Today's Word "Procrustean"
Published in Vocabulary
procrustean \pro-KREHS-ti-yehn\ (adjective) - Related to Procrustes, a robber in ancient Greece (Attica) described in the Etymology. Forcibly imposing conformity to an arbitrary or inappropriate standard.
"To get Jason's bike into the trunk of the car required a few procrustean adjustments."
The eponym of today's word was Procrustes, a colorful highwayman of Greek mythology, who failed to grasp the concept of human diversity. He considered the size of his iron bed to be standard since it fit him. From this he concluded that everyone should fit it. Every traveler passing his house was stopped and tied to the bed. If the traveler was too short, he was stretched to fit it. If he was too long, surgical adjustments were made to his legs with an axe. Theseus eventually reduced Procrustes' size by a head. The name comes from Greek Prokroustes "stretcher, one who stretches," the noun from prokrouein "hammer out, to stretch out" based on pro- "forth" + krouein "to beat, push." Not much is known about the origins of this Greek verb.
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