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

June
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was renowned for his godly ways. <strong>The</strong> adjective
jumping would appear have become attached purely
for reasons of onomatopoeic appeal. Jumping
Jehoshaphat! <strong>The</strong> building’s on fi re!
June <strong>The</strong> sixth month of the year. June was probably
named after the moon goddess Juno, the wife
and sister of Jupiter and the Roman equivalent of
Hera in Greek mythology. Another theory suggests
the month may have been named in honor of the
Junius family of ancient Rome, from which came
some of the murderers of Julius Caesar (100–44
b.c.). In the conservatory it was as hot as June.
Junoesque ( joonoesk) Regally beautiful. <strong>The</strong>
adjective alludes to Juno, the wife and sister of
Jupiter, who was renowned for her great beauty
and dignity. This stateliness was refl ected in the
adoption of her name as an epithet for the peacock,
sometimes referred to as the Junonian bird. As
Jupiter’s queen she was identifi ed as the guardian
of mortal women and the protector of marriage.
Juno was, however, also well known for her jealous
anger at the faithless behavior of her husband, and
many references to her name in literature relate to
the anger of Juno. “She seldom ran—it did not
suit her style, she thought, for being tall, the stately
and Junoesque was more appropriate than the
sportive or piquante” (Louisa May Alcott, Little
Women, 1868–69). See also money.
Jupiter (joopiter) <strong>The</strong> largest of the planets
and the fi fth from the Sun. In Roman mythology
Jupiter was the king and ruler of the gods, equivalent
of the Greek Zeus. His name literally means
“bright heaven.” “By Jupiter!” exclaimed the col o nel.
“I see what you mean.” See also by jove.
Jurassic Park ( joorasik) Scientifi cally implausible
or outlandish. <strong>The</strong> allusion is to the fi lm
Jurassic Park (1993) and its sequels, in which the
central premise is that it would be possible to
re create living dinosaurs of the Jurassic period by
isolating their DNA from mosquitos preserved in
amber. Although the fi lms were hugely successful,
scientists dismissed the idea as wildly removed
from reality. <strong>The</strong> general opinion was that the whole
theory was a bit “Jurassic Park.”
justifi ed by works See faith without works.
Just William A mischievous or naughty little
boy. <strong>The</strong> allusion is to William Brown, the rambunctious
central character in the Just William
stories (1922–70) of Richmal Crompton (1890–
1969). Crompton’s William is naturally rebellious
and consequently often in trouble, though
never seriously, with his parents and the authorities.
<strong>The</strong> “Just William” tag is also applied more
widely to anything that is reminiscent of
Crompton’s character or his now rather oldfashioned
middle- class world. “He would stand
there, with his Just William cap on and sing—no
movements, just natural, and it made you forget
the world” (Melvyn Bragg, Rich: <strong>The</strong> Life of Richard
Burton, 1989).