15 June 2014

debonair

[deb-uh-nair]

adjective

1. courteous, gracious, and having a sophisticated charm: a debonair gentleman.
2. jaunty; carefree; sprightly.

Also, deb·o·naire, deb·on·naire.

Origin:
1175–1225; Middle English debone ( i ) re < Anglo-French; Old French debonaire, orig. phrase de bon aire of good lineage

Related forms
deb·o·nair·ly, adverb
deb·o·nair·ness, noun

Synonyms
1. urbane, suave, elegant, polished.

Anagram

rabid one
be ordain
iron bead

Today’s aphorism

Wine is constant proof that God loves us and loves to see us happy.

– Benjamin Franklin

On this day

15 June 1752 – Benjamin Franklin proves that lightning is electricity by launching a kite during a storm. The kite was tied to a key and a Leyden Jar, which was used to store electrical charge. The negative ions in the thunder storm charged the kite, flowing down the wet silk string and into the jar. Franklin was holding the silk at the time and was unaffected, however when he moved his hand near the key he received an electric shock, proving that lightning was static electricity. (Traditional date, the exact date is unknown).

15 June 1920 – a 5000-strong mob in Minnesota lynches three African-American who were convicted of the rape of a 17 year old white woman.

15 June 1946 – birth of Noddy Holder, British musician and singer. Holder was the lead singer with 1970′s glam rock band, Slade, which was famous for songs such as ‘Mama Weer All Crazee Now’, ‘Cum On Feel The Noize’, ‘Gudbuy T’ Jane’, and ‘Skweeze Me Pleeze Me’. Their second studio album, ‘Slayed’, spent 34 weeks at Number 1 in the UK. In 2000 Holder was awarded an MBE for his services to spelling.