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

absolutely necessary.” Ockham was the phi los o pher’s
birthplace in Surrey, while the word “razor” is presumed
to refer to the shaving away of unnecessary
detail implicit in the principle itself. A lot of scientifi
c research would benefi t from the application of Ockham’s
razor.
Odd Couple, the An apparently mismatched pair
of people. <strong>The</strong> allusion is to the stage comedy
(1965) and fi lm (1968) <strong>The</strong> Odd Couple by U.S.
playwright Neil Simon. <strong>The</strong> comedy of the piece
arises from the clash of lifestyles between the slovenly
Oscar (played on screen by Walter Matthau)
and the fastidious Felix (played by Jack Lemmon)
when they opt to share an apartment. “ ‘Talk about
the odd couple,’ Cy McCray was saying” ( John
Francombe, Stone Cold, 1990).
O death, where is thy sting? See death, where is
thy sting?
Odessa steps (odesb) A scene of slaughter, especially
of innocents. <strong>The</strong> allusion is to the classic
1925 silent movie Potemkin directed by the Rus sian
director Sergei Eisenstein, the most famous scene
of which depicts the massacring of men, women,
and children on a long fl ight of harbor steps during
the events surrounding the rebellion that took
place on the battleship Potemkin at Odessa in 1905.
With so many shots being fi red the staircase soon looked
like the Odessa steps.
Odin (odin) <strong>The</strong> king of the gods in Scandinavian
mythology and a personifi cation of wisdom.
According to legend Odin (known elsewhere as
Woden, Wodin, or Wotan) achieved his great wisdom
by drinking from the giant Mimir’s well, a
privilege he obtained in exchange for one of his
eyes. Also venerated as the god of war, poetry, and
the dead, he became the husband of Frigga and the
father of Thor and Balder. Her grandfather presided
over the family like some dreadful Odin, dispensing
rewards and punishments according to his own unchallenged
will.
Odysseus (odiseebs) Archetype of the heroic
adventurer. According to Greek legend Odysseus,
also known as Ulysses, was the son of King Laertes
of Ithaca and one of those who sought the hand of
the beautiful Helen and swore to protect her. This
oath led ultimately to the Trojan War, in which Odysseus
played a prominent role. Having helped in the
fi nal victory over the Trojans as one of the warriors
concealed in the wooden horse, he set off back home
to be re united with his wife, Penelope. However,
having offended the gods, he was not allowed to
complete his journey for a full 10 years (see odyssey).
On his return he slaughtered the various suitors
who were trying to claim Penelope and was
re united with his son, Telemachus. It was not long,
however, before he embarked on further wanderings.
His name is now synonymous with the courageous
adventurer, although the Greek poet Homer
and others tended to emphasize his cunning and
even depicted him as wiley and scheming rather than
simply brave. If she was in trouble, he would be her Odysseus,
negotiating all obstacles and traversing all chasms to
rescue her from the dangers that pressed her on all sides.
odyssey (ahdbsee) A lengthy journey or quest,
typically one in which the person concerned has
to overcome many obstacles. <strong>The</strong> word comes
from Homer’s epic poem the Odyssey (c. 700 b.c.),
in which he relates the adventures of the Greek
hero odysseus during the course of the perilous
10- year journey he undertook to return home
after the fall of Troy. “. . . Nick could imagine how
disconcerting his departure must be on the eve of
odyssey
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