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

Parks, Rosa See rosa parks.
Parnassian (pahrnaseebn) Of or relating to
literature, especially poetry. <strong>The</strong> term alludes to
Mount Parnassus, the mountain in central
Greece that was held sacred to Apollo and the
muses, who inspired artistic and creative enterprise.
<strong>The</strong> term came to be particularly associated
with a school of French poets, headed by Charles-
Marie- René Leconte de Lisle, that fl ourished
toward the end of the 19th century. <strong>The</strong> phrase to
climb Parnassus means to write poetry. “Such a
concert of treble voices uttering accents like these
had not been heard since the great Temperance
Festival with the celebrated ‘colation’ in the open
air under the trees of the Parnassian Grove,—as
the place was christened by the young ladies of the
Institute” (Oliver Wendell Holmes, Elsie Venner,
1861).
Parthian shot (pahrtheebn) A parting shot; a
fi nal hostile remark, glance, or gesture made on
departure. <strong>The</strong> expression alludes to the practice
of Parthian archers, who carried on fi ring arrows
behind them even as they retreated. <strong>The</strong> Parthians
were a nomadic Persian race. <strong>The</strong>y developed the
tactic of avoiding a direct confrontation when
outnumbered, instead relying on their skill as
mounted archers to make an impression on their
enemy. As he left he could not resist fi ring one last Parthian
shot at his rival in the form of a taunt about the
latter’s sense of humor.
parting of the Red Sea See crossing of the red
sea.
pas de deux (pa db doo) A relationship in which
the acts of two individuals or parties are intricately
connected. <strong>The</strong> allusion is to ballet, in which the
phrase (which literally means “step for two” in
French) refers to a dance or sequence of steps for
two performers, usually a male and female dancer.
As the elections approached the two sides performed a
pas de deux in the polls, fi rst one party gaining the lead
by a few points, then the other.
pass all understanding To be diffi cult to understand.
<strong>The</strong> phrase is a quotation from Philippians
4:7: “And the peace of God, which passeth all
understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus.” <strong>The</strong> professor’s explanation of
the theory of relativity passed all understanding, and we
understood little more about the subject when he had
fi nished than we did when we came in.
pass by on the other side See good samaritan.
Passchendaele (pashbndayl) A battle in which
the slaughter is on an appalling scale. <strong>The</strong> village of
Passchendaele in western Belgium became, from
July to November 1917, the scene of some of the
bitterest fi ghting on the western front during
World War I. Soldiers involved in the fi ghting had
to endure life and death in a morass of mud; at the
end of the battle (also known as the Third Battle of
ypres) the British, Canadians, and Australians had
lost over 350,000 men, while the Germans had
lost a similar number. <strong>The</strong> battle was bloody but in the
fi nal analysis it was no Passchendaele. See also fl anders;
somme, the.
paternoster A set form of words recited as a
prayer or charm. <strong>The</strong> word comes from the Latin
pater noster (meaning “Our Father”), the opening
words of the Lord’s Prayer and an alternate name
for the recitation, which appears in Matthew 6:9
and Luke 11:2. She recited the rhyme every morning, a
personal paternoster of her own invention.
paternoster
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