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Make Your Point > Archived Issues > NESSUS

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pronounce NESSUS:

NESS us
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connect this word to others:

Let's talk about big problems. Problems of mythic proportions.

If someone sends you an explosively destructive gift, you're likely to call it a Trojan horse.

If you feel as though you're sitting underneath some immediate threat, like a sword hanging up by a tiny hair, you're likely to call it a sword of D_m_____. (Can you recall that one?)

If you feel as though you've opened a box that immediately exploded into lots of terrible problems, you're likely to call it a P__d____'s box. (How about that one?)

And if you feel as though you're being poisoned to death by a gift that someone tricked you into wearing, you're likely to call it a shirt of Nessus. Let's explore that one!

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)  

definition:

If you like, you can read the mythical story of Nessus and Heracles here. It's short: just seven paragraphs.

In the story, Heracles (a hero in Greek myth, and the Greek equivalent of the Roman Hercules) kills a centaur named Nessus for trying to kidnap his wife. Seeking revenge as he dies, Nessus gives his bloody shirt to the wife and tricks her into giving it to Heracles. She does, and he dies in agony: it was poisoned with his blood.

Yikes!

So, today, if you refer to something as a Nessus-robe, or a shirt of Nessus, you mean it's designed to secretly harm the person who receives it.

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

Proper noun, used in the phrases "shirt of Nessus" and "Nessus-robe."

Other forms: 

If you need a plural, you could use "Nessus shirts."

how to use it:

Well, you might never get the occasion!

But if you do happen to notice that some kind of gift, goal, emotion, tradition, expectation, or other thing that's been transferred to you reminds you of a poisoned garment that is now killing you with agonizing slowness, then your occasion has arrived! Call it a shirt of Nessus.

If you do, be prepared to explain it, or to provide plenty of context, so that your audience knows what you mean. The story of Nessus isn't as widely known as other Greek myths.

examples:

"In all probability, this odium of disloyalty will stick to the Democratic party, like the fiery shirt of Nessus, and will gradually consume it." 
— New York Times, 17 October 1865

"Remorse is the very shirt of Nessus. It is of all mental pains the worst."
— Stanley John Weyman, Starvecrow Farm, 1905

has this page helped you understand "Nessus"?

   

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.


study it:

Explain the meaning of "Nessus" without saying "secret destroyer" or "vengeful weapon."

try it out:

Fill in the blanks: "Like a shirt of Nessus, (some destructive thing or person) will cling to (some person or group)."

Silly example: "Like a shirt of Nessus, the smell of Burger King will cling to my hair, keeping me gagging until I can wash it out."

Serious example: "The Soviet world's transition to normality will be a long time coming. The party, though now dyed with the hues of glasnost and democratization, will cling to the bitter end, like some poisoned tunic of Nessus, around the bodies of nations it has enfolded in its embrace for so many decades."
— Anonymous, New York Times, 4 January 1990




before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game for May is "Color Your Own Colloquialism."

I'll give you the outline of a colloquialism, from English or translated from another language, along with its definition, and you create your own version of it. Your version can be goofy, straightforward, or unrepeatable in polite company: just have fun with it! To see the real version of the colloquialism, scroll all the way down. 

Try this one today: 

Meaning: "All talk, but no action."

Outline: "All (nonessential item), no (essential item)."

review this word:

1. The near-opposite of a shirt of Nessus could be

A. the elixir of life: a magical potion for immortality.
B. the apple of discord: a weapon that causes your enemies to fight each other.
C. the Elfstone: a jewel that lets you see old things as if they're young and vibrant again.

2. The aptly named "Nessus Network Monitor" is a tool that, like Nessus in the myth, _____. But it doesn't go so far as to _____. At least I hope not.

A. builds an impenetrable maze around your assets .. attack trespassers with a minotaur
B. checks to see if your assets are exposed .. carry them off itself and then poison you
C. identifies which of your assets is most valuable .. send them flying off in a chariot pulled by sparrows




Answers to the review questions:
1. A
2. B

From the game, here's the real version of the colloquialism:

"All hat, no cattle."



a final word:


I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.

I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.


From my blog:
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A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.

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