croustico-, crousto-, crusto-, croust-, crust-, kroustico-, krousto-, kroust-, krust- (Greek: to stretch; stretch out; to beat, strike).Procrustes' Bed: In Greek legend, Procrustes placed all who fell into his hands upon an iron bed. If they were longer than the bed, he cut off the overhanging parts; if shorter, he stretched them until they fit the bed. Any attempt to reduce people to one standard, one way of thinking, or one way of acting; is called placing them on Procrustes' bed. New York:
Harper and Row, 1981, p. 895.
procrustean, Procrustean:
1. An attempt to produce uniformity or conformity by heavy-handed and arbitrary means. 2. A process of trying to establish strict conformity by using any and all means, including violence. Procrustes (a Greek mythological character) was a scoundrel who lived at Erineus, near Eleusis, in Greece during ancient times. Although his real name was either Damastes or Polypemon, Procrustes (Stretcher) was better known by his nickname, which he earned from his habits as a host. Procrustes lived in a house by the side of the road that led from Eleusis to Athens and invited (or forced) travelers to spend the night with him. If they did not exactly fit into the bed he provided, he would either stretch them or lop off their extremities until they conformed to the size of the bed. According to legend, Theseus avenged many a departed guest by treating Procrustes to the same form of hospitality [before Procrustes was killed]. New York:
Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1970, p. 498.
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