Monday, August 3, 2009

What is a juggernaut?


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: juggernaut

Why: On the commercial for Legally Blonde: The Musical, New York Magazine describes the show as "A feel-good juggernaut!"

Answer: n.
  1. Something, such as a belief or institution, that elicits blind and destructive devotion or to which people are ruthlessly sacrificed.
  2. An overwhelming, advancing force that crushes or seems to crush everything in its path: “It doesn't assume that people need necessarily remain passive when confronted by what appears to be the juggernaut of history” (Christopher Lehmann-Haupt).
Source: Answers.com

The More You Know: Hindi jagannāth, title of Krishna, from Sanskrit jagannāthah, lord of the world:
  • jagat, moving, the world (from earlier present participle of jigāti, he goes)
  • + nāthah, lord (from nāthate, he helps, protects)

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