The Facts on File Dictionary of Allusions - Green Valley High School

An allusion is a reference that evokes a certain set
of aspects or features of a person or thing. For
example, a kind and selfl ess person may be referred
to as a Good Samaritan; a musical genius may be
hailed as a Mozart; a po liti cal, administrative, or
fi nancial scandal may be referred to by name with
the suffi x–gate, after Watergate; a large- scale nuclear
accident may be referred to as another Chernobyl; a
fatal weakness may be referred to as a person’s
Achilles’ heel; something that rises anew in the face
of defeat may be compared to a phoenix rising from
the ashes; and 9/11 has become synonymous with
terrorist atrocity.
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Facts</strong> On File Dictionary of Allusions builds
on the earlier volume of the <strong>Facts</strong> On File Dictionary
of Classical and Biblical Allusions, doubling the content
to provide a comprehensive reference to
Arrangement of entries
Introduction
R
allusions in the En glish language. Entries have been
selected not simply because they are well- known
events, places, people, phenomena, etc., but also
because they have generally acquired some wider
linguistic signifi cance, conveying a par tic u lar message
beyond a mere reference. This method of
selection distinguishes this volume from other references
on the same subject, including other dictionaries
of allusions as well as more expansive (but
less focused) works such as Brewer’s Dictionary of
Phrase and Fable.
Allusions in this volume are drawn from a
wide range of sources, including Shakespeare and
the Bible; Greek, Roman, Norse, and other types
of mythology; literary texts from all ages; historical
events; and pop u lar culture, including fi lm and
tele vi sion.
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
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