Allusion

An allusion is a figure of speech where someone refers to a person, place, thing, or idea—usually from literature, history, or myth—in a brief and indirect way. It is like a secret message or code for people who know about the thing the person is referring to. To give an example, someone might say, “You’re like the wind from The Wizard of Oz.” That person is making an allusion (or reference) to The Wizard of Oz, a classic movie from 1939. They are saying that the person they’re talking to is like the wind in the movie—maybe meaning they’re fast and brave, like the wind carries Dorothy and Toto away!