Barmecidal

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 19, 2010 is: Barmecidal • \bahr-muh-SYE-dul\ • adjective : providing only the illusion of abundance Examples: The tax rebate is a Barmecidal windfall, coming as it does in the wake of new hidden taxes on consumer goods and services. Did you know? "Barmecide" is the name of a family of princes in a tale from The Thousand and One Nights (also known as The Arabian Nights' Entertainment). One prince in the family torments a beggar by inviting him to a fabulous feast, at which all the dishes are imaginary. The poor man plays along with his malicious host, pretending to get drunk on the imaginary wine; he then gets even by knocking down the patronizing royal. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.