Monday, April 13, 2009

Allude vs. Elude

Homonyms like Allude & Elude cast an illusion of sameness. Both allude to playfulness; both elude precise definitions. Synonyms stick to them like pink on Juicy Fruit. Let's pin them down:

Allude: to make an indirect reference. It comes from the Latin "allusio" – a play on words or game.
"Superman comics allude to the Jesus & Hercules stories, but they never explicitly cite any parallels.

Elude: to escape using trickery and cleverness.
"The Flash eluded his captors with super-speed."

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