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

c’est la guerre
86
operation given the limited knowledge of medical
practitioners of the day, and the word, instead,
may come simply from caesus, past participle of
the Latin caedere (meaning “to cut”). <strong>The</strong> cesarean
section left a long vivid scar that did not fade with
time.
c’est la guerre (say la gair) Such things must be
expected in these par tic u lar circumstances. <strong>The</strong>
allusion is to World War I, when the phrase
(meaning “it is the war” or “that’s war”) was
widely quoted among members of the French
military and civilian establishments, who were
increasingly inclined to blame any misfortune
upon the war. It was similarly used by British
soldiers fi ghting in France during World War I,
and later during World War II, and has since been
employed throughout the En glish- speaking world
as an excuse for (or as a general expression of
resignation in the face of) any setback or disappointment
caused by prevailing circumstances.
“C’est la guerre,” he said with a shrug of the shoulders.
“You must expect prices to rise when supplies are so
scarce.”
c’est magnifi que, mais ce n’est pas la guerre (say
manifeek may sb nay pa la gair) It is a grand but
futile or misdirected gesture. <strong>The</strong> phrase (meaning
“it is magnifi cent, but it is not war”) was fi rst
uttered by the French general Pierre Bosquet in
reference to the dashing but disastrous charge
of the light brigade at the Battle of Balaclava
on October 25, 1854. “Another leading pacifi st,
Cyril Joad, put the same point more succinctly:
‘Ce n’est pas magnifi que, mais ce n’est pas la
guerre’ ” ( James Hinton, Protests and Visions,
1989).
cestus See aphrodite.
chain reaction A series of changes set in motion
by a single event. <strong>The</strong> term was fi rst used to
describe chemical or nuclear reactions around the
1930s, but since the 1970s has come to be applied
in a much wider range of contexts. This move led to
a chain reaction that resulted in hundreds of employees
changing their job descriptions.
Chamber of Horrors A place full of horror or
unpleasantness, or what is found there. <strong>The</strong> allusion
is to the Chamber of Horrors, the most pop ular
part of the Madame Tussaud’s waxworks
exhibition in London, where wax fi gures of notorious
murderers, torturers, etc., are displayed.
“About a week after he had taken the stable, a
Land Rover swept round the drive at high speed
and disgorged its chamber of horrors—his family”
(Jean Bow, Jane’s Journey, 1991).
Chan, Charlie See charlie chan.
Chandleresque (chandlbresk) In a manner reminiscent
of the detective thriller novels of Raymond
Chandler (1888–1959). Chandler’s stories,
many of which were subsequently made into
successful Hollywood movies, have a dark,
brooding atmosphere and even the heroes are
cynical about the corrupt and violent world they
inhabit. Stylistically, the term suggests a bleak,
realistic tone interspersed with unexpectedly
lyrical and even poetic images and turns of
phrase, often inspired by the argot of the street.
He hailed from a Chandleresque background of slum
tenements and sinister back alleys. See also philip
marlowe.
Chaney, Lon See lon chaney.
Chang and Eng See siamese twins.