When authors give shout outs to other great works, people, and events, it's usually not accidental. Put on your super-sleuth hat and figure out why.
Literary and Mythological References
- Mother Goose, Pac-Man, Peter Pan – All examples of children’s stories (6.109)
- Salaam – Arabic for “peace” (7.58)
- Salamander – In ye olden days, the salamander was connected to fire in mythology, which is why Bonzo keeps making fire references. (7.121)
- Phoenix – A mythological bird that lives forever by resurrecting itself in fire, kind of Professor Dumbledore's phoenix Fawks. (9.174)
- Ansible – A term from Ursula K. Le Guin’s Rocannon’s World, 1966. (13.236)
Biblical References
- “Legitimate saints’ names” – As in, all the Wiggin children have the names of saints – and Saint Andrew and Saint Peter were brothers, just as Andrew and Peter are here. (3.97)
- Daniel – A prophet from the biblical Book of Daniel (9.222)
- A “cubit” – A unit of measurement that’s often used in the Bible – for instance, Noah is told to build an ark that’s 300 cubits long. (10.172)
- “I came not to bring peace, but a sword” – A version of Matthew 10:34 (10.184)
Historical References
- Napoleon (4.75)
- Alexander the Great (4.75)
- Julius Caesar (4.75)
- Napoleon and Wellington, Julius Caesar and Brutus – Two pairs of historical figures who were opponents. Wellington fought Napoleon in battle, whereas Brutus assassinated Caesar. (7.10)
- Warsaw Pact – An agreement between various communist countries. (9.50)
- Pericles – A statesman and orator from Athens who helped lead Athens against Persia. (9.64)
- Demosthenes – Took a leading role in turning Athens against Alexander the Great – which didn’t work out for Athens, or for Demosthenes. (9.64)
- Philip – As in, Philip II of Macedon, who helped set things up for his son, Alexander the Great. (9.66)
- Thomas Paine (9.68)
- Benjamin Franklin (9.68)
- Bismarck – Otto von Bismarck, who helped to unify Germany during the 19th century. (9.68)
- Vladimir Ilyich Lenin – An important figure in the Russian Revolution. (9.68)
- Hitler – Have you ever watched the History Channel? Yeah, that’s Hitler, the German Fuhrer known for causing World War II and the Holocaust. (9.91)
- Pax Americana – Latin for “American Peace,” referring to any time when a powerful country enforces peace in an area, kind of like the Roman Empire's "Pax Romana." (9.108)
- John Locke – An English philosopher who wrote about political issues way back in the 1600s. (9.126)
- “Circumcised dog” – An old and insulting way to refer to Muslims by Christians, who were not circumcised. (10.173)
- “Veni Vidi Vici” – What Julius Caesar said about an easy war, meaning, “I came, I saw, I conquered.” (11)
- Little Doctor – A nickname for the Molecular Disruption Device…and, oddly enough, for Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi Minister of Propaganda. (14.149)