Cassandra
Also called Alexandra. Classical Mythology. a daughter of Priam and Hecuba, a prophet cursed by Apollo so that her prophecies, though true, were fated never to be believed.
a person who prophesies doom or disaster.
a female given name: from a Greek word meaning “helper of men.”.
Contemporary Examples
Cassandra, whose hair has already begun to fall out from her court-mandated chemotherapy, could face a similar outcome.
Should Teens Have The Right To Die? Brandy Zadrozny January 7, 2015
Cassandra Jean: Listening to my mom assist my grandma in changing her Facebook profile pic.
A Tale of Thanksgiving Triumph Michael Daly November 27, 2013
“Barack has become a kind of human Rorschach test,” his friend Cassandra Butts told Rolling Stone.
The Heart and Soul of ‘Glamour’ Virginia Postrel November 8, 2013
Context: When asked by her sister Cassandra if she wanted anything as she lay on her deathbed.
Tupac’s ‘F*ck You’ to a Cop and the Best Last Words Marlow Stern May 26, 2014
Historical Examples
Vaguely it seemed to him now that all was as he wished it to be with Cassandra near.
The Mountain Girl Payne Erskine
I ought to be a Dido and Niobe and Cassandra rolled into one.
It Happened in Egypt C. N. Williamson
Thank you, my dearest Cassandra, for the nice long letter I sent off this morning.
Jane Austen, Her Life and Letters William Austen-Leigh and Richard Arthur Austen-Leigh
Your Miss Cassandra, or whatever her name is, doesnt know her history.
The Adventures of Maya the Bee Waldemar Bonsels
Could the souls on Cassandra do us bodily or mental injury, if we could ever reach their planet?
A Journey in Other Worlds John Jacob Astor
I believe it was your first acquaintance with Cassandra and Jane.
Jane Austen, Her Life and Letters William Austen-Leigh and Richard Arthur Austen-Leigh
noun
(Greek myth) a daughter of Priam and Hecuba, endowed with the gift of prophecy but fated never to be believed
anyone whose prophecies of doom are unheeded
fem. proper name, from Greek Kasandra, Kassandra, daughter of Priam of Troy, seduced by Apollo who gave her the gift of prophecy, but when she betrayed him he amended it so that, though she spoke truth, none would believe her. Used figuratively since 1660s.
The name is of uncertain origin, though the second element looks like a fem. form of Greek andros “of man, male human being.” Watkins suggests PIE *(s)kand- “to shine” as source of second element, hence possibly “praise of men.”
Cassandra [(kuh-san-druh)]
In classical mythology, a prophetess in Troy during the Trojan War whose predictions, although true, were never believed by those around her. Apollo had given her the gift of prophecy but made it worthless after she refused his amorous advances. The Greeks captured Cassandra after their victory and sacrilegiously removed her from the temple of Athena. As a result, Athena helped cause shipwrecks and enormous loss of life to the Greeks on their return home.
Note: A “Cassandra” is someone who constantly predicts bad news.
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