Well, look what was in my inbox this morning - my Daily Buzzword for....Friday the 13th

What is the Daily Buzzword for June 13?
draconian \dray-KOH-nee-un\ adjective

What does it mean?
1 : of or relating to Draco
2 : cruel; also : severe

How do you use it?
"These draconian disciplinary measures are completely
unwarranted!" exclaimed Kara when her parents grounded her
for coming home late.

Are you a word wiz?
The word "draconian" comes from the ancient Greek name
Draco. Who or what do you think Draco was?

A. a bloodthirsty dragon
B. a cruel lawmaker
C. a god of battle
D. an infamous prison

Answer:
According to ancient Athenian tradition, Draco was a
lawgiver of the 7th century B.C., said to be when Greek law
was first written down. Draco's code of law was famous for
its harshness -- most criminal offenses required the death
penalty. Not long after Draco's rule ended, Solon, a famously
wise statesman, abolished nearly all of Draco's punishments.
Modern scholars are unsure if Draco or his code ever existed,
but in any case, "draconian" remains in English as a synonym
for "severe" in reference to laws or other measures taken by
authority figures.

That's crazy--finally, word of the day. I know I have finally made it. Draconian has always been one of my favorite words; I remember getting a lecture about Draco in high school and the name sounded like it came straight out of a Saban cartoon with transformers and stuff...

That IS cool.