Today’s WOTD – 20 September 2012

kerfuffle 

(also carfuffle or kurfuffle)

[kuh-fuh-fel]

— n
1. informal chiefly ( Brit ) commotion; disorder; agitation

— vb
2. ( Scot ) ( tr ) to put into disorder or disarray; ruffle or disarrange

[from Scottish curfuffle, carfuffle, from Scottish Gaelic car twist, turn + fuffle to disarrange]

For example:

– The Boxing Day Sale caused a great kerfuffle in the shopping centre.

Today’s quote

‘There’s an old saying in Tennessee – I know it’s in Texas, probably in Tennessee – that says, fool me once, shame on – shame on you. Fool me – you can’t get fooled again’.

George W. Bush

On this day

20 September 2001 – U.S. President George W. Bush declares a ‘war on terror’.

20 September 2011 – the U.S. military ends its ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy, allowing gay servicemen and women to serve openly.

Today’s WOTD – 19 September 2012

paraprosdokian

[par-uh-pros-dok-ee-un]

noun

A paraprosdokian is a figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected in a way that causes the reader or listener to reframe or reinterpret the first part. It is frequently used for humorous or dramatic effect, sometimes producing an anticlimax.

For example:

– Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

– A bank is a place that will lend you money, if you can prove that you don’t need it.

– You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.

– When tempted to fight fire with fire, remember that the Fire Department usually uses water.

– Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

– Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.

Today’s quote

‘Nothing is permanent in this wicked world – not even our troubles’.

– Charlie Chaplin

On this day

19  September – International Talk Like a Pirate Day.

19 September 1928 – Mickey Mouse makes his screen debut, in ‘Steamboat Willy’.

19 September 1952 – Charlie Chaplin exiled from the United States because of his anti-war and humanitarian beliefs which conflicted with McCarthy’s ‘reds under the bed’ policy.

19 September 1959 – USSR President Nikita Khrushchev banned from visiting Disneyland … ironically 51 years after Mickey Mouse debuted on screen. The reason given was that the Los Angeles Police Chief  couldn’t provide adequate security.

Today’s WOTD – 17 September 2012

esthesia

[es-thee-zhuh, -zhee-uh, -zee-uh]
noun

– capacity for sensation or feeling; sensitivity.

etymology:

Back formation from anesthesia (loss of sensation), from Greek an- (not) + aisthesis (sensation). Earliest documented use: 1829; anesthesia is from 1721.

Today’s quote

You can tell a lot about a man by his enemies.

– unknown.

On this day

17 September 1916 – Baron Manfred Von Richthofen (a.k.a The Red Baron), wins his first aerial combat in World War I.

17 September 1947 – the United State Department of Defense forms and is tasked with coordinating all defense related organisations in the U.S. The DoD is the largest employer in the world, with over 3.2 million employees, including active soldiers, sailors, airmen/women, and National Guard.

17 September 1951 – birth of Cassandra Peterson a.k.a Elvira, U.S. actress and host of late-night B-grade horror and sci-fi movies.

17 September 1961 – birth of Baz Luhrmann, Australian film director (Romeo and Juliet, Strictly Ballroom, Moulin Rouge).

17 September 1966 – St George Dragons beat Balmain Tigers 23-4, to win the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) grand final for the 11th consecutive year. The longest premiership-winning streak in Australian sport.

17 September 1972 – M*A*S*H* premieres on NBC-TV.

17 September 1991 – first version of Linux released.

17 September 1916 – Baron Manfred Von Richthofen (a.k.a The Red Baron), wins his first aerial combat in World War I.

17 September 1947 – the United State Department of Defense forms and is tasked with coordinating all defense related organisations in the U.S. The DoD is the largest employer in the world, with over 3.2 million employees, including active soldiers, sailors, airmen/women, and National Guard.

17 September 1951 – birth of Cassandra Peterson a.k.a Elvira, U.S. actress and host of late-night B-grade movies.

17 September 1961 – birth of Baz Luhrmann, Australian film director (Romeo and Juliet, Strictly Ballroom, Moulin Rouge).

17 September 1966 – St George Dragons beat Balmain Tigers 23-4, to win the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) grand final for the 11^th consecutive year. The longest premiership winning streak in Australian sport.

17 September 1972 – M*A*S*H* premieres on NBC-TV.

17 September 1991 – first version of Linux released.

Today’s WOTD – 16 September 2012

simper

[SIM-per]

verb:

1. To smile in a silly, self-conscious way.
2. To say with a simper.

noun:
1. A silly, self-conscious smile.

For example:

It was more a simper than a smile; a pleased, self-satisfied simper.
— John L’Heureux, A Woman Run Mad

The women Sam usually dates simper and flutter and hang on his every word.
— Kristine Rolofson, Pillow Talk

Simper is derived from the Danish word sippe, which referred to a woman who sipped her drink in an affected manner.

Today’s quote

‘Be strong and follow your own convictions. You can’t assume there is a lot of time to do what you like. This is what David Bowie is afraid of: that he will die before he gets a chance to make a real strong contribution’.

‘I feel there is a curse on rock stars’.

Marc Bolan

On this day

16 September – International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer.

16 September 1908 – General Motors is founded by William C. Durrant.

16 September 1920 – The bombing of Wall St, New York, which kills 38 and injures 143. The crime has never been solved, but is believed to have been committed by Italian anarchists known as Galleanists, (after their leader Luigi Galleani), who were protesting against capitalism. The bomb had been placed in a horse wagon.

16 September 1927 – birth of Peter Falk, U.S. actor (Colombo) … ‘therrre ya go‘… (died 23 June 2011.

16 September 1975 – Papua New Guinea gains independence from Australia. PNG National Day.

16 September 1977 – death of Marc Bolan in a car accident. Singer/guitarist for T-Rex. (Born 30 September 1947 as Mark Feld).

16 – 18 September 1982 – Lebanese Christian militia (Phalange) massacres between 765 and 3,500 Palestinian and Lebanese civilians in Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in Beirut. An inquiry in 1983 held Israeli troops indirectly responsible as they had surrounded the camps, controlling access to them, and were aware a massacre was occurring without taking steps to stop it.

Today’s WOTD – 14 September 2012

bailiwick

[bey-luh-wik]

Today’s quote

‘Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog. Few people are interested and the frog dies of it’.

– E.B. White

On this day

14 September 1752 – the British Empire commences using the Gregorian calendar instead of the Julian calendar. To balance the calendar, the 10 days from 3 September to 13 September are written off.  This is because the Gregorian claimed the annual cycle was 365.2425 days. The Julian calendar was based on 365.25 days per year, hence the leap year every 4 years to make up the 0.25 days each year.

14 September 1812 – Fire of Moscow – French troops under the command of Napoleon defeat Russian troops in the Battle of Borodino and invade Moscow. Count Fyodor Rostopchin orders Russian citizens to destroy the Kremlin and other major buildings as they retreat. The fires burn for 4 days and destroy around 75% of Moscow.

14 September 1983 – birthday of Amy Winehouse. English singer-songwriter.

Today’s WOTD – 12 September 2012

mythomania

[mith-uh-mey-nee-uh]

noun (Psychiatry)

– lying or exaggerating to an abnormal degree.

For example:

‘I feel the salesman was not blessed with the gift of oration, but afflicted with mythomania‘.

Today’s quote

‘Actually I don’t remember being born, it must have happened during one of my black-outs’.

– Jim Morrison, lead singer of the Doors.

On this day

12 September 1869 – death of Peter Roget, British lexographer and creator of Roget’s Thesaurus. (Born 18 January 1779).

12 September 1885 – the highest scoring soccer match in history is played in a Scottish Cup match between Arbroath and Bon Accord. Arbroath won 36-0.

12 September 2001 – Ansett, Australia’s first commercial airline, collapses.

12 September 2003 – death of Johnny Cash, American singer and musician. Born 26 February 1932.