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

applied to the Hebrew nation and subsequently
the Jews and their state. He is revered today as one of
the patriarchs of Israel.
Israel Hands (izreebl, izraybl) Archetype of an
evil, bloodthirsty pirate. Israel Hands is the name
of the villainous ship’s mate on the sailing ship
Hispaniola in Robert Louis Stevenson’s adventure
novel Trea sure Island (1883). A murderous henchman
of long john silver, he was named after a
real character who served as second mate under
the fearsome pirate captain blackbeard. He
advanced upon the boy with his blade between his teeth,
the image of Israel Hands.
Is Saul also among the prophets? See saul.
It Girl A vivacious young woman with irresistible
sex appeal. <strong>The</strong> original It Girl was silentmovie
star Clara Bow (1905–65), who enjoyed
huge success in the central role of the 1927 fi lm
based on Elinor Glyn’s provocative novel It, in
which “it” was sex appeal. Paris Hilton is perhaps the
best- known of the current crop of It Girls.
I think, therefore I am See cartesian.
it is a far, far better thing that I do What I do now
is a fi ne thing, though I am likely to suffer in doing
it. <strong>The</strong> allusion is to the closing passage in A Tale of
Two Cities (1859) by Charles Dickens, in which
Sydney Carton bravely faces death on the guillotine
in the place of the condemned aristocrat
Charles Darnay (to whom he bears an uncanny
resemblance), sacrifi cing himself in the knowledge
that his death will preserve the happiness of Lucie
Manette, Darnay’s wife, and also the object of Sydney
Carton’s hopeless affection: “It is a far, far better
thing that I do, than I have ever done. It is a far,
it was the best of times, it was the worst of times
far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known.”
In modern usage, the expression is only ever used
in a self- consciously ironic context. “It is a far, far
better thing that I do, than I have ever done,” muttered the
professor as he followed her into the bedroom.
it is better to give than to receive <strong>The</strong> act of giving
is more noble and rewarding than that of
receiving. <strong>The</strong> proverb is of biblical origin, appearing
in Acts 20:35 in the form “It is more blessed to
give than to receive.” “ ‘Tis better to Give than to
Receive, but yet ’tis Madness to give so much
Charity to Others, as to become the Subject of it
our Selves.” (Samuel Palmer, Moral Essays on some of
the most Curious and Signifi cant En glish, Scotch, and
Foreign Proverbs, 1710).
it is not for every man to go to Corinth See
corinth, it is not for every man to go to.
it’s all Greek to me <strong>The</strong> thing in question is completely
incomprehensible to me. <strong>The</strong> allusion is to
William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar (1599), in
which Casca admits his failure to understand
something Cicero had said in Greek: “Those that
understood him smiled and shook their heads; for
mine own part, it was Greek to me.” Greek was
the language of scholars and orators in ancient
Rome, but not understood by the greater populace.
“She leant across and said, ‘This is all Greek
to me’ ” (Robert Liddell, Elizabeth and Ivy, 1986).
Itt, Cousin See addams family.
it was the best of times, it was the worst of
times <strong>The</strong> time in question witnessed both good
things and bad. <strong>The</strong>se are the opening words of A
Tale of Two Cities (1859) by Charles Dickens, set
against the backdrop of the French Revolution.
243