ALLUSION A REFERENCE TO SOMETHING THAT THE READER IS ASSUMED TO KNOW (PERSON, PLACE, EVENT, LITERARY WORK, MYTH, ART, ETC.)

Finding Nemo Alludes to Classic Literature Nemo was a ship captain in the classic novel 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne. The character Nemo in the modern cartoon reflects the earlier Nemo’s spirit of adventure.

Lipton Alludes to Art

Lost Alludes to History A central character on the TV show Lost was named John Locke. On the show, that character was a believer in the mysteries of the island who accepted the supernatural and the unknown. This name was an allusion to the real John Locke, a British philosopher who studied the limits of our understanding.

The Simpsons Alludes to Film When Mr. Burns is on trial for dumping nuclear waste, he is wheeled into the courtroom in the same severe restraints used in the movie The Silence of the Lambs to transport vicious killer Hannibal Lector.

Adolescent Fiction alludes to Pop Culture A character is accused of wanting to be the next James Bond in the adolescent novel Don’t Look Behind You. James Bond is a fictional character from novels and movies whose job as a spy takes him from one dangerous adventure to another.

The title of The Fault in Our Stars by John Green is an allusion to Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar. Before Caesar’s assassination, one of his killers motivates another by saying, “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars but in ourselves, that we are underlings.” This reminds Brutus that he isn’t less than Caesar by fate but by failure to take action. John Green Alludes to Shakespeare

CSI Alludes to Art Nighthawks by Edward Hopper

I’ll make you an offer you can’t refuse. Calling someone “Sherlock” There’s no place like home. Allusions in Conversation

Common Allusions Achilles Heel: In Greek mythology, the warrior Achilles was made invulnerable as a baby by being dipped into the River Styx. Only his heel—the place he was held by when being dipped—was left unprotected, which led to his downfall when it was struck by an arrow. An Achilles heel refers to a person's vulnerability or fatal flaw.

Common Allusions Casanova: Giovanni Giacomo Casanova (1725–98) was a famous Venetian adventurer and writer who romanced well over a hundred women in the course of his travels. In modern usage, a Casanova is a charismatic man with a reputation for having many romantic conquests.

Common Allusions Peter Pan: Peter Pan, the protagonist of a 1904 play and 1911 book by J. M. Barrie, is famously a boy who refused to ever grow up. These days, an adult who acts immaturely is sometimes said to be suffering from “Peter Pan syndrome.”