Word of the day: agon

The word of the day is agon:

< Greek ἀγών, originally ‘a gathering or assembly’ ( < ἄγ-ειν to lead, bring with one), esp. for the public games; hence ‘the contest for the prize at the games,’ and by extension, ‘any contest or struggle.’ The plural is usually in the Greek form ἀγῶνεςagones /əˈgəʊniːz/ .

1. Ancient Greek Hist. A public celebration of games, a contest for the prize at those games; also fig.

2. A verbal contest or dispute between two characters in a Greek play. Also transf.  (OED)

"Ellen Page makes the most of these exchanges; indeed, she makes the movie.  'Ta-da!' Libby cries, when she first appears in her green mask.  She hollers with such abandon, sucked in by the blandishments of physical force, that you are left marvelling at the fidgety pit of ennui from which she must need to climb; the morality of the case - the righting of public wrongs, or Frank's need to win back his wife - is nothing by comparison, and, once our heroes start hurling homemade pipe bombs, 'Super' becomes a bizarre mirror image of 'In a Better World'.  That movie was all agon and no kick.  This is the other way around."

 - Anthony Lane, "Time Bomb: 'In a Better World' and 'Super'", 4 April 2011 The New Yorker