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Pyrrhic victory (PIR-ik VIK-tuh-ree) noun
A victory won at a too great a cost. [After Pyrrhus, the king of Epirus, who suffered staggering losses while defeating Romans.] "With lawsuits multiplying like crazy and mutual accusations of stealing the election spiralling out of control, almost any result now looks as if it will be a Pyrrhic victory." United States: Whatever Will They Think of Next? The Economist (London), Nov 25, 2000. "One more such victory and we are lost," exclaimed Pyrrhus, the king of Epirus, as he described his costly success in the battle of Asculum in Apulia. With these words he gave us a metaphor to refer to a victory so costly, it's hardly better than defeat. Yet, if we talk to those who lost their sons, husbands, or fathers to war, every victory is a pyrrhic victory. A war is perhaps the only occasion when killing a person is not only accepted but rewarded. If only we could learn to do war with words, instead. Till then, let's look at a few words of war. -Anu ............................................................................ I have discovered that all human evil comes from this, man's being unable to sit still in a room. -Blaise Pascal, philosopher and mathematician (1623-1662) Send your comments about words to anu@wordsmith.org. To subscribe or unsubscribe A.Word.A.Day, send a message to wsmith@wordsmith.org with "Subject:" line as "subscribe <Your Name<" or "unsubscribe". Archives, FAQ, gift subscription form, and more at: http://wordsmith.org/awad/ Pronunciation: http://wordsmith.org/words/pyrrhic_victory.wav http://wordsmith.org/words/pyrrhic_victory.ram
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