# A victory at too great a cost is called? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 2, 2009, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-victory-at-too-great-a-cost-is-called/519762 "2009-12-02T21:33:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2009, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-victory-at-too-great-a-cost-is-called/519762/1 "2009-12-02T21:33:14Z")
The word escapes me. It’s called " \_\_\_\_\_\_ victory" I think it’s commonly used when referring to war. It basically means that even tho’ you won; it’s hard to celebrate because of the tremendous loss you suffered. Anybody know what I’m talking about? Thanks in advance. ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2009, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-victory-at-too-great-a-cost-is-called/519762/2 "2009-12-02T21:33:45Z")
Phyrric. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2009, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-victory-at-too-great-a-cost-is-called/519762/3 "2009-12-02T21:34:11Z")
[Pyrrhic Victory](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrrhic_victory) ---
**Author:** ![PaperBlob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/58956e/32.png) [@PaperBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaperBlob)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2009, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-victory-at-too-great-a-cost-is-called/519762/4 "2009-12-02T21:34:47Z")
Pyrrhic is the word you’re looking for. ---
**Author:** ![fandango](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b5ac83/32.png) [@fandango](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fandango)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2009, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-victory-at-too-great-a-cost-is-called/519762/5 "2009-12-02T21:34:56Z")
Actually, the correct answer is Pyrr **h** ic victory (d’oh, beaten by seconds!) ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2009, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-victory-at-too-great-a-cost-is-called/519762/6 "2009-12-02T21:35:38Z")
[Pyrrhic](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrrhic_victory) remember the rule: H after yrr, except when you’re spelling something different. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2009, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-victory-at-too-great-a-cost-is-called/519762/7 "2009-12-02T21:37:09Z")
I think the word is Pyrrhic. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2009, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-victory-at-too-great-a-cost-is-called/519762/8 "2009-12-02T21:39:03Z")
It’s Rio, by Duran Duran… ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2009, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-victory-at-too-great-a-cost-is-called/519762/9 "2009-12-02T21:46:47Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > [Pyrrhic](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrrhic_victory) > remember the rule: > H after yrr, except when you’re spelling something different. As long as you can spell “myrrh” correctly you can also use this mnemonic sentence: “Convincing the infant Jesus that myrrh was a kingly gift was a Pyrrhic victory of sorts for the Third Wise Man: he managed to re-gift something on an unprecedented scale, but went down for all time as giving That Thing That Nobody Knows What It Is And Would Regift At The Earliest Opportunity”. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2009, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-victory-at-too-great-a-cost-is-called/519762/10 "2009-12-02T21:47:01Z")
And there’s the worse [Cadmean victory](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadmean_victory). ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2009, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-victory-at-too-great-a-cost-is-called/519762/11 "2009-12-02T22:22:10Z")
> [@villa](#): > > Phyrric. > [@Jas09](#): > > [Pyrrhic Victory](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrrhic_victory) > [@PaperBlob](#): > > Pyrrhic is the word you’re looking for. > [@fandango](#): > > Actually, the correct answer is Pyrr **h** ic victory > > (d’oh, beaten by seconds!) > [@Squink](#): > > [Pyrrhic](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrrhic_victory) > remember the rule: > H after yrr, except when you’re spelling something different. > [@UncleRojelio](#): > > I think the word is Pyrrhic. Wow! thanks guys. That’s gotta be some sort of record or something! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2009, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-victory-at-too-great-a-cost-is-called/519762/12 "2009-12-02T23:26:53Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > It’s Rio, by Duran Duran… No, it’s Pyrrhio, by , 😛 ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2009, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-victory-at-too-great-a-cost-is-called/519762/13 "2009-12-03T19:19:02Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > Wow! thanks guys. That’s gotta be some sort of record or something! 😃 I take it you haven’t seen that thread about the scalar weapons from the early 20th century then… ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2009, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-victory-at-too-great-a-cost-is-called/519762/14 "2009-12-03T21:07:00Z")
> [@robardin](#): > > As long as you can spell “myrrh” correctly you can also use this mnemonic sentence: “Convincing the infant Jesus that myrrh was a kingly gift was a Pyrrhic victory of sorts for the Third Wise Man: he managed to re-gift something on an unprecedented scale, but went down for all time as giving That Thing That Nobody Knows What It Is And Would Regift At The Earliest Opportunity”. TTTNKWIIAWRATEO ! It’s for the kids! ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2009, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-victory-at-too-great-a-cost-is-called/519762/15 "2009-12-03T22:51:31Z")
“Another victory like this and I shall be ruined!” ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2009, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-victory-at-too-great-a-cost-is-called/519762/16 "2009-12-03T23:07:57Z")
“If this is victory, our hands are too small to hold it” -JRRT ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2009, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-victory-at-too-great-a-cost-is-called/519762/17 "2009-12-03T23:12:48Z")
> [@RandMcnally](#): > > “Another victory like this and I shall be ruined!” Divorced guy, huh? ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2009, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-victory-at-too-great-a-cost-is-called/519762/18 "2009-12-03T23:16:34Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > “If this is victory, our hands are too small to hold it” > > -JRRT This is from the Appendices to Lord of the Rings, for those who aren’t me, QtC, **What Exit?** , **Elendil’s Heir** , **well, he’s back** , or **Malacandra** ; it is uttered by one of the Dwarves after a ruinous battle with the Orcs in Moria. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2009, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-victory-at-too-great-a-cost-is-called/519762/19 "2009-12-03T23:27:20Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > This is from the Appendices to Lord of the Rings, for those who aren’t me, QtC, **What Exit?** , **Elendil’s Heir** , **well, he’s back** , or **Malacandra** ; it is uttered by one of the Dwarves after a ruinous battle with the Orcs in Moria. _ahem_ ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2009, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-victory-at-too-great-a-cost-is-called/519762/20 "2009-12-03T23:31:03Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > _ahem_ Holy Zeus, but you’re high maintenance during Advent. Fine. _This is from the Appendices to Lord of the Rings, for those who aren’t me, **jayjay** , QtC, What Exit?, Elendil’s Heir, well, he’s back, or Malacandra; it is uttered by one of the Dwarves after a ruinous battle with the Orcs in Moria._ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-victory-at-too-great-a-cost-is-called/519762.md?page=2)