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

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tabernacle (tabernakbl) A shrine or other place
of worship or by extension any building, cupboard,
etc., in which something precious is preserved.
<strong>The</strong> allusion is to the Tabernacle of the Old Testament,
a portable sanctuary in which God was worshiped
from the time of Moses to Solomon. It is
described in Exodus 25–31 as a large tent (the
Latin word tabernaculum meaning “tent”) divided
by a veil creating the holy of holies (an inner
chamber), and an outer area called the Holy Place;
the whole structure was surrounded by an enclosure.
“Not a soul attended; one of the most anxious
afternoons that he had ever known was spent by
Richard in a vain discussion with Mrs. Hollister,
who strongly contended that the Methodist (her
own) church was the best entitled to and most
deserving of, the possession of the new tabernacle”
(James Fenimore Cooper, <strong>The</strong> Pioneers, 1823).
Tabitha See dorcas society.
table of Pythagoras (pbthagorbs) <strong>The</strong> multiplication
table as represented by a square divided
into 100 squares. <strong>The</strong> multiplication table is traditionally
credited to the Greek mathematician and
phi los o pher Pythagoras (c. 580–c. 500 b.c.). <strong>The</strong>
table of Pythagoras is still in common use in classrooms
around the world.
Taenarum (taynahrbm) A gloomy, ominous place.
Greek legend identifi ed a cave at Taenarum, the
southernmost tip of the Peloponnesus, as one of
the entrances to the underworld. He shuddered at
the thought of being consigned to this melancholy
hole in the ground, gaping like Taenarum, the portal to
Hades.
tail wags the dog, the See wag the dog syndrome.
take a little wine Drink a small amount of wine
to settle the digestion. This proverbial piece of
advice comes from 1 Timothy 5:23, in which Paul
advised Timothy, “Drink no longer water, but use a
little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often
infi rmities.” “Take a little wine,” said the general, offering
to fi ll her glass. “It will do you a world of good.”
take a rain check See rain check.
take for a ride To cheat or swindle someone. <strong>The</strong>
phrase originally meant “to murder someone” and
has its origins in underworld slang of the 1920s,
when gangsters operating in Chicago and other
crime- ridden areas might remove rivals by luring
them into a car and then having them murdered by
an accomplice hidden in the back seat. <strong>The</strong> body
was then driven away and hidden where it was