4 October 2013

mandarin

[man-duh-rin]

noun
1. (in the Chinese Empire) a member of any of the nine ranks of public officials, each distinguished by a particular kind of button worn on the cap.
2. ( initial capital letter ) the standard Chinese language.
3. ( initial capital letter ) a northern Chinese dialect, especially as spoken in and around Beijing.
4. a small, spiny citrus tree, Citrus reticulata, native to China, bearing lance-shaped leaves and flattish, orange-yellow to deep-orange loose-skinned fruit, some varieties of which are called tangerines.
5. any of several plants belonging to the genus Disporum or Streptopus, of the lily family, as S. roseus (rose mandarin) or D. lanuginosum (yellow mandarin) having drooping flowers and red berries.

Today’s aphorism

If I hold back, I’m no good. I’m no good. I’d rather be good sometimes, than holding back all the time.

– Janis Joplin

On this day

4 October 1669 – death of Rembrandt, famous Dutch painter.

4 October 1927 – commencement of Mt Rushmore sculptures near Keystone, South Dakota. It is a sculpture carved into the granite face of the mountain. The sculpture features the faces of four U.S. presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt. Construction finished on 31 October 1941 because funding ran out. It was the brainchild of Doane Robinson. The carvings are 18m (60′) high and were carved by Gutzon Borglum and a team of 400 workers.

4 October 1931 – The comic strip, Dick Tracy, makes its debut in the Detroit Mirror and is distributed by the Chicago Tribune New York News syndicate. The cartoon was created by Chester Gould who continued to draw it until 1977.

4 October 1970 – death of Janis Joplin. American singer-songwriter. She was 27.

3 October 2013

abridge

[uh-brij]

verb (used with object), a·bridged, a·bridg·ing.

1. to shorten by omissions while retaining the basic contents: to abridge a reference book.
2. to reduce or lessen in duration, scope, authority, etc.; diminish; curtail: to abridge a visit; to abridge one’s freedom.
3. to deprive; cut off.

Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English abreggen, abriggen < Middle French abreg ( i ) er < Late Latin abbreviāre to shorten. See a-4 , abbreviate

Related forms
a·bridg·a·ble, a·bridge·a·ble, adjective
a·bridg·er, noun
non·a·bridg·a·ble, adjective
re·a·bridge, verb (used with object), re·a·bridged, re·a·bridg·ing.

Synonyms
1. cut down; epitomize; condense, abstract, digest. See shorten. 2. contract, reduce. 3. divest.

Antonyms
1. lengthen. 2. expand.

Today’s quote

Andy Warhol is the only genius I’ve ever known with an I.Q. of 60.

– Gore Vidal

On this day

3 October 1226 – death of St Francis of Assisi, Italian friar and founder of the men’s Franciscan Order, the women’s Order of St Clare and the Third Order of St Francis. Although these are all Catholic Orders, he was never ordained as a Catholic priest. Born 26 September 1181.

3 October 1925 – birthday of Gore Vidal, American author, playwright, essayist and political activist.

2 October 2013

frenetic

[fruh-net-ik]

adjective

– frantic; frenzied.
Also, fre·net·i·cal, phrenetic, phrenetical.

Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English; see frantic

Related forms
fre·net·i·cal·ly, adverb
non·fre·net·ic, adjective
non·fre·net·i·cal·ly, adverb

Can be confused: fanatic, frantic, frenetic (see synonym study at fanatic).

Today’s aphorism

An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching.

– Mahatma Gandhi

On this day

2 October 1803 – death of Samuel Adams, American revolutionary and founding father. Born 27 September 1722.

2 October 1869 – birthday of Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi.

2 October – International Day of Non-violence. This day was chosen because it is the anniversary of Mohandas Gandhi’s birth.