Flashcards: Allusions 31-45 First Semester
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Created by:
theroberts 
on September 15, 2010
Subjects:
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Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 In medias res | in the middle of the action |
| Loaves and fishes | an almost miraculous abundance in the face of seeming scarcity |
| Magnum Opus | greatest work produced by a writer, composer, or other artist |
| Janus | the wisdom and knowledge of a person who sees everything or the two-faced, hypocritical nature or a person |
| Chip on one's shoulder | inclination to be resentful or looking for an excuse to fight |
| Noble savage | person who has not been corrupted by society or civilization |
| Burning bush | medium through which the voice of absolute authority speaks |
| Narcissism | obsessive focus on oneself, particularly one's physical appearance |
| Scheherazade | person who is an excellent storyteller, especially one who is able to keep an audience in suspense |
| Skeleton in the closet | unpleasant or embarrassing things about a person that he or she would prefer to keep hidden from others |
| Fifteen minutes of fame | when someone receives a great deal of media attention for something fairly trivial |
| Let the cat out of the bag/Buy a pig in a poke | to reveal a secret/to buy something sight unseen |
| Lot's wife/Pillar of salt | someone who unwisely chooses to look back once he or she has begun a course of action or someone who disobeys an explicit rule or command |
| Cassandra | someone who predicts disasters or negative results, esp. someone whose predictions are disregarded |
| Catch-22 | an absurd, no-win situation |