Earliest Attestation and Etymology: The earliest reference in the Oxford English Dictionary is to 1941 (thought that reference leads back to the Great War): ‘As he flew round, he wished that his instructor had never told him about the Little People—a mythological bunch of good and bad fairi...
The so-called “nine sons of the dragon” doesn’t mean that the dragon has exactly nine sons. In traditional Chinese culture, the number “nine” suggests a large number and is put in a supreme status. Nine is not an exact number, but a noble number. That’s why it is used to de...
All is Lost [75].The hero hits rock bottom. He loses everything he’s gained so far, and things are looking bleak. The hero is overpowered by the villain; a mentor dies; our lovebirds have an argument and break up. Dark Night of the Soul [75-85-ish].Having just lost everything,...
the mimicry of parrots and of some other birds that have been kept in the company of humans, is whollyderivativeand serves no independent communicative function. Humankind’s nearest relatives among the primates, though possessing a vocal physiology similar to that of humans, have not developed any...
continuityof societies andreligiousinstitutions. Even when the feasts or festivals have lost their original meanings in doctrinal or mythological explanations, the symbols preserved in the rites, ceremonies, and arts (e.g., pictorial, dramatic, or choreographic) have enabled persons in periods of ...