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epigone
Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2006 8:51 pm
by Susan
I keep reading this word in The New Yorker, used in the sense of "inferior imitator". Of course, the writers in The New Yorker do like to obfuscate on occasion.
Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2006 9:27 pm
by Bailey
ep·i·gone (p-gn)
n.
A second-rate imitator or follower, especially of an artist or a philosopher.
[French épigone, sing. of épigones, from Greek Epigonoi, sons of the seven heroes against Thebes, from pl. of epigonos, born after : epi-, epi- + gonos, child, seed; see gen- in Indo-European roots.]
epi·gonic (-gnk) adj.
e·pigon·ism (-pg-nzm) n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words AntonymsNoun 1. epigone - an inferior imitator of some distinguished writer or artist of musician
epigon
aper, copycat, emulator, imitator, ape - someone who copies the words or behavior of another
mark the-original-all-others-are-pale-imitations Bailey
just kidding
epigone
Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2006 9:52 pm
by Susan
Thanks--very interesting. You made me get out my OED, which had a very nice definition: "One of a succeeding generation. Chiefly in pl. the less distinguished successors of a distinguished generation." There is also an obscure second definition used in botany: "The membranous flask or bag which encloses the spore case of a liverwort or scale-moss when young. Also the nucule of a Chara." So, what is a nucule? "One of the seeds of a nuculanium [!]; a nutlet..." These botanists...[/i]
Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2006 11:10 pm
by gailr
This word cries out to be used in a business setting, perhaps in commenting on the suggestion of "difficult" peer? "Schmutznik's idea is the epigone of long-range planning!"
-gailr
Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2006 9:32 am
by Perry
The problem with an epigone is that he isn't gone; but annoyingly here.
The use of he is for the sake of simplicity only.
Re: epigone
Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2014 1:39 pm
by Slava
An ancient suggestion, but I'm going to add my vote to seeing done up. I was surprised to see that it is actually pronounced Epigone, not e-PIGE-ony as I expected. Along the lines of e-PIT-omy.