ShmoopTube

Where Monty Python meets your 10th grade teacher.

Search Thousands of Shmoop Videos


Language Arts Videos 92 videos

ELA 4: Complete Sentences
775 Views

In this lesson we'll subject you to some verbs and predicates. Each one is a necessary part of a complete breakfas—er...sentence.

ELA 4: Word Choice
222 Views

Choosing words carefully is important. You may end up vexing the assemblage of citizens you're conversing with...or you might even just plain bore...

See All

ELA 4: Allusions 256 Views


Share It!


Description:

The names of our planets weren't just pulled out of a hat. If it had been that simple, we might have planets with names like "Trevor" and "Monique." Nope...there has to be a story behind names like "Jupiter" and "Uranus." And indeed there is. (You're still giggling about "Uranus," aren't you?)

Language:
English Language

Transcript

00:04

[Dino and Coop singing]

00:13

Do you recognize these buff, long-haired men and this one not-as-buff-but-equally-long-haired [People appearing]

00:19

woman?

00:20

No?

00:21

Well do you recognize these?

00:22

Ding ding ding!

00:23

They're the planets in our solar system! [The planets appear]

00:25

Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and even little ol' Pluto.

00:29

Oh and let's not forget about Earth. [Earth's name shows up above the planet]

00:33

And here's something cool: we're all on that big blue and green rock right now. [The Earth rotating]

00:38

Wave or something, maybe we'll be able to see you. [Woman pops up waving]

00:41

So what do all those lil dudes and one lady have to do with this?

00:46

Well, they just happen to be the namesake of our planets.

00:50

But these planets weren't just named willy-nilly. [Willy and Nilly sat by a fire]

00:52

No, sir – each planet was named for a specific Greek or Roman deity because of their particular

00:57

qualities.

00:58

Mars is the god of war, so it was fitting to name the red planet after him. [Angry looking man with a sword]

01:03

Y'know, 'cause red is the color of blood and anger.

01:07

Jupiter is the King of the Gods, so it made sense to name the biggest planet after him. [Jupiter popping up behind either side of the planet]

01:10

So these names allude to the Gods and the qualities they had, which is why we call them

01:16

“allusions.”

01:17

An allusion is when something or someone refers directly or indirectly to some other thing. [Coop pointing at a blackboard]

01:23

But unlike the fairly obvious planetary names, allusions don't always have to be so clear.

01:28

A lot of the time, allusions can actually be pretty vague, so that only people “in [Girl whispering in another girls ear]

01:32

the know” will understand them.

01:34

Here's an example:

01:35

Say your friend asks his crush to be his valentine in a really dramatic and over-the-top sort [Boy on one knee holding up flowers]

01:40

of way.

01:41

Afterwards, you might say to him, “Way to go, Romeo.” [His friend punches him in the arm]

01:45

What you're very cleverly doing here is making an allusion to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet,

01:50

because Romeo is such an over-the-top, romantic guy. [Romeo appears]

01:52

However, if your buddy has never heard of Romeo and Juliet before, he would have no

01:57

idea what you're talking about – and probably would wonder if you're feeling alright. [Man gives the Romeo and Juliet book to the other guy]

02:01

So long story short, sometimes allusions can go right over our heads. [The word allusions over a girls head]

02:05

Look at this logo here.

02:06

We're sure you recognize it: it's the famous swoosh belonging to Nike. [Nike logo spins into view]

02:11

But you've probably never thought much about the name Nike before, have you?

02:14

Well, believe it or not, Nike was the name of an ancient Greek goddess who personified

02:19

“victory.”

02:20

Makes sense why a company that makes sports equipment would choose to allude to her, eh?

02:24

No one seems to refer to that allusion directly nowadays, but for anyone who knows their mythology, [Kids using computers]

02:29

it's a fun little tid-bit.

02:30

And that's really the point of allusions in the first place.

02:33

They can be fun ways to spice up conversation, especially when you run out of garlic powder, [Guy holding empty salt and garlic shakers]

02:37

or salt.

02:38

Sure you could just say someone was cheap, but calling someone a Scrooge – which is [Man holding onto piles of money]

02:42

an allusion to A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens – has a little more oomph to it.

02:47

And yeah, you could say that someone is the source of inspiration for you, but it might [Man painting a picture of a sloth]

02:51

sound a little fancier if you call them your Muse.

02:54

And that's that!

02:55

So even if allusions used to be your Achilles' heel, we're sure you're a regular Einstein [An ankle with an arrow stuck in it and Einstein appear]

03:00

now!

03:01

Two for the price of one.

Related Videos

ELA 4: How Words Can Help
1205 Views

Sticks and stones, right? Well...only sometimes. It's a good idea to make sure your words aren't going to hurt others. Let's look at some ways to d...

ELA 4: Debating Like a Champ
744 Views

Learn to debate like a champ. It's way better than debating like a chimp. That just takes mudslinging to a whole new level.

ELA 4: Types of Biographies
277 Views

Today we'll learn about biographies and autobiographies. And no, the second one has nothing to do with the lives of cars. 

ELA 4: Complete Sentences
775 Views

In this lesson we'll subject you to some verbs and predicates. Each one is a necessary part of a complete breakfas—er...sentence.

ELA 4: Word Choice
222 Views

Choosing words carefully is important. You may end up vexing the assemblage of citizens you're conversing with...or you might even just plain bore...