The Web of Penelope
Preserved but no longer current.
A work "never ending, still beginning"; never done, but ever in hand. Penelope, according to Homer, was pestered by suitors at Ithaca while Ulysses was absent at the siege of Troy. To relieve herself of their importunities, she promised to make a choice of one as soon as she had finished weaving a shroud for her father-in-law.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “The Web of Penelope” mean?
A work "never ending, still beginning"; never done, but ever in hand. Penelope, according to Homer, was pestered by suitors at Ithaca while Ulysses was absent at the siege of Troy. To relieve herself of their importunities, she promised to make a choice of one as soon as she had finished weaving a shroud for her father-in-law.
Is “The Web of Penelope” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.