Alphons
National Beholder
Some time ago I've noticed that some of the NV quests like Come fly with me or Heartaches by the number are named after songs (Heartaches even plays on NV radio) so I've decided to dig deeper and see how many references I could find.
Some names don't have a reference or I couldn't find one, so if you have any ideas please let me know and I'll add them with proper credit.
Some names don't have a reference or I couldn't find one, so if you have any ideas please let me know and I'll add them with proper credit.
Tutorial quests
Ain't that kick in the head (Ain't that kick in the head, Dean Martin)
Back in the saddle (Back in the saddle, Gene Autry)
By the campfire on the trail (By the campfire on the trail, Sons of the Pioneers)
Main quests (Chasing Benny)
They went That-a-way (They all went That-a-way, Earl Gleason)
Ring-a-Ding-Ding (Ring-a-Ding-Ding, Frank Sinatra)
Yes-Man
Ace in the hole (Ace in the hole, Ella Fitzgerald)
Change in management- no reference
You and what army?- Expressed as a rhetorical question, you and what army is meant as a sarcastic/ironic reply to a threat from someone whose ability to carry out the threat is not taken seriously. The idiom is a facetious way of saying ‘I do not find you or your threat frightening.’
Side bets- bet made regarding the occurrence or non-occurrence during a game (usually a gambling game) of an event not directly affecting the game's final outcome. As a general guideline, side bets have high house edges and should be avoided.
Finishing touches- no reference
No gods, no masters- The phrase is derived from the French slogan "Ni dieu ni maître!" (translated to 'Neither god nor master') coined by the socialist Louis Auguste Blanqui in 1880. Today the slogan continues to find use in anarchist politics.
Mr House
House always wins- No matter what game you choose to play, the odds of the casino winning your money are greater than the odds of you winning the casino’s money. That’s because all casino games are designed to provide the house with a built-in edge, diminishing the chances and sizes of potential payouts.
All or nothing (All or nothing at all, Frank Sinatra)
New California Republic
Things that go boom- no reference
King's Gambit- In chess, the Kings' Gambit is an opening strategy where a pawn is sacrificed in exchange for rapid development and control of the center.
For the Republic, Part 2- no reference
You'll know when it happens (You'll know when it happens, Frank Sinatra)
Eureka!- the state motto of California. The word comes from the ancient Greek word heúrēka, translated to "I have found." There is a story of the famous Greek mathematician Archimedes, who shouted "Eureka!" upon making a great discovery and ran naked through the streets of Syracuse.
Caesar's Legion
Render unto Caesar- Bible quote (Mark 12:17): Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marveled at him.
Et Tumor, Brute?- Play on word "Tumor" and Julius Caesar's famous last words, "Et tu, Brute?" from the Shakespearian play "Julius Caesar" which translates to "And you, Brutus?," showing Caesar's dismay in seeing Brutus taking part in his assassination and betrayal.
Arizona Killer (Arizona Killer, Katie Lee)
Veni, Vidi, Vici (Veni, vidi, vici, Ronnie Hilton)- also Caesar's famous words "I came, I saw, I conquered"
Side quests
A valuable lesson- no reference
Aba Daba Honeymoon (Aba Daba Honeymoon, Debbie Reynolds)
Ant Misbehavin' (Ain't Misbehavin', Bill Haley)
Anywhere I wander (Anywhere I wander, Danny Kaye)
Back in your own backyard (Back in your own backyard, Billie Holiday)
Beyond the beef (Beyond the reef, Marty Robbins)
Birds of a feather (Birds of a feather, Joe South)
Bitter Springs Infirmary Blues (St. James Infirmary Blues, Louis Armstrong)
Bleed me dry- no reference
Booted (Booted, Rosco Gordon)
Boulder City Showdown- no reference
Bye Bye Love (Bye Bye Love, Everly Brothers)
Can you find it in your heart? (Can you find it in your heart, Tony Bennet)
Classic inspiration- no reference
Climb Ev'ry mountain (Climb Ev'ry Mountain, Peggy Wood)
Cold, cold heart (Cold, cold heart, Hank Williams)
Come fly with me (Come fly with me, Frank Sinatra)
Crazy, crazy, crazy (Crazy, crazy, crazy, 5 Royales)
Cry me a river (Cry me a river, Ella Fitzgerald)
Debt Collector- no reference
Don't make a beggar of me (Don't make a beggar of me, Frank Sinatra)
E-DE my love (Eddy my love, The Chordettes)
Eye for an eye- Bible quote (Exodus 21:24): "Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot." or reference to the Hammurabi's Code from Babylonian Empire
Eyesight to the blind (Eyesight to the blind, Sonny Williamson II)
Flags of our foul-ups- book Flags of our Fathers about the squad of marines that raised the American flag on Iwo Jima
For Auld Lang Syne (Auld Lang Syne)
G. I. Blues (G. I. Blues, Elvis Presley) from the movie with the same title
Ghost Town Gunfight- no reference
Guess who I saw today (Guess who I saw today?, Nancy Wilson)
Hard luck blues (Hard Luck Blues, Buster Benton)
Heartache by the number (Heartache by the numbers, Guy Mitchell)
High Times- could be a reference to the movie "High Time" but I'm not 100% sure
How little we know (How little we know, Frank Sinatra)
I could make you care (I could make you care, The Ink Spots)
I don't hurt anymore (I don't hurt anymore, Hank Snow)
I forgot to remember to forget (I forgot to remember to forget, Elvis Presley)
I fought the law (I fought the law, Bobby Fuller)
I hear you knocking (I hear you knocking, Smiley Lewis)
I put a spell on you (I put a spell on you, CCR)
Keep your eyes on the prize (Keep your eyes on the prize (and hold on!))
Left my heart (I left my heart in San Francisco, Tony Bennet)
Medical Mystery- no reference
My kind of town (My kind of town, Frank Sinatra)
No, not much (No, not much, Four Lads)
Nothin' but a hound dog (Nothin' but a hound dog, Elvis Presley)
Oh my papa (Oh mein Papa, Freddy Quinn)
One for my baby (One for my baby and one more for the road, Frank Sinatra)
Pheeble Will- no reference
Pressing Matters- no reference
Restoring Hope- A United States initiative (code-named Operation Restore Hope), UNITAF was charged with carrying out United Nations Security Council Resolution 794 to create a protected environment for conducting humanitarian operations in the southern half of Somalia in 1992-93.
Return to Sender (Return to sender, Elvis Presley)
Run Goodsprings Run (Run Baby Run, Newbeats)
Someone to watch over me (Someone to watch over me, Ella Fitzgerald)
Still in the dark (Still in the dark, Big Joe Turner)
Sunshine Boogie- could be anything, but in my opinion this one fits the Boomers (Shotgun Boogie, Ernie Ford)
Talent Pool- no reference
Tend to your business (Tend to your business, James Wayne)
That lucky old sun (That lucky old sun, Louis Armstrong)
The coyotes- nickname for human traffickers
The finger of suspicion (The finger of suspicion, Dickie Valentine)
The House has gone bust!- In 1948 the Thunderbird Casino in Las Vegas went bust on opening night. Its owners, Marion Hicks and Clifford Jones, didn’t have enough cash on hand to cover a winning streak of $145,000 at the Craps tables. In desperation they approached Meyer Lansky for a loan. Lansky obliged, but took a majority of the stock, leaving Hicks and Jones with 20% between them. Lansky and his associates then skimmed so much of the take that the Thunderbird never made a profit or paid a dividend until the mobsters were forced out in 1956.
The legend of the star- no reference
The moon comes over the tower (When the moon comes over the mountain, Kate Smith)
The White Wash- no reference
There stands the grass (There stands the glass, Webb Pierce)
Three-card bounty- reference to the con game Three-card Monte
Unfriendly Persuasion (Friendly Persuasion, Pat Boone)
Volare! (Volare, Dean Martin)
Wang Dang Atomic Tango (Wang Dang Taffy Apple Tango, Pat Boone)
We are Legion- Bible quote (Mark 5: 8-10)
8 For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”
9 Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”
“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.”
10 And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.
We will all go together (We will all go together when we go, Tom Lehrer)
Wheel of fortune (Wheel of fortune, Kay Starr)
Why can't we be friends? (Why can't we be friends?, WAR)
You can depend on me (You can depend on me, Brenda Lee)
Young hearts (Young hearts, Jim Reeves)
Ain't that kick in the head (Ain't that kick in the head, Dean Martin)
Back in the saddle (Back in the saddle, Gene Autry)
By the campfire on the trail (By the campfire on the trail, Sons of the Pioneers)
Main quests (Chasing Benny)
They went That-a-way (They all went That-a-way, Earl Gleason)
Ring-a-Ding-Ding (Ring-a-Ding-Ding, Frank Sinatra)
Yes-Man
Ace in the hole (Ace in the hole, Ella Fitzgerald)
Change in management- no reference
You and what army?- Expressed as a rhetorical question, you and what army is meant as a sarcastic/ironic reply to a threat from someone whose ability to carry out the threat is not taken seriously. The idiom is a facetious way of saying ‘I do not find you or your threat frightening.’
Side bets- bet made regarding the occurrence or non-occurrence during a game (usually a gambling game) of an event not directly affecting the game's final outcome. As a general guideline, side bets have high house edges and should be avoided.
Finishing touches- no reference
No gods, no masters- The phrase is derived from the French slogan "Ni dieu ni maître!" (translated to 'Neither god nor master') coined by the socialist Louis Auguste Blanqui in 1880. Today the slogan continues to find use in anarchist politics.
Mr House
House always wins- No matter what game you choose to play, the odds of the casino winning your money are greater than the odds of you winning the casino’s money. That’s because all casino games are designed to provide the house with a built-in edge, diminishing the chances and sizes of potential payouts.
All or nothing (All or nothing at all, Frank Sinatra)
New California Republic
Things that go boom- no reference
King's Gambit- In chess, the Kings' Gambit is an opening strategy where a pawn is sacrificed in exchange for rapid development and control of the center.
For the Republic, Part 2- no reference
You'll know when it happens (You'll know when it happens, Frank Sinatra)
Eureka!- the state motto of California. The word comes from the ancient Greek word heúrēka, translated to "I have found." There is a story of the famous Greek mathematician Archimedes, who shouted "Eureka!" upon making a great discovery and ran naked through the streets of Syracuse.
Caesar's Legion
Render unto Caesar- Bible quote (Mark 12:17): Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marveled at him.
Et Tumor, Brute?- Play on word "Tumor" and Julius Caesar's famous last words, "Et tu, Brute?" from the Shakespearian play "Julius Caesar" which translates to "And you, Brutus?," showing Caesar's dismay in seeing Brutus taking part in his assassination and betrayal.
Arizona Killer (Arizona Killer, Katie Lee)
Veni, Vidi, Vici (Veni, vidi, vici, Ronnie Hilton)- also Caesar's famous words "I came, I saw, I conquered"
Side quests
A valuable lesson- no reference
Aba Daba Honeymoon (Aba Daba Honeymoon, Debbie Reynolds)
Ant Misbehavin' (Ain't Misbehavin', Bill Haley)
Anywhere I wander (Anywhere I wander, Danny Kaye)
Back in your own backyard (Back in your own backyard, Billie Holiday)
Beyond the beef (Beyond the reef, Marty Robbins)
Birds of a feather (Birds of a feather, Joe South)
Bitter Springs Infirmary Blues (St. James Infirmary Blues, Louis Armstrong)
Bleed me dry- no reference
Booted (Booted, Rosco Gordon)
Boulder City Showdown- no reference
Bye Bye Love (Bye Bye Love, Everly Brothers)
Can you find it in your heart? (Can you find it in your heart, Tony Bennet)
Classic inspiration- no reference
Climb Ev'ry mountain (Climb Ev'ry Mountain, Peggy Wood)
Cold, cold heart (Cold, cold heart, Hank Williams)
Come fly with me (Come fly with me, Frank Sinatra)
Crazy, crazy, crazy (Crazy, crazy, crazy, 5 Royales)
Cry me a river (Cry me a river, Ella Fitzgerald)
Debt Collector- no reference
Don't make a beggar of me (Don't make a beggar of me, Frank Sinatra)
E-DE my love (Eddy my love, The Chordettes)
Eye for an eye- Bible quote (Exodus 21:24): "Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot." or reference to the Hammurabi's Code from Babylonian Empire
Eyesight to the blind (Eyesight to the blind, Sonny Williamson II)
Flags of our foul-ups- book Flags of our Fathers about the squad of marines that raised the American flag on Iwo Jima
For Auld Lang Syne (Auld Lang Syne)
G. I. Blues (G. I. Blues, Elvis Presley) from the movie with the same title
Ghost Town Gunfight- no reference
Guess who I saw today (Guess who I saw today?, Nancy Wilson)
Hard luck blues (Hard Luck Blues, Buster Benton)
Heartache by the number (Heartache by the numbers, Guy Mitchell)
High Times- could be a reference to the movie "High Time" but I'm not 100% sure
How little we know (How little we know, Frank Sinatra)
I could make you care (I could make you care, The Ink Spots)
I don't hurt anymore (I don't hurt anymore, Hank Snow)
I forgot to remember to forget (I forgot to remember to forget, Elvis Presley)
I fought the law (I fought the law, Bobby Fuller)
I hear you knocking (I hear you knocking, Smiley Lewis)
I put a spell on you (I put a spell on you, CCR)
Keep your eyes on the prize (Keep your eyes on the prize (and hold on!))
Left my heart (I left my heart in San Francisco, Tony Bennet)
Medical Mystery- no reference
My kind of town (My kind of town, Frank Sinatra)
No, not much (No, not much, Four Lads)
Nothin' but a hound dog (Nothin' but a hound dog, Elvis Presley)
Oh my papa (Oh mein Papa, Freddy Quinn)
One for my baby (One for my baby and one more for the road, Frank Sinatra)
Pheeble Will- no reference
Pressing Matters- no reference
Restoring Hope- A United States initiative (code-named Operation Restore Hope), UNITAF was charged with carrying out United Nations Security Council Resolution 794 to create a protected environment for conducting humanitarian operations in the southern half of Somalia in 1992-93.
Return to Sender (Return to sender, Elvis Presley)
Run Goodsprings Run (Run Baby Run, Newbeats)
Someone to watch over me (Someone to watch over me, Ella Fitzgerald)
Still in the dark (Still in the dark, Big Joe Turner)
Sunshine Boogie- could be anything, but in my opinion this one fits the Boomers (Shotgun Boogie, Ernie Ford)
Talent Pool- no reference
Tend to your business (Tend to your business, James Wayne)
That lucky old sun (That lucky old sun, Louis Armstrong)
The coyotes- nickname for human traffickers
The finger of suspicion (The finger of suspicion, Dickie Valentine)
The House has gone bust!- In 1948 the Thunderbird Casino in Las Vegas went bust on opening night. Its owners, Marion Hicks and Clifford Jones, didn’t have enough cash on hand to cover a winning streak of $145,000 at the Craps tables. In desperation they approached Meyer Lansky for a loan. Lansky obliged, but took a majority of the stock, leaving Hicks and Jones with 20% between them. Lansky and his associates then skimmed so much of the take that the Thunderbird never made a profit or paid a dividend until the mobsters were forced out in 1956.
The legend of the star- no reference
The moon comes over the tower (When the moon comes over the mountain, Kate Smith)
The White Wash- no reference
There stands the grass (There stands the glass, Webb Pierce)
Three-card bounty- reference to the con game Three-card Monte
Unfriendly Persuasion (Friendly Persuasion, Pat Boone)
Volare! (Volare, Dean Martin)
Wang Dang Atomic Tango (Wang Dang Taffy Apple Tango, Pat Boone)
We are Legion- Bible quote (Mark 5: 8-10)
8 For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”
9 Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”
“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.”
10 And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.
We will all go together (We will all go together when we go, Tom Lehrer)
Wheel of fortune (Wheel of fortune, Kay Starr)
Why can't we be friends? (Why can't we be friends?, WAR)
You can depend on me (You can depend on me, Brenda Lee)
Young hearts (Young hearts, Jim Reeves)
