Monthly Archives: July 2014

23 July 2014 – culpable

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23 July 2014

culpable

[kuhl-puh-buhl]

adjective

– deserving blame or censure; blameworthy.  ‘He was culpable’.

Origin:
1275–1325; Middle English < Latin culpābilis, equivalent to culpā ( re ) to hold liable (derivative of culpa blame) + -bilis -ble; replacing Middle English coupable < Middle French < Latin as above

Related forms
cul·pa·bil·i·ty, cul·pa·ble·ness, noun
cul·pa·bly, adverb
non·cul·pa·ble, adjective
non·cul·pa·ble·ness, noun
non·cul·pa·bly, adverb

Synonyms
reprehensible.

Anagram

cup label
club pale
bull cape
blue clap

Today’s aphorism

Above all, try always to be able to feel deeply any injustice committed against any person in any part of the world.

– Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara

On this day

23 July 1892 – birthday of Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia. Although Selassie was an Ethiopian Orthodox Christian, Rastafarians believe that he is the Messiah returned.

23 July 1934 – Australian batsman, Donald Bradman, scores 304 against England at Leeds, with 43 fours and 2 sixes. He is the only batsman to ever complete two treble centuries in Test cricket.

23 July 1935 – a B-25 Mitchell bomber carrying three people, crashes into the Empire State Building, New York City, killing 14 people. The accident was caused by heavy fog.

23 July 2011 – death of Amy Winehouse. English singer-songwriter. She was 27. Born 14 September 1983.

22 July 2014 – shambolic

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22 July 2014

shambolic

[sham-bol-ik]

adjective (Chiefly British Informal)

– very disorganized; messy or confused: I’ve had a shambolic year, the worst ever.

Origin:
alteration of shamble (shambles, ‘a disordered place’)

Anagram

cash limbo
chasm boil

Today’s aphorism

We can bomb the world to pieces
But we can’t bomb it into peace

– Michael Franti and Spearhead, ‘Bomb the World‘

On this day

22 July 1298 – Battle of Falkirk in which the English, led by King Edward VI, defeated the Scots, led by William Wallace. It was part of the First War of Scottish Independence.

22 July 1456 – Siege of Belgrade, or Siege of Nandorfehervar, in which Hungarian troops defeated the Ottoman Turks under the leadership of Sultan Mehmed II. Since 22 July 2011, Hungary celebrates this as their National Memorial Day.

22 July 1933 – Wiley Post completes the world’s first solo flight around the world.

22 July 1946 – Irgun, a militant Zionist group under the leadership of Menachim Begin, bombs Jerusalem’s King David Hotel, which housed the British administrative headquarters for Palestine. The bombing killed 91 people and injured 46.

22 July 1968 – The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) hijacks its first plane, an El-Al Israel Airlines flight travelling from Rome to Tel Aviv, carrying 32 passengers and 10 crew. The plane was diverted to Algiers where 7 crew & 5 Israeli passengers were held hostage for 5 weeks until Israel agreed to exchange imprisoned Palestinian militants.

22 July 1983 – Dick Smith, Australian entrepreneur and adventurer, completes first solo helicopter flight around the world.

22 July 1983 – World’s coldest day recorded at Vostok, Antarctica where the temperature dropped to -89.2oC (128.6oF)

21 July 2014 – assay

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21 July 2014

assay

[v. a-sey; n. as-ey, a-sey]

verb (used with object)

1. to examine or analyze: to assay a situation; to assay an event.
2. Metallurgy . to analyze (an ore, alloy, etc.) in order to determine the quantity of gold, silver, or other metal in it.
3. Pharmacology . to subject (a drug) to an analysis for the determination of its potency or composition.
4. to judge the quality of; assess; evaluate: to assay someone’s efforts.
5. to try or test; put to trial: to assay one’s strength; to assay one’s debating abilities.

verb (used without object)
7. to contain, as shown by analysis, a certain proportion of usually precious metal.

noun
8. Metallurgy . determination of the amount of metal, especially gold or silver, in an ore, alloy, etc.
9. a substance undergoing analysis or trial.
10. a detailed report of the findings in assaying a substance.
11. Archaic. examination; trial; attempt; essay.

Origin:
1250–1300; Middle English < Middle French; variant of essay

Related forms
as·say·a·ble, adjective
as·say·er, noun
un·as·sayed, adjective
un·as·say·ing, adjective

Can be confused: assay, essay

Today’s aphorism

The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places.

– Ernest Hemingway

On this day

21 July 1542 – Pope Paul III establishes the Inquisition (the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition) to ‘defend the faith’ against reformists, protestants and heretics.

21 July 1899 – birth of Ernest Hemingway, American author. He wrote books including ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls‘ and ‘Old Man and the Sea‘. Died 2 July 1961.

21 July 1970 – Aswan Dam opens in Egypt.

21 July 1973 – USSR launches Mars-4 space probe to photograph Mars.

21 July 1990 – Roger Waters performs a charity concert of the Pink Floyd concept album, ‘The Wall’, on the site where part of the Berlin Wall had stood. Approximately, 450,000 people attended. The stage was 170m long and 25m high. The concert included special guest performances by a large number of high profile artists, including Bruce Springsteen, Van Morrison, Sinead O’Connor, Cyndi Lauper, Joni Mitchell, Bryan Adams and a number of others.

20 July 2014 – dishabille

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20 July 2014

dishabille

[dis-uh-beel, -bee]

noun

1. the state of being dressed in a careless, disheveled, or disorderly style or manner; undress. ‘She greeted me in a dishabille’.
2. a garment worn in undress.
3. a loose morning dress.
4. a disorderly or disorganized state of mind or way of thinking.

Also, des·habille.

Origin:
1665–75; < French déshabillé, noun use of past participle of déshabiller to undress, equivalent to dés- dis-1 + habiller to dress; see habiliment

Can be confused: décolletage, décolleté, dishabille.

Anagram

abide hills
shield bail

Today’s metaphor

Can you hear the ancient calling,
See the empires we’ve built are falling,
All we have is the human touch,
The clock is ticking even as we rush

– from Pyramid by Andrew Stockdale, Wolfmother

On this day

20 July 356 BC – birth of Alexander the Great, Macedonian King. He conquered the Persia Empire, which ruled Asia Minor, The Levant and Syria, Egypt, Assyria and Babylonia. He then invaded India before returning to Persia. He died in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar II in Babylon, most likely by poisoning. Died 10 June 323 BC.

20 July 1919 – birthday of Edmund Hillary, New Zealand mountaineer, explorer and philanthropist. Hillary and sherpa Tenzing Norgay became the first men to reach the summit of Mt Everest.

20 July 1969 – Apollo 11 becomes the first manned landing on the moon, with Neil Armstrong the first man to walk on the moon, followed by Edwin (Buzz) Aldren Jr. Michael Collins drew the short straw and remained in orbit in order to pick up Armstrong and Aldren later.

20 July 1973 – death of Bruce Lee, martial artist and actor.

20 July 1976 – birth of Andrew Stockdale, Australian rock musician, leader singer, lead guitarist and founding member of Wolfmother. In 2007, Stockdale and his Wolfmother mates, won ‘Songwriter of the Year’ at the APRA Awards. Stockdale’s vocal style has been described as a cross between Ozzy Osbourne and Robert Plant. Musically, he has been compared with Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi. He grew up in Ashgrove, Brisbane.

19 July 2014 – pule

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19 July 2014

pule

[pyool]

verb (used without object), puled, pul·ing.

– to cry in a thin voice; whine; whimper. ‘I heard the child pule when her toy broke’.

Origin:
1525–35; perhaps imitative

Related forms
pul·er, noun

Today’s aphorism

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.

– Henry Stanley Haskins

On this day

19 July 64 AD – Rome’s Circus Maximus destroyed by fire, during the Great Fire of Rome.

19 July 1553 – 15 year old, Lady Jane Grey, the ‘Nine Day Queen’, deposed as Queen of England. On his deathbed, King Edward VI (also 15) named his cousin, Lady Jane, as his successor. She ‘ruled’ for 9 days before being deposed and charged with high treason, as was her husband, Lord Guildford Dudley. They were both executed in February 1554.

19 July 1799 – Rosetta Stone discovered by Napoleon’s expeditionary army in Egypt. The Rosetta Stone enabled the translation of hieroglyphs.

19 July 1940 – Adolf Hitler delivers his ‘Last Appeal to Reason’ speech, declaring his victory and appealing for Great Britain to surrender.

19 July 1947 – assassination of General Aung San, founder of modern day Burma and Burmese Army. Father of Aung San Suu Kyi, Burmese politician, activist and Nobel Peace Prize Recipient.

19 July 1976 – UK rock group, Deep Purple, breaks up.

18 July 2014 – officious

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18 July 2014

officious

[uh-fish-uhs]

adjective

1. objectionably aggressive in offering one’s unrequested and unwanted services, help, or advice; meddlesome: an officious person.
2. marked by or proceeding from such forwardness: officious interference.
3. Obsolete . ready to serve; obliging.

Origin:
1555–65; < Latin officiōsus obliging, dutiful, equivalent to offici ( um ) office + -ōsus -ous

Related forms
of·fi·cious·ly, adverb
of·fi·cious·ness, noun
o·ver·of·fi·cious, adjective
o·ver·of·fi·cious·ly, adverb
o·ver·of·fi·cious·ness, noun

Can be confused: 1. official, officious ; 2. officiate, officious.

Today’s aphorism

There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.

– Nelson Mandela

On this day

18 July – Mandela Day – An internationally recognised day to inspire individuals to take action to help change the world for the better, and in doing so build a global movement for good. Ultimately it seeks to empower communities everywhere. ‘Take Action; Inspire Change; Make Every Day a Mandela Day’. http://www.mandeladay.com/

18 July 64 AD – Great Fire of Rome.

18 July 1918 – birth of Nelson Mandela, South African anti-apartheid revolutionary and politician. Died 5 December 2013.

18 July 1925 – Hitler publishes Mein Kampf.

18 July 1937 – birth of Hunter S. Thompson, American writer and gonzo journalist. Died 20 February 2005.

18 July 1950 – birth of Richard Branson, British entrepreneur.

17 July 2014 – precocious

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17 July 2014

precocious

[pri-koh-shuhs]

adjective

1. unusually advanced or mature in development, especially mental development: a precocious child.
2. prematurely developed, as the mind, faculties, etc.
3. of or pertaining to premature development.
4. Botany .
a. flowering, fruiting, or ripening early, as plants or fruit.
b. bearing blossoms before leaves, as plants.
c. appearing before leaves, as flowers.

Origin:
1640–50; Latin praecoci-, stem of praecox (see precocity) + -ous

Related forms
pre·co·cious·ly, adverb
pre·co·cious·ness, noun
un·pre·co·cious, adjective
un·pre·co·cious·ly, adverb
un·pre·co·cious·ness, noun

Anagram

or occupies
coop cruise

Today’s aphorism

I’m sick of not having the courage to be an absolute nobody.

– J. D. Salinger

On this day

17 July 1774 – Captain James Cook arrives in New Hebrides (now Vanuatu).

17 July 1976 – 25 African countries boycott the opening ceremony of the Montreal Olympics in protest against New Zealand’s sporting links with South Africa.

17 July 1979 – In Nicaragua, Marxist Sandinista rebels overthrow the U.S. sponsored government of President Samoza, who flees to the United States.

17 July 2013 – The Queensland Maroons rugby league team win a record 8 consecutive State of Origin series against the New South Wales Blues.

16 July 2014 – hoary

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16 July 2014

hoary

[hawr-ee, hohr-ee]

adjective, hoar·i·er, hoar·i·est.

1. gray or white with age: an old dog with a hoary muzzle.
2. ancient or venerable: hoary myths.
3. tedious from familiarity; stale: Please don’t tell that hoary joke at dinner again tonight.

Origin:
1520–30; hoar + -y

Related forms
hoar·i·ly, adverb
hoar·i·ness, noun
un·hoar·y, adjective

Synonyms
1. grizzled, grizzly; hoar. 2. old, dated, aged; venerated, revered.

Today’s aphorism

Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.

– Maya Angelou

On this day

16 July 622 – The Prophet Mohammad escapes from Mecca and travels to Medina, marking the beginning of both Islam and the Islamic calendar.

16 July 1439 – England bans kissing in an effort to stop the spreading of germs.

15 July 2014 – impunity

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15 July 2014

impunity

[im-pyoo-ni-tee]

noun

1. exemption from punishment.
2. immunity from detrimental effects, as of an action.

Origin:
1525–35; < Latin impūnitās, equivalent to im- im-2 + pūnitās punishment ( pūn- (stem of punīre to punish) + -itās -ity); see punitive

Can be confused: immunity, impunity.

Synonyms
See exemption.

Anagram

pi mutiny

Today’s aphorism

Soul meets soul on lovers’ lips.

– Percy Bysshe Shelley

On this day

15 July 1099 – First Crusaders conquer Jerusalem.

15 July 1606 – birthday of Rembrandt, famous Dutch painter.

15 July 1815 – Napoleon surrenders and is eventually exiled on the island of St Helena.

15 July 2013 – India sends it last telegram, bringing an end to the 163 year old service. Hundreds of people attended the remaining 75 telegram offices to send their final telegrams.

14 July 2014 – replete

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14 July 2014

replete

[ri-pleet]

adjective

1. abundantly supplied or provided; filled (usually followed by with): a speech replete with sentimentality.
2. stuffed or gorged with food and drink.
3. complete: a scholarly survey, replete in its notes and citations.

noun
4. Entomology . (among honey ants) a worker with a distensible crop in which honeydew and nectar are stored for the use of the colony.

Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English repleet < Middle French replet < Latin replētus past participle of replēre to fill up ( re- re- + plē ( re ) to fill, akin to plēnus full1 + -tus past participle suffix)

Related forms
re·plete·ly, adverb
re·plete·ness, noun
re·ple·tive, adjective
re·ple·tive·ly, adverb
un·re·plete, adjective

Synonyms
2. sated, satiated, glutted, surfeited.

Anagram

pert eel

Today’s aphorism

By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.

– Confucius

On this day

14 July 1789 – Bastille Day – commemorating the storming of the Bastille.

14 July 1881 – death (?) of William H. Bonney aka Billy ‘The Kid’. American outlaw. Legend has it that he killed 21 men, although historians believe it may have been between 4 and 9 men. He was shot dead by Sheriff Pat Garrett around 14 July 1881. Some conspiracy theorists believe that Bonney did not get shot that day, but that Garrett staged the shooting so that Billy ‘The Kid’ could escape. Born 23 November 1859.