Pronounced: FAY-licks KOOL-pah (alt: FEE-licks KOOL-pah; FAY-licks KUHL-pah; FEE-licks KUHL-pah), noun
Notes: I saw the “felix” part of the phrase and thought it was related. Note that the plural is “feelix culpae”
Yesterday’s word
The word calliope means
- the Greek Muse of heroic poetry (capitalized)
- a musical instrument resembling an organ and consisting of a series of whistles sounded by steam or compressed air
First usage
Our word came into English in the mid-1800s
Background / Comments
I remember this word from “The Three Investigators” story The Secret of Terror Castle, but I did not know our word also referred to the Muse. I also only knew the first pronunciation; the second one is commonly used for the Muse, but may be used for the instrument as well. The instrument was invented in the mid-1800 and was named for the muse – because the sound could be heard for miles (and thus luring people in), it was often used for carnivals and circuses.
