A.W.A.D. - Five Eponyms
with Anu Garg
Eponyms are little capsules of history. They capture a bundle of stories in just a word or two. These terms, derived from the names of people, summarize their characters and qualities that made them stand out.
In the five eponyms to be explored this week, we'll meet people, men and women, real and fictional, from a diverse world that includes two playboys, seven sisters, an imaginary deity, and more. Sounds like a soap opera!
Eponyms are little capsules of history. They capture a bundle of stories in just a word or two. These terms, derived from the names of people, summarize their characters and qualities that made them stand out.
In the five eponyms to be explored this week, we'll meet people, men and women, real and fictional, from a diverse world that includes two playboys, seven sisters, an imaginary deity, and more. Sounds like a soap opera!
Beau Brummell
PRONUNCIATION: (bo BRUM-uhl)
MEANING: noun: A man who pays excessive attention to his clothes and appearance
ETYMOLOGY: After Beau Brummell, nickname of George Bryan Brummell (1778-1840), a British dandy. Brummell was known for his suits and elaborate neckwear and was considered an authority in matters of men's dress and etiquette. He rose in society thanks to his royal connections, but gambling debts forced him to flee to France. He died penniless in a mental institution in Caen.
USAGE: "He [father] possessed a Beau Brummell's zest for fashion." Neal Hirschfeld; His Dad, the World's Darling; The New York Times; Jun 15, 2008.
termagant
PRONUNCIATION: (TER-muh-guhnt)
MEANING: noun: A quarrelsome or overbearing woman
ETYMOLOGY: From Old French Tervagant. The term originates after an imaginary deity that Christians in medieval Europe erroneously believed was worshiped by Muslims. It was represented in morality plays as a violent, overbearing personage. Over time the term became generalized to apply to any brawling person, and eventually only to women.
USAGE: "[Mrs. Lincoln], the wife of one of our most beloved presidents, has been characterized as a sharp-tongued termagant who made her husband's life miserable." Larry Eskridge; The Tragedy of Mary Lincoln; The Daily Ledger (Canton, Illinois); May 16, 2009.
pleiad
PRONUNCIATION: (PLEE-uhd)
MEANING: noun: A group of (usually seven) brilliant persons or things
ETYMOLOGY: After the Pleiades, the seven daughters of the titan Atlas and sea-nymph Pleione in Greek mythology. These seven sisters were Maia, Electra, Celaeno, Taygete, Merope, Alcyone, and Sterope. In one version of the myth, they killed themselves out of grief over the loss of their half sisters the Hyades, and were turned into a group of stars. In another version, they were placed among the stars to protect them from the hunter Orion, though he too became a star to continue to pursue them. Only six of the seven sisters shine brightly in the Pleiades star cluster. The other one is supposed to be Merope, hiding in shame for loving a mortal, or Electra, mourning the death of her son Dardanus.
USAGE: "'The turbulent 1990s were a time of rapid change and bold, extraordinary people. ... Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin, without any exaggeration, belongs among just such a pleiad,' Putin said." Lynn Berry; Russian Leaders Honor Boris Yeltsin on 1st Anniversary of His Death; Associated Press; Apr 23, 2008.
Gordon Bennett
PRONUNCIATION: (GOR-dn BEN-it)
MEANING: interjection: Expressing surprise, puzzlement, incredulity, annoyance, etc.
ETYMOLOGY: The expression is primarily used in the UK even though Gordon Bennett was an American. It comes from the name of newspaperman James Gordon Bennett, Jr. (1841-1918). He was known as Gordon Bennett to distinguish him from his father, James Gordon Bennett, Sr., a Scottish immigrant to the US and founder of the New York Herald. The son inherited the paper and wealth, and was known for his extravagant and shocking life. The term Gordon Bennett alludes to his wild ways, and perhaps originated as a euphemism for gorblimey. Gordon Bennett escaped to France and became famous in Europe for establishing awards in sports such as yachting, auto and airplane racing, ballooning, etc.
USAGE: "Gordon Bennett, have they nothing better to do than gawp*?" Robert McNeil; A Date For Your Diary; The Scotsman (Edinburgh, Scotland); Jun 19, 2009.
pasquinade
PRONUNCIATION: (pas-kwuh-NAYD)
MEANING: noun: A satire or lampoon, especially one displayed in a public place
ETYMOLOGY: Before there were Facebook protests and Twitter outcries, people complained publicly by publishing pamphlets and posting flyers. One such tradition was posting anonymous satirical verses and lampoons on an ancient statue in Rome. The locals named this statue Pasquino after a shopkeeper near whose place it had been unearthed. Over time the term came to be applied to any work of satire publicly displayed. Also see the talking statues of Rome.
USAGE: "Whether these soaps are a pasquinade mocking the education system here or a great landmark in popular culture is a question open to interpretation." Shweta Teoti; Ekta, a Threat to Women's Education; The Times of India (New Delhi); Oct 26, 2007.
PRONUNCIATION: (bo BRUM-uhl)
MEANING: noun: A man who pays excessive attention to his clothes and appearance
ETYMOLOGY: After Beau Brummell, nickname of George Bryan Brummell (1778-1840), a British dandy. Brummell was known for his suits and elaborate neckwear and was considered an authority in matters of men's dress and etiquette. He rose in society thanks to his royal connections, but gambling debts forced him to flee to France. He died penniless in a mental institution in Caen.
USAGE: "He [father] possessed a Beau Brummell's zest for fashion." Neal Hirschfeld; His Dad, the World's Darling; The New York Times; Jun 15, 2008.
termagant
PRONUNCIATION: (TER-muh-guhnt)
MEANING: noun: A quarrelsome or overbearing woman
ETYMOLOGY: From Old French Tervagant. The term originates after an imaginary deity that Christians in medieval Europe erroneously believed was worshiped by Muslims. It was represented in morality plays as a violent, overbearing personage. Over time the term became generalized to apply to any brawling person, and eventually only to women.
USAGE: "[Mrs. Lincoln], the wife of one of our most beloved presidents, has been characterized as a sharp-tongued termagant who made her husband's life miserable." Larry Eskridge; The Tragedy of Mary Lincoln; The Daily Ledger (Canton, Illinois); May 16, 2009.
pleiad
PRONUNCIATION: (PLEE-uhd)
MEANING: noun: A group of (usually seven) brilliant persons or things
ETYMOLOGY: After the Pleiades, the seven daughters of the titan Atlas and sea-nymph Pleione in Greek mythology. These seven sisters were Maia, Electra, Celaeno, Taygete, Merope, Alcyone, and Sterope. In one version of the myth, they killed themselves out of grief over the loss of their half sisters the Hyades, and were turned into a group of stars. In another version, they were placed among the stars to protect them from the hunter Orion, though he too became a star to continue to pursue them. Only six of the seven sisters shine brightly in the Pleiades star cluster. The other one is supposed to be Merope, hiding in shame for loving a mortal, or Electra, mourning the death of her son Dardanus.
USAGE: "'The turbulent 1990s were a time of rapid change and bold, extraordinary people. ... Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin, without any exaggeration, belongs among just such a pleiad,' Putin said." Lynn Berry; Russian Leaders Honor Boris Yeltsin on 1st Anniversary of His Death; Associated Press; Apr 23, 2008.
Gordon Bennett
PRONUNCIATION: (GOR-dn BEN-it)
MEANING: interjection: Expressing surprise, puzzlement, incredulity, annoyance, etc.
ETYMOLOGY: The expression is primarily used in the UK even though Gordon Bennett was an American. It comes from the name of newspaperman James Gordon Bennett, Jr. (1841-1918). He was known as Gordon Bennett to distinguish him from his father, James Gordon Bennett, Sr., a Scottish immigrant to the US and founder of the New York Herald. The son inherited the paper and wealth, and was known for his extravagant and shocking life. The term Gordon Bennett alludes to his wild ways, and perhaps originated as a euphemism for gorblimey. Gordon Bennett escaped to France and became famous in Europe for establishing awards in sports such as yachting, auto and airplane racing, ballooning, etc.
USAGE: "Gordon Bennett, have they nothing better to do than gawp*?" Robert McNeil; A Date For Your Diary; The Scotsman (Edinburgh, Scotland); Jun 19, 2009.
pasquinade
PRONUNCIATION: (pas-kwuh-NAYD)
MEANING: noun: A satire or lampoon, especially one displayed in a public place
ETYMOLOGY: Before there were Facebook protests and Twitter outcries, people complained publicly by publishing pamphlets and posting flyers. One such tradition was posting anonymous satirical verses and lampoons on an ancient statue in Rome. The locals named this statue Pasquino after a shopkeeper near whose place it had been unearthed. Over time the term came to be applied to any work of satire publicly displayed. Also see the talking statues of Rome.
USAGE: "Whether these soaps are a pasquinade mocking the education system here or a great landmark in popular culture is a question open to interpretation." Shweta Teoti; Ekta, a Threat to Women's Education; The Times of India (New Delhi); Oct 26, 2007.
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