Folly Allusions, Definition, Citation, Reference, Information - Allusion to Folly

  1. Abu Jahl “father of folly”; opposes Mohammed. [Muslim Tradition: Koran 22:8]
  2. Alnaschar’s daydream spends profits before selling his goods. [Arab. Lit.: Arabian Nights, “The Barber’s Fifth Night”]
  3. Bateau, Le Matisse’s famous painting, displayed in the Museum of Modern Art for 47 days before someone discovered it was being shown upside down. [Am. Hist.: Wallechinsky, 472]
  4. Bay of Pigs, the disastrous U.S.-backed invasion of Cuba (1961). [Am. Hist.: Van Doren, 577]
  5. Chamberlain, Arthur Nevil British Prime Minister attempted to avert war by policy of appeasement. [Eur. Hist.: Collier’s, IV, 552]
  6. columbine traditional symbol of folly. [Plant Symbolism: Flora Symbolica, 173]
  7. dog returning to his vomit and so the fool to his foolishness. [O. T.: Proverbs 26:11 ]
  8. Fulton’s Folly the first profitable steamship, originally considered a failure. [Am. Hist.: NCE, 1025]
  9. Gotham English village proverbially noted for the folly (some-times wisely deliberate) of its residents. [Eng. Folklore: Brewer Dictionary, 410]
  10. Grand, Joseph spends years writing novel; only finishes first sentence. [Fr. Lit.: The Plague]
  11. Hamburger Hill bloody Viet Nam battle over strategically worthless objective (1969). [Am. Hist.: Van Doren, 631]
  12. Howard Hotel after completing construction, the contractors installed boilers and started fires before discovering they had forgotten to build a chimney. [Am. Hist.: Wallechinsky, 470]
  13. Laputa and Lagada lands where wise men conduct themselves inanely. [Br. Lit.: Gulliver’s Travels]
  14. Seward’s Folly Alaska, once seemingly valueless territory which William Henry Seward bought for two cents an acre (1867), thirty years before the Klondike gold rush. [Am. Hist.: Payton, 610]

Foolishness (See DIMWITTEDNESS, STUPIDITY.)

Fools (See CLOWNS.)