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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread Empyrrhicism #33506 06/25/2001 7:43 AM Joined: Apr 2001 Posts: 41 Alice Springs, Northern Territ... Rusty newbie Rusty newbie Joined: Apr 2001 Posts: 41 Alice Springs, Northern Territ... We all know what a pyrrhic victory is. It isn't so well known that pyrrhic is also a noun, meaning both a dance performed while wearing armour, and the metrical foot of a warsong (such as one which accompanies a pyrrhic dance). Now for my question: what's a pyrrhic loss? Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Empyrrhicism #33507 06/25/2001 12:32 PM Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Louisville, Kentucky Jackie Carpal Tunnel Jackie Carpal Tunnel Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Louisville, Kentucky what's a pyrrhic loss? Well, if it is a loss that is offset by staggering gains, I'd like one, please! I guess the theme song for the old TV show "The Beverly Hillbillies" describes that (this is from memory, and may not be exact): "Let me tell you all a story 'bout a man named Jed; Poor mountaineer, barely kept his fam'ly fed; And then one day, he was shootin' at some food, And up through the ground come a-bubblin' crude--- Oil, that is. Black gold. Texas tea." So--he lost his food, but gained an oil field. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Empyrrhicism #33508 06/25/2001 12:39 PM Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 wwh Carpal Tunnel wwh Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 The Dupont chemist who discovered Teflon when an accident happened to an experiment. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Empyrrhicism #33509 06/25/2001 1:15 PM Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 1,773 Sparteye Pooh-Bah Sparteye Pooh-Bah Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 1,773 The candymaker who overcooked a batch of fudge and created Tootsie Rolls experienced a pyrrhic loss. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Empyrrhicism #33510 06/25/2001 1:30 PM Joined: Mar 2001 Posts: 2,379 New York City inselpeter Pooh-Bah inselpeter Pooh-Bah Joined: Mar 2001 Posts: 2,379 New York City And the chemist who discovered the first analine dye (magenta, I believe) Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Empyrrhicism #33511 06/25/2001 1:37 PM Joined: Nov 2000 Posts: 3,439 New England, USA wow Carpal Tunnel wow Carpal Tunnel Joined: Nov 2000 Posts: 3,439 New England, USA And : when that mold grew in a neglected experiment ... penicillin! Then there's the guy who wondered why burdocks stuck to his dog's fur and came up with Velcro. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. (have been... ------  Words from medicine  Beheading words  Meta-words  Words from classical mythology  Animal Safari  Words with unusual etymologies  Eponyms or words derived from p...  Loanwords from German  English as a global language Print Thread Switch to Threaded Mode Show Likes Link Copied to Clipboard View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary

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