the.com/trophy
A shiny receipt proving you were briefly better than everyone else.
means An object awarded to mark victory or outstanding achievement, valued more for what it symbolizes than for what it is.
from From French 'trophée,' from Latin 'tropaeum,' from Greek 'tropaion' — a monument built where an enemy had turned ('trope,' turning) and fled in battle. Ancient Greeks would pile up captured arms and armor on the spot of the rout, literally marking the 'turning point.' So a trophy was originally a monument to someone else's retreat before it became a cup on a shelf.
- origin
- from Greek tropaion, a monument built where enemies fled
- irony
- participation trophies now outnumber actual winners
- shelf life
- dusted twice, then forgotten forever
- etymology twist
- literally means turning point, not victory