech 185, 242 sweet 352
shepherd 311, 470 speed 225–226, 271 swindle 452–453
ships 170, 440 spiders 24 swineherd 152
short 325, 472–473 split personality 249 swordsman 517–518
showdown 207 spoil 487–488 sympathy 61
showmanship 385 spoiled 440
shrewd 317, 507 sports 319, 323, 346–347, 365, T
shrine 452 442 talent 301, 313, 321–322, 340,
shyness 81 spring 492 488
sign 374 spy 307 tall 293, 325
signature 253 squalid 471 tall tales 324
similarity 477 squander 383 tank 357
simple 135, 281 squire 253 tea 108–109
simpleton 171 Stalin, Joseph 108 teachers 93, 180, 312, 316–317
simplicity 342–343 status 261 teamwork 468–469
sin 424, 493, 502 stereotypes 16 technology 66, 293, 430–431,
sincerity 396 stern 386–387, 400, 490 444
size 100, 181, 185, 237–238, strength 219, 285, 315, 380, teenager 224, 247, 397
263, 407 395, 413, 449, 463 teetotaler 397
skilled 112–113, 218–219 stress 447 television 6–7, 25, 435, 443,
slapstick 471–472 strict 277, 440–441 477
slaughter 262–263, 343, 361 stubborn 411 temper 228, 317, 408
sleep 273–274, 434, 438 substance 224–225 temperance 80
sleeping pill 331 subversives 508 temptation 169, 184–185, 236,
slitting hairs 250 success 33, 153, 167, 191, 213, 255, 278
small 387–388, 472–473 228, 314, 434 terrorism 335
small town 338 sudden 462 terse 270, 454

530
 Index

theater 64–65 U viceroy 327

1 Thessalonians (book of Bible) ugliness 20, 60, 105–106, 145, vices 292, 488
462, 511 194, 196, 231, 324, 480–481 victim 272
thief 394 unappreciated 364 victory 200, 333, 334, 388,
threat 391, 420, 450 unattainable 332 412, 499
time 106, 161, 230, 397, 455 underhanded 222–223 villains 78, 127, 131, 156–157,
timidity 274 understanding 141, 236 303
1 Timothy (book of Bible) 165 underworld 333 violence 4, 57, 116, 164–165,
tirade 370 undeviating 482 183, 267, 287, 339
Titus (book of Bible) 483 unexpected 352, 462 virtue 149, 157, 178–179, 404,
Tolstoy, Leo 19 unfamiliar 446–447, 499 435, 491
tomb 308 unforgiving 386–387 vision 110–111, 322
torment 244, 386, 447, unimpressed 334–335 vitality 399
470–471 uninhibited 129 vivacious 243
torture 405–406 uninspired 240 void 187
totalitarianism 19, 108, 160, United States 308, 481 volunteerism 269
176 unlikely 352 voluptuous 408
tough 401 unprepossessing 480–481 voyeur 364
tragedy 8–9, 69, 87, 111, 123, unreality 147
128, 357–358, 365, 388, unrest 497 W
405, 475 unscrupulous 402–403 waiting 494
trains 81 unsuitable 482 wanderer 426
traitor 47, 102–103, 256, untrustworthy 484 war 306, 337, 361, 415, 479,
392 upper class 484 490–491
transformation 176, 496–497 uprising 387 warning 381, 510
transitory 480 uproar 438–439 wasting time 397
travel 102, 190 uselessness 166 watchword 427
treachery 282, 363, 366, 386 utopia 95–96 water 5
tribunal 443 weakness 65, 169, 188,
trickery 30 V 327–328
trio 475–476 vagrant 426 wealth 131, 144–145, 164,
triumph 153, 459 valley 457 165, 172, 192, 229, 248,
triviality 130, 164, 470 values 23, 40, 193, 345 262, 265, 319, 360, 377,
truck 257 vanity 338, 464 404, 407, 488
truth 129, 136, 196–197, 233, variable 384 weaponry 154, 168, 248
274, 352, 418, 421, 500 variety 71 weather 238
Twain, Mark 102 veneration 483 weird 466
twins 429 vengeance 177, 216, 309, western 163
tycoon 402–403 490 whale 113, 317–318
tyrant 223, 241, 244, 442–443 versatile 384 wholesome 408

531
Index

wife 205, 274, 336, 365, 397, Eve and 6, 153 socially transformed 146
427, 445 fascinating 289–290 stern 271, 322
wild 129 formidable 61, 486–487 superficial 39
Wilde, Oscar 135 frivolous 304 temptresses 95
wilderness 230 generous 270 tragic 123
wind 8, 163, 516 grand 390–391 treacherous 124, 246
wine 157–158, 250, 330, 398, grieving 393 ugly 196
412–413, 452 helpful 187 vengeful 309
wisdom 88, 93, 97, 115, helpless 114 victimized 125–126
119, 180, 208, 256–257, heroic 151, 252 virtuous 435
312, 320, 331, 342, humble 139 voluptuous 408
366–367, 382, 437, 469, innocent 491 vs. men 311
475, 515 lustful 312–313 wicked 252, 504–505
witchcraft 215, 272–273, monstrous 284–285 young 341
429, 508 mothers and 284 work 176, 220, 235, 338
womanizer 290 murderous 271 World War I 51–52, 168,
womankind 498 mysterious 117 179–180, 196, 290,
women 119 nagging 260 344–345, 400, 472, 496,
abduction of 395 neurotic 216 515
abuse of 57 peevish 512 World War II 56, 66, 67, 94,
aristocratic 271 poor 345 122, 340, 421
assertive 459–460 powerful 422, 449 worry 448
athletic 28 promiscuous 419 wrath 490
beautiful 21, 179, 217, quiet 306 wrecked 333
428–429, 458 reckless 73, 79 Wren, P. C. 44
blonde 64, 304 romantic 247 writing 205–206, 314
caring 169 rustic 93
chaste 116, 249–250 ruthless 107 Y
cheerful 135–136 sea and 16 yellow 512
commanding 366 seduction by 413 youth 173, 180–181, 215, 230,
courageous 122 seduction of 134 368
detached 234 severe 502
detectives 317 shameless 251 Z
devoted 74, 408 shapely 317 zealotry 166
drunken 36 sharpshooting 19 Zephaniah (book of Bible)
enigmatic 181 shrewd 212–213 128–129

532