Meaning of the English Idiom: Achilles Heel
An Achilles heel is a person’s weakness
or vulnerability.
Although it can refer to a physical weakness
or limitation, this idiom can refer to any
perceived weakness, including psychological.
It may also refer to someone who is successful,
strong, or otherwise doing well, but which
has one ‘fatal flaw’ or weakness which
could bring about their failure or downfall.
The weakness or flaw doesn’t necessarily
have to negative.
Usage of Idiom: This idiom is used in jest
as much as it is used seriously.
For instance, a person might say “Ice cream
is my Achilles heel,” even though they have
no intention of saying that ice cream will
be their ‘downfall.’
Note that an organization, country, or any
other entity can have an Achilles heel.
Examples Of Use: “The team had an Achilles
heel, their inexperienced outfielder.”
“Gambling was his Achilles heel.”
“Martin’s selflessness proved to be his
Achilles heel.”
Origin of Idiom: This idiom comes from Greek
mythology.
Achilles was a great Greek warrior who was
invulnerable in battle, or almost.
He was the son of the Nymph, Thetis.
Thetis was married to Peleus.
According to some stories, this marriage was
unhappy and against her will.
Since Peleus was a mortal, this meant Achilles
was only semi-divine.
As if this wasn’t bad enough, when Achilles
was still an infant, Thetis became aware that
Achilles was destined to die early at Troy.
She hatched a plan to keep him alive.
In one of many stories, Thetis took Achilles
to the River Styx and dipped him in the waters.
The waters made Achilles invulnerable and
gave him great strength.
However, to dip him in the water, Thetis held
him by his heel.
Therefore, his heel did not get wet and was
not made invulnerable like the rest of his
body.
This became his one weak spot.
In truth, the river dipping was only one of
many attempts by Thetis to prevent her Son’s
early death.
But his heel became his downfall during the
Trojan War.
Paris, the Prince of Troy, fired an arrow
through his heel, his one vulnerable spot,
which killed him.
Note that this familiar story is a later addition
to the Achilles legends.
He was not invulnerable in all stories.
Achilles not only lent his name to an idiom
but to a part of the human anatomy.
The Achilles tendon is the very prominent
and tough band of tissue that connects the
heel bone or calcaneus to the calf muscles.
Just as it was for Achilles, this area is
vulnerable for all of us, as many people suffer
a rupture of this tendon during sports activities
or exercise, especially after the age of 30.
