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

Nazirite
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Nazirite (nazbrit) A person who is set apart
from the rest of the population because of his or
her religious beliefs. <strong>The</strong> Nazirites, or Nazarites,
are described in the Bible (Numbers 6:2–6) as
individuals who demonstrate their devotion to
God by abstaining from wine, never cutting their
hair, and avoiding contact with dead bodies. Samson
and probably Samuel and John the Baptist
were Nazirites. Today the term may be applied to
those who attempt to keep themselves separate
from the world for religious reasons, especially
if they have an unkempt appearance or long,
untrimmed hair. <strong>The</strong> valley was a refuge for Nazirites
and other outcasts whose presence would not be tolerated
in the surrounding towns and villages.
Neaera (nieerb) A female lover; a sweetheart.
Neaera, a Greek nymph, appears in the writings of
Horace, Tibullus, and Virgil. “Were it not better
done as other use, / To sport with Amaryllis in the
shade, / Or with the tangles of Neaera’s hair?”
(John Milton, Lycidas, 1637).
nebuchadnezzar (nebbkbdnezer, nebybkbdnezer)
A wine bottle with a capacity equivalent to that
of 20 standard bottles (approximately 15 liters).
Nebuchadnezzar II (605–562 b.c.) was the evil
king of Babylon who took the Israelites into captivity
in Babylon, as described in Daniel 1–4 and
2 Kings 24–25. He was punished for his wickedness
by going insane and ended his days grazing
in a fi eld like an animal. <strong>The</strong> adoption of his name
for the wine bottle, the huge size of which refl ects
his own infl ated arrogance, seems to date from
the early 20th century. <strong>The</strong> old gentleman generously
offered to host the occasion, making a note to
himself to ask the wine merchants to provide a nebuchadnezzar
of wine, if such a thing could still be had
in this day and age.
nectar A sugary fl uid produced by fl owers and,
by extension, any exceptionally delicious drink.
In Greek mythology nectar was identifi ed as the
drink of the gods on Olympus and was believed
to confer immortality on those who tasted it.
“He was back in a minute with a big dipperful
of stale brown water which tasted like nectar,
and loosed the jaws of Disko and Tom Platt”
(Rudyard Kipling, Captains Courageous, 1897). See
also ambrosia.
Ned Kelly Archetype of an Australian criminal or
criminally- minded rogue. Ned Kelly (1855–80)
was an Australian bushranger and bandit who was
famous for the suit of homemade armor he wore.
Having killed three policemen in 1878, he was
eventually captured and hanged at Melbourne; his
courage on the scaffold inspired the expression as
game as Ned Kelly. Your father looks like Ned Kelly
in that gray balaclava.
Nefertiti (neferteetee) An archetype of feminine
beauty. Nefertiti was queen of Egypt in the
14th century b.c. and the wife of Akhenaton. Her
beauty is preserved in a celebrated portrait bust.
Her profi le was striking, imperious yet sensual, like some
pale- skinned Nefertiti.
Nelson A brilliant naval commander. <strong>The</strong> British
admiral Horatio Lord Nelson (1758–1805) became
a great national hero when, after many earlier triumphs,
he led the British fl eet to a crushing victory
over the combined French and Spanish fl eets
at Trafalgar in 1805, though losing his own life to a
sniper’s bullet at the height of the confl ict. He was
also well known for his distinctive appearance,
having lost an eye and an arm in battle, and for his
scandalous affair with Lady Emma Hamilton, wife
of a British diplomat. It was a well- executed affair, but