31 October 2014

connote

[kuh-noht]

verb (used with object), connoted, connoting.
1. to signify or suggest (certain meanings, ideas, etc.) in addition to the explicit or primary meaning:
The word “fireplace” often connotes hospitality, warm comfort, etc.
2. to involve as a condition or accompaniment:
Injury connotes pain.
verb (used without object), connoted, connoting.
3. to have significance only by association, as with another word:
Adjectives can only connote, nouns can denote.

Origin
Medieval Latin
1645-1655; < Medieval Latin connotāre, equivalent to Latin con- con- + notāre to note

Can be confused
connote, denote.

Synonyms
1. intimate, imply.

Examples from the web for connote
– It was felt to connote flash and ostentation rather than style and elegance.
– To me, they do not merely connote gender, but patriarchy.
– Let me remind you that words such as mistake connote negativity in human language.

Dictionary.com

Anagram

not once
neon cot

Today’s aphorism

You take my life when you do take the means whereby I live.

— William Shakespeare

On this day

31 October – Halloween (All Hallow’s Eve), celebrated in a number of countries on the eve of the Christian festival, All Hallows’ Day (or All Saints’ Day).

31 October 1517 – Protestant Revolution starts when Martin Luther posts his 95 theses on the Wittenburg Church in Germany in protest against what he saw as corruption in the Catholic Church.

31 October 1876 – large cyclone strikes India, killing more than 200,000 people.

31 October 1941 – completion of Mt Rushmore sculptures near Keystone, South Dakota. It is a sculpture carved into the granite face of the mountain and ended because funding ran out. The sculpture features the faces of four U.S. presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt. Construction started on 4 October 1927. 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.

31 October 1984 – Indian Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, assassinated by Sikh extremists.

29 October 2014

pre-eminent

[pree-em-uh-nuh nt]

adjective

1. eminent above or before others; superior; surpassing:
He is preeminent in his profession.

Also, preeminent.

Origin
late Middle English Latin
1400-1450; late Middle English < Latin praeēminent- (stem of praeēminēns), present participle of praeēminēre to project forward, be prominent. See pre-, eminent

Related forms
pre-eminently, adverb

Synonyms
distinguished, peerless, supreme. See dominant.

Dictionary.com

Anagram

mere tenpin
in meter pen

Today’s aphorism

Whenever you can, act as a liberator. Freedom, dignity, wealth — these three together constitute the greatest happiness of humanity. If you bequeath all three to your people, their love for you will never die.

– Cyrus the Great
(http://www.forbes.com/sites/ryanholiday/2012/04/19/9-timeless-leadership-lessons-from-cyrus-the-great/)

On this day

29 October 529BC – International Day of Cyrus the Great, King of Persia, responsible for the Cyrus Cylinder, which has been called the world’s first charter of human rights. The Cyrus Cylinder praised the munificence of King Cyrus and denounced the conquered Babylonian King Nabodinus as an oppressor of the people. It extols King Cyrus as a benefactor of the people, who liberated them from Nabodinus, repatriated them, restored temples and improved their lives.

29 October 1929 – ‘Black Tuesday’, stock market crash leads to the Great Depression. Investors dumped traded 16 million shares and the market crashed a further 12%, losing $30 billion in two days.

29 October 1956 – Israel invades Egypt after President Nasser announces he is nationalising the Suez Canal, starting the Suez Crisis.

29 October 1969 – Creation of the ARPANET, predecessor of the internet, when the first host-to-host communication is sent. ARPANET stands for Advanced Research Projects Agency Network which was operated by the U.S. Department of Defense.

29 October 1982 – Lindy Chamberlain found guilty of murdering her baby daughter, Azaria, after a jury dismissed her claim that a dingo took the baby. Her husband, Michael, was found guilty of being an accessory to the murder. She spent 3 years in jail, before being released. Eight years after the trial, her conviction was overturned. In 1992, her and Michael were acquitted and received $1.3 million in compensation from the Australian government for false imprisonment. There have been four inquests, with the latest being held 2012, with the finding that a dingo did take the baby.

28 October 2014

puerile

[pyoo-er-il, -uh-rahyl, pyoo r-il, -ahyl]

adjective
1. of or pertaining to a child or to childhood.
2. childishly foolish; immature or trivial:
a puerile piece of writing.

Origin
Latin
1650-1660; < Latin puerīlis boyish, equivalent to puer boy + -īlis -ile

Related forms
puerilely, adverb
nonpuerile, adjective
nonpuerilely, adverb

Synonyms
1. youthful, juvenile. 2. juvenile, silly.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the web for puerile
– The writing of such cables is puerile and serves no value to society.
– Some observers decry the inanity of the site’s top stories, and even habitual users admit that the comments are mostly puerile.
– And it was no mere puerile phantasm that caused me to imagine this community, either.

Anagram

pure lie

Today’s aphorism

Courage is grace under pressure.

– Ernest Hemingway

On this day

28 October 1922 – Benito Mussolini, of the National Fascist Party, takes over the leadership of Italy’s government, after forcing Prime Minister Luigi Facta to resign following the ‘March on Rome’. Mussolini took the title ‘IL DUCE’ (The Leader).

28 October 1962 – end 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.

28 October 1965 – Ernest Hemingway wins the Nobel Prize for Literature. Author of ‘The Old Man and the Sea‘.

26 October 2014

diktat

[dik-taht]

noun
1. a harsh, punitive settlement or decree imposed unilaterally on a defeated nation, political party, etc.
2. any decree or authoritative statement:
The Board of Education issued a diktat that all employees must report an hour earlier.

Origin
Latin
1930-1935; < German: literally, something dictated < Latin dictātus, past participle of dictāre to dictate

Dictionary.com

Examples from the web for diktat
– Surely, then, it should be put to a vote rather than being enacted via bureaucratic diktat.
– Nowadays the price of gold is set by the market rather than by official diktat.
– The alternative to euro-zone diktat is being abandoned to the market.

Anagram

tad kit

Today’s aphorism

The illusion of freedom will continue as long as it’s profitable to continue the illusion. At the point where the illusion becomes too expensive to maintain, they will just take down the scenery, they will pull back the curtains, they will move the tables and chairs out of the way and you will see the brick wall at the back of the theater.

– Frank Zappa

On this day

26 October 1863 – Football Association forms in England, standardising the rules of soccer.

26 October 1881 – Gunfight at the OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona, the most famous gunfight in the Wild West. It is believed the gunfight lasted around 30 seconds and was between outlaws Billy Clanton, Ike Clanton, Billy Claiborne, Tom McLaury and Frank McLaury and lawmen Wyatt Earp, Virgil Earp, Morgan Earp, Doc Holliday. Three of the outlaws were killed, Billy Clanton, Tom McLaury and Frank McLaury. The gunfight has been immortalised in a number of movies and songs.

26 October 1917 – birth of Felix the Cat, legendary cartoon character.

25 October 2014

mafan

[Mah-fuhn]

– something troublesome or inconvenient.

For example:

– Cleaning house is mafan.
– Dealing with bureacracy is mafan.

Origin:

– Mandarin Chinese.

Source:

http://www.knowmoreinsixtyseconds.com/#!/video/the-one-chinese-word-you-should-know

Anagram

fan ma

Today’s quote

You better cut the pizza in four pieces because I’m not hungry enough to eat six.

– Yogi Berra

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 1923 – the first jar of vegemite rolls off the production lines. It was developed by a chemist named Dr Cyril P. Calister, under direction of the Fred Walker Company (which later became Kraft). Australia’s iconic vegemite is a yeast extract spread, great for toast, crumpets, pikelets, gravy, stews, soups and anything else.

25 October 1941 – birth of Helen Reddy, legendary 1970′s Australian singer, with hit songs such as I Am Woman, and Delta Dawn.

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.

25 October 1993 – death of Vincent Price, American actor, starred in a number of horror films, including House of Wax, House of Usher and The Raven. He also acted in the 1960s television series Batman, in which he played the evil mastermind, Egghead; a master criminal with a fixation on eggs. Price provided a voice-over on Alice Cooper’s 1975 album Welcome to My Nightmare. In 1976, Price recorded a cover version of Bobby Pickett song, Monster Mash. Born 27 May 1911.

24 October 2014

abecedarian

[ey-bee-see-dair-ee-uh n]

noun
1. a person who is learning the letters of the alphabet.
2. a beginner in any field of learning.
adjective
3. of or pertaining to the alphabet.
4. arranged in alphabetical order.
5. rudimentary; elementary; primary.

Also, abecedary.

Origin

Medieval Latin
1595-1605; < Medieval Latin abecedāriānus. See abecedary, -an

Dictionary.com

Examples from the web for abecedarian
– abecedarian, for instance, cut in half the likelihood of participants receiving special education.

Anagram
abide arcane
band ice area

Today’s aphorism

When you surround an army, leave an outlet free. Do not press a desperate foe too hard.

– Sun Tzu

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.

24 October 1930 – birth of Jiles Perry ‘J.P.’ Richardson Jr, otherwise known as the Big Bopper. 1950s rock and roll star, famous for songs such as ‘Chantilly Lace’ and ‘Running Bear’. Died in a plane crash on 3 February 1959 with other musicians, Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and the pilot, Roger Peterson. Their deaths were immortalised in the Don McLean song, ‘American Pie’, when he sang about the day the music died.

24 October 1945 – UN Day. The Charter of the United Nations took effect and the United Nations General Assembly declared that it ‘shall be devoted to making known to the peoples of the world the aims and achievements of the United Nations and to gaining their support for its work’.

23 October 2014

realpolitik

[rey-ahl-poh-li-teek, ree-]

noun
1. political realism or practical politics, especially policy based on power rather than on ideals.

Also, Realpolitik.

Origin

1910-1915; < German, equivalent to real real1+ Politik politics, policy; see politic

Related forms

realpolitiker [rey-ahl-poh-lee-ti-ker, ree-] noun

Dictionary.com

Examples from the web for realpolitik

– We’re back to realpolitik –which requires the mind and not the heart.
– Because of basic logic, because of human nature, because of harsh realpolitik realities.
– In fact, the two countries have been edging closer for years-for reasons of pure realpolitik.

Anagram

patio killer
opiate krill
lake oil trip

Today’s aphorism

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.

– Steve Jobs

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.

22 October 2014

aide-mémoire

[eyd-mem-wahr; French ed-mey-mwar]

noun, plural aide-mémoire.

1. a memorandum summarizing a discussion, agreement, or action.
Origin
1840-1850; < French: literally, (that which) aids (the) memory

Dictionary.com

Anagram

dearie memo I

Today’s aphorism

We are dealing with the best-educated generation in history. But they’ve got a brain dressed up with nowhere to go.

– Timothy Leary

On this day

22 October 1797 – Andre-Jacques Garnerin becomes the world’s first sky-diver after jumping out of a balloon above Paris.

22 October 1920 – birth of Timothy Leary, American psychologist and author. Leary was a major proponent of the use of pscyhedelic drugs, particularly LSD and psilocybin (mushrooms). He conducted numerous psychiatric experiments using psychedelics, particularly during the 1950s and and 1960s, when the drugs were legal. LSD was banned by the USA in 1966. Leary popularised 1960′s catch-phrases such as ‘turn on, tune in and drop out’, ‘set and setting’, and ‘think for yourself and question authority’. He was friends with beat generation poets, such as Allen Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac. Leary was arrested numerous times over his possession and use of drugs. He wrote a number of books on the benefits of psychedelic drugs. Leary became fascinated with computers, declaring that ‘the PC is the LSD of the 1990s’. He encouraged bohemians to ‘turn on, boot up, jack in’. Leary was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1995. He chose to stream his dying moments over the internet. Seven grams of Leary’s ashes were placed aboard a Pegasus rocket, launched on 21 April 1997. It remained in orbit around the Earth for six years until it burned up in atmosphere. Died 31 May 1996.

22 October 1932 – Notorious gangster, Pretty Boy Floyd, shot to death by FBI agents in Ohio.