a modest proposal



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a modest proposal

An extreme, unorthodox, and often provocative or distasteful remedy to a complex problem, generally suggested humorously or satirically. (An allusion to Jonathan Swift's 1729 essay A Modest Proposal, in which he suggests that the poor of Ireland could alleviate their woes by selling their children as food.) Here's a modest proposal, then: we create a hunting reserve where the world's wealthiest serve as game for the world's poorest, and for each hunter who makes a successful kill, their home country receives the wealth and assets of their prey.

Common Names:

NameGenderPronouncedUsage
Vivien (2)-Literature
Mehitabelmi-HIT-ə-bel (English), mee-HIT-ə-bel (English)Biblical
DietfriedDEET-freetGerman
Cynefrith-Anglo-Saxon (Latinized)
Esmaraldaez-mə-RAHL-dəEnglish (Rare)
Delphine['delfi:n]