PAR-suh-moh-nee
His parsimony was so extreme that he reused paper towels to save a few cents.
Fun Fact
While often used negatively, parsimony has a place in science too—Occam’s Razor is a principle of parsimony, suggesting the simplest explanation is usually best. In everyday life, though, it’s usually a warning against being so frugal it becomes unreasonable or absurd.
ky-MAIR-ih-kul
(adjective) Wildly unrealistic or fanciful; existing only in the imagination and having no basis in reality.
Critics called the startup’s plan to colonize Mars within five years chimerical — bold in vision, impossible in practice.
From the Chimera — a fire-breathing monster of Greek mythology with the head of a lion, body of a goat, and tail of a serpent. From Greek chimaira (“she-goat”), related to kheimon (“winter”) — the creature was associated with seasonal storms. The Chimera was slain by Bellerophon riding Pegasus, and its name became a byword for any fantastical, impossible idea. The adjective chimerical entered English in the 17th century.
Fun Fact
In modern biology, a “chimera” is an organism containing cells from two genetically distinct sources — either naturally (some twins absorb cells from each other in the womb) or through procedures like bone marrow transplants. Human chimeras walk among us, often completely unaware of their dual genetic identity. The mythological monster’s mismatched body parts turned out to be a surprisingly accurate metaphor for a real biological phenomenon — proof that even “impossible” things sometimes turn out to be more real than imagined.
Today's Word Chimerical ky-MAIR-ih-kul Definition (adjective) Wildly unrealistic or fanciful;...
Read MoreToday's Word Unconscionable un-KON-shun-uh-bul Definition (adjective) Shockingly unfair or unethical;...
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