AUGEAN STABLE Meaning and
Definition
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The term "Augean stable" refers to a chaotic, immensely unclean, or highly cluttered situation that necessitates an extensive and laborious cleaning effort. Derived from Greek mythology, it originates from the story of King Augeas, who possessed an enormous cattle stable that had not been cleaned for many years. The task of cleansing this stable came to Hercules as a part of his Twelve Labors.
The Augean stable has become synonymous with an overwhelming accumulation of mess or filth. It represents a metaphorical challenge that requires an incredibly thorough and time-consuming endeavor to eliminate the accumulated dirt and bring order to the chaotic situation. The term is often used to describe various real-life scenarios, such as corrupt institutions, disorganized businesses, or deeply entrenched problems that require immense effort to fix.
Furthermore, "cleaning the Augean stable" has been adopted as a phrase to describe the need for large-scale reform or restructuring. It implies a complete overhaul and the removal of deep-seated problems that have been allowed to persist for a considerable period. The expression is often used to emphasize the magnitude of a task, highlighting the Herculean effort required to rectify a complex, tangled, or deeply ingrained problem or situation.
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A stable belonging to Augeus, king of Ellis, in which he kept a great number of oxen; having never been cleaned, it was regarded as almost an impossibility to clean it, till it was assigned to Hercules as one of his labours: hence what is impracticable or what would be very difficult to clean.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
Common Misspellings for AUGEAN STABLE
- zugean stable
- sugean stable
- wugean stable
- qugean stable
- aygean stable
- ahgean stable
- ajgean stable
- aigean stable
- a8gean stable
- a7gean stable
- aufean stable
- auvean stable
- aubean stable
- auhean stable
- auyean stable
- autean stable
- augwan stable
- augsan stable
- augdan stable
- augran stable
Etymology of AUGEAN STABLE
The phrase "Augean stable" comes from Greek mythology and is derived from the story of Heracles (Hercules) and his fifth labor. According to the myth, King Augeas of Elis owned vast stables that hadn't been cleaned for many years and were filled with enormous amounts of manure, hay, and filth. Heracles was assigned the labor of cleaning these stables in a single day.
Heracles accomplished this task by diverting two rivers, Alpheus and Peneus, to flow through the stables, thus quickly washing away the accumulated filth. The term "Augean stable" has since been used metaphorically to refer to an extremely dirty or chaotic situation that requires a substantial effort to clean up.
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