Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Words – Gordian Knot

Gordian Knot:
1: an intricate problem ; especially : a problem insoluble in its own terms —often used in the phrase cut the Gordian knot
2: a knot tied by Gordius, king of Phrygia, held to be capable of being untied only by the future ruler of Asia, and cut by Alexander the Great with his sword

The Gordian Knot is a legend associated with Alexander the Great. It is often used as a metaphor for an intractable problem, solved by a bold stroke ("cutting the Gordian knot")

Alexander Cutting the Gordian Knot, oil on canvas by Jean-Simon Berthèlemy. (Britannica)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordian_Knot

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