What is the source of the allusion in the sentence below?
Mrs. Randolph decided not to argue with the name her daughter had chosen for their new kitten, figuring it was a matter of a rose by any other name.
A: Shakespeare
B: a poem
The source of the allusion a rose by any other name is Shakespeare.
In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, the two central characters are denied their love because they belong to warring families, the Montagues and Capulets. Juliet wonders how a mere family name can make someone an enemy, observing that a rose would smell sweet no matter what its name.
The allusion a rose by any other name means something so special that what it's called seems unimportant.