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Item #1--Mythology and Legend

Achilles' Heel

This term is from Greek Mÿhology. According to myth, whenAchilles was a baby, his mother dipped him in the River Styxbecause the waters from this river gave immortality tohumans. His mother held him by his heel, so that was the onlyplace on his body not touched by the water. From then on,Achilles' heel was his one area of vulnerability. Eventually,Achilles was killed during the Trojan War when a poisonedarrow struck his heel.

Today, the term has come to refer to a person's area ofparticular vulnerability.

Examples

Her inability to resist rich desserts was her Achilles' heel,keeping her from losing the ten pounds she wanted to lose.

The politician's desire to be liked by everyone was his Achilles'heel, preventing him from taking a strong stand on any issueand leading to his defeat in the election.

©2004 by Applied Practice, Ltd, Dallas, "IX. All rights reserved.

Item #2ÿLiterature

Pound of Flesh

This phrase comes from Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice. Inthis play, Shylock, a moneylender, agrees to finance a fleet ofships for a young merchant, Antonio. In the contract, Shylockdemands a pound of Antonio's flesh as payment shouldanything happen to the ships. When the ships are lost at sea,Shylock insists that he must have a pound of flesh, as thecontract demanded. Antonio is spared only because of atechnicality: the contract did not say Shylock was entitled toany of Antonio's blood. Thus, he cannot take a pound ofAntonio's flesh unless he can do so bloodlessly, animpossibility.

This phrase is used to describe someone's insistence on beingrepaid, even if the repayment will destroy or harm the debtor.

Examples

"Sure, that initial low rate for a credit card is tempting for acollege freshman, but eventually, the company will want theirpound of flesh when you get over your head in debt."

When I agreed to do my friend's outdoor chores if he wouldlend me some money, I had no way of knowing I would sprainmy ankle the next day. I couldn't believe he demanded hispound of flesh and insisted that I do the work even though Iwas in such pain.

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9Item #3--Language and Idioms

Sacred Cow

In Hinduism, cows are considered to be sacred; thus, cows arenot to :be harmed, and certainly not killed for food. If a cowwanders into a shop, the merchant can only try to lure it outwith food; he is not allowed to interfere with it by prodding orpoking, even if it is breaking everything in his shop.

The idiom "Sacred Cow" refers to something that cannot beintelfered with or harmed in any way.

Examples

Although the square-dancing club never attracts more thanone or two members, it is Ms. Green's sacred cow, and sherefuses to even consider discontinuing the club.

When budget cuts are called for because the company is losingmoney, employees know not to suggest abandoning the annualcompany picnic. That event is a sacred cow as far as thechairman of the board is concerned.

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Item #4---History, Culture, Ideas

Crossing the Rubicon

After defeating the Gauls in the Gallic Wars, Julius Caesarwas ordered home by his enemies in the Senate, so he traveledsouth toward Italy. The Rubicon was the river forming thenorthern boundary of Italy. By Roman law, a general wasforbidden from crossing into Italy with an army. Nevertheless,Caesar led his army across the river, making civil warinevitable. After Caesar crossed the Rubicon, there was noturning back for him and his troops.

To cross the Rubicon is to take an irreversible step, ofteninvolving some danger.

Examples

When I told my boss exactly what I thought of her, I knew Ihad crossed the Rubicon and would soon be seekingemployment elsewhere.

When we announced our intention to be the state champions,the members of our team felt we had crossed the Rubicon andthat all our efforts would need to be directed toward havingour best season ever.

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Item #5--The Bible

Pearls before Swine

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesu___._ss admonished his followersto "cast not your pearls before swine." That is, his followerswere to deliver their message to thosewho would appreciate it,notto those incapable of appreciating something of value.Swine, or pigs, would be unable to appreciate pearls if the

jewels were given to them.

To "cast one's pearls before swine" is to offer something

precious to someone, or a group of people, unable to appreciatethe value of what they are being given.

Examples

When he makes a profound point that we students just do notunderstand, our teacher sometimes shakes his head andmutters, "Pearls before swine."

I gave my sister a rare, expensive first edition of To Kill aMockingbird, and she simply said, "I've already read thatbook." I realized I was casting my pearls before swine.

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Item #6--Language and Idioms

Once in a Blue Moon

A "blue moon" is a second full moon within the same calendarmonth, a phenomenon that occurs approximately every three

. It is thought that calendar makers traditionallypictured the first full moon in red and a second full moon inthe same month in blue.

This phrase describes something that occurs rely rarely.

Examples

Once in a blue moon, a candidate comes along who genuinelyseems to care about his or constituents more than about

advancing his or her own career.

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I almost always turn in my homework on time, but once in ablue moon I get lazy and decide to take the consequences ofskipping an assignment.

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-Item #7ÿLiterature

Mrs. Grundy

In Speed the Plough, a 1798 ÿ by Thomas Morton, Mrs.Grundy is a character who never appears on stage. However,other characters frequently ask, "What would Mrs. Grundy

Mrs. Grundy is a narrow-minded, conventional prudish

person.

The word "Grundyism" and the phrase ",Mrs. Grundy" refer

to such an attitude of narrow-minded prudishness.

Examoles

My mother said, "At the risk of being a Mrs. Grundy, I reallydon't think you should go out in public in that outfit."

Interviewed about his controversial new film which wasbanned in several cities, the director said that he had expectedGrundyism from those who were not able to appreciate thedeeper, underlying message of the f'dm.

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Crocodile Tears

Crocodiles were once thought to shed large tears beforedevouring their prey. This belief, which dates to ancient times,comes from the fact that crocodiles have small ducts in thecorner of their eyes which release "tears" when the crocodileopens its jaws wide. Obviously, a cold-blooded reptile has noreal feelings of sympathy for its prey.

Thus, to shed crocodile tears is to show false sympathy forSOllleoHe.

Examples

The villain in the play shed crocodile tears for the hero, but theaudience knew that the hero's downfall was directly caused bythe villain's trickery.

@2004 by Applied Practice, Ltd, Dallas, TX. All rights reserved.16

Although Judy shed crocodile tears for Maria when Maria waspassed over for the promotion, it was apparent that Maria'sloss was seen by Judy as an opportunity to advance her ownposition in the company.

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Sirens

In Greek mvtholoÿ, Sirens were sea creatures who luredSailors to their deaths on the rocky shores by singing abeautiful, irresistible sonÿ. They are usually depicted aswomen, or as half-woman, half bird.

In modern usage, "sirens" can refer to anything that tempts a

person away fi'om safety and toward a destructive path. A "sirensong" is the temptation used to lure a person.

In his Speech in the Virginia Convention, Patrick Henry urgedhis listeners not to be fooled by an "illusion of hope," saying,"We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listento the song of that siren, till she transforms us into beasts." Heis comparing false hope both to the sirens and to Circe, who

turned Odysseus' men into swine.

I had intended to stay home and study for finals, but the sirensong of my friends describing all the fun we could have at the

lake was too much for me to resist.

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Under English Common Law, an unruly crowd had to be readthe Riot Act before action could be taken, to force them todisperse.

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Read the Riot Act

Item #10--History, Culture, Ideas

To "read the riot act" is to issue a stern warning that ifunacceptable behavior does not cease, severe consequences willfollow.

Examples

After asking us to be quiet several times, my father stormedupstairs and read us the riot act. After this, we knew it wasreally time to go to sleep.

Upset over his colleagues' refusal to take action on the issue,the senator read the riot act to the assembly, reminding themthat their inaction would likely cost their party the nextelection.

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Item #11--The Bible

k Thirty Pieces of Silver/Betrayed with a Kiss

In the Bible, Judas Iscariot was the disciple who agreed tobetray Jesus to the authorities in exchange for payment. Thethirty pieces of silver were the price of Judas' betrayal. Theway Judas identified Jesus for the authorities was to approachJesus and greet him with a kiss of identification.

"Thirty pieces of silver" refers to payment received for an act oftreachely. "Betrayed with a kiss" refers to a supposedfi'iend's

treachely.

Examples

Patrick Henry warned his listeners about the supposedfriendliness of the British. He warned, "Suffer not yourselvesto be betrayed with a kiss."

When the city council member abruptly changed his vote tosupport the wealthy developer's controversial project, some ofhis colleagues muttered that he undoubtedly would receive histhirty pieces of silver from the developer.

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Gordian Knot

According to ÿ, Gordius was a Greek king. He tied anextremely complex knot, and an orac prophesied thatwhoever untied it would rule all of Asia. Alexander the Great"untied" the knot simply by cutting through it with his sword.

A "Gordian knot" is any extremely complex problem, and"cutting the Gordian knot" refers to solving such a problem in

a quick, decisive manne1:

Each year, school counselors face the Gordian knot ofscheduling classes so that teachers will have reasonable classsizes and students will have the opportunity to take the classes

they need.

The councilwoman cut the Gordian knot of which of the twoworthy programs would have to be eliminated when sheproposed a money-saving strategy that would enable both

programs to continue.

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Ivory Tower

A French op..0ÿ, Alfred deVigny, was said to have shut himselfin an ivory tower so that he could compose his poems.Furthermore "ivorytowers" are mentioned in various18th.century fairy tales. The term thus refers to a beautiful,unreachable place. It has come to have negative connotationsof being out of touch with reality.

A person who is secluded orprotectedf!'om the real world andthus out of touch with reality is said to be residing in an "ivory

tower."

Example_s

The engineers feared that the leaders of the company, sitting intheir ivory tower, did not understand why the people in thefield needed increased resources to insure the new bridge truly

would be safe.

In his ivory tower, the chancellor was unaware of the growingpolitical protests occurring on the college campus. He stillbelieved fraternity-house pranks were the most seriousproblem facing the university.

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This is a proverb derived from a Latin translation of Aristotle.The proverb read, "Do not hold as gold all that shines as gold."In other words, just because something looks like gold, oneshould not assume that it actually is gold.

Examples

When I expressed envy for the superstar who seemed to haveeverything, my friend simply said, "Remember, all thatglitters "

Pyrite, a yellow, metallic substance, is also known as "fool'sgold." It provides a concrete example of the truth that "allthat glitters is not gold." Many people, not remembering thisproverb, have been fooled into thinking they have found the

real thing.

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The message of the proverb is that something which appearsvaluable on the outside, may in fact be less than valuable.Appearances can be deceptive.

All that Glitters is not Gold

Item #14---Language and Idioms

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Item #15ÿLiterature

Sound and Fury

In Shakespeare's Macbeth, when Macbeth is informed that hiswife has died, he speaks of the inevitability of death:

Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,And then is heard no more. It is a taleTold by an idiot, full of sound and fury,Siÿnifyinÿ nothing.

Thus, the phrase "sound and fury" refers to a great,tumultuous, and passionate uproar that actually is unimportantor meaningless.

Examples

In the 1980s, the media hyped the "great event" of GeraldoRivera's opening of AI Capone's vault, and the networkpromoted the live broadcast of the event. When the vault wasopened and found to be completely empty, it became obviousthat all the build up was no more than sound and fury.

The "Y2K" hysteria leading up to the turn of the millenniumturned out to be just so much sound and fury.

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Item #1ÿLanguage and Idioms

Stealing Someone's Thunder

In the seventeenth century, ÿ John Dennis inventedthe sound effect of rattlinR a sheet of tin to mimic thunder. Heused this effect in one of his own plays, and the play wasdenounced by other playwrights and critics. However, hissound effect was ÿ. Frustrated, Dennis proclaimedthat his rivals would not accept his play but were happy to"steal my thunder."

To "steal someone's thunder" is either to take credit for the ideaof another or to lessen the effect of another's idea by suggestingthe same idea first.

Examples

After Jeffrey proposed his money-saving idea to his boss, hewas astonished that the boss stole his thunder and presentedthe idea to the board as if the boss had thought of it himself.

The principal was anxious to see the gleeful reaction when sheannounced the pay raise to the teachers the next day, but herthunder was stolen when news of the raise appeared in themorning paper.

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Item #2lHistory, Culture, and Ideas

Witch Hunt

In 1692, in Salem, Massachusetts, hysteria about supposedwitches led to the arrest of many people, and the execution oftwenty. Often, the accused were simply social outcasts andwere convicted on flimsy evidence that could neither be provednor disproved.

A "witch hunt" refers to a campaign against aparticular groupofpeople, often those holding unorthodox opinions or behavingin an unconventional manner.

Examples

The McCarthy hearings during the 1950s are often describedas a witch hunt because a national hysteria arose aboutpeople's supposed connections to the Communist Party, andmuch of the evidence accepted as truth was mere hearsay.

Despite denials by athletes and repeated testing for bannedsubstances, some sports writers continue the witch hunt. Thewriters assume that any athlete who excels dramatically mustbe cheating in some manner, even when all evidence indicatesthat there has been no wrongdoing.

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Throw Down the Gauntlet

In the days of knighthood and chivalry, if a knight wanted tochallenge another knight to a duel, he would throw down his

, or "gauntlet." If the challenged knight picked upthe gauntlet, this indicated that he had accepted the challenge.

"Throwing down the gauntlet" refers to issuing a challenge,especially issuing that challenge in a dramatic manner.

Examples

Karen and Amy, both sprinters, argued continuously aboutwho would do better at longer distances. Finally, Amy threwdown the gauntlet and challenged Karen to a two-mile race.

Our parents threw down the gauntlet, offering fifty dollars toany of us who could go an entire week without watchingtelevision or playing video games.

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The Muses

In Greek mythology, the Muses were nine goddesses whopresided over the arts. They gave inspiration to mortals.Typically, an ÿ begins with an invocation to the Muse, inwhich the poet asks the Muses to inspire him as he writes orsings his story.

It is common for fashion designers to select a particularwoman as a Muse, keeping her in mind as he or she designs anew line of clothing.

I really felt I needed to work on the song I am writing thisweekend, but it seemed the Muse had abandoned me. Icouldn't seem to make any progress at all.

Examples

Today, a "Muse" is someone's source of inspiration, especiallyin artistic, creative endeavors.

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Item #5--Literature

• Kafl aesque

Franz Kaflÿa (1883-1924) was a Czech, German-spealdngwriter, whose works often dealt with surreal, anxietylÿroducing situations. For example, in The Metamorphosis, themain character awakens to discover that he has beentransformed into a giant cockroach.

The adjective "Kafkaesque," refers to a situation or experiencethat is bizarre, surreal, or anxiety-producing.

Examples

At the amusement park, we walked across a platform that wascompletely stationary, but the circular walls were rotatingaround the platform. This produced a Kafkaesque feeling thatI was falling, and I had to close my eyes in order to walksteadily across the platform.

When we traveled to Greece last summer, it was Kafkaesquenot being able to read any of the signs on the road or even torecognize the alphabet in which they were written,

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Item #6--The Bible

Tower of Babel

According to the Book of Genesis, Noah's descendants decidedto build a tower that would reach Heaven itself. Concernedthat mankind was becoming too powerful, God decided tointroduce different languages so that the people could notunderstand each other and thus could not complete the tower.

"Tower of Babel" or simply "Babel" can refer to any noisyconfusion. This confusion may or may not be caused by thepresence of different languages.

Examples

It was like Babel on the first day of summer camp, with friendswho hadn't seen each other for a year reuniting and seeminglyall talMng at once.

When the delegates from all the different nations arrived forthe conference, the lobby sounded like the original Tower ofBabel.


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Item #7ÿLiterature

Pollyanna

Pollyanna is a character in children's stories written byEleanor H. Porter. She is a little girl who teaches everyone shemeets to play the "glad game," a game in which a person triesto find something to be glad about in any situation, no matterhow bad the situation is.

A "Pollyanna" has come to refer to someone who is unusuallyoptimistic and always lookbÿg at the bright side. The term oftenhas connotations of being excessively cheerful and nai've.

Examples

I hate to sound like a Pollyanna, but I think maybe it's a goodthing you lost your job. I believe now you will have theopportunity to find a position that will be more fulfilling foryou.

The mayor must be living in some Pollyanna dream world if he' (Ithinks the city is getting, better and better under his leadership.

Almost every problem the city faces has worsened since he tookoffice.

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Item #8--History, Culture, and Ideas

Pavlov's Dogs/Pavlovian

Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936) was a Russian scientist best known forhis research on conditioned res op_gnse. In his experiments,Pavlov rang a bell while presenting food to dogs. Seeing thefood caused the dogs to salivate. Eventually, even without thefood, when Pavlov rang the bell, the dogs would automatically_hÿin to salivate because they had been conditioned toassociate the bell with food.

"Pavlov's dogs" is a phrase that refers to someone whoautomatically oi" instinctively responds to or obeys a signal Theadjective "Pavlovian" refers to such an automatic, unthinkingresponse.

Examples

When the bell rang, the students, like Pavlov's dogs, beganpacldng up their books as if the class was over even though theclass had only been in progress for ten minutes.

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Many people, in a Pavlonian response, head to the refrigeratorthe minute a television commercial comes on.

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Bedlam

"Bedlam" was the popular nickname for London'sSt. Mary of Bethlehem, a mental hospital founded in thefourteenth century. Because the patients were simply housedthere with little treatment, they tended to wander the hallstalldng to themselves or screaming and fighting with eachother.

"Bedlam" has come to mean wildly chaotic or extremelyraucous and noisy.

It is bedlam in the halls after the final bell rings on the last dayof school before summer vacation.

My parents came home expecting to find bedlam after they leftus alone for the weekend, but they were surprised to find thehouse even nearer and cleaner than it was before they lefttown.

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Item #10raThe Bible

TheHandwriting on the Wall

According to the Book of Daniel, Belshazzar, the King ofBabylon, gave a great banquet, at which the guests praised thegods of silver, gold, bronze, wood, iron, and stone. Suddenly, ahuman hand a_p_peared and wrote mysterious words on thewall. Daniel translated the writing, saying it prophesied thatBelshazzar's re_r_Ogn was over. That night, the king was lolled.

The phrase "handwriting on the wall" refers to an indicationthat doom or misfortune is coming.

Examples

I took my boss's suggestion that I might want to start updatingmy resum6 to be the handwriting on the wall; I knew itwouldn't be long until my job, like many others in ourcompany, would be cut.

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I was completely shocked when my boyfriend broke up withme, but my friends said I should have seen the handwriting onthe wall when he kept "forgetting" to call me and began tospend all his free time with his buddies.

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Item #1 lÿLiterature

Albatross Around One's Neck

In "The Rime of the Ancient Marinerÿ" a poem by SamuelTaylor Coleridge, a sailor shoots an albatross, a birdconsidered to be a good omen. As punishment, the sailor isforced to wear the carcass of the albatross around his neck.

An "albatross around a person's neck" is a burdensome,ongoing problem.

Examples

Although we have an outstanding basketball team, our biggestrival continues to be the albatross around our necks. Wehaven't won a game against them in over three years.

Although credit cards are convenient, the temptation tooverspend can be great, and before you know it, you have analbatross around your neck with debt that is seeminglyimpossible to pay off.


Item #12mMythology and Legend

Prometheus/Promethean

In Greek mythology, Prometheus was a demigod known for hiscunning. Having been tricked by Prometheus, Zeus withheldfire from manldnd. In response, Prometheus went to Mount

and stole some fire, which he gave to man. Zeuspunished him by chaininR him to a rock; each day an eaglecame and ate out his liver, which grew back each night. He waseventually rescued by Hercules.

Prometheus represents valiant resistance to authority orrebellion against the established order of the universe. Theadjective "Promethean" refers to an act of such resistance.

Examples

In one of his novels, Thomas Hardy calls lighting a fire inwinter a Promethean act, in which man tries to rebel againstthe approaching cold.

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The subtitle of Frankenstein is "The Modern Prometheus"because Victor Frankenstein dares to overstep the bounds ofnature and create life.

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Item #13ÿHistory, Culture, and Ideas

Juggernaut

"Juggernaut" is the name of a Hindu deiÿ. His image iscarried in an annual procession on a large cart. According tolegend, devotees threw themselves in front of the cart and werecrushed, believing this guaranteed immediate entry toParadise.

A "juggernaut" is any force, especially a destructive force, thatdefies opposition.

Examples

Some people see technology as a juggernaut that has takenover our lives; we are so much at its mercy that whencomputers go down, we are practically helpless.

The candidate raised so much money, in addition to thepersonal wealth he already possessed, that his campaignbecame a juggernaut, and no one had a chance of defeatinghim.

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Item #14mLanguage and Idioms

Red Herring

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There are several explanations for the origin of this phrase. Aherring is a fish, and when it is "cured," or smoked and salted,it turns red and has a very strong, pungent smell. Oneexplanation is that British fugitives in the 1800s would drag ared herring across their trail, thus confusinÿ the hounds anddivertinÿ them from following the convicts' scents. Anotherexplanation is that red herrings were dragged across theground to train hunting dogs to follow a scent, and later wereused to throw the doÿs off the trail and thus prolong a foxhunt.A variation of this explanation is that poachers used theherrings to divert hunting dogs so that they could get the gamefor themselves.

In any case, the phrase "red herring" refers to divertingsomeone onto a false trail or distracting a personfi'om the trueISS IIe.

Examples

Asked about her stance on raising taxes, the candidate beganto speak about her opponent's record on childcare issues.Obviously, this was a red herring, and the reporter did not lether get away with it.

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The detectives were hopeful when they found fingerprints onthe windowsill, but this turned out to be a red herring; theprints belonged to the window washer.

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Item #15ÿThe Bible

Pharisees/Pharisaical

The Pharisees were a Jewish sect that insisted on strictadherence to written law. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees oftenfor being outwardly pious but inwardly corrupt, onlyobserving the law to impress others, but having no true mercyor love for others.

A "Pharisee" is a hypocrite who upholds the letter of the law, butnot its spirit. The adjective "Pharisaical" refers to ahypocritical act.

Examples

It seemed the actor's commitment to charitable causes wassomewhat Pharisaical because he would not attend an eventunless he was assured the media would be there.

Only a Pharisee would want to prosecute the woman forstealing food that was intended for the trash bin when herchildren were in danger of starving.

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Item #16--Literature

Sour Grapes

In "The Fox and the Grapes," a fable by Aesop, a fox tries overand over again to reach some grapes dangling from a vineabove him. He finally gives up and mutters that the grapeswere probably sour anywaE, so they would not be worthhaving.

"Sour grapes" refers to the attitude of a person who has beendisappointed or thwarted. The person bitterly rationalizes thatwhat he or she had wanted was probably not so great after all.

Examples

After losing the race for class president, Robert said he wasglad he didn't win because the job would have taken up toomuch of his time, but I think that was just sour grapes.

Karen displayed a major case of sour grapes when she wasgrounded and thus could not go on our long-awaited campingtrip. She kept telling us that all we had to look forward to wasinsects and miserable weather and that she was relieved not tobe going.

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Sold Down the River

In nineteenth-century America, during the days of slaverE,sometimes wealthy homeowners would sell their house servantsto plantation owners in the South. Thus, the servants were"sold down the (Mississi_p_p_ÿ river." The life of a house servantwas far more pleasant than the life of a slave on a plantation,so the sold servants would naturally feel betrayed. InAdventures of HueMeberly Finn, the reason Jim runs awayfrom Miss Watson is that he overhears her discussing sellinghim down the river.

To be "sold down the river" is to be betrayed or misled,especially by someone trusted.

Examples

The owner of the pro football team promised the local fans thathe would never move the team to a different city; however, onemorning the fans opened the paper only to discover they hadbeen sold down the river: the team was moving.

I felt my friend sold me down the river when she decided toaudition for the part she knew I was dying to have.

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Item #18mMythology and Legend

Nemesis

Nemesis was the Greek goddess of vengeance and retribution.She punished people for wrongdoing, especially for excessivepride.

A person's "nemesis" is that which causes his or her downfall,or the term can refer to the downfall itself.

Examples

The cyclist considered that particular stretch of mountain to behis nemesis, costing him a racing victory year after year.

When the new student stood up to the school bully who hadeveryone else terrified, the word spread quicldy that the bullyhad finally met his nemesis.

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Pyrrhic Victory

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Pyrrhus was a general in ancient Greece. After defeatin tg_tÿRlomans in a battle in which he suffered ÿreat losses, Pyrrhustold those who wanted to congratulate him on his victory,"Such another victory and we are ruined."

A "Pyrrhic .victory" is one in which the winner's victoly comesat such a great expense that it is scarcely better than losing.

Examples

Yes, he finally made it to the top of the company, but it was aPyrrhic victory. His total focus on his job over the past yearshad led to the end his marriage, alienated many of his friends,and caused several stress-related health problems.

The homecoming win was a Pyrrhic victory because severalkey players were injured and will probably be out for the restof the season.

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Item #20mLanguage and Idioms

.... Flash in the Pan

Flintlock rifles had an jÿnition pan containing gunpowder. Ifthe powder in the pan lit but the propelling charge was not lit,there was a flash in the pan, but the gun did not fire.

A "flash in the pan" is something or someone that initiallyshows greatpromise but soon fails to meet expectations.

Examples

The first episode of the new television series was praised bycritics, and viewers reacted with great enthusiasm. However,the show turned out to be a flash in the pan; subsequentepisodes were completely disappointing.

@2004 by Applied Practice, Ltd, Dallas, TX, All rights reserved.28

Commentators speculated that the roolde's incredibleperformance in the first game of the season was merely a flashin the pan, but he proved them wrong by being a top scorerthroughout the season.

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Item #21ÿThe Bible

Scapegoat

According to the Book of Leviticus, each year on theAtonement, a priest would symbolically place the sins of theIsraelites on a ogg_ÿt and then send it out into the wilderness,taldng the sins of the people with it.

A scapegoat is aperson who is blamed orpunishedfor someoneelse's misdeeds. At times an entire group or race can become ascapegoat, such as the Jews during the Holocaust.

Examples

In Fahrenheit 451, when the police fail to capture Montag, theyturn their attention to the pursuit of an innocent man, maltinghim the scapegoat for Montag's illegal possession of books.

The assistant coach became the scapegoat for the team's poorperformance, losing his position even though he really hadvery little to do with the team's losing record.


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Don Quixote/Quixotic/Tilting at Windmills

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Don Quixote is a romance written in the 1600s by Miguel deCervantes. The hero, Don Quixote, loses his wits from readingtoo many romances, and he sets off on his ownadventures, accompanied by his sideldck, Sancho Panza. Thetwo have various comic adventures. In one of the most famous,Don Quixote attacks a group of windmills, believing them to begiants. (This is referred to as tiltinÿ at windmills).

To be a "Don Quixote," or to be "quixotic" is to be foolishly orimpractically idealistic. "Tilting at windmills" refers to a naiveattempt to be heroic.

Examples

Fresh out of law school, I believed I could single-handedlyright all the wrongs in our criminal justice system. I finallyrealized I was being quixotic.

In our two-party democratic system, independent candidatesare often considered to be tilting at windmills when they try tochallenge the solidly entrenched Republicans and Democrats.


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Benedict Arnold

A military leader during the American Revolutiom BenedictArnold served with distinction, but later became traitorous.Needing money and resenting the promotions of others, Arnoldagreed to surrender a key fort to the British in exchange for aBritish military commission and a monetary payment. Whenan envoy carrying messages between Arnold and the Britishwas captured, Arnold's plot was revealed. He escaped to theBritish, and lived the rest of his life in Britain.

A "Benedict Arnold" is a traitor.

Examples

My sisters called me Benedict Arnold when I decided to attendcollege at the biggest rival of the college they and my parentshad attended.

Some people seem unable to see the difference betweenhonestly questioning an action taken by the government andbeing a virtual Benedict Arnold.


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Delphic Oracle

In ancient Greece, Delphi was the location of the Temple ofApollo. People came to this temple, the site of Greece's mostfamous oracle, with all ldnds of questions, and Apollo'spriestess would go into a trance and deliver the answers.answers were difficult to interpret and riddle-like.

A "Delphic" prediction or message is one that is ambiguousand difficult to interpret.

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Examples

The economist's warnings were so Delphic that his listeners leftthe meeting knowing that hard times were ahead but not reallyunderstanding the nature of the economy's problems or whatsteps should be taken to address those problems.

Lorraine had a flair for the dramatic; she liked to announcepuzzling but shocldng predictions as if she were the Oracle atDelphi.


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Over a Barrel

In the past, when someone was rescued from drowning, he orshe would be held over a barrel so that the water could drainfrom the lungs. The person rescued was totally dependent onthe rescuers.

Someone is said to be "over a barrel" when he or she is unableto act independently and must do the bidding of someone else.

Examples

I had to do my brother's chores for him because he had meover a barrel. I knew if I refused, there was no way he wouldlet me use his car on Saturday.

Because I had applied for a promotion, my boss knew she hadme over a barrel when she asked me to organize the companypicnic.


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Item #26--The Bible

Shibboleth

This is a Hebrew word for an ear of corn. In the OldTestament, the Israelites used this as a p_assword to preventtheir enemies, who mispronounced the word "sibboleth," frominfiltrating their camp.

A "shibboleth" has come to mean a slogan or catchword usedby, or associated with, a particular party, group, or sect.

Examples

The shibboleth of that political party seems to be "No newtaxes for any reason."

The students' use of several slang terms confused the teacher;clearly, they had their own shibboleths that excluded anyoneover the age of eighteen.


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Doublespeak

In his novel ÿe Orwell used the term "doublespeak"to refer to a type of ÿ practiced by the state in whichlanguage is used ambiguously. For instance, the DefenseDepartment was called the "Ministry of Peace."

"Doublespeak" refers to the deliberate use of evasive orambiguous language.

Examples

In the 1980s, many people considered the use of the term"peacekeepers" in referring to nuclear weapons to be anexample of doublespeak.

In classic doublespeak, the candidate said the fact that hisopponent had no scandals in his background was proof that hisopponent was excellent at hiding scandals and thus was not tobe trusted.


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Murphy's Law

This ÿ, originating in the 1940s, is as follows: "Ifanything can go wrong, it will."

People often cite "Murphy's Law" when something goes wrongand there is a sense of inevitability about it.

Examples

After five beautiful, sunny days in a row, of course Murphy'sLaw locked in the day of the picnic, and we were forced tocancel it because of thunderstorms.

When I said I wanted everything to be perfect for our surpriseanniversary party for our parents, my sister, the pessimist,replied, "Remember Murphy's Law."


4 Item #29ÿMythology and Legend

Medusa

The most famous of the org.9_Egpÿ, three sisters in Greekmythology who had snakes for hair and who turned anyonewho looked at them to stone.

"Medusa" refers to a repulsive or terrifying woman. The termis also applied to extraordinarily wild, unruly hail:

Examples

I kept my nose in my book throughout the three-hourdetention, knowing the Medusa at the desk in the front of theroom would turn me to stone if I so much as looked up.

After being caught in the rainstorm, I looked in the mirror andwas horrified to see Medusa staring back at me.

©2004 by Applied Practice, Ltd, Dallas, TX. All rights reserved. 37I


Hoist with one's own petard

A petard was a weapon used in medieval warfare. It was abell-shaped object that was filled with ÿunpowder and thenhoisted, or lifted, onto gates or walls to blow them up. If thepetard exploded prematurely the person using it would beblown up, or "hoist with his own petard."

This phrase refers to being caught in one's own trap or beatenat one's own game.

Examples

In the "Roadrunner" cartoons, Wile E. Coyote was oftenhoisted with his own petard when the traps he had set for theroadrunner backfired and worked on himself instead.

When the swindler opened the case to find useless papers and anote from the con man who had handed over the "money" tohim, he realized he had been hoisted with his own petard.


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Item #3 lÿThe Bible

Philistines/Philistinism

In the Old Testament, the Philistines were enemies of theIsraelites. In a famous biblical story, David successfully foughtthe giant Philistine warriorÿ Goliath.

In modern usage, "philistine" refers to a person with noappreciation for culture and whose tastes are commonplace.Such an attitude is referred to as "philistinism."

Examples

Sandra was pleasantly surprised when her boyfriend surprisedher with tickets to the opera; she often teased him about beinga philistine whose idea of culture was an evening of watchingwrestling on television.

The artist was appalled at the philistinism of those attendinghis gallery show; rather than appreciating his work, many ofthem seemed most concerned about whether a particularpainting would match their sofa.


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Faust/Faustian Bargain

Faust is the subj ect of plays by Christopher Marlowe, (Dr.and Goethe, (Faust). In both dramas, Faust strikes a

bargain with Mephistopheles, or the devil. In Marlowe's play,Faust sells his soul in exchange for twenty-four years in whichhe can have everything he desires. In Goethe's version, Faustbecomes the servant of Mephistopheles, again in exchange forhaving all his desires fulfilled. In both cases, Faust spendsmuch of his time in ÿ.

A Faustian bargain refers to sacrificing one's self or one'svalues in exchange for getting what one desires, often materialwealth.

Examples

In the famous Chicago Black Sox scandal of 1919, some of thebaseball players struck a Faustian bargain with gamblers,agreeing to lose the World Series intentionally in exchange fora monetary payoff.

The film director felt like Faust when the studio told him theywould not release his film unless he changed the ending to ahappy one that audiences would prefer. He had to decidewhether to sacrifice his artistic integrity for the sake of thefortune he knew the movie would bring him.

4O ©2004 by Applied Practice, Ltd, Dallas, TX. All rights reserved.

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Coals to Newcastle

Newcastle is a coal-mininÿ city in northern England."carrying coals to Newcastle" would be completelysuperfluous.

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This phrase refers to giving a supelfluous gift or making acontribution that is gratuitous and unnecessaly.

Examples

Although putting one more pair of shoes in her closet was likecarrying coals to Newcastle, Veronica could not resist the sale,and she ended up buying three new pairs.

When I saw her kitchen shelf overflowing with seemingly everycookbook ever written, I realized that the hostess gift I hadbrought her was a case of coals to Newcastle.

©2004 by Applied Practice, Ltd, Dallas, TX, All rights reserved, 41

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Freudian Slip

SAKmund Freud was an Austrian p_h_yh sician andpsychotherapist whose work centered around the role of thesubconscious mind in human behavior. The term "Freudianslip" comes from Freud.

A "Freudian slip" is an unintentional or accidental error, eitherin speech or action that apparently reveals one's subconsciousthoughts or desires.

Examples

In an old cartoon in The New Yorker magazine, a king sits onhis throne and, when the queen enters the room, says, "Goodmorning beheaded, er... beloved!" Of course, the readerrecognizes this as a Freudian slip.

The teacher realized that forgetting to bring home the stack ofpapers to grade was probably a Freudian slip resulting fromher desire to have a weekend to devote solely to relaxation.


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Item #35ÿMythology and Legend

Sisyphus/Sisyphean

In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was a long who offended Zeus.His punishment was to spend eternity in Hades, roiling a ÿiantboulder up a hill. Each time the boulder neared the top, itwould roll back down to the bottom, and Sisyphus had to star__ÿthis task over.

A seemingly endless, perhaps futile task can be referred to as a"labor of Sisyphus" or as "Sisyphean."

Examples

Painting the Golden Gate bridge is a Sisyphean task. Once thebridge is completely painted, it is time to begin painting itagain at the beginning, so the painting never ends.

My mother did not buy my argument that malting my bed eachmorning was basically a labor of Sisyphus since the bed wasonly going to be unmade again each eveningÿand thattherefore I should not be expected to do it.


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Item #36wThe Bible

Methuselah

Methuselah is the oldest of the patriarchs in the Bible. Helived to be 969 years old.

The term "Methuselah" has come to be used proverbially torefer to an extremely oldperson.

Examples

From the teenagers' point of view, it was ridiculous that onlythirty-five-year-old Methuselahs could afford the sports carsthey would love to be driving.

If I live to be as old as Methuselah, I will never understandhow that horrible film was nominated for an Academy Award.


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Item #37ÿMythology and Legend

' Scylla and Charybdis

In Greek mythology, Scylla was a many-headed sea monster,living in a cave on one side of a narrow strait. Charybdis was awhirlpool on the opposite side of the strait. Sailors, includingOdysseus and Jason, had to steer their ships very carefullybetween the two in order to avoid being a victim of one or theother.

"Between Scylla and Charybdis" means to be caught betweentwo equal dangers in which avoiding one means getting closer tothe other. The phrase has the same meaning as "between arock and a hard place."

Examples

Caught between the Scylla of raising taxes and angering votersand the Charybdis of cutting vital city services, the councilknew their decision was not going to be an easy one to make.

In her first attempt at baiting bread from scratch, Joanna feltshe must steer carefully between the Scylla and Charybdis ofkneading the dough too much, resulting in overly tough bread,and kneading it too little, malting the bread too gooey.


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Item #3 8--Liter atur e

Holy Grail

In Medieval legend, the Holy Grail was an object of quest. It=

was supposedly the cu__up from which Jesus drank at the LastSu_qp_p_ÿ. The grail became associated with the legends of KingArthur and the Knights of the Round Table. For the knights,the Holy Grail represented perfection and was constantly

sought after.

A "Holy Grail" is an object that is extremely desirable orvaluable and which is attainable only after a long and difficult

46

For teams in the National Hockey League, the Stanley Cup isthe equivalent of the Holy Grail.

In The Great Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan is the Holy Grail for JayGatsby, which is ironic because Daisy is actually ratherchildish and shallow, hardly the perfect creature Gatsby

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Luddites

Luddites were British laborers in the early 1800s. Theyopposed industrialization, fearing that the introduction oflabor-saving machinery would threaten their [obs. Theirleader, for whom they were named, was a laborer named NedLudd. With his encouragement, the workers smashed textilemachinery in protest of industrialization.

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A "Luddite" is someone who opposes change, especiallyindustrial or technological advances. The word "Luddite" canalso be used as an adjective (for example, "a Luddite point ofview").

Examples

I'm not a Luddite or anything, but I miss the days of receivinghandwritten letters in the mail. Now it seems that allcorrespondence is conducted via e-maiL

The boss's Luddite resistance to updating the company'sancient telephone system was a constant source of frustrationto his employees.



Pass the Buck

, a "buck" was a marker that was passed to the personwhose turn it was to deal. President HarrÿL Truman kept a signon his desk which read "The Buck Stops Here."

48

To "pass the buck" is to shift responsibility (and often blame) toanother person. Thus, President Truman's sign meant that hewas willing to accept the ultimate responsibility for matters ofconcern to the country and would not try to pass thatresponsibility to others or to blame others for problems in thecountry.

Examples

Rather than face the angry crowd herself, the mayor passedthe buck to a spokesperson, who then had to try to appease thecitizens and respond to their questions and complaints.

I tried to pass the buck for not completing my homeworkassignment by telling my teacher that my best friend reallyneeded to talk to me on the phone until late last night, but myteacher didn't consider that to be a legitimate excuse.


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.Item #41--The Bible

Babylon

Babylon was the capital of the ancient Babylonian Empire.The city was known for its luxury and corruption. The Jewswere exiled there from 597 to 538 B.C., and the prophet Danielbecame counselor to the King of Babylon, for whom heinterpreted the "handwriting on the wall." Eventually, theJews were allowed to return to Israel.

"Babylon" refers to a place of decadence and corruption.

Examples

Coming from a small Midwestern farming community, Jeff feltas if he had arrived in Babylon when he encountered the sightsand sounds of nightlife in New York City.

I tried to reassure my parents that I was only going off to auniversity, not to Babylon, but they seemed to think the twowere synonymous.

@2004 by Applied Practice, Ltd, Dallas, TX. All rights reserved, 49

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Phoenix/Rising from the Ashes

After successfully battling cancer, Lance Armstrong cameback, phoenix-like, to win the Tour de France five consecutivetimes.

Despite several box office failures, the actress was able to risefrom the ashes, and she is now one of Hollywood's top paidperformers.

The phoenix has come to symbolize rebirth or resurrection and"rising from one's own ashes" can describe . "

sm mounting greatobstacles.

The phoenix was a mythological bird that was one of a ldnd.The bird lived for five or six hundred years, after which itwould burn itself to death and then rise from its own ashes as ayouthful bird ready to live another life span.

5O@2004 by Applied Practice, Lid, Dallas, TX, All rights reserved.

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Xanadu

Xanadu was an ancient city in Mongolia where theemperor of China, Kublai Khan had a magnificent residence.Xanadu was made famous by the poem "Kubla Khan" (1816)by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. The first lines of Coleridge'spoem are: "In Xanadu did Kubla Khan/A stately pleasure-dome decree."

"Xanadu" refers to any magnificent, beautiful, ahnost magicalplace.

Examples

Newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst created his ownversion of Xanadu in San Simeon, Californiaÿan estate thatincluded a zoo, an airport, a theater, numerous guesthouses,and countless works of art.

Broadway is Xanadu to all the struggling actors who makeends meet by waiting tables or driving taxis while they wait fortheir big break in theater.


Item #44mHistory, Culture, and Ideas

Muckrakers

President Theodore Roosevelt criticized reform-mindediournalists of his time, saying they constantly focused on the"muck" and spent all their time raking it up. While he meantthis as an insult, the journalists adopted the term muckrakeras a badge of honor referring to those who exposed corruptionor promoted needed reforms. Upton Sinclair's The Jungle is aprime example of muckraking j ournalism.

"Muckraker" is a term applied to authors or journalists whoexpose corruption in government, business, or other arenas.

Examples

In the early 1970s, two muckraking journalists exposed theWatergate scandal and brought an end to a presidency.

Fancying themselves modern-day muckrakers, the staff of theschool newspaper decided to investigate conditions in theschool cafeteria's kitchen.

52 @2004 by Applied Practice, Ltd, Dallas, TX, All rights reserved.

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Sine qua non

In Lati.____nn, this phrase means "without which, nothing."

Sine qua non refers to the essential ingredient without which anendeavor or a situation would be impossible.

ExamDles

The older voters' support of the bond issue is the sine qua non.Since they are in the majority, their votes will decide whetheror not the bond passes.

Zara's optimistic attitude is the sine qua non of our team'ssuccess; she keeps the rest of us inspired even when we feel likegiving up.


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