Love, jealousy, betrayal, friends turning each other into animals…all hiding in one tiny SAT word!
In episode 43 of the Vocabbett podcast, we dive into the story (stories, really!) behind the word cynosure. You’ll never believe the path this word has taken, starting at the humble backside of a dog and ending as a word befitting the queen.
To make a long story short...
Cynosure comes from the ancient Greek words for “dog’s tail.”
There’s a constellation (which most of us know as the Little Dipper), which the ancient Greeks referred to as the “dog’s tail.”
The “dog’s tail” constellation has the North Star in it.
The North Star was the focus of all eyes (since it was used for navigation in a pre-Google Maps world).
People began to associate the word with being the center of attention and the brightest star in the sky, rather than a dog’s tail.
Listen to the Vocabbett podcast for all the details!