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

second front Activities begun on a new front to
divide an enemy’s forces. <strong>The</strong> phrase is particularly
associated with the long- awaited Allied invasion of
France in 1944 during World War II, which meant
that Nazi Germany was faced with attacks on two
fronts, in the east against Rus sia and now also in
the west. <strong>The</strong> government opened up a second front on
poverty by shaking up the welfare system.
second mile See go the extra/second mile.
seek and ye shall fi nd Those who make some
effort to get what they want are more likely to
succeed. <strong>The</strong> proverb is of biblical origin, coming
from Matthew 7:7–8, which commends the power
of prayer: “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and
ye shall fi nd; knock, and it shall be opened unto
you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he
that seeketh fi ndeth; and to him that knocketh it
shall be opened.” It can also be found in Luke
11:9–13. Finding the solution to this puzzle will not be
easy, but seek and ye shall fi nd.
see the light To experience a signifi cant revelation;
to realize the truth. <strong>The</strong> allusion is to the
revelation undergone by Saul on the road to
damascus when he was suddenly bathed in a light
from heaven and converted to a follower of Jesus
Christ (Acts 9:1–22). He claimed he saw the light at
college: Before this he was a hardened atheist, but afterwards
he was a devout Christian. “Stonehenge solstice
revellers see the light” (Guardian, June 22, 2001).
see through a glass darkly To glimpse the truth
despite limitations of the senses. <strong>The</strong> quotation is
from 1 Corinthians 13:12: “Now we see through a
glass, darkly; but then face to face.” In its original
biblical context the phrase refers to the imperfect
human understanding of God’s purpose. One day
all knowledge will be complete, but for now we see
through a glass darkly. “Britain seen through a glass
darkly” (Guardian, June 6, 2001).
Seian horse (seebn) A possession that brings its
own er bad luck. <strong>The</strong> allusion is to a fi ne horse that
belonged to the Roman nobleman Cneius Seius.
Seius was put to death on the orders of Mark Antony,
and the horse’s next own er, Cornelius Dolabella,
similarly met a premature end, dying in
battle in Syria. <strong>The</strong> horse then passed to Caius
Cassius, who died a violent death after the Battle
of Philippi (42 b.c.), and it ultimately became the
property of Mark Antony himself, who committed
suicide in 30 b.c. after defeat at Actium. Like the
Seian horse, the jewel seemed to bring its own ers nothing
but bad luck and in some cases even death itself.
seize the day See carpe diem.
sell down the river
Selene (sbleenee) Personifi cation of the Moon.
Selene, the daughter of the Titans Hyperion and
<strong>The</strong>ia and the sister of Helios and Eos, was identifi
ed as the moon goddess in Greek mythology. When
she fell in love with Endymion, a handsome shepherd
boy, Endymion was cast into an eternal sleep
so that Selene would always be able to visit him in
his dreams. Selene cast an eerie glow over the scene, bathing
the dead and the living alike in her cool light.
sell down the river To sacrifi ce someone else’s
interests for the sake of one’s own advantage. <strong>The</strong>
allusion is to the slave trade that once fl ourished
on the Mississippi, which involved slaves being
sent down the river to plantations where conditions
were often much worse. He was a respected
broker until he sold his clients down the river when he
saw the chance of making a killing on the stock market
for himself.
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