Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Allusions

609 Pages·1999·10.72 MB·English

by  Elizabeth Webber

Discover meanings you've been missing!
Merriam-
Webster's J
Dictionary of
ALLUSIONS
Understand the creative and colorful references
that add richness and vitality to our language
AGE OF AQUARIUS
CITY ON A HILL
ENDGAME
GRASSY KNOLL
ELIZABETH WEBBER HAT TRICK
& MIKE FEINSILBER IRON TRIANGLE
KEYSTONE KOPS
MICKEY FINN
OCTOBER SURPRISE
ROSETTA STONE
SEA CHANGE
WITCHING HOUR
Merriam-Webster's
Mem Dictionary of
Wcbsi
ALLUSIONS
DISCOVER COLORFUL REFERENCES TO LITERATURE AND
MYTHOLOGY, HISTORY AND POLITICS, SCIENCE AND SPORTS
Discover the hidden meanings you've been missing.
Offers clear, concise definitions for more than 900 allusions,
from Achilles'heel and alpha male to Zen and Zuzu's petals
Increase your knowledge beyond the definition.
Provides the term's history, pronunciation, and
contemporary examples of the word or phrase used in context
Learn correct usage from the experts.
Examples come from works by leading authors, including
John Updike * Nat Hentoff * Cynthia Tucker * Joe Klein *
Camille Paglia * Molly Ivins * Jane Bryant Quinn *
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. * Anna Quindlen * Dave Barry * George Will
Learn the terms that are used today.
Features thousands of examples taken from today's top publications,
u including The New York Times * The Atlantic Monthly * Life *
Rolling Stone * Smithsonian * Vanity Fair * The Wall Street Journal
FASCINATING FOR READERS, LANGUAGE LOVERS, AND ESL STUDENTS
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Merriam-Webster Inc.
Springfield, MA 01102
www.m-w.com
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Merriam-Webster's
Dictionary
of
ALLUSIONS

Merriam-Webster's
Dictionary
of
ALLUSIONS
Elizabeth Webber
&
Mike Feinsilber
Merriam-Webster, Incorporated
Springfield, Massachusetts
A GENUINE MERRIAM-WEBSTER
The name Webster alone is no guarantee of excellence. It is used by
a number of publishers and may serve mainly to mislead an unwary
buyer.
Merriam-Webster™ is the name you should look for when you con
sider the purchase of dictionaries and other fine reference books.
It carries the reputation of a company that has been publishing
since 1831 and is your assurance of quality and authority.
Copyright © 1999 by Elizabeth Webber & Mike Feinsilber
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Webber, Elizabeth, 1946-
Merriam-Webster's dictionary of allusions / by
Elizabeth Webber & Mike Feinsilber.
p. cm.
ISBN 0-87779-628-9
1. Allusions in literature — Dictionaries. I. Feinsilber, Mike.
II. Title. III. Title: Dictionary of allusions.
PN43.W384 1999
803—dc21 99-33125
CIP
All rights reserved. No part of this book covered by the copyrights
hereon may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means-
graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, taping, or
information storage and retrieval systems—without written permission
of the publisher.
Made in the United States of America
1234DF:QPV02010099
To
Betty Webber
E.W.
Doris Feinsilber
M.F.

ft
cfcnoïvledgments
This book would not have come about without the encouragement
and support of Daniel Rapoport, the midwifery of Paul Dickson, and
the knowledge, resources and skill of Merriam-Webster Inc., especially
Frederick C. Mish who provided initial guidance on the scope of the
book, Mary W. Cornog and E. Ward Gilman for their research and
editing help, Jennifer N. Cislo for data input of new material, Kath
leen M. Doherty, Daniel J. Hopkins, and Robert D. Copeland for proof
reading of the manuscript, and publisher John M. Morse for his
guidance and editorial suggestions all along the way. We would
also like to thank the gods and goddesses, the beasts both real and
mythic, the prophets, poets, kings and clowns—and the ink-stained
wretches—who provided the fodder for this work.