Word of the Day

: June 11, 2011

Cassandra

noun kuh-SAN-druh

What It Means

1 : a daughter of Priam endowed with the gift of prophecy but fated never to be believed

2 : one that predicts misfortune or disaster

Cassandra in Context

The excitement of planning for Rachel’s graduation cookout was tempered by the pessimism of the family Cassandras, who were convinced it would rain that day.

"The Cassandras were wrong: Despite dire predictions, municipal bonds haven't hurtled off a cliff." -- From an article by Ben Levisohn in the Wall Street Journal, May 20, 2011

Did You Know?

The story of Cassandra comes from Greek mythology and is both tragic and ironic, as such myths tend to be. Cassandra was the daughter of Priam, the king of Troy. She caught the eye of the god Apollo, who was accustomed to getting what he wanted. He was amazed and displeased when she refused his romantic advances, and he became vengeful. He cursed Cassandra with a gift of prophecy with an especially cruel twist: he guaranteed that while she would always be right, no one would ever believe her predictions. Cassandra foretold the fall of Troy and other disastrous happenings, though she was ignored. Now, the label "Cassandra" is typically reserved for those who claim to see impending doom.