PROCRUSTEAN

Use this forum to discuss past Good Words.
User avatar
Dr. Goodword
Site Admin
Posts: 7417
Joined: Wed Feb 02, 2005 9:28 am
Location: Lewisburg, PA
Contact:

PROCRUSTEAN

Postby Dr. Goodword » Fri Jan 19, 2007 11:56 pm

• procrustean •

Pronunciation: prê-krês-tee-yên • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Adjective

Meaning: Forcibly imposing conformity to an arbitrary or inappropriate standard.

Notes: Many dictionaries still capitalize today's Good Word (Oxford English, American Heritage—Encarta accepts either spelling). Our decision is based on the fact that most people have no idea that the word has a proper eponym (see Word History) and use it as a simple adjective today. This word is most often heard in the crystallized phrase "procrustean bed", meaning an arbitrary mold or pattern something or someone is forced into. This practice is procrusteanism. Forcing someone into a position they are uncomfortable in is to procrusteanize them.

In Play: This word is most often used in referring to people who are forced to behave in ways they dislike: "I left the company because I felt the dress code there was too procrustean." However, this word works equally well with objects forced into positions they do not fit: "What happened to the bike? We had to take procrustean measures to get it to fit into the trunk of the car."

Word History: The eponym of today's word was a twisted highway robber of Greek mythology named Procrustes. He had an iron bed which he thought all people should fit but, rather than adjusting the bed to the people who came, willy-nilly, to his house, he adjusted the people by stretching them or shortening them with his axe. (Actually, the bed was adjustable, so Procrustes intentionally maladjusted his bed so as to not fit.) Procrustes was eventually captured by Theseus who shortened him by a head so that he conformed to the shortest adjustment of the Procrustean bed. The name comes from Greek prokroustes "the stretcher" from prokrouein "to hammer out, stretch out", made up of pro- "outward" + krouein "to beat, push."
• The Good Dr. Goodword

skinem
Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 1197
Joined: Thu Apr 27, 2006 4:33 pm
Location: Middle Tennessee

Postby skinem » Sat Jan 20, 2007 6:40 pm

Seems to me many schools, corporations, and other places of employment are procrustean.

sluggo
Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 1476
Joined: Wed Apr 12, 2006 1:58 pm
Location: Carolinia Agrestícia: The Forest Primeval

Postby sluggo » Sat Jan 20, 2007 11:33 pm

Yeah, well I still wanna be the Anticrust.
Stop! Murder us not, tonsured rumpots! Knife no one, fink!

Bailey
Great Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 2114
Joined: Tue Mar 21, 2006 7:51 pm

Postby Bailey » Sun Jan 21, 2007 12:43 am

or Krusty?

mark never-saw-even-one-episode-honest Bailey

Today is the first day of the rest of your life, Make the most of it...
kb










Return to “Good Word Discussion”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Ahrefs [Bot], Bing [Bot], Semrush [Bot] and 42 guests