Agony Aren't

How many sides has a paragon ?

Let’s start with the Pentagon, USA’s centre for national defence. Aerial views confirm that its plan is five-sided. Pente being Greek for 5. Hex is Greek for six - and so on, up to dodecagon (Greek dodeka = twelve) - and no doubt on and further upwards virtually for ever, though by the ancient Greek method of reckoning the term for a figure with (say) 125 sides would appear to have almost that many letters in it..

The paragon sounds as if it ought to be related, but no. The term paragone is Italian, but thought to be derived from another Greek term par-akone, literally ‘along-polish’, referring to polishing or sharpening with a whetstone, or testing with a touchstone (Gr akone); thus implying something polished, or a perfect example.

As for agony, it is derived from the ancient Greek agon, meaning an assembly - especially one gathered to watch sporting contests.. Thus it could also mean the contest itself, whether in sport or in battle. Striving, in fact. And strife came to imply painful effort. Ask competitors in the Olympic Games whether or not their efforts involved any agony.

Agony, agony aunts aren’t:  indeed, their aim is to relieve it.

Agony Aren't