Ruffner's Allusions: Cultural, Literary, Biblical, and Historical: A Thematic Dictionary (review)

Damon is worried about Pythias. Pythias, having heard rumors that the great love of his life is dating someone else, is showing dangerous symptoms of jealousy. How can Damon warn his friend? Answer: armed with Ruffner's Allusions, Damon turns to concept 411 Jealousy(in alphabetical order just after concept 410 Isolation). Under this heading he finds 25 allusions, also in alphabetical order, ranging from 1. adder's tonguethrough 13. green-eyed monsterand 17. Medeato 25. yellow rose. Unsurprisingly, Damon's eye lights on:

411. ... 19. Othellosmothers Desdemona out of jealousy.

[Br. Lit.: Othello]

Damon can now tell Pythias not to become like Othello.

But Pythias, amazingly, has never heard of Othello. What can he do besides confess his shameful ignorance? Answer: armed likewise with Ruffner's Allusions, Pythias turns to its Index, wherein, alphabetically between Oswaldand Othniel, he finds:

Othello, 24.18, 336.5, 411.19, 481.45, 581.9

That's a bit of a problem. But perhaps not an insoluble one: Concept 24 is Anger; 336, Gullibility; 411 (as we have seen), Jealousy; 481, Murder; 581, Remorse.

Pythias may well decide to hedge his bets by saying to Damon when next they meet, "Thanks, Damon. I suppose I was being a bit gullible to believe the rumors. Perhaps my jealousy is unfounded. I should try to manage my anger: I certainly don't want it to lead to murder and remorse!"

Well, that, in a nutshell, is how Ruffner's Allusionsis meant to work. It has a Multiple Macrostructure (e.g., more than one list of bold-face items); for all practical purposes, a Double Macrostructure (like Roget's Thesaurus). The main thematic part gives you one or more Allusions to use on any specified occasion. When you hear or read such an Allusion, the Index tells you what it is an Allusion to. The Thematic part is typically for use (or, as we lexicographers are wont to say, encoding). The Index is typically for comprehension (or, as we lexicographers are wont to say, decoding). Between those two comes a Bibliography that gives the sources of the Allusions.

As for the Microstructure (e.g., the information given about each numbered Allusion), it has been prepared with its associated Concept in mind. Thus at 481. Murderwe find:

45. Othellobelieving false evidence of Desdemona's infidelity, he strangles [ sic= smothers - RI] her.

Whereas at 336. Gullibilitywe find:

5. Othello"thinks men honest that but seem to be so."

Fair enough, I suppose. Yet I can't help regretting the absence from Ruffner's Allusionsof at least a system of cross-references between the Allusions to Othello (five), Desdemona (one), and Iago (six) that would have related them to one another. Alternatively, of course, one might imagine turning the whole project upside down. The main part of the book would be its alphabetical list of Allusions, with each having one comprehensive explanation, followed by cross-references to the relevant Concept or Concepts. Thus:

Othelloduped by Iago, kills his own innocent wife Desdemona in jealous rage and then in remorse kills himself

(See Anger, Gullibility, Jealousy, Murder, Remorse)

The thematic part would come at the end of the book in alphabetical order of Concepts. Just a thought. Yet it's a thought that may actually have been put into practice in Oxford Dictionary of Allusions(Delahunty, Dignen, Stock: Oxford, OUP, second edition 2005, 480 pages)—which book alas in my case I have not got.

How big is Ruffner's Allusions? The thematic part comprises 734 numbered concepts, each offering one or more allusions. But it also comprises concepts that are not numbered. For example, between Concept 411. Jealousyand Concept 412. Joke, Practicalcomes the unnumbered Concept Jester (See CLOWN.). That concept serves as a mere cross-reference...