mythical

[Victor Steinbok]

Epic is the word I was looking for but got a brain fart.

     VS-)

On 1/19/2012 2:48 PM, Benjamin Barrett wrote:
> It sounds like "epic" or "classic" would work.
>
> Benjamin Barrett
> Seattle, WA
>
> On Jan 19, 2012, at 11:08 AM, Victor Steinbok wrote:
>
>> Rick Perry is finally quitting his presidential campaign today. The news
>> has prompted comments such as this one (actually, these comments have
>> been popping up for the past two months, and not just about Perry).
>>
>>> He had a downright mythical flameout. I seriously look forward to the
>>> books from former campaign staff.
>> "Mythical" seems to be the wrong word here. But I've seen this usage before.
>>
>> The closest OED comes to it is #4.
>>
>>> 4. That has acquired an idealized or exaggerated reputation on the
>>> basis of popular rumour. Cf. mythic adj. 2.
>> Except that it's really not the same--it's more of an opposite. It was
>> the stuff of legends. Which is why we sometimes call it "legendary". Or
>> is "legendary" reserved for positive accomplishments? Is there a better
>> substitute here?
>>
>>      VS--)
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