Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

sop to cerberus

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.52 in modern English

Syllables: sop -to cer-berus
IPA

19

Scrabble Score

13

Letters

3

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Something given or done to pacify or bribe.

Example Sentences

"to give/throw a sop to Cerberus"
"He has thrown a sop to Cerberus, and is consequently now acclaimed in sacred circles to which entrance had long been denied him."
"For a moment there was a profound silence all round, and I was beginning to think that I should be accidentally shoved off the moving train, when a voice asked, ‘Have you got any English cigarettes? ’ As it happened I had a couple of packets of a brand that I very much disliked, and I distributed the contents of one all round. This sop to Cerberus had the happiest results."
"By calling the referendum in the first place, Cameron was offering a sop to the Cerberus of the Tory Brexiters. But in Greek mythology Cerberus was never satisfied, and demanded more."

Etymology

From Virgil's Aeneid, where the Sibyl throws Cerberus a loaf laced with honey and herbs to induce sleep.

Questions

What does sop to cerberus mean?: Something given or done to pacify or bribe.
Where does sop to cerberus come from?: From Virgil's Aeneid, where the Sibyl throws Cerberus a loaf laced with honey and herbs to induce sleep.

How to pronounce sop to cerberus

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