13 January 2014

elision

[ih-lizh-uhn]

noun

1. the omission of a vowel, consonant, or syllable in pronunciation, as ‘Straya instead of Australia. E.g. The elision of native speakers can be confusing for those not fluent or familiar with the vernacular.
2. (in verse) the omission of a vowel at the end of one word when the next word begins with a vowel, as th’orient.
3. an act or instance of eliding or omitting anything.

Origin:
1575–85; < Latin ēlīsiōn- (stem of ēlīsiō ) a striking out, equivalent to ēlīs ( us ) (past participle of ēlīdere; see elide) + -iōn- -ion

Anagram

lionise
son I lie
I so line

Today’s aphorism

Do your little bit of good where you are; it is those little bits of good put all together that overwhelm the world.

– Desmond Tutu

On this day

13 January 1893 – birth of Roy Cazaly, Australian Rules football legend, known for his high marks and ruck-work. Immortalised in the song, ‘Up there Cazaly‘, by The Two Man Band (Mike Brady & Peter Sullivan). Died 10 October 1963.

13 January 1929 – death of Wyatt Earp in Los Angeles, American gunfighter, famous for the gunfight at the OK Corral. He was 80 years old.

13 January 1939 – Black Friday fires in Victoria, Australia, covering more than 4,900,000 acres, destroying 1,000 homes and killing 70 people, being more the world’s worst bush-fire disaster.

13 January 2001 – a 7.1 magnitude earthquake hits El Salvador, killing 1,000 people