What is the source of the allusion in the sentence below?
Ronald persisted despite his friends' attempts to tell him that this was a Gordian knot.
U.S. history ancient legend
An allusion is a brief mention of something or someone well known, often from mythology, history, or literature. An allusion lets you reference ideas from an entire story in just a few words.
The protean nature of the disease makes it difficult to diagnose.
The word protean is an allusion to the sea god Proteus in Greek mythology. Because the sea is constantly changing, to describe something as protean suggests that it is variable or in flux.
The source of the allusion Gordian knot is ancient legend.
According to legend, Alexander the Great used his sword to slash an intricate knot by which a chariot was tied to a pole in the city of Gordium.
The allusion Gordian knot means a highly complex problem.