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

of 15 and after he achieved power three years
later, wielded im mense infl uence through him,
controlling imperial appointments and ordering
the deaths of po liti cal opponents. Although faithful
in the early years of her marriage in order to
forestall any doubts about the paternity of her
son Britannicus, she subsequently became notorious
for her many sexual conquests, who included
notable po liti cal and military fi gures. She was
eventually undone when rumors of a mock wedding
she had gone through with the consul designate
Gaius Silius reached Claudius, who had her
executed for treason in her own garden. <strong>The</strong>
name has been applied to several individuals
since classical times, notably to Catherine the
Great (1729–96), who was dubbed the Modern
Messalina. “My god,” cried the director, clutching his
temple. “I asked for a Goldilocks, and they’ve sent me
Messalina!”
messiah (mbsīb) Someone who is hailed as a
savior, especially one who has been long awaited.
Derived from the Hebrew word masiah, meaning
“anointed,” it is one of the titles by which Jesus
Christ is often referred to (for example, in Matthew
16:16 and 26:63 and in John 1:41). <strong>The</strong>
name Christ is a translation into Greek of Messiah.
<strong>The</strong> coming of a messiah was predicted by such
Old Testament prophets as Isaiah, Jeremiah, and
Ezekiel, and since biblical times the title has often
been applied to leaders who are expected to
restore the fortunes of a par tic u lar people or other
group. “For a year Vida . . . was healthily vexed by
Carol’s assumption that she was a so cio log i cal
messiah come to save Gopher Prairie” (Sinclair
Lewis, Main Street, 1920).
mess of pottage See sell one’s birthright for
a mess of pottage.
me Tarzan, you Jane See tarzan.
Methuselah See as old as methuselah.
Micawber, Wilkins See wilkins micawber.
Michaelmas (mikblmbs) September 29, marking
the feast of St. Michael the Archangel. Michael
is identifi ed in the Bible as the prince of the
angels, who protected the Jewish people (Daniel
12:1) and led the celestial army against Satan
(Jude 9). Traditionally Michaelmas Day was one
of the four quarter- days upon which various
rents and other payments became due; some
British universities still have a Michaelmas term
in the autumn. <strong>The</strong> Michaelmas term is relatively
short this year.
Michelangelo (mikblanjblo) A brilliantly gifted
artist or sculptor. Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti
Simoni (1475–1564) was hugely admired in
his own time for his unsurpassed artistic creations
and is remembered today as one of the giants of
cultural history. His masterpieces include the statue
of David (1501–04) and the stunning ceiling of the
Sistine Chapel at the Vatican in Rome (1508–12).
He has been called Spain’s Michelangelo. See also
painting the sistine chapel.
mickey fi nn (mikee fi n) A drugged or doctored
drink, the effect of which is to render the drinker
unconscious. <strong>The</strong> original Mickey Finn is said to
have worked as a bartender at the Lone Star and
Palm saloons in Chicago around 1900. He was
profi cient at making up a potion that would have
such an effect, using it to rob customers. An essential
ingredient of a mickey fi nn is allegedly
chlorine. In modern usage the term may also be
applied to anything else that delivers a debilitating,
mickey fi nn
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