22 January 2013

spieler

[spee-ler]

noun
1. a barker, as at a circus sideshow.
2. a person with an extravagant line of talk.
3. (Australian) – a swindler.
4. Slang. an announcer for radio or television, especially one who gives commercials.

Origin:
1885–90; < German; see spiel, -er1

Example sentence:

‘Shoe-makers, barbers, mechanics, carpenters, wardsmen from the local hospital, wrestlers, spielers, and even one with a Bachelor degree – they were all told to assemble at Port Madryn, at a date, to embark on a coastal vessel to meet the ship at Talcahuano in Chile, that would take us to Australia’.

– Emilio Duran, Memoirs, Chapter 3.

Today’s aphorism

‘Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter’.

– Martin Luther King

On this day

22 January 1973 – In the landmark ‘Roe v Wade’ case and decided simultaneously with ‘Doe v Bolton’, the United States Supreme Court rules that abortion is a Constitutional right because of the application of the due process clause of the 14th Amendment to a woman’s right to privacy, which includes the right to abortion. This was to be balanced with other state interests, namely the right to protect prenatal life and the protection of women’s health.

22 January 1930 – construction commences of the Empire State Building. It was completed 410 days later and was the world’s tallest building at that time.

21 January 2013

terra nullius

Latin phrase meaning ‘land belonging to no-one’.

It was derived from Roman law, but was enshrined in the laws of a number of colonising powers as they settled land that was occupied by indigenous tribes.

Example sentence

Mabo Day is celebrated on 3 June and commemorates the efforts of Eddie Mabo who challenged the principle of ‘terra nullius’ in Australia. On 3 June 1992, the High Court of Australia overturned the principle of ‘terra nullius’, and formally recognised the right of indigenous people to their land.

Today’s aphorism

‘Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past’.

– George Orwell

On this day

21 January – Squirrel Appreciation Day.

21 January 1863 – State funeral held in Melbourne for Australian explorers, Burke and Wills, who had died in June or July of 1861. 40,000 people spectators lined the streets for the funeral procession as it travelled to the Melbourne General Cemetery.

21 January 1924 – death of Vladimir Lenin, Russian communist revolutionary and political leader. He served as Russian leader from 1917 to 1924 and concurrently as Premier of the Soviet Union from 1922 to 1924.

21 January 1950 – death of George Orwell (born Eric Arthur Blair), English author of works such as ‘Nineteen-Eighty Four‘, ‘Animal Farm‘, and ‘Homage to Catalonia‘.

21 January 1992 – death of Eddie Mabo. Campaigner for indigenous land rights in the Torres Strait. Successfully challenged the concept of ‘terra nullius‘, resulting in indigenous ownership of land in Australia to be recognised.

20 January 2013

selcouth

[sel-kooth]

adjective, Archaic.

– strange; uncommon.

Origin:

before 900; Middle English selcouth, Old English seldcūth, equivalent to seld ( an ) seldom + cūth couth2

Related forms
sel·couth·ly, adverb.

Example sentence:

She wondered much at his so selcouth case. – Spenser.

Today’s aphorism

‘If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito’.

– Dalai Lama XIV

On this day

20 January – Penguin Awareness Day.

20 January 1982 – Ozzy Osbourne, The Prince of Darkness, bites the head off a bat while performing on stage in Des Moines, Iowa. A fan had thrown a bat on stage. Ozzy claims he thought it was rubber, but found out the hard way, that it was, in fact, a real bat. He was taken to hospital and given rabies shots. It’s believed Ozzy Osbourne also received treatment for rabies. This follows on from an incident in 1981, when Ozzy bit the head off a dove after signing his first solo record deal … as you do … Word has it that Ozzy had planned to release a number of doves as a symbol of peace, but was drunk and felt one of the doves could do with a trim … which didn’t work out too well for the dove. There is no truth in the rumour that the Prince song, ‘When Doves Cry’ is about the incident. http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/99999999/ENT/502270318&nclick_check=1

19 January 2013

globophobia

noun

– fear of balloons.

Today’s aphorism

‘Being an intellectual creates a lot of questions and no answers’.

– Janis Joplin.

On this day

19 January 1809 – birth of Edgar Allan Poe, American poet and novelist, The Raven. Died 7 October 1849.

19 January 1920 – Night of the Palmer Raids, in which more than 4,000 suspected radical leftists were arrested. Most were members of the Industrial Workers of the World union. Alexander Palmer was the United States Attorney-General. Most of those arrested were either deported or charged under the Espionage Act 1917 and the Sedition Act 1918.

19 January 1935 – birth of Johnny O’Keefe, Australian rock and roll legend. Known as J.O.K. or ‘The Wild One’. Died 6 October 1978.

19 January 1943 – birthday of Janis Joplin. American singer song-writer. She died on 4 October 1970.

19 January 1966 – A UFO saucer nest is discovered near Tully, North Queensland, Australia when a banana farmer, George Pedley, claims that he saw a large, saucer-shaped object fly out of a swamp at Horseshoe Lagoon. He said the saucer was 25 feet wide and 9 feet high. Further investigation of the lagoon revealed that in a particularly reedy part, there was a large circle that was clear of reeds. The circle was 30 feet in diameter and the reeds had been flattened in a clockwise manner. Five other similar, but smaller, circles were discovered. Apart from the UFO claim, no other explanation could account for the circles. These are the first crop-circles discovered in the modern world.

18 January 2013

ignoble

[ig-noh-buh l]

adjective

1. of low character, aims, etc.; mean; base: his ignoble purposes.
2. of low grade or quality; inferior.
3. not noble; of humble descent or rank.
4. Falconry. noting any hawk with short wings that chases or rakes after the quarry.

Origin:
1400–50; late Middle English < Latin ignōbilis unknown, inglorious, equivalent to in- in-3 + OL gnōbilis ( Latin nōbilis ) noble

Related forms
ig·no·bil·i·ty, ig·no·ble·ness, noun.
ig·no·bly, adverb.

Synonyms
1. degraded, dishonorable, ignominious, contemptible. 3. lowly, obscure, plebeian, peasant.

Antonyms
1. honorable. 2. superior.

Today’s aphorism

‎’The liberties of none are safe unless the liberties of all are protected’.

– William O. Douglas

On this day

18 January 1977 – The Granville Rail Disaster, in which a crowded commuter train derailed and collided with an overpass that collapsed onto it, killing 83 people and injuring more than 210.

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

18 January 1904 – birthday of Cary Grant, born Archibald Alexander Leach, actor (‘North by Northwest‘, ‘To Catch a Thief‘, ‘An Affair to Remember‘, ‘Gunga Din‘).

17 January 2013

zabernism

noun obs.

– the misuse of military power or authority; bullying, agression

Example sentence:

‘Both countries have been slaves to Kruppism and Zabernism’. – H.G. Wells

Today’s aphorism

‘Writing saved me from the sin and inconvenience of violence’.

– Alice Walker

On this day

17 January 1899 – birth of Al Capone, who grew up to be one of America’s most famous gangsters. He died on 25 January 1947.

17 January 1942 – birthday of Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr), American professional boxer (former world heavy-weight champion), philanthropist, social activist.

17 January 1966 – the United States loses 4 H-bombs after the B-52 that was carrying them, collided with a KC-135 tanker during mid-air refuelling. The tanker exploded, killing all 4 crew, the B-52 broke apart, killing 3 of the 7 crew. Three of the hydrogen bombs were located on land near the Spanish town of Palomares. Two of the non-nuclear explosives in the weapons detonated, contaminating 2 km² with plutonium. The fourth bomb was located 2.5 months later in the Mediterranean Sea.

17 January 1991 – Operation Desert Storm commences after Iraqi President Saddam Hussein refuses to comply with a US directive that he remove his forces from Kuwait. Hussein claimed that Kuwait was stealing Iraqi oil. 32 nations were involved in the Operation to remove Iraqi forces from Kuwait.

17 January 1927 – birth of Eartha Kitt, American singer and actress. She played Catwoman in the 1960′s Batman TV series. Two of her more famous songs were ‘C’est Si Bon’ and ‘Santa Baby’. She died on 25 December 2008.

16 January 2013

Rastaquouere

social climber, social upstart

1883, from Fr. rastaquouère “social intruder, upstart” (especially one of exaggerated manners and dress, from a Mediterranean or S.Amer. country), thus “dashing but untrustworthy foreigner,” from S.Amer. Sp. rastacuero “upstart.” Short form rasta attested from 1905.

Today’s aphorism

‘There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest’.

– Elie Wiesel

On this day

16 January 1945 – Adolf Hitler flees to his bunker with his long-time companion, Eva Braun. They remain there for 105 days until he takes his own life.

16 January 1979 – The Shah of Iran is forced to flee Iran following the mutiny of his Army and a revolution led by students, which resulted in the Ayatollah Khomeini taking over the leadership of the country.

15 January 2013

widdiful

[fr. Sc. widdy, a rope for hanging]

Scot. (n)

– one who deserves hanging, a gallows-bird; a scamp, rascal

(a) fit for a halter, deserving to be hanged; scampish, rascally

Example sentence:

Because he had killed a prominent leader, some members of the public believed that the prisoner was widdiful.

Today’s aphorism

‘The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy’.

– Martin Luther King, Jr.

On this day

15 January – Martin Luther King Day, a public holiday in the United States of America, held on the third Monday in January, to celebrate the birth of Martin Luther King, a clergyman who promoted non-violent activism to achieve civil rights, particularly for African Americans.

15 January 1929 – birthday of Martin Luther King. American civil rights activist and clergyman.

14 January 2013

couthie

[koo-thee]

adjective, Scot.

agreeable; genial; kindly.

Origin:
1715–25; couth2 + -ie, spelling variant of -y1

Related forms
couth·i·ly, adjective.
couth·i·ness, noun.

Example sentences:

The couthie old man would let us pick apples from his orchard.

Today’s aphorism

‘Age does not protect you from love. But love, to some extent, protects you from age’.

– Anais Nin

On this day

14 January 1977 – death of Anais Nin, French-Cuban author.

14 January 1984 – death of Ray Kroc, founder of McDonald’s … and the Big Mac … Born 5 October 1902. Kroc had bought out Dick and Mac McDonald before establishing the franchise network of fast-food restaurants.

13 January 2013

dalliance

dalliance

[dal-ee-uh ns, dal-yuh ns]

noun

1. a trifling away of time; dawdling.
2. amorous toying; flirtation.

Example sentence:

After a brief dalliance with life in the country, he realised he much preferred the hustle and bustle of the big city.

Today’s aphorism

‘Gossip needn’t be false to be evil – there’s a lot of truth that shouldn’t be passed around’.

– Frank A. Clark.

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.