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

occupied Eu rope were executed in gas chambers.
Even today, allusions to Auschwitz tend to be
reserved for only the worst similar contexts, such
is the horror associated with its name. Recent rumors
that the regime has discussed building a prison that
could become another Auschwitz are troubling. See also
fi nal solution; holocaust.
Austerlitz (owsterlits, osterlits) An individual’s
greatest success. <strong>The</strong> Battle of Austerlitz was fought
in 1805 between the armies of Napoleonic France
and those of Austria and Rus sia in what is now the
Czech Republic. Napoleon’s crushing victory represented
his greatest military success; although he
did win further victories, it was never surpassed in
scale and completeness by his armies. “<strong>The</strong> sun
came up without a cloud, and shone brightly on
his face. He sprang to his feet and said to Burleson,
as he saluted him: ‘<strong>The</strong> sun of Austerlitz has risen
again.’ ” (Amelia Barr, Remember the Alamo, 1888).
auto- da- fé (otodbfay) A trial, especially one in
which the fi nal outcome is predetermined and
results in a death sentence. Meaning “act of faith”
in Portuguese, the phrase originally described a
ceremony during which offi cials of the Spanish
Inquisition delivered their verdict and sentence on
accused heretics, often ordering their execution at
the stake at the hands of the church authorities.
<strong>The</strong> term is usually applied today to judicial proceedings
that are perceived to be both harsh and
unfair. <strong>The</strong> hearings were nothing more than an autoda-
fé in which the victims were not allowed an opportunity
to be heard.
Autolycus (otolikbs) Archetype of a cunning
thief. Autolycus was identifi ed in Greek mythology
as the son of Hermes and grandfather of
Odysseus and had a reputation as a crafty robber,
being able to change the appearance of the property
he stole. He attempted to refute charges that
he had stolen the cattle of Sisyphus by changing
their color but was undone by the fact that Sisyphus
had marked his cattle under their feet. A
pickpocket named Autolycus is a character in William
Shakespeare’s <strong>The</strong> Winter’s Tale (1609). This
Autolycus was well known by the local police, who had
arrested him on countless occasions in the past for petty
larceny of one form or another.
automatic pi lot An approach to doing something
while not thinking consciously about it or giving it
much attention. <strong>The</strong> allusion is to a device that
allows aircraft and other mechanical systems to be
operated for a time without direct human intervention.
When applied to ways of doing things, it
tends to suggest they are being done in a lazy or
negligent manner. She appeared to be on automatic
pi lot, barely registering the content of the papers she was
signing.
Avalon (avblon) Paradise. It was to Avalon that,
according to Celtic legend, king arthur was carried
by his sister Morgan le Fay when mortally
wounded at the Battle of Camlan. <strong>The</strong> word itself
means “land of apples.” For years many of the party
faithful continued to hope their leader would emerge
from her self- imposed retirement in Avalon to lead them
once more to victory.
avatar (avbtar) <strong>The</strong> embodiment of an idea or
phrase. <strong>The</strong> avatars of Hindu mythology were the
earthly forms in which various deities visited the
human realm. Vishnu himself had ten such avatars,
which included a lion (Narasimha), a boar (Varaha),
and a fi sh (Matsya). Through its policy of investment
and expansion, the company has made itself an avatar of
excellence within the industry.
avatar
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