phrase
Greek
Siren Song
A dangerously attractive offer that lures someone to their ruin.
Origin
In the Odyssey, the Sirens were creatures whose singing was so beautiful that passing sailors steered their ships onto the rocks. Odysseus had his crew plug their ears with wax and tied himself to the mast so he could hear the song without being able to act on it.
Modern usage
Used constantly in business and political writing for any seductive but ruinous proposal โ easy money, populist promises, a too-good acquisition. 'The siren song of [X]' is one of the most reliable opinion-column phrases in English.
In the wild
The siren song of cheap capital pulled the company onto the rocks.โ financial commentary
Tags
temptation
seduction
danger