12 April 2013
atavistic
[at-uh-vis-tik]
adjective
– of, pertaining to, or characterized by atavism; reverting to or suggesting the characteristics of a remote ancestor or primitive type.
Origin:
1870–75; atav(ism) + -istic
Related forms
at·a·vis·ti·cal·ly, adverb
Today’s aphorism
‘Don’t miss all the beautiful colors of the rainbow looking for that pot of gold’
– Irish saying.
On this day
12 April 1961 – Uri Gagarin (Russian) becomes the first man in space.
11 April 2013
zizzle
noun (slang)
– a wild card word for words beginning with Z, such as Zippo (lighter). (Also for other words with initial Z.) : He held a stogie in his hand, looked at his buddy, and said, “Zizzle?”.
Today’s aphorism
Silence in the face of evil is itself evil:
God will not hold us guiltless.
Not to speak is to speak,
Not to act is to act.
– Dietrich Bonhoeffer
On this day
11 April 1979 – Ugandan President Idi Amin (Dada) is ousted when Tanzanian rebels sieze power. Amin flees to Libya and eventually settles in Saudi Arabia. Amin had been responsible for ethnic cleansing, killing an estimated 80,000 to 300,000 people.
11 April 1981 – Riots in Brixton, South London commence following the arrest of a black man. On a day known as ‘Black Saturday’, up to 5,000 youths confront police and run riot through the streets, looting, throwing petrol bombs, burning hundreds of cars and buildings, and injuring hundreds of people. Police arrested 82 people.
10 April 2013
nix
[niks]
Slang. noun
1. nothing.
adverb
2. no.
interjection
3. (used as an exclamation, especially of warning): Nix, the cops!
verb (used with object)
4. to veto; refuse to agree to; prohibit: to nix the project.
Origin:
1780–90; < German: variant of nichts nothing
Today’s aphorism
We can eradicate extreme poverty, because the power of the people is so much greater than the people in power.
– Bono
On this day
10 April 1919 – death of Emiliano Zapata Salazar, Mexican revolutionary.
9 April 2013
squiffy
[skwif-ee]
— adj , -fier , -fiest
informal ( Brit ) Also: squiffed
– slightly drunk
[C19: of unknown origin]
Today’s aphorism
Everyone, in some small sacred sanctuary of the self, is nuts.
-Leo Rosten, author (1908-1997)
On this day
9 April 1865 – Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrenders his 28,000 troops to Union General Ulysses S. Grant, effectively ending the Civil War.
8 April 2013
prate
[preyt]
verb, prat·ed, prat·ing, noun
verb (used without object)
1. to talk excessively and pointlessly; babble: They prated on until I was ready to scream.
verb (used with object)
2. to utter in empty or foolish talk: to prate absurdities with the greatest seriousness.
noun
3. act of prating.
4. empty or foolish talk.
Origin:
1375–1425; late Middle English praten (v.) < Middle Dutch praeten. See prattle
Today’s aphorism
Before you marry a person, you should first make them use a computer with slow internet to see who they truly are.
– Whitney Cummings.
On this day
8 April 1947 – birth of Larry Norman, of Larry Norman, pioneering Christian rock musician.
8 April 1861 – death of Elisha Graves Otis, American industrialist and founder of the Otis Elevator Company. In 1854, he put the finishing touches to his signature invention: a safety device to prevent elevators falling if the cable fails.
7 April 2013
vagient
[vuh-jee-ent]
a. [L. vagiens, p. pr. of vagire
– to cry like a young child. Crying like a baby. [Obs.]
Today’s aphorism
Racism isn’t born folks. It’s taught. I have a two year old son. You know what he hates? Naps. End of list.
– Dennis Leary
On this day
7 April 1933 – beer available again in 19 U.S. states since it had been banned on 16 January 1920.
7 April 1947 – death of Henry Ford, American industrialist and car maker.
6 April 2013
vaccilate
[vas-uh-leyt]
verb (used without object), vac·il·lat·ed, vac·il·lat·ing.
1. to waver in mind or opinion; be indecisive or irresolute: His tendency to vacillate makes him a poor leader.
2. to sway unsteadily; waver; totter; stagger.
3. to oscillate or fluctuate.
Origin:
1590–1600; < Latin vacillātus (past participle of vacillāre to sway to and fro); see -ate1
Related forms
vac·il·la·tor, noun
Synonyms
1. hesitate. See waver1 . 2. reel.
Today’s aphorism
‘Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it.’
– Martin Luther King Jr.
On this day
6 April 1896 – The Olympic Games recommences in Athens 1,501 years after being banned by Emperor Theodosius I in 393AD.
6 April 1909 – Robert E. Peary and Matthew A. Henson become the first men to reach the North Pole. Their claim is in dispute because of navigation techniques and lack of independent verification.
6 April 2006 – the National Geographic Society reveals the discovery of a papyrus codex in a cave near El Minya, Egypt, which it claims is the Gospel of Judas Iscariot. The codex is yet to be verified as written by Judas.
5 April 2013
spelunk
[spi-luhngk]
verb (used without object)
– to explore caves, especially as a hobby.
Whereas speleology is the scientific study of caves.
Origin:
back formation from spelunker, spelunking
Today’s aphorism
‘They’re claiming that [the grunge bands] finally put Seattle on the map, but, like, what map? …I mean, we had Jimi Hendrix. Heck, what more do we want?’
– Kurt Cobain
_______________
‘Whoever controls the media, the images, controls the culture’.
– Allen Ginsberg
On this day
5 April 1994 – death of Kurt Cobain. Lead singer, guitarist and lyricist for Nirvana. He was 27.
5 April 1997 – death of Allen Ginsberg, leading American beat-generation writer and poet. Born 3 June 1926.
4 April 2013
ego
[ee-goh, eg-oh]
noun, plural e·gos.
1. the “I” or self of any person; a person as thinking, feeling, and willing, and distinguishing itself from the selves of others and from objects of its thought.
2. Psychoanalysis . the part of the psychic apparatus that experiences and reacts to the outside world and thus mediates between the primitive drives of the id and the demands of the social and physical environment.
3. egotism; conceit; self-importance: Her ego becomes more unbearable each day.
4. self-esteem or self-image; feelings: Your criticism wounded his ego.
5. (often initial capital letter) Philosophy .
a. the enduring and conscious element that knows experience.
b. Scholasticism. the complete person comprising both body and soul.
Example
If I did not have an ego I would not be here tonight
If I did not have an ego I might not think that I was right
If you did not have an ego you might not care the way you dressed
If you did not have an ego you’d just be like the rest
– Skyhooks, ‘Ego is not a dirty word‘.
Today’s aphorism
Yabba Dabba Doo!
– Fred Flintstone
On this day
4 April 1968 – assassination of Martin Luther King. American civil rights activist and clergyman.
3 April 2013
bevy
[bev-ee]
noun, plural bev·ies.
1. a group of birds, as larks or quail, or animals, as roebuck, in close association.
2. a large group or collection: a bevy of boisterous sailors.
3. (Australian slang): an alcoholic beverage, e.g. ‘going for a couple of bevies after work’.
Origin:
1400–50; late Middle English bevey, of obscure origin
Synonyms
1. covey, flight; brood. 2. assembly, company.
Today’s aphorism
Write drunk, edit sober.
– Ernest Hemingway
On this day
3 April 1882 – death of Jesse James, U.S. outlaw. (Born 5 September 1847).