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Achilles’ heel
- Article from:
-
A New Dictionary of Eponyms
- Author:
- Morton S. Freeman
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Copyright information© A New Dictionary of Eponyms 1997, originally published by Oxford University Press 1997. (Hide copyright information)
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Achilles’ heel
The story concerning the legendary hero Achilles has been told many times. Achilles was the central figure and tragic protagonist in Homer's
Iliad
. He possessed athletic strength, warlike prowess, and handsomeness. His mother, Thetis, had a premonition that her son would die in battle. She therefore, when he was still an infant, held him by the heel and dipped him into the river Styx to make him invulnerable. The water touched every part of his body except the heel that Thetis held, leaving it the weak link in his magic armor. During the siege of Troy, a poisoned arrow from the bow of the Trojan prince Paris pierced Achilles' heel, fatally wounding him. W. ...
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Achilles' heel
Pocket Fowler's Modern English Usage;
ROBERT ALLEN;
24 words
...Achilles' heel, Achilles' tendon. Use an apostrophe in both expressions for consistency, even though the connection with Achilles is remote in the second.
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 "The Daily Mail (London, England)")
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'Every great player has had an achilles heel, but Woods seems to have...
The Daily Mail (London, England);
July 18, 2002 ;
Fraser, Alan;
528 words
......Open Championship victories and an achilles heel. Tiger Woods has one Open to his credit...Every great player has always had an achilles heel,' said Watson. 'Tiger seems to have...on Woods in his prime. 'But I had an achilles heel. I couldn't hit it very straight. I...
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Achilles heel
The Oxford American Writers Thesaurus;
50 words
...Achilles heel • noun the report predicted an impact near Columbia 's left main landing gear—a well-known Achilles heel for shuttles synonyms : weak spot, weak point, weak link, weakness, soft underbelly, shortcoming, failing...
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Indian-origin scientist claims to uncovering Achilles Heel of HIV
The Hindustan Times;
July 16, 2008 ;
763 words
......claims that his team has uncovered the Achilles heel in the armour of the HIV virus. Sudhir...protective antibodies is available. The Achilles heel, a tiny stretch of amino acids numbered...known as abzymes, which can attack the Achilles heel of the virus in a precise way. "The...
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Propaganda is our Achilles' heel.(LETTERS)
The Washington Times;
May 28, 2002 ;
136 words
......learning of the past, all the better to shape the future ( 'The Achilles' heel of education, May 20). Or was the column just an elaborate...Chomsky has written many pro-Palestinian pieces. Our real Achilles' heel is Israel and the plethora of Zionist propaganda that is...
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Achilles heel forces Liu out of Olympics
Xinhua News Agency;
August 18, 2008 ;
60 words
...Achilles heel forces Liu out of Olympics BEIJING, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Defending Olympic...his coach. Sun Haiping said the hurdler has been suffering from the Achilles' heel injury for six to seven years. "It just got worse," Sun said.
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 "The Birmingham Post (England)")
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BIA 'Achilles heel' of security.(News)
The Birmingham Post (England);
June 8, 2007 ;
312 words
...Birmingham International Airport was last night branded the Achilles heel of aviation safety and threatened with Government intervention...terrorists seeking to do damage, Birmingham looks like a bit of an Achilles heel from a security perspective.
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 "AAP General News (Australia)")
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FED: Scientists racing to find feral pigs achilles heel
AAP General News (Australia);
August 15, 2004 ;
126 words
...AAP General News (Australia) 08-15-2004 FED: Scientists racing to find feral pigs achilles heel Australian scientists are hunting for the Achilles heel of feral pigs in a bid to bring the pests under control. Dr STEVE LAPIDGE, of the Pest...
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 "AAP Sports News (Australia)")
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CYCLE: Armstrong s challengers try to find his Achilles heel
AAP Sports News (Australia);
July 20, 2001 ;
395 words
......07-20-2001 CYCLE: Armstrong s challengers try to find his Achilles heel By Greg Frost PERPIGNAN, France, July 19 Reuters - Lance...successive stage wins but finding the defending champion's Achilles heel is shaping up to be even more challenging than last year...
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Indian American pinpoints Achilles heel of killer HIV
The Hindustan Times;
July 16, 2008 ;
489 words
......American Sudhir Paul have pinpointed the Achilles heel in the protective mechanism of HIV...infection and eventually lead to AIDS. The Achilles heel, a tiny stretch of amino acids numbered...known as abzymes, which can attack the Achilles heel of the virus in a precise way. "The...
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Research & Markets: DoCoMo's Achilles' Heel Continues to be its Pricing...
Wireless News;
June 20, 2007 ;
314 words
......06-20-2007 Research & Markets: DoCoMo's Achilles' Heel Continues to be its Pricing Strategy...2007-Research & Markets: DoCoMo's Achilles' Heel Continues to be its Pricing Strategy...Strategy Survey, however, that DoCoMo's Achilles' heel continues to be its pricing strategy...
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 "Irish Independent (Dublin, Republic of Ireland)")
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The North's 'Achilles' heel' is Republic's slowdown.
Irish Independent (Dublin, Republic of Ireland);
June 18, 2008 ;
361 words
...The North's 'Achilles' heel' is Republic's slowdown THE sharper than expected slowdown in...the credit crunch in the South could be the North's greatest Achilles' heel in the current economic difficulties. Separately, Alan McQuaid...
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Iowa's Achilles heel will be targeted by Michigan State
University Wire;
October 8, 2002 ;
Todd Brommelkamp;
568 words
......which his mother held him. What we today refer to as the Achilles' heel, through which he was shot with a poison arrow by a guy named...arrows to sling at Iowa's secondary - - very much this team's Achilles heel. Once again, the Iowa pass defense finds itself ranked No...
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RAYMOND BAKER GIVES LECTURE ON 'CAPITALISM'S ACHILLES' HEEL: DIRTY MONEY...
US Fed News Service, Including US State News;
November 7, 2006 ;
382 words
......Saint Benedict, St. Joseph. Baker will present "Capitalism's Achilles' Heel: Dirty Money and How to Renew the Free Market System." Baker...MBA from Harvard University. In his new book, Capitalism's Achilles Heel, Baker provides an insider's look at the way criminals, terrorists...
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 "The News & Record (Piedmont Triad, NC)")
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ACHILLES' TENDON DOESN'T HAVE TO BE ACHILLES' HEEL.(LIFE)
The News & Record (Piedmont Triad, NC);
February 4, 1996 ;
Carey, Art;
785 words
......Gore, because he could be his ticket's Achilles' heel. The summer before last, you may recall...fatal blow from Paris. Hence, the term Achilles' heel, as in flaw, weakness or point of vincibility...If the Achilles tendon itself has an Achilles' heel, it's the section of the tendon ...
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