# Do you know what "terpsichorean" means without looking it up? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 14, 2008, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-terpsichorean-means-without-looking-it-up/472664 "2008-11-14T04:11:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-terpsichorean-means-without-looking-it-up/472664/61 "2008-11-14T21:46:52Z")
No. I will guess it has something to do with turtles singing. šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-terpsichorean-means-without-looking-it-up/472664/62 "2008-11-14T21:49:33Z")
> [@Katriona](#): > > If it makes you feel any better, I picked it up in my ā€œCatsā€ phase. Thereā€™s a line in one of the songs where they ā€œā€¦practice their terpsichorean powers to dance by the light of the Jellicle moonā€¦ā€ Though I canā€™t recall if I figured it out by context or looked it up. Ooh, I bet thatā€™s the line thatā€™s trying to become an earworm type obession. I was thinking reworded Christmas Carolsā€“you know, where ā€œEarthā€ becomes ā€œterrestrial sphereā€ type thing as where I was familiarish with the word, but ā€œCatsā€ is even more likely. ---
**Author:** ![Monstera\_deliciosa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monstera_deliciosa/32/109_2.png) [@Monstera\_deliciosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstera_deliciosa)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-terpsichorean-means-without-looking-it-up/472664/63 "2008-11-14T22:27:20Z")
Yes, from reading a book on Greek mythology as a child. ---
**Author:** ![krisolov](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/krisolov/32/3724_2.png) [@krisolov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/krisolov)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-terpsichorean-means-without-looking-it-up/472664/64 "2008-11-15T00:26:44Z")
No clue. I do recall the phrase terpsichorean cacaphony (wonderfully alliterative) however, but I have no memory of what that means either. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-terpsichorean-means-without-looking-it-up/472664/65 "2008-11-15T00:31:57Z")
> [@Scissorjack](#): > > Calliope, Homerā€™s muse, was in charge of epic poetry and fairground music. And the little-known Turpsichore was the muse of huffing paint thinners. And their cousin, Burpsichore, was the patron goddess of Tupperware. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-terpsichorean-means-without-looking-it-up/472664/66 "2008-11-15T00:46:04Z")
Without reading the thread: Yes. Of course, Iā€™ve played the _Cats_ soundtrack too many times. Itā€™s mentioned in the song _Mr. Mistoffoles_. Itā€™s not something I could have worked out otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![JR\_Brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JR\_Brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JR_Brown)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-terpsichorean-means-without-looking-it-up/472664/67 "2008-11-15T01:10:42Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > I canā€™t ever remember coming across this word before today, and I am pretty well read. If you guess turtles or terrapins, you are wrong. > > Damn New York Times articles, always trying to outsmart me. > > terpsichorean: referring to dance Damn straight. Terpsichore, muse of dance. Best use: TS Elliot Theyā€™re quiet enough in the morning hours, theyā€™re quiet enough in the afternoon, reserving their terpsichorean powers to dance by the light of the Jellicle Moon. Also, I was the kind of kid who read the dictionary for kicks. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-terpsichorean-means-without-looking-it-up/472664/68 "2008-11-17T23:16:34Z")
Heh, I knew it too. Feeling quite pleased with myself now. šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![Ace309](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ace309/32/1050_2.png) [@Ace309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace309)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-terpsichorean-means-without-looking-it-up/472664/69 "2008-11-17T23:27:12Z")
No. No idea. Not even close. ---
**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:** [November 18, 2008, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-terpsichorean-means-without-looking-it-up/472664/70 "2008-11-18T00:42:19Z")
I knew, but (a) Iā€™m an enormous geek, and (b) Iā€™m working on a fantasy novel about a world populated with mythological creatures, so for quite some time Iā€™ve been immersing myself in mythology. Thus I knew off the top of my head that Terpsichore is the muse of dance, which made the answer obvious. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2008, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-terpsichorean-means-without-looking-it-up/472664/71 "2008-11-18T13:11:33Z")
Waitā€¦wasnā€™t ā€œTerpsichoreanā€ referred to in some T S Eliot work or something? Iā€™ve scanned the whole thread and I just canā€™t find it! ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2008, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-terpsichorean-means-without-looking-it-up/472664/72 "2008-11-18T15:52:26Z")
> [@brad\_d](#): > > I did, back in post #18. šŸ†’ Ah, yes. Sorry I missed that. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2008, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-terpsichorean-means-without-looking-it-up/472664/73 "2008-11-18T15:53:27Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Waitā€¦wasnā€™t ā€œTerpsichoreanā€ referred to in some T S Eliot work or something? > > Iā€™ve scanned the whole thread and I just canā€™t find it! See Post #67 a few above you. I knew the word - just 'cuz itā€™s, well, a cool word. Same with \*crepuscular\*and _callipygian_ and stuff like thatā€¦I especially like callipygian. šŸ˜‰ ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2008, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-terpsichorean-means-without-looking-it-up/472664/74 "2008-11-18T16:26:52Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > See Post #67 a few above you. April 1st is the cruelest day šŸ™‚ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-what-terpsichorean-means-without-looking-it-up/472664.md?page=3)