WordPlay: Literary and Film References
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The LexiConnexxions analysis has identified many words that are LITERARY AND FILM REFERENCES in the Spelling Bee lexicon.
This WordPlay report compiles and defines Bee words that originated in literature, poetry, drama, film, comics, etc.
Some of these words are also eponyms and toponyms, and are therefore also indexed in WORDPLAY: EPONYMS or WORDPLAY: TOPONYMS.
The complete list of words on this topic is shown at right (on laptop or desktop) or at the end of the page (on mobile); the same list with definitions is given below. Bee words marked with an asterisk have been used in at least one Spelling Bee puzzle, then subsequently disallowed; they are retained here for historical interest.
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LITERARY AND FILM REFERENCES in the Spelling Bee lexicon
AMAZON: M-W often capitalized: a tall strong often masculine woman, named for the race of female warriors of Greek mythologyAMMONIA: borrowed from New Latin, derivative based on Latin sal ammōniacus "rock salt," literally, "salt of Ammon," from ammōniacus "of Ammon," borrowed from Greek ammōniakós, derivative of Ámmōn, an Egyptian deity …ARCADIA: a region or scene of simple pleasure and quiet; named for Arcadia, region of ancient Greece frequently chosen as background for pastoral poetryARCADIAN: Related to arcadia, a region or scene of simple pleasure and quiet; named for Arcadia, region of ancient Greece frequently chosen as background for pastoral poetryBABEL: a confusion of sounds or voices, or a scene of noise or confusion; named for Babel, a city in Shinar where the building of a tower is held in Genesis to have been halted by the confusion of tonguesBACCHANAL: drunken revelry or excessive indulgence; also, a devotee of Bacchus; also, of, relating to, or suggestive of the Bacchanalia; named for Bacchus, the Greek god of wineBACCHANALIA: drunken revelry or excessive indulgence; also, a devotee of Bacchus; also, of, relating to, or suggestive of the Bacchanalia; named for Bacchus, the Greek god of wineBACCHANALIAN: related to, or suggestive of, drunken revelry or excessive indulgence; also, a devotee of Bacchus; also, of, relating to, or suggestive of the Bacchanalia; named for Bacchus, the Greek god of wineBACCHIC: of, relating to, or suggestive of Bacchus or the Bacchanalia: bacchanalian; named for Bacchus, the Greek god of wineBLIMP: Collins has lowercase blimp, a pompous, smug, highly conservative person, from Colonel Blimp, a cartoon character created by David Low. NOAD has lowercase blimp, derogatory British English (also Colonel Blimp), a pompous, reactionary type of person: “derives from the character invented by cartoonist David Low, used in anti-German or antigovernment drawings before and during the Second World War.”BRAINIAC: a very intelligent person, probably from Brainiac, superintelligent villain in the Superman comic-book series, from brain + maniac.BRUIN: a bear, any of a family (Ursidae of the order Carnivora). From Middle Dutch, the name of the bear in Reynard the Fox.CAPITOL: a building in which a state legislative body meets; from Latin Capitolium, temple of Jupiter at Rome on the Capitoline hillCUPID: a figure that represents Cupid as a naked usually winged boy often holding a bow and arrow; from Cupid, the Roman god of erotic loveDAPHNE: any of a genus (Daphne) of Eurasian shrubs of the mezereon family with apetalous flowers whose colored calyx resembles a corolla. Leaves resemble laurel. Named for Daphne, a nymph in Greek mythology who is transformed into a laurel tree to escape the pursuing ApolloEDENIC*: M-W and NOAD capitalize Edenic: of or related to paradise, or to the garden where according to the account in Genesis Adam and Eve first lived, or a place of pristine or abundant natural beautyFAIRY: a mythical being of folklore and romance usually having diminutive human form and magic powers; Middle English fairie fairyland, enchantment, from Anglo-French faerie, from fee fairy, from Latin Fata, goddess of fate, from fatum fateFAUN: a figure in Roman mythology similar to but gentler than the satyr; from Faunus, “the rustic god of the forest, plains and fields”FAUNA: animal life, especially: the animals characteristic of a region, period, or special environment; from Latin Fauna, sister of FaunusFAUNAE: plural of fauna: animal life, especially: the animals characteristic of a region, period, or special environment; from Latin Fauna, sister of FaunusFAUNAL: related to fauna: animal life, especially: the animals characteristic of a region, period, or special environment; from Latin Fauna, sister of FaunusFLORA: a treatise on or list of the plants of an area or period; or plant, bacterial, or fungal life, especially: such life characteristic of a region, period, or special environment; from Latin Flōra, the goddess of flowers and the flowering seasonFLORAL: of or relating to a flora; or of, relating to, or depicting flowers; or a design or picture in which flowers predominate; from Flōra "the goddess Flora"GALUMPH: to move with a clumsy heavy tread; perhaps blend of gallop + triumphant; Coined by Lewis Carroll (Charles Lewis dodgson) in the poem "Jabberwocky" (1872), apparently in the sense "to march exultingly."GANACHE: a sweet creamy chocolate mixture used especially as a filling or frosting, probably named for a bonbon manufactured by the Parisian confectioner Siraudin (probably from Les Ganaches, a play by Victorien Sardou first performed in October, 1862)GARGANTUAN: tremendous in size, volume, or degree: gigantic, colossal; named for Gargantua, a giant king in François Rabelais's 16th-century satiric novel GargantuaGORGON: an ugly or repulsive woman, named for Gorgon (capitalized), any of three snake-haired sisters in Greek mythology whose appearance turns the beholder to stoneGRINCH: a grumpy person who spoils the pleasure of others; a killjoy, a spoilsport; from the Grinch, character in the children's story How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1957) by Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel)HARPY: a predatory person: leech; also, a shrewish woman, from Latin Harpyia, from Greek, a foul malign creature in Greek mythology that is part woman and part bird [the creature is always capitalized]HOBBIT: a member of a fictitious peaceful and genial race of small humanlike creatures that dwell underground, coined by J. R. R. TolkienJANITOR: one who keeps the premises of a building (such as an apartment or office) clean, tends the heating system, and makes minor repairs; also, a doorkeeper; from Janus, gate, from a Roman god that is identified with doors, gates, and all beginnings and that is depicted with two opposite faces
JEEP: a small general-purpose motor vehicle with 80-inch wheelbase, ¹/₄-ton capacity, and four-wheel drive used by the U.S. Army in World War II; also: a similar but larger and more powerful U.S. army vehicle; also, to travel by jeep; probably ultimately from Eugene the Jeep, character in the comic strip Thimble Theater by Elzie C. SegarJENNY: any female bird, especially a wren; from the name Jenny [Jenny Wren, Dickens, Our Mutual Friend]LILLIPUTIAN: often not capitalized: small, miniature; petty; derived from Lilliput, an island in Swift's Gulliver's Travels where the inhabitants are six inches tallMALAPROP: an example of malapropism (the usually unintentionally humorous misuse or distortion of a word or phrase, especially: the use of a word sounding somewhat like the one intended but ludicrously wrong in the context or using or marked by the use of malapropisms); from Mrs. Malaprop in Richard Brinsley Sheridan's 1775 play The Rivals. Mrs. Malaprop frequently misspeaks (to comic effect) by using words which do not have the meaning that she intends but which sound similar to words that do.MARTIAL: of, relating to, or suited for war or a warrior; relating to an army or to military life; experienced in or inclined to war; warlike; from Mars, the god of warMARTIALLY: of, relating to, or suited for war or a warrior; relating to an army or to military life; experienced in or inclined to war; warlike; from Mars, the god of warMARTIAN: of or relating to the planet Mars or its hypothetical inhabitants; from Mars, the god of warMATINEE: a musical or dramatic performance or social or public event held in the daytime and especially the afternoon; French matinée, literally, morning, from Old French, from matin morning, from Latin matutinum, from neuter of matutinus of the morning, from Matuta, goddess of morningMENTEE: one who is being mentored: a protégé (Mentor + -EE) derived from the name of Mentor, a friend of Odysseus entrusted with the education of Odysseus' son TelemachusMINT: a place where coins, medals, or tokens are made; also, to make (coins or money) out of metal: to coin; Middle English mynt coin, money, from Old English mynet, from Latin moneta mint, coin, from Moneta, epithet of Juno; from the fact that the Romans coined money in the temple of Juno MonetaMINTED: a place where coins, medals, or tokens are made; also, to make (coins or money) out of metal: to coin; Middle English mynt coin, money, from Old English mynet, from Latin moneta mint, coin, from Moneta, epithet of Juno; from the fact that the Romans coined money in the temple of Juno MonetaMINTING: a place where coins, medals, or tokens are made; also, to make (coins or money) out of metal: to coin; Middle English mynt coin, money, from Old English mynet, from Latin moneta mint, coin, from Moneta, epithet of Juno; from the fact that the Romans coined money in the temple of Juno MonetaMONDO: very large or great in amount or number; extremely; from reanalysis of mondo in title of the American film Mondo Bizarro (1966), after the Italian film Mondo cane (1962)MUNCHKIN: a person who is notably small and often endearing, from the Munchkins, diminutive creatures in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) by L. Frank BaumPAEAN: a joyous song or hymn of praise, tribute, thanksgiving, or triumph; also, a work that praises or honors its subject: encomium, tribute; Latin, hymn of thanksgiving especially addressed to Apollo, from Greek paian, paiōn, from Paian, Paiōn, epithet of Apollo in the hymnPALOOKA: an oaf or lout; also, an inexperienced or incompetent boxer; may derive from the comic strip "Joe Palooka" (by Ham Fisher), about a boxerPANIC: of, relating to, or resembling the mental or emotional state [fear and/or anxiety believed induced by the god Pan (panic fear); also, of or relating to the god Pan (Panic rites)PANTALOON: a buffoon in pantomimes, from Pantalone, a character in the commedia dell'arte that is usually a skinny old dotard who wears spectacles, slippers, and a tight-fitting combination of trousers and stockings; from Middle French & Old Italian; Middle French Pantalon, from Old Italian Pantaleone, PantalonePAPARAZZI: plural of paparazzo, a freelance photographer who aggressively pursues celebrities for the purpose of taking candid photographs, Italian, from Paparazzo, surname of such a photographer in the film La dolce vita (1959) by Federico FelliniPEONY: any of a genus (Paeonia of the family Paeoniaceae) of chiefly Eurasian plants with large often double flowers; also, the flower of a peony; from Greek paiōnia, from Paiōn Paeon, physician of the godsPHAETON: any of various light four-wheeled horse-drawn vehicles; also, a touring car: an automobile suitable for distance driving: such as a vintage automobile with two cross seats, usually four doors, and a folding top; also, a modern usually 2-door sedan as distinguished from a sports car; from Phaëthon, a son of Helios who drives his father's sun-chariot through the sky but loses control and is struck down by a thunderbolt of ZeusPYGMY: often capitalized: any of a race of dwarfs described by ancient Greek authorsPYTHON: any of various large constricting snakes, especially: any of the large oviparous snakes (subfamily Pythoninae of the family Boidae) of Africa, Asia, Australia, and adjacent islands that include some of the largest existing snakes; Latin, monstrous serpent killed by Apollo, from Greek Pythōn, from Pythō DelphiROBOT: a machine that resembles a living creature in being capable of moving independently (as by walking or rolling on wheels) and performing complex actions (such as grasping and moving objects); often: such a machine built to resemble a human being or animal in appearance and behavior; also, a device that automatically performs complicated, often repetitive tasks (as in an industrial assembly line); also, a mechanism guided by automatic controls (a robot airplane); also, a person who resembles a machine in seeming to function automatically or in lacking normal feelings or emotions; from the 1920 play R.U.R. […Robots] by Czech writer Karel Čapek.ROBOTIC: of or relating to mechanical robots, or having the characteristics of a robot; from the 1920 play R.U.R. […Robots] by Czech writer Karel Čapek.TANTALIZATION: the act or process of tantalizing, possessing a quality that arouses or stimulates desire or interest; also, mockingly or teasingly out of reach; also, to tease or torment by or as if by presenting something desirable to the view but continually keeping it out of reach; also, to cause one to be tantalized; from Tantalus: a legendary king of Lydia condemned to stand up to the chin in a pool of water in Hades and beneath fruit-laden boughs only to have the water or fruit recede at each attempt to drink or eatTANTALIZE: to tease or torment by or as if by presenting something desirable to the view but continually keeping it out of reach; also, to cause one to be tantalized; from Tantalus: a legendary king of Lydia condemned to stand up to the chin in a pool of water in Hades and beneath fruit-laden boughs only to have the water or fruit recede at each attempt to drink or eatTANTALIZING: possessing a quality that arouses or stimulates desire or interest; also, mockingly or teasingly out of reach; also, to tease or torment by or as if by presenting something desirable to the view but continually keeping it out of reach; also, to cause one to be tantalized; from Tantalus: a legendary king of Lydia condemned to stand up to the chin in a pool of water in Hades and beneath fruit-laden boughs only to have the water or fruit recede at each attempt to drink or eatTANTALUM: a gray-white ductile acid-resisting metallic element found combined in rare minerals (such as tantalite and columbite) and used especially in electronic components; from Latin Tantalus; from its inability to absorb acid (Tantalus: a legendary king of Lydia condemned to stand up to the chin in a pool of water in Hades and beneath fruit-laden boughs only to have the water or fruit recede at each attempt to drink or eat)TITANIUM: a silvery-gray light strong metallic element with atomic number 22 obtained from ilmenite and rutile and used especially in alloys, refractory materials, pigments, and medical and dental devices; New Latin, from Greek Titan: any of a family of giants in Greek mythology born of Uranus and Gaea and ruling the earth until overthrown by the Olympian godsTRILBY: chiefly British: a soft felt hat with indented crown; from the fact that such a hat was worn in the London stage version of the novel Trilby (1894) by George du MaurierTRITON: any of various large marine gastropod mollusks (family Ranellidae synonym Cymatiidae) with a heavy elongated conical shell; also: the shell; Latin, from Greek Tritōn, a son of Poseidon described as a demigod of the sea with the lower part of his body like that of a fishURANIUM: a silvery heavy radioactive polyvalent metallic element that is found especially in uraninite and exists naturally as a mixture of mostly nonfissionable isotopes; from Uranus, the sky personified as a god and father of the Titans in Greek mythology VOLCANIC: of, relating to, or produced by a volcano; characterized by volcanoes (a volcanic range); made of materials from volcanoes; a volcanic rock; explosively violent: volatile (volcanic emotions); from Latin Volcanus Vulcan, the Roman god of fire and metalworkingVOLCANO: a vent in the crust of the earth or another planet or a moon from which usually molten or hot rock and steam issue; also: a hill or mountain composed wholly or in part of the ejected material; also, something of explosively violent potential; from Latin Volcanus Vulcan, the Roman god of fire and metalworkingWINDMILL: [from the episode in Don Quixote by Cervantes in which the hero attacks windmills under the illusion that they are giants]: an imaginary wrong, evil, or opponent —usually used in the phrase to tilt at windmillsYAHOO: a boorish, crass, or stupid person, from Yahoo: a member of a race of brutes in Swift's Gulliver's Travels (1726) who have the form and all the vices of humansYENTA: M-W has only yenta, Collins has “or yente,” one that meddles. From Yente Telebende, the character of a gossiping, henpecking wife in a 1920s-1930s comic series.YENTE: M-W has only yenta, Collins has “or yente,” one that meddles. From Yente Telebende, the character of a gossiping, henpecking wife in a 1920s-1930s comic series.
LITERARY AND FILM REFERENCES in the Spelling Bee lexicon
AMAZONAMMONIAARCADIAARCADIANBABELBACCHANALBACCHANALIABACCHANALIANBACCHICBLIMPBRAINIACBRUINCAPITOLCUPIDDAPHNEEDENIC*FAIRYFAUNFAUNAFAUNAEFAUNALFLORAFLORALGALUMPHGANACHEGARGANTUANGORGONGRINCHHARPYHOBBITJANITOR
JEEPJENNYLILLIPUTIAN
MALAPROPMARTIALMARTIALLYMARTIANMATINEEMENTEEMINTMINTEDMINTINGMONDOMUNCHKINPAEANPALOOKAPANICPANTALOONPAPARAZZIPEONYPHAETONPYGMYPYTHONROBOTROBOTICTANTALIZATIONTANTALIZETANTALIZINGTANTALUMTITANIUMTRILBYTRITONURANIUMVOLCANICVOLCANOWINDMILLYAHOOYENTAYENTE