5 June 2018
Tantalus
[tan-tl-uh s]
noun, plural Tantaluses for 2.
1. Classical Mythology. a Phrygian king who was condemned to remain in Tartarus, chin deep in water, with fruit-laden branches hanging above his head: whenever he tried to drink or eat, the water and fruit receded out of reach.
2. (lowercase) Chiefly British. a stand or rack containing visible decanters, especially of wines or liquors, secured by a lock.
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for Tantalus
Historical Examples
I shall probably have to bear the pains of Tantalus three months longer.
Erdgeist (Earth-Spirit)
Frank Wedekind
Is there, in Tantalus ‘ dim cup, The shadow of water, nought beside?
Silhouettes
Arthur Symons
But in this emergency Poseidon came to the aid of the son of Tantalus.
Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome
E.M. Berens
A man in such a situation is somewhat like Tantalus reversed.
Notes and Queries, No. 179. Saturday, April 2, 1853.
Various
Boundary unlocked his Tantalus and took out a full decanter of whisky.
Jack O’ Judgment
Edgar Wallace
The next two forms, Tantalus and Sisyphus, have also a kinship.
Homer’s Odyssey
Denton J. Snider
Who cannot attain the latter is a Tantalus, seeking but never reaching the fruit.
Homer’s Odyssey
Denton J. Snider
“That would have been a Tantalus draught indeed,” he remarked.
The Indifference of Juliet
Grace S. Richmond
“Give me the key of the Tantalus,” said Carrington promptly.
Simon
J. Storer Clouston
It was now to me as to Tantalus the crystal waters, never to be tasted.
The War Trail
Mayne Reid
Anagram
Atlas nut
tuna salt
Today’s quote
Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third is to be kind.
– Henry James (1843-1916) Author
On this day
5 June 1967 – start of the Six Day War, when Israel attacked Egypt and Syria. During the six days of the War, Israel occupied the Gaza Strip, Sinai Peninsula, Golan Heights, West Bank and East Jerusalem, effectively doubling its size. Although Israel eventually withdrew from the Golan Heights and Sinai Peninsula, it continues to controversially occupy Gaza, West Bank and East Jerusalem.
5 June 1968 – Robert F. Kennedy, Presidential candidate and brother of JFK, shot by Sirhan Sirhan, a Palestinian-born, Jordanian citizen. Kennedy died the following day. In an interview with David Frost in 1989, Sirhan stated that he opposed Kennedy’s support of Israel and plan to send 50 bombers to Israel to ‘obviously do harm to the Palestinians’. Sirhan was initially sentenced to death, but the sentence was later commuted to life in prison.
5 June 1989 – the ‘Tank Man’ halts a column of Chinese tanks in Beijing for more than half an hour, following protests in Tiananmen Square.
5 June 2000 – start of the Six Day War in Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo, between Ugandan and Rwandan forces, destroying a large part of the city.
5 June 2012 – death of Ray Bradbury, American fantasy, science-fiction, horror and mystery fiction writer. Author of Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, The Illustratred Man, Something Wicked This Way Comes. The movie Butterfly Effect uses a similar theory to that described in Bradbury’s short-story A Sound of Thunder. In one scene, a Sound of Thunder pennant is hanging on the dormitory door of the main character, Evan. Michael Moore’s movie Fahrenheit 9/11 was named after Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. Bradbury was not happy with this and pressured Moore to change the title, which Moore refused to do. Born 22 August 1920.