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

doubt over this suggestion. “ ‘Kiss me, Hardy,’ giggled
Colin as Rod tried to help him up from the bar- room fl oor.
kiss of Judas See judas.
kiss the Blarney stone To be endowed with the
gift of eloquence. <strong>The</strong> allusion is to the Irish folk
belief that anyone who kisses the Blarney stone (a
limestone block set in the wall of Blarney Castle
near Cork) will become silver- tongued. Kissing
the stone, a tradition that dates from the 18th century,
is no easy feat, as it involves hanging precariously
over a sheer drop. <strong>The</strong> legend has its origins
in the story of Cormac MacDermot MacCarthy,
lord of Blarney, who by making glib promises and
hollow assurances for many years managed to talk
his way out of transferring his allegiance to the
En glish Crown. Blarney has also entered the language
as a word for smooth- talking nonsense.
“ ‘And didn’t we all know you kissed the blarney
stone?’ she whispered back” (Emma Richmond,
Love of My Heart, 1993).
kiss the hem of his garment See hem of his
garment, touch the.
Kit Carson Archetype of a pioneer frontiersman.
Christopher (or Kit) Carson (1809–68) had an
adventurous life as a frontier guide, hunter, trapper,
and explorer. He also participated in the conquest
of California, served as agent of Indian
affairs, and fought on the Confederate side in the
U.S. Civil War. What we need now is a Kit Carson to
show us the way out of these woods.
kitchen cabinet An informal group of advisers,
who may well have more infl uence than their offi -
cial counterparts. <strong>The</strong> expression was fi rst used in
the 19th century in reference to the advisers
knight in shining armor
(including newspapermen and Trea sury offi cials)
who contributed to the decisions made by U.S.
president Andrew Jackson, apart from his offi cial
staff. According to inside sources, top- level policy decisions
are being strongly infl uenced by the views of an
unelected kitchen cabinet.
Kitchener, Lord See your country needs you.
kitchen- sink Denoting a genre of drama, art,
movie- making, etc., that deals with the harsh realities
of ordinary life among the working class. <strong>The</strong>
term itself fi rst appeared in a review written by
David Sylvester in 1954 and was soon being
applied across the cultural landscape. <strong>The</strong> kitchensink
drama emerged as a major new force in British
and U.S. cultural life in the mid- 1950s with
such plays as John Osborne’s Look Back in Anger
(1956) and Arnold Wesker’s <strong>The</strong> Kitchen (1959).
We were fed up with the kitchen- sink dramas that every
management in London was putting on. See also angry
young man; ashcan school.
Klondike (klondik) A source of fabulous, easily
attained wealth. <strong>The</strong> Klondike region of the
Yukon, Canada, was the scene of a gold rush that
began after George Cormack found gold in
Bonanza Creek there on August 17, 1896. Thousands
hurried to the Klondike to make their fortunes
panning gold in the streams of the area;
some succeeded, many did not. <strong>The</strong> Klondike
has since remained synonymous with the
achievement of overnight wealth. “<strong>The</strong> Klondike
and Hollywood had much in common” (John
Parker, <strong>The</strong> Joker’s Wild: Biography of Jack Nicholson,
1991).
knight in shining armor A person who rescues
someone from peril or other diffi culty. <strong>The</strong>
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