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

ed herring
398
red herring A false trail; something that is irrelevant
to the issue under consideration. <strong>The</strong> allusion
is to smoked herrings, which turn red and release a
strong odor in the pro cess of being dried, smoked,
and salted. Trails made by smelly red herrings were
traditionally created in order to train police dogs
to follow the scent of a fugitive criminal, and one
ruse used by fl eeing felons was to trick the dogs by
creating a false trail in this way. “On the other hand,
the ‘hero’ label seemed a red herring, something
the media themselves had dreamed up” (Ann Wroe,
Lives, Lies and the Iran- Contra Affair, 1991).
red- letter day A special or auspicious day. <strong>The</strong>
reference is to ecclesiastical calendars in which
important festivals and saints’ days were printed
in red to mark them out from the rest, which were
printed in black. “Finally the couple may be celebrating
a birthday, a wedding anniversary or some
other red- letter day” (M. Holborn and M. Haralambos,
Sociology: <strong>The</strong>mes and Perspectives, 1991).
redneck An ill- educated, narrow- minded, reactionary
bigot. <strong>The</strong> term was fi rst applied to the
impoverished rural poor of the Deep South with
reference to the sunburnt necks of farm laborers
toiling in the fi elds, but it has since been applied
much more widely. “<strong>The</strong> Maggot, Ellen insisted, was
an untoilet- trained redneck jerk whose only expertise
was as a player of the most brutal and mindless
sport to be devised since the lions took on the Christians”
(Bernard Cornwell, Crackdown, 1990).
Red Sea See crossing of the red sea.
Regan See king lear.
rehoboam (reebbobm) A large wine bottle,
equivalent to six standard- sized bottles. It takes
its name from Rehoboam (10th century b.c.), a
son of Solomon, the last king of the united Israel,
and the fi rst king of Judah (1 Kings 11:43). His
name means “expansion of the people.” It has been
many years since anyone ordered a rehoboam of claret at
this par tic u lar restaurant.
Reign of Terror A period when a government or
other or ga ni za tion institutes a clampdown on dissent.
<strong>The</strong> term alludes to a historical episode during
the French Revolution when thousands of real
or imagined enemies of the new French state were
executed. Extending from April 1793 to July
1794, the Reign of Terror saw some 2,300 people
sent to the guillotine in Paris alone on the orders
of the Committee of Public Safety under the leadership
of robespierre. “<strong>The</strong>y instigated a reign of
terror in London’s East End, controlling their
manor with a ruthless disregard for others” (Stuart
Cosgrove, Hampden Babylon, 1991).
Rembrandt (rembrant) Archetype of a great artist.
<strong>The</strong> Dutch artist Rembrandt Harmenszoon van
Rijn (1606–69) is ranked among the fi nest paint ers
in the history of Western art, being acclaimed for
his varied output of portraits, self- portraits, and
landscapes. He handled light and shade with great
inventiveness and dexterity, and his name is associated
with the very greatest achievements in painted
art. I like some of his paintings, but let’s face it, he’s no
Rembrandt.
remember Pearl Harbor See pearl harbor.
remember the Alamo (albmo) A rallying cry,
especially when faced by overwhelming odds.
<strong>The</strong> allusion is to the siege by the Mexican army of
the former Christian mission building called the
Alamo in San Antonio in 1836 during the struggle