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

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