• batrachomyomachy • Pronunciation: bæ-trê-kê-mai-om-ê-ki • Hear it at alphadictionary! Part of Speech: Noun, mass Meaning: If you want to say a tempest in a teacup, a mountain out of a molehill, making a federal case of it, but utter it in a single word (not necessarily a single breath), batrachomyomachy is the word that does it. Notes: Appropriately enough, this word is a mountain of a mouthful expressing a mole hill of meaning. If you are brave enough to toss it into a conversation, you might as well know the adjective and agent noun. You may be the first to ever use the adjective: batrachomyomachian [buh-truh-kuh-mai-o-may-ki-un]. Those who exaggerate the importance of things, are batrachomyomachists [buh-truh-kuh-mai-om-uh-kists]. Honest. In Play: Disputes over trivia occur far too often: April Showers is raising another batrachomyomachy over the color of the new drapes in the teachers lounge. Those willing to wait for you to finish uttering this seven-syllable mouthful may be less common: I dont understand this whole batrachomyomachy over who gets Monas parking place now that shes gone. Word History: This funny if rather long word is a Greek word meaning The Battle of Frogs and Mice. It is the title of a mock-heroic epic poem about the struggle between frogs and mice by a small pond, described in the same terms as the siege of Troy is described in The Odyssey. The Greek word comes from batrachos frog + mys mouse + machia fighting, a word related to English might, machine, and magic. Mys is of the same origin as Latin mus, whose diminutive, musculus a little mouse ultimately became French muscle, whence it made its way to English. Isnt the thought of little mice running around under your skin comforting? The Romans thought so.
Posted on: Sat, 11 Oct 2014 03:39:10 +0000
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