Augean stables

== English == === Etymology === From Augean (“pertaining to Augeas”) +‎ stables. Augeas was a legendary king of Elis in Greek mythology who owned numerous divine cattle (3,000 head, according to some later retellings) which produced a huge amount of dung in stables that had not been cleaned for over 30 years. The cleaning of the stables was the fifth of the twelve Labours of Hercules, which Hercules achieved by rerouting the Alpheus and Peneus rivers through them. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ɔːˌd͡ʒiːən ˈsteɪbl̩z/ (General American) IPA(key): /ɔˌd͡ʒiən ˈsteɪb(ə)lz/, /ˈɔˌɡiən-/, (cot–caught merger) /ɑˌd͡ʒiən-/, /ˈɑˌɡiən-/ Hyphenation: Au‧ge‧an sta‧bles === Noun === Augean stables pl (normally plural, singular Augean stable) (idiomatic) (Greek mythology) The stables where King Augeas kept his vast herd. An extremely filthy or untidy place or situation. Synonyms: pigpen, pigsty, sty (figuratively) A place or situation characterized by corruption or moral decay. Synonyms: den of iniquity, sty ==== Usage notes ==== The term is chiefly used in the form “to clean (or cleanse) the Augean stables”. ==== Related terms ==== Augeas Augean ==== Translations ==== === References === === Further reading === Augeas on Wikipedia.Wikipedia “Augean stables”, in Collins English Dictionary. “Augean stables” in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Longman. “Augean stable”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.