Usage and pronunciation:

• bæ-trê-kê-mI-’om-ê-ki

• batrachomyomachist [bæ-trê-kê-mI-'om-ê-kist] someone given to batrachomyomachy

• batrachomyomachian [bæ-trê-kê-mI-o-'mæ-ki-ên] adjective something that has the characteristics of batrachomyomachy

Meaning 

This word is taken directly from Greek and its literal meaning is “the battle of frogs and mice”. What does it mean? A fight over nothing; a storm in a teacup, a silly altercation!

• Batrachos gives ‘batrachian’ pertaining to a frog or toad

• Myo gives ‘mus’ in Latin, pertaining to mice

• Greek machia comes from Proto-Indo-European ‘magh’ meaning power (1)

It is the title of a mock-heroic epic poem, The Batrachomyomachia, about a tiny struggle around a small pond parodying the siege of Troy. (1)

Once attributed to Homer by the Romans, modern scholars assign it to an anonymous poet of the time of Alexander the Great. (1)

The German’ have a similar word, Froschmusekrieg, used first by Einstein’s secretary and literary executor to describe a major dispute between the School of Math and the School of Social Science at the Institute for Advanced Study. (2)

At Madrigal Communications we make sure you communications are not batrachomyomachian.

The Batrachomyomachia (3)

A mouse, drinking at a lake, meets the Frog King, who invites him to his palace.

The Frog King swims across the lake with the mouse on his back. Things go horribly wrong when a frightening water-snake appears. The Frog King dives deep into the water but forgets about the mouse on his back, who, sadly, drowns.

Another mouse seeing the horror from the bank runs to tell everyone.

The mice form an army to avenge the Frog King’s treachery, and send a messenger to the frogs with a declaration of war.

The frogs blame their King who denies knowledge.

Meanwhile, Zeus, seeing the war brew, suggests that the gods take sides and specifically asks that Athena help the mice. Athena refuses, saying that mice have done her a lot of mischief, and the gods decide not to intervene.

The battle is easily won by the mice forcing Zeus to summons a force of crabs to prevent a massacre of the frogs. The armoured crabs force the mice to retreat and end the battle just as the sun goes down.

References

1. wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batrachomyomachy

2. www.boingboing.net/2006/04/07/word-of-the-day-fros.html

3. Ourdictionary.com