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

Rochester, Mr.
404
“From time to time, generally during long, cold
winter months, suffering from wander- lust, I
descend upon my local library like some latter- day
Robinson Crusoe, anxious to return to desert
island life” (Bruce Sandison, Tales of the Loch, 1990).
See also man friday.
Rochester, Mr. See mr. rochester.
Rocke fel ler (rokbfeler) A fabulously rich
tycoon. John D. Rocke fel ler (1839–1937) made
his fortune from oil and became one of the richest
men in the world. He used his wealth to endow
various worthy causes, as did other members of
the family who succeeded to the family fortune in
subsequent years. What we need is a Rocke fel ler to
give us a million or two to get the project started.
Rockwell, Norman See norman rockwell.
rococo (rbkoko) Decorated in a flamboyant,
overblown style. <strong>The</strong> rococo style of architecture
and design was perfected in France during the
reign of Louis XV (1715–74) and was subsequently
taken up by architects and artists throughout
Eu rope. In many respects it was essentially
an embellishment of the earlier baroque style. In
modern usage, the term is sometimes applied
meta phor ical ly to describe things that are grandly
convoluted or exaggerated in some way. “<strong>The</strong>n
in June the honours scandal passed from the
baroque to the rococo stage” (Roy Jenkins, Baldwin,
1988).
Rogers, Buck See buck rogers.
Rogers, Ginger See fred astaire.
Rogers, Roy See roy rogers.
Roland (rolbnd) A hero of exemplary virtue and
courage. Roland and Oliver were two of the 12
paladins who served at the court of the emperor
charlemagne. Roland was Charlemagne’s nephew
and became Oliver’s inseparable friend after the
two fought an evenly matched duel that lasted for
fi ve consecutive days with each matching the other’s
blow, hence the saying a Roland for an Oliver
for “tit for tat” or “a blow for a blow.” <strong>The</strong>
names of Roland and Oliver as a combination are
still sometimes evoked as archetypes of perfect
friends. Both knights died celebrated deaths in
battle after being betrayed to the Saracens at Roncesvalles
in Spain in 778, a last stand immortalized
in the 11th- century French epic poem La Chanson
de Roland. Although faced with vastly superior
odds, Roland, who was also known as “the Christian
<strong>The</strong>seus” and “the Achilles of the West,” stoutly
refused to blow his horn Olivant to summon help
from Charlemagne until it was almost too late.
When he did fi nally blow the horn, Ganelon persuaded
Charlemagne that Roland was merely
hunting deer, and the warriors’ fate was sealed. A
variation of the legend claims that Roland survived
the battle but died some time later of starvation
or thirst while trying to cross the Pyrenees;
hence, if a person is doomed to die like Roland,
he or she faces a similar end. His chivalrous behavior
on this occasion earned him the reputation of a latterday
Roland, although those who knew him better were
inclined to scoff at this. See also childe roland to
the dark tower came; rounceval.
Rolls- Royce Of the highest quality; the best in
its fi eld. <strong>The</strong> Rolls- Royce company, founded in the
United Kingdom in 1906 by Charles Stuart Rolls
(1877–1910) and Frederick Henry Royce (1863–
1933), became celebrated for its expensive, luxurious,
and well- made vehicles, which became a