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pons asinorum

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pons as·i·no·rum  (pnz s-nôrm, -nrm)
n.
A problem that severely tests the ability of an inexperienced person.

[New Latin pns asinrum, bridge of fools (nickname of the Fifth Proposition in the Elements of Euclid, due to its difficulty) : Latin pns, bridge + Latin asinrum, genitive pl. of asinus, ass, fool.]

pons asinorum [ˌæsɪˈnɔːrəm]
n
(Mathematics) the geometric proposition that the angles opposite the two equal sides of an isosceles triangle are equal
[Latin: bridge of asses, referring originally to the fifth proposition of the first book of Euclid, which was considered difficult for students to learn]
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.pons asinorum - a problem that severely tests the ability of an inexperienced person
problem - a question raised for consideration or solution; "our homework consisted of ten problems to solve"


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This is the pons asinorum for readers of pop-math expositions.
Another bird that has a name list of mistle-thrush proportions is the contrastingly inconspicuous hedge-sparrow (thirty-five plus), alias blue Isaac and haysucker, that pons asinorum of the ornithologically correct, who call it a dunnock because it's a thin-billed insect-eating accentor (Prunella modularis) and not a sparrow at all.
But to do so seems like treading water, what the schoolmen called a pons asinorum.
 
 
 
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