What is the source of the allusion in the sentence below?
The candidate's fixation on his opponent's failure to wear a flag pin on flag day seemed at times to border on McCarthyism.
British history U.S. history
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 McCarthyism is U.S. history.
In the 1950 s, U.S. senator Joseph McCarthy led a ruthless investigation of Americans whom he accused of being Communist sympathizers. Based on flimsy or nonexistent evidence, the accusations created a climate of suspicion and fear.
The allusion McCarthyism means aggressive questioning of a person's patriotism.