Word of the Day: DRACONIAN

The cruelty is the point

draconian (adj) - extremely harsh, cruel, or severe, usually describing rules or laws [druh-koh-nee-uhn]

BREAKDOWN: While one could be forgiven for thinking the word draconian was related to dragons, its true origins lie in more verifiable history. Draco, or in his native Greek, Drako, was an Athenian archon known for passing very harsh laws. His predilection to punish both serious and trivial crimes alike with death echoes through history as surely as does his name.

“Somebody told me, ‘Twitter hates tabloids, but Twitter is constantly acting like a tabloid, repeating the mistakes of the things we’re hoping to better.’ Twitter wanted to become a more egalitarian justice system, but instead it became a draconian one.” — Jon Ronson

[Our Wednesday Wildcards are fascinating and important words that are not necessarily derived from classical roots.]