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

(1953). His adventures continued in a series of
novels and were subsequently extended in a
hugely pop u lar series of action- packed movies in
which he was played by Sean Connery, Roger
Moore, and Pierce Brosnan, among other actors.
Although many of Bond’s adventures were suggested
by those of real- life spies Sidney Reilly and
Dusko Popov, he was named after someone quite
unconnected with the world of espionage: British
ornithologist James Bond, author of Birds of the
West Indies and a neighbor of Fleming’s in Jamaica.
He behaved like James Bond, ordering dry martinis and
trying to pick up women with tales of bravado on behalf
of British intelligence, when he was just a humble civil
ser vice bureaucrat.
James Dean (deen) Archetype of a “cool” young
man with attitude. <strong>The</strong> U.S. fi lm actor James Dean
(1931–55) became one of the biggest stars of his
generation, specializing in the role of the hapless,
discontented youth until his premature death in a
car crash, which served only to confi rm his semilegendary
status. In his white T-shirt and faded jeans,
he fancied himself a reincarnation of James Dean. See
also rebel without a cause.
Jane See tarzan.
Jane Eyre (air) A young, romantically- minded
woman of reserved but inwardly passionate character,
especially one who endures stoically when
put upon by others. Such was the character of the
fi ctional Jane Eyre created by Charlotte Brontë in
the novel of the same name in 1847. She put up
with his callous behavior for years, like some suburban
Jane Eyre. See also mr. rochester.
Janet A hous keeper, especially one of a
re doubtable, reliable nature. <strong>The</strong> original Janet was
the house keeper in the Doctor Finlay stories of
Scottish writer A. J. Cronin (1896–1981). She was
played by Barbara Mullen in the pop u lar BBC televi
sion series based on Cronin’s tales, Dr. Finlay’s
Casebook (1962–71), and by Annette Crosbie in a
later tele vi sion adaptation, Doctor Finlay (1993–
96). She played Janet to his Doctor Finlay, serving tea to
his honored guests.
January <strong>The</strong> fi rst month of the year. January was
named after Janus, the Roman god of doors,
thresholds, bridges, and beginnings. Because he
watched over doorways he was widely worshiped
for his power to ward off evil infl uence. Like January
itself, which marks the end of the old year and
the beginning of the new, Janus was usually
described as having two faces turned in opposite
directions at the same time; thus, anyone today
who is suspected of hypocrisy or double- dealing
may be called Janus- faced or Janus- headed. <strong>The</strong>
word janitor also originated with Janus, alluding
to his role as a guardian or doorkeeper. He gave her
a look that was as chilly as January and strode down the
steps and into the street without so much as a backward
glance.
Jarndyce and Jarndyce A prolonged court case.
<strong>The</strong> allusion is to the seemingly endless legal case
of Jarndyce and Jarndyce that is central to the plot
of the Charles Dickens novel Bleak House (1852–
53). As the case continues, the inheritance that is
being disputed is whittled away to nothing due to
legal fees. Dickens had in mind the real case of
Jennens and Jennens, which lingered on for 80
years before being fi nally decided. <strong>The</strong> case was
threatening to turn into a real Jarndyce and Jarndyce
that could go on for years.
Jason See argonaut.
Jason
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