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Polyphemus pawl-uh-FEE-muhs 0 a cyclops from Greek mythology, the son of Poseidon, appearing as a character in Homer's Odyssey 1865Thomas Carlyle The History of Friedrich II of PrussiaFriedrich Wilhelm's conduct, looked at from without, appears that of a hideous royal ogre, or blind anthropophagous Polyphemus fallen mad. Looked at from within, where the Polyphemus has his reasons, and a kind of inner rushlight to enlighten his path; and is not bent on man-eating, but on discipline in spite of difficulties—it is a wild enough piece of humanity, not so much ludicrous as tragical. 1910Ernest Scott Terre NapoleonSome of the French sailors who had been ashore returned in a wild state of alarm on account of giants whom they professed to have seen—men of extraordinary strength and stature, they reported, with long black beards, armed with enormous spears and shields, who ran at a furious pace, brandishing their weapons and giving utterance to fearful yells. 'However extravagant these assertions might appear,' said the incredulous naturalist, 'it was necessary to collect precise information on the subject.' The scientific Ulysses regarded the reputed Cyclops with a calculating scepticism. Had Polyphemus been at hand, Peron would have politely requested him to permit himself to be weighed and measured, and would have written an admirable monograph on his solitary optic. Labels: Ernest Scott, Thomas Carlyle
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Entry By: CJ Cooney
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mendacious men-DAY-shuhs adjective false statement; lying 1841Thomas CarlyleOn Heroes, Hero-Worship, and the Heroic in HistoryLet us try if, leaving out both the quack theory and the allegory one, and listening with affectionate attention to that far-off confused rumor of the Pagan ages, we cannot ascertain so much as this at least, That there was a kind of fact at the heart of them; that they too were not mendacious and distracted, but in their own poor way true and sane!1897Richard Henry SavageA Fascinating TraitorIt was the crowning lie of Hawke's splendidly mendacious career when he carelessly said, 'Nothing. I supposed, of course, that you had grave need of me here.'1915W. Somerset MaughamOf Human BondageMildred had become great friends with her and had given her an elaborate but mendacious account of the circumstances which had brought her to the pass she was in.Labels: Richard Henry Savage, Thomas Carlyle, W. Somerset Maugham
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accipitral ak-SIP-e-tral adjective like a hawk or bird of prey 1865Thomas CarlyleThe History of Friedrich II of PrussiaAnd truly he did then strike his claws into him in a thunderously fervid manner, he and all hands, in spite of the roaring weather:—a man of falcon, or accipitral, nature as well as name.1894William Dean HowellsMy First Visit to New EnglandOthers who knew him better and saw him oftener were familiar with other aspects, and I remember that one night at Longfellow's table, when one of the guests happened to speak of the photograph of Hawthorne which hung in a corner of the room, Lowell said, after a glance at it, 'Yes, it's good; but it hasn't his fine accipitral look.'Labels: Thomas Carlyle, William Dean Howells
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