Today’s WOTD – 25 October 2012

micawber

(mih-KAW-buhr)

MEANING:

noun

1. An eternal optimist. For example: He is quite the micawber even in times of trouble.

2. a person who idles and trusts to fortune.

ETYMOLOGY:

After Wilkins Micawber, an incurable optimist in the novel David Copperfield (1850) by Charles Dickens. His schemes for making money never materialize, but he’s always hopeful that “something will turn up”. Earliest documented example of the word used allusively: 1852.

USAGE:

“As the shadow work-and-pensions secretary, David Willetts, said yesterday, he takes the Mr Micawber approach to economics: something will turn up.”
Larry Elliott; Mr Micawber May Find Result Misery; The Guardian (London, UK); Nov 4, 2004.

Today’s aphorism

Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die.

– Alfred, Lord Tennyson, from ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’.

On this day

25 October 1854 – Charge of the Light Brigade. A famous cavalry charge led by Lord Cardigan of Britain, against the Russian forces during the Battle of Balaclava in the Crimean War. The Russians were victorious. The charge was immortalised in the poem of the same name by poet laureate, Alfred, Lord Tennyson. The poem can be read here: http://www.ram.org/contrib/the_charge_of_the_light_brigade.html

25 October 1917 – October Revolution. This is the traditional date (old style Julian calendar) for the October Revolution, which corresponds with 7 – 8 November 1917 (new style Gregorian calendar) for the October Revolution. Part of the Russian Revolution which commenced with the February Revolution (8-12 March 1917) and which overthrew the Russian Provisional Government and replaced it with the Soviet government.

25 October 1964 – Zambian Independence. Formally, Northern Rhodesia, the British government grants independence. The first president is Kenneth Kaunda of the United National Independence Party.

Today’s WOTD – 24 October 2012

resile

[ri-zahyl]

verb (used without object),

resiled, resiling.

1. to spring back; rebound; resume the original form or position, as an elastic body.

2. to shrink back; recoil.

For example:

He didn’t resile from his opinion, even though it was unpopular with his friends.

Today’s aphorism

‘Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats’.

– H.L. Mencken

On this day

24 October 1648 – signing of the Treaty of Munster, between the Holy Roman Emperor, France and their respective allies. This treaty was the second in a series of peace treaties known as the Peace of Westphalia which paved the way for the modern sovereign state. The first was the Peace of Munster, signed on 30 January 1648, the third being the Treaty of Osnabruck, signed on 24 October 1648. 24 October 1648 – signing of the Treaty of Osnabruck, between the Holy Roman Emperor, the empire, Sweden and their respective allies. This treaty was the third in a series of peace treaties known as the Peace of Westphalia which paved the way for the modern sovereign state. The first was the Peace of Munster, signed on 30 January 1648, the second being the Treaty of Munster signed on  24 October 1648.

24 October 1929 – Black Thursday, one week before Wall Street’s infamous Black Tuesday and in a harbinger of the impending crash, investors dumped 13 million shares and the market lost 11% in value.

Today’s WOTD – 23 October 2012

quidnunc

[kwid-nuhngk]

noun
– a person who is eager to know the latest news and gossip; a gossip or busy-body.

plural: quidnuncs

For example:

He claimed to deplore gossip, but was always the first one to ask the office quidnunc for the latest scuttlebutt.

Today’s aphorism

The one permanent emotion of the inferior man is fear – fear of the unknown, the complex, the inexplicable. What he wants above everything else is safety.

– H.L. Mencken

On this day

23 October 4004BC – creation of the world according to Archbishop James Ussher.

23 October 42BC – death of Brutus, Roman senator. He suicided after his Army was defeated during the Roman civil wars at the Second Battle of Philippi, by Mark Antony and Octavian.

23 October 1959 – birth of ‘Weird’ Al Yankovic, American parody singer-songwriter. 23 October 1998 – Palestinian Chairman Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, establish a ‘Land for Peace’ deal regarding the West Bank, after a marathon 21 hour negotiation.

Today’s WOTD – 21 October 2012

filibuster

[fil-uh-buhs-ter]

noun
1.
Politics
a. the use of irregular or obstructive tactics by a member of a legislative assembly to prevent the adoption of a measure generally favored or to force a decision against the will of the majority.

b. an exceptionally long speech, as one lasting for a day or days, or a series of such speeches to accomplish this purpose.

c. a member of a legislature who makes such a speech.

2. an irregular military adventurer, especially one who engages in an unauthorized military expedition into a foreign country to foment or support a revolution.

verb (used without object)
3. U.S. Politics . to impede legislation by irregular or obstructive tactics, especially by making long speeches.

4. to act as an irregular military adventurer, especially for revolutionary purposes.

verb (used with object)
5. Politics. – to impede (legislation) by irregular or obstructive tactics, especially by making long speeches.

For example:

The Opposition filibustered to block the bill.

Parliament was filled with more filibustering than constructive debate about the bill.

Today’s aphorism

Second to agriculture, humbug is the biggest industry of our age.

– Alfred Nobel

On this day

21 October 1492 – Christopher Columbus discovers America.

21 October 1772 – birthday of Samuel Taylor Colleridge, English poet.

21 October 1833 – birth of Alfred Bernhard Nobel, Swedish chemist and armaments manufacturer, inventor of dynamite and the Nobel Prizes. Was known as the ‘Merchant of Death’. A newspaper stated that he ‘became rich by finding ways to kill people faster than ever before‘. As a result, he decided to leave a better legacy than that and used his estate to establish and fund the Nobel Prizes, which included the Nobel Peace Prize. Died 10 December 1896.

21 October 1967 – Thousands of anti-Vietnam-war protestors attempt to storm the Pentagon.

21 October 1969 – death of Jack Kerouac, American beat-generation writer, ‘On the road‘. Born 12 March 1922.

Today’s WOTD – 20 October 2012

parsimony

[pahr-suh-moh-nee]

noun

– extreme or excessive economy or frugality; stinginess; niggardliness.

For example:

– The main reason for her parsimony was the impact on public-sector wages and pensions, which are linked to the minimum wage.

– The beneficiaries of the new parsimony are, unsurprisingly, firms that offer low prices.

– The elderly man, who came from a generation which venerated parsimony, shunned the throw-away mentality of modern society by preferring to repair, rather than replace, what he could.

Today’s aphorism

‘Never think you’ve got it figured out
‘Cause when you do you begin to doubt
It’s time for you to open your eyes’

– Lynyrd Skynyrd, ‘Life’s Lesson’.

On this day

20 October 1977 – Plane crash in Mississippi kills 3 members of rock band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, along with their manager, the pilot and co-pilot.

20 October 2011 – death of Muammar Gaddafi, former leader of Libya. He had been shot to death by rebel fighters following the overthrow of his government.

Today’s WOTD – 19 October 2012

hirtellous

[hur-tel-uhs]

adjective

– minutely hirsute.

Also, hirsutulous.

Origin:
< Latin hirt ( us ) hairy + Neo-Latin -ellus diminutive adj. suffix; see -ous

For example:

‘In a culture in which hirsute men were seen as more virile, the hirtellous youth was considered to be less of a man’.

Today’s aphorism

‘Fascism is nothing but capitalist reaction’.

‘If we had had more time for discussion, we should probably have made many more mistakes’.

On this day

19 October 1924 – Leo Trotsky, one of the founders of the Soviet Union and founder of the Red Army, is thrown out of the Soviet Politburo and his followers persecuted after he opposed Stalin. Trotsky was eventually expelled from the Communist Party and in 1929 was deported from the Soviet Union. He continued his opposition to Stalinism from his base in Mexico.

19 October 2001 – 353 asylum seekers drown when the boat they are on sinks 70km south of Java. The victims included 146 children, 142 women and 65 men. They were travelling from Indonesia to Australia and were predominantly Iraqi. Australian authorities labelled the boat SIEV-X (SIEV is short for ‘Suspected Illegal Entry Vehicle’). The incident became a major political issue and coupled with other incidents, such as the ‘Tampa crisis’ and the ‘Children Overboard affair’, resulted in major changes to Australia’s migration laws, including excising 4,600 islands from Australia’s migration zone and introduction of the controversial ‘Pacific Solution’.

Today’s WOTD – 18 October 2012

stertorous   

[stur-ter-uhs]
adjective
1. characterized by stertor or heavy snoring.
2. breathing in this manner.

– adverb: stertorously

– noun:  stertorousness

For example:

Please STOP being so stertorous!

Today’s aphorism

The three great essentials to achieve anything worth while are: Hard work, Stick-to-itiveness, and Common sense.

Thomas Edison

On this day

18 October 1776 – the ‘cocktail’ is invented when a customer requests one in a New York bar which was decorated with a bird-tail.

18 October 1931 – death of Thomas Edison, U.S. inventor. Born 11 February 1847.

Today’s WOTD – 17 October 2012

bereft

adjective

1. deprived of or lacking (something). For example: her room was stark and bereft of colour.

2. (of a person) sad and lonely, especially through someone’s death or departure. For example: His death in 1990 left her bereft.

Origin: late 16th century; archaic past-tense of bereave.

Today’s aphorism

‘To me business isn’t about wearing suits or pleasing stockholders. It’s about being true to yourself, your ideas and focusing on the essentials’.

Sir Richard Branson

On this day

17 October 1901 – U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt issues an Executive Order changing name of the ‘Executive Mansion’ to the ‘White House’.

17 October 1989 – Mother Teresa awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

17 October 2010 – Mary McKillop is canonised by Pope Benedict XVI, becoming Australia’s first saint.

17 October 2011 – Richard Branson, of Virgin Group, opens the world’s first commercial space-port, which he has based in Mexico. The first commercial launch is expected in 2013.

Today’s WOTD – 16 October 2012

catholicon

[kuh-thol-i-kuhn]

Today’s aphorism

‘I once said “we will bury you”, and I got into trouble with it. Of course we will not bury you with a shovel. Your own working class will bury you‘.

Nikita Khrushchev, Soviet President from 14 September 1953 – 14 October 1964.

——————-

‘If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich‘.

John F. Kennedy, U.S. President from 20 January 1961 – 22 November 1963.

On this day

16 October 1834 – London’s House of Lords and House of Commons damaged by fire caused by an over-heating chimney flue during the destruction of tally sticks.

16 October 1962 – start of the Cuban Missile Crisis, known in Cuba as the October Crisis and in Russia as Kарибский кризис (Caribbean Crisis), one of the major events of the Cold War as it brought the world to the brink of nuclear conflict. It started when a USAF U-2 plane photographed evidence of Soviet air bases being constructed in Cuba on 14 October 1962. The U.S. considered bombing the bases, but ended up blockading Cuba, preventing Soviet weapons being delivered. Soviet President Nikita Khrushchev wrote to U.S. President John F. Kennedy, stating the blockade constituted an act of war. For 13 days, the Americans and Soviets conducted talks to resolve the crisis. On 28 October 1962, Kennedy and UN Secretary General U. Thant reached a public and secret agreement with Khrushchev. Publicly, the Soviets agreed to dismantle their weapons in Cuba, while the U.S. gave an agreement to never invade Cuba. Secretly, the U.S. agreed to dismantle its ballistic missiles in Turkey.