|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
News to me that it comes from Greek verb meaning to strangle. The circular muscle so
socially indispensible at external lower termination of intestinal tract is called a
sphincter. So the Sphinx was said to kill victims by strangulation.
"sphinx - c.1421, from L. Sphinx, from Gk. Sphinx, lit." the
strangler," a back-formation from sphingein "to squeeze,
bind." Monster, having a lion's (winged) body and a
woman's head, that waylaid travellers around Thebes and
devoured those who could not answer its questions; slain by
Oedipus. The proper plural would be sphinges. "
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296 |
I'm glad this didn't come up when I taught Oedipus Rex.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 11
stranger
|
|
stranger
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 11 |
SOED (Shorter Oxford English Dictionary) says the plural is either sphinges or sphinxes. There's a family of butterflies with the name sphinx - "so called from the attitude frequently assumed by the caterpillar". Attitude? A caterpillar with attitude? Must have been reading Alice.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
I used to see sphinx moths near my beehives. At times my first thought was that they were hummingbirds. Here's a URL with a lot of pictures. My vision isn't good enough to see if there are moths in the pictures.Scroll down 1 inch. http://uite101.com/article.cfm/butterfly_gardening/77004
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
A caterpillar with attitude?
A company I used to work for had a division that made equipment that sensed and controlled the posititioning of orbital satellites. Their motto was 'Attitude is Everything!'
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Dear Faldage: I hope you had the Right Attitude.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065 |
Bingley
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Thanks, Bingley. I don't understand how the link got
mangled. Thanks for correcting it.
|
|
|
|
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,504
Members9,187
| |
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
|
|
|
0 members (),
692
guests, and
3
robots. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|
|
|
