Ancient Roman Ritual Utilities Box

[Kambahkate]

Ancient Roman ritual utilities box
Smallest hardest crosswords clue

[SirOracle]

How many letters and any you have placed.

[Jackdaw33]

Pyx came to mind as it is a small box but can't find reference to Roman ritual.

[Davemano]

1 Good thinking Jack, it looks as if it could be a PYXIDE

[Jackdaw33]

The thing is that in that Xword the answers are never more than four letters long.

[Davemano]

Wish information like that could be shown - I haven't a clue where it is from.

[SirOracle]

Jackdaw Pyx could well be correct if Roman is referring to R.C.,as a pyx is the container for the Consecrated Host.

[Jackdaw33]

I'm assuming the Daily Mail. It is a tiny crossword consisting of very obscure words.

[Jackdaw33]

Also used in the C of E, SirO.

[Davemano]

Just googled for alternative name for Pyxide and it came up as PYX relating to Greek and Roman antiquary.

[Jackdaw33]

Amazing what you learn. On checking the definition in Chambers it gives the derivation from Pyxos, Greek for the box tree. So presumably boxes are so named from the wood from which they were originally made.

[Davemano]

Settle for your PYX - Collins has similar reference only that it shows derives from Pyxis

[Jackdaw33]

Pyxis Latin, Pyxos Greek. Now I'm showing off.

[SirOracle]

Aah Jackdaw....the benefits of a classical education. I agree it takes some beating. ;-)

[Jackdaw33]

'Beating' being the operative word. I remember my classics lessons with fondness, except when I made a mistake, which I did not do very often. Then Iuppiter Optimus Maximus would launch his fury upon me via the person of my teacher.

[Hypognosis]

Well thanks for this thread, Kambahkate. It was a short wiki-hop from Pyx to Monstrance then a google of "demonstrate" led to this amusing etymology thread: -

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/archive/index.php/t-396177.html

[Jackdaw33]

So funny, and yet so true.

[Davemano]

As I posted at 2.13, life could be a great deal easier if the letter count or known letters were shown as not all of us have knowledge of the puzzle. When I first looked at this I thought it was TWO different clues.