quandary means A locality in the Temora council area, central New South Wales, Australia.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, quandary ranks #2,574 of 14,448 for Funniest Words, #6,359 of 14,308 for Most Malleable Words, #7,082 of 14,423 for Most Sublime Words, #7,156 of 14,410 for Most Ponderous Words.
quandary is pronounced /ˈkwɒn.də.ɹi/.
Why “quandary” is a great word
A state of perplexity or uncertainty, especially when facing a difficult choice. Its origin is unknown, first attested in the late 16th century; the leading hypothesis suggests a dialectal corruption, perhaps of Middle English *wandreth* (from Old Norse *vandræði*, "difficulty, trouble"), altered to simulate a Latin-derived word. Unlike a 'dilemma,' which presents a stark fork between unsavory paths, or a 'predicament,' which connotes a more tangible and entangling snare, a quandary is the foggy hinterland of hesitation itself. It is the hand hovering over two unmarked doors, the map folded wrong in unfamiliar country, the silence after a question you cannot yet answer—the quiet, private agony of a choice not yet made, which is often the greater burden than any consequence that may follow.
Etymology
16th century. Origin unknown; perhaps a dialectal corruption (simulating a word of Latin origin with suffix -ary) of wandreth (“evil, plight, peril, adversity, difficulty”), from Middle English wandreth, from Old Norse vandræði (“difficulty, trouble”), from vándr (“difficult, requiring pains and care”).
name
- A locality in the Temora council area, central New South Wales, Australia.
noun
- A state of not knowing what to decide; a state of difficulty or perplexity; a state of uncertainty, hesitation or puzzlement.“As a Hitchin signalman once pointed out to me, when a regulating quandary arises concerning a fast-moving Class A train there is no time to consult Control and get their answer before the express is on one's doorstep.”
- A dilemma, a difficult decision or choice.“The preservation of Judah's ignorance here is important, for the final turn of his painful moral education must be withheld for the quandary in which he will find himself later when he encounters Joseph as viceroy of Egypt without realizing his brother's identity.”
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