11 October 2015

Utopia

[yoo-toh-pee-uh]

noun

1. an imaginary island described in Sir Thomas More’s Utopia (1516) as enjoying perfection in law, politics, etc.
2. (usually lowercase) an ideal place or state.
3. (usually lowercase) any visionary system of political or social perfection.

Origin of Utopia

Greek< New Latin (1516) < Greek ou not + tóp (os) a place + -ia -y3

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for Utopia

Contemporary Examples

Until that Utopia arrives, it might be heartening to realize that most students have easy, albeit illegal, access to these drugs.
Randy Cohen’s Three Favorite Ethicist Columns
Randy Cohen
October 8, 2012

On Broadway, she won a Tony award in 2000 for The Real Thing and another in 2007 for The Coast of Utopia.
A Gifted Man’s Leading Lady
Jace Lacob
September 22, 2011

Paradise on earth is elusive; there is a reason that the Latin word “ Utopia ” translates as “no place.”
Must Read New Fiction: ‘Arcadia,’ ‘Men in Space,’ ‘The O’Briens,’ ‘Hot Pink’
Chloë Schama, Jacob Silverman, Wendy Smith, Daniel Roberts
March 22, 2012

Anagram

auto pi

Today’s quote

What is important is that one utilizes one’s intellect and not to be 100 percent sure about one’s convictions. One should always leave room for doubt.

– Shirin Ebadi

On this day

11 October – International Day of the Girl.

11 October 1844 – birth of Henry John Heinz, founder of Heinz Company, responsible for canned baked beans. Died 14 May 1919.

11 October 1935 – death of Steele Rudd, Australian author, (pen-name for Arthur Hoey Davis). Wrote ‘On Our Selection‘, which introduced Australia to ‘Dad and Dave’. Born 14 November 1868.

11 October 1930 – Australian Rules football club, Collingwood, win the VFL premiership for the fourth consecutive year.

11 October 1939 – German theoretical physicist, Albert Einstein explains to the United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the possibility of building an atomic bomb.

11 October 1967 – premier of the childrens’ TV series, ‘Johnny Sokko and his flying robot‘.

10 October 2015

kulak

[koo-lahk, -lak; koo-lahk, -lak]

noun, (in Russia)

1. a comparatively wealthy peasant who employed hired labor or possessed farm machinery and who was viewed and treated by the Communists during the drive to collectivize agriculture in the 1920s and 1930s as an oppressor and class enemy.
2. (before the revolution of 1917) a prosperous, ruthless, and stingy merchant or village usurer.

Origin of kulak

1875-1880; < Russian kulák literally, fist

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for kulak

Historical Examples

Not I, seeing that I have had two and a half roubles per soul squeezed out of me by a brute of a kulak !
Dead Souls
Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol

The growth of the kulak far outstripped the general growth of agriculture. The policy of the government under the slogan “face to the country” was actually a turning of its face to the kulak … Bukharin, the theoretician of the ruling faction at that time, tossed to the peasantry his famous slogan, “Get rich!” In the language of theory that was supposed to mean a gradual growing of the kulaks into socialism. In practice it meant the enrichment of the minority at the
expense of the overwhelming majority.

The Revolution Betrayed
Leon Trotsky, 1936

Today’s quote

I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness because it shows me the stars.

– Og Mandino

On this day

10 October – World Day Against the Death Penalty.

10 October 1963 – death 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). Born 13 January 1893.

10 October 1963 – death of Édith Piaf, French singer. Born Édith Giovanna Gassion, born 19 December 1915.

10 October 1965 – the ‘Vinland Map’, is presented by Yale University, which claims it was the first known map of America, drawn in 1440 and based on Norseman Leif Eriksson’s discovery of the Americas 500 years before Columbus.

9 October 2015

epoch

[ep-uh k or, esp. British, ee-pok]

noun

1. a particular period of time marked by distinctive features, events, etc.:
The treaty ushered in an epoch of peace and good will.
2. the beginning of a distinctive period in the history of anything:
The splitting of the atom marked an epoch in scientific discovery.
3. a point of time distinguished by a particular event or state of affairs; a memorable date:
His coming of age was an epoch in his life.
4. Geology. any of several divisions of a geologic period during which a geologic series is formed.
Compare age (def 12).
5. Astronomy.
an arbitrarily fixed instant of time or date, usually the beginning of a century or half century, used as a reference in giving the elements of a planetary orbit or the like.
the mean longitude of a planet as seen from the sun at such an instant or date.
6. Physics. the displacement from zero at zero time of a body undergoing simple harmonic motion.

Origin of epoch

Greek

1605-1615; < New Latin epocha < Greek epochḗ pause, check, fixed time, equivalent to ep- ep- + och- (variant stem of échein to have) + -ē noun suffix
Related forms Expand
subepoch, noun
superepoch, noun

Can be confused
epic, epoch.

Synonyms
1. age, date, era, time. See age.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for epoch

Contemporary Examples

As I said, Balzac wrote about an epoch that is curiously like our own.
Happy Birthday, Balzac: The Essential Novels
Ronald K. Fried
May 19, 2013

At the same time, it is the hallmark of brilliant people whatever their civilization, epoch, or area of expertise.
Insufferable Elitism of the SATs
James Poulos
March 7, 2014

Prague Fatale is authentic because Kerr can muffle the horror of this epoch in dramatic irony but he can also shout it out loud.
Must Read Fiction: ‘Prague Fatale,’ ‘Derby Day’ and More
Malcolm Forbes, Hillary Kelly, Mythili Rao
May 8, 2012

Historical examples

The utopian hopes of the epoch of military communism came in later for a cruel, and in many respects just, criticism.
The Revolution Betrayed.
Leon Trotsky, 1936

Anagram

he cop

Today’s quote

Our society is run by insane people for insane objectives. I think we’re being run by maniacs for maniacal ends and I think I’m liable to be put away as insane for expressing that. That’s what’s insane about it.

– John Lennon

On this day

9 October 1940 – birthday of John Lennon. English guitarist and singer-songwriter for the Beatles. Murdered 8 December 1980.

9 October 1967 – death of Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara, Argentinian Marxist revolutionary, physician, author. Executed in Bolivia.

9 October 1969 – birth of P.J. Harvey, English musician.

9 October 1975 – Andrei Sakharov, Soviet dissident, wins Nobel Peace Prize.

8 October 2015

snafu

[sna-foo, snaf-oo]

noun

1. a badly confused or ridiculously muddled situation:
A ballot snafu in the election led to a recount.

Synonyms: snarl, bedlam, tumult, disarray, disorder, confusion, mess; foul-up.
Antonyms: order, efficiency, calm.

adjective, Rare.
2. in disorder; out of control; chaotic:
a snafu scheme that simply won’t work.

verb (used with object), snafued, snafuing. Rare.
3. to throw into disorder; muddle:
Losing his passport snafued the whole vacation.

Synonyms: confuse, mess up, bungle.

Origin of snafu

1940-1945; s(ituation) n(ormal): a(ll) f(-cked) u(p); sometimes euphemistically construed as f(ouled) u(p)

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for snafu

Contemporary Example

So is this snafu an image problem, or is the real problem the reality behind the curtain—a curtain that needed to be pulled back?
Let the Military Mouth Off!
Christopher Brownfield
July 5, 2010

Anagram

fauns

Today’s quote

For a country to have a great writer is like having a second government. That is why no regime has ever loved great writers, only minor ones.

– Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

On this day

8 October 1769 – Captain James Cook lands at Poverty Bay, New Zealand.

8 October 1939 – birth of Paul Hogan, Australian actor.

8 October 1970 – Soviet dissident author, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn wins Nobel Price for Literature. Author of ‘The Gulag Archipelago‘.

8 October 1971 – John Lennon releases the iconic song, ‘Imagine’.

8 October 1980 – Bob Marley collapses on stage in New York. The following day he collapses while jogging in Central Park. He is diagnosed with a brain tumour, which developed from a melanoma that had spread from his toe. He died on 11 May 1981.

7 October 2015

punk (1)

[puhngk]

noun

1. any prepared substance, usually in stick form, that will smolder and can be used to light fireworks, fuses, etc.
2. dry, decayed wood that can be used as tinder.
3. conk (3).
4. a spongy substance derived from fungi; amadou; touchwood.

Origin of punk (1)
1680-16901680-90, Americanism; origin uncertain

punk (2)

[puhngk]

noun

1. Slang.
something or someone worthless or unimportant.
a young ruffian; hoodlum.
an inexperienced youth.
a young male partner of a homosexual.
an apprentice, especially in the building trades.
Prison Slang. a boy.
2. punk rock.
3. a style or movement characterized by the adoption of aggressively unconventional and often bizarre or shocking clothing, hairstyles, makeup, etc., and the defiance of social norms of behavior, usually associated with punk rock musicians and fans.
4. a punker.
5. Archaic. a prostitute.
adjective
6. Informal. poor in quality or condition.
7. of, relating to, or characteristic of punk rock :
a punk band.
8. pertaining to, characteristic of, or adopting punk styles:
punk youths; punk hairstyles in various colors.

Origin
1590-1600; of obscure origin; the sense development is apparently “prostitute” > “catamite” > “hoodlum”; the adj. “poor in quality” (1896) is unclearly derived and perhaps a distinct word
Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for punk

Contemporary Examples

She was the Kathleen Hanna of Hollywood—a punk rock princess in a Barbie world.
Lori Petty on ‘Orange Is the New Black,’ the Halcyon ‘90s, and Discovering Jennifer Lawrence
Marlow Stern
June 7, 2014

Surfing, skating, punk rock—these were all very antisocial and rebellious at their births, but are now billion dollar industries.
U.S. Open of Surfing Turns Into Riot
Mark Lukach
July 30, 2013

The recently-engaged Miley Cyrus has added another line to her resume: punk.
Miley’s Punk New Haircut!
Isabel Wilkinson
August 12, 2012

Today’s quote

Stupidity is a talent for misconception.

– Edgar Allan Poe

On this day

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

7 October 1913 – Henry Ford implements the moving assembly line … changing the face of manufacturing forever.

7 October 1931 – birth of Desmond Tutu, Anglican Archbishop of South Africa. Won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1984.

7 October 2001 – United States invades Afghanistan as they hunt for Osama Bin Laden and to take down the Taliban government for allowing him to live there. It was nearly 10 years later, in 2011, that US Special Forces captured and killed Bin Laden in Pakistan.

6 October 2015

sanctimonious

[sangk-tuh-moh-nee-uh s]

adjective

1. making a hypocritical show of religious devotion, piety, righteousness, etc.:
They resented his sanctimonious comments on immorality in America.
2. Obsolete. holy; sacred.

Origin of sanctimonious

1595-1605; sanctimony + -ous

Related forms

sanctimoniously, adverb
sanctimoniousness, noun
nonsanctimonious, adjective
nonsanctimoniously, adverb
nonsanctimoniousness, noun

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for sanctimonious

Contemporary Examples

The pious, sanctimonious Oscar ceremony is how Hollywood wants to see itself.
The Gaudy, Gauche and Sometimes Corrupt Greatness of the Golden Globes
Richard Rushfield
January 15, 2012

One purported fan blogged a review calling the interlude “an interminable and sanctimonious speech.”
Intimate Madonna Show at Paris’s Olympia Hall Turns Ugly
Tracy McNicoll
July 26, 2012

The sanctimonious, the puritans of all stripes, and the killjoys in general raise the issue annually.
Keep Christmas Commercialized!
P. J. O’Rourke
December 5, 2014

Anagram

oust insomniac
Ascot unionism
insomnia scout
a stoicism noun
on to musicians
manic sinus too
stun mosaic ion

Today’s quote

If God dropped acid, would he see people?

– Steven Wright

On this day

6 October 1961 – President John F. Kennedy advises Americans to build fall-out shelters, as Cold War paranoia continues to grow.

6 October 1966 – LSD, a synthetic hallucinogenic drug, is declared illegal in the United States.

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

5 October 2015

solicitous

[suh-lis-i-tuh s]

adjective

1. anxious or concerned (usually followed by about, for, etc., or a clause):
solicitous about a person’s health.
2. anxiously desirous:
solicitous of the esteem of others.
3. eager (usually followed by an infinitive):
He was always solicitous to please.
4. careful or particular:
a solicitous housekeeper.

Origin of solicitous

Latin

1555-1565; < Latin sollicitus anxious. See solicit, -ous

Related forms

solicitously, adverb
solicitousness, noun
nonsolicitous, adjective
nonsolicitously, adverb
nonsolicitousness, noun

Synonyms

1. mindful, regardful, attentive.

Antonyms

1. unconcerned, careless.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for solicitous

Contemporary Examples

In a world increasingly bending toward snark, Updike managed to remain curious, solicitous, a gentleman.

The Literary Gentleman
John Freeman
January 29, 2009
Historical Examples

The youthful shepherd did her every little service in his power, and Amarillis was pleased to see him so solicitous to oblige her.
The Blossoms of Morality
Richard Johnson

I was not solicitous to vindicate him when I was not joined in their reflection.
Clarissa, Volume 1 (of 9)
Samuel Richardson

Anagram

I it us cools

Today’s quote

It is possible to make people contented with their servitude. You can provide them with endless amounts of distraction and propaganda.

– Aldous Huxley

On this day

5 October 1902 – birth of Ray Kroc, founder of McDonalds … and the Big Mac … Died 14 January 1984.

5 October 1945 – Hollywood Black Friday – following a 6 month strike by set decorators, a violent riot breaks out at the gates of Warner Brothers studio. 300 police are called and 40 people are injured.

5 October 1945 – birth of Brian Connolly, Scottish rocker, lead singer of Sweet (Fox on the Run, Ballroom Blitz, Teenage Rampage, Action). Died 9 February 1997.

5 October 1947 – birth of Brian Johnson, English rocker, lead singer of AC/DC, replacing Bon Scott.

5 October 1951 – birth of Bob Geldoff, Irish singer for the Boomtown Rats.

5 October 1962 – the Beatle’s first single is released, ‘Love Me Do’. Although a Lennon-McCartney composition, it was primarily written by Paul in 1958-9 while he was wagging school. The song reached # 17 in the UK and was the # 1 hit in the U.S.A. in 1964.

5 October 1969 – Monty Python’s Flying Circus first broadcast on BBC-TV.

5 October 2011 – death of Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple. Born 24 February 1955.

4 October 2015

quintessential

[kwin-tuh-sen-shuh l]

adjective

1. of the pure and essential essence of something:
the quintessential Jewish delicatessen.
2. of or relating to the most perfect embodiment of something:
the quintessential performance of the Brandenburg Concertos.

Related forms

quintessentially, adverb

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for quintessential

Contemporary Examples

But in reality he is the quintessential example of how Washington corrupts.
Leon Panetta Is What’s Wrong With D.C.
Michael Cohen
October 7, 2014

Ignoring people you hooked up with at Shooters when encountering them on campus is a quintessential Duke experience.
Random Hook-Ups or Dry Spells: Why Millennials Flunk College Dating
Ellie Schaack
December 31, 2014

“That was quintessential Breitbart,” Irby said, sipping on a “Wave,” a frozen margarita swirled with sangria.
At Bars Nationwide, Conservatives Raise a Glass to Andrew Breitbart
Ben Jacobs, Laura Isensee
March 1, 2013

Anagram

Sequential tins
tennis tequilas

Today’s quote

We need much less than we think we need.

– Maya Angelou

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. Born 19 January 1943.

3 October 2015

capacious

[kuh-pey-shuh s]

adjective

1. capable of holding much; spacious or roomy:
a capacious storage bin.

Origin of capacious

1605-1615; capaci(ty) + -ous

Related forms

capaciously, adverb
capaciousness, noun
uncapacious, adjective
uncapaciously, adverb
uncapaciousness, noun

Synonyms

ample, large.

Antonyms
confining.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for capacious

Contemporary Examples

As we were getting ready to repair to his capacious table, we were joined by Claude Lanzmann, the maker of the film Shoah.
My Moments With Ariel Sharon
Seth Lipsky
January 10, 2014

Yet I doubt that she will become a capacious judge with wide-ranging interests and intense curiosity.
Elena Kagan’s Surprise Defender
Richard A. Epstein
May 10, 2010

Anagram

a ciao cups

Today’s quote

If you have men who will exclude any of God’s creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men.

– St Francis of Assissi

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 2015

carrel
or carrell

[kar-uh l]

noun

1. Also called cubicle, stall. a small recess or enclosed area in a library stack, designed for individual study or reading.
2. a table or desk with three sides extending above the writing surface to serve as partitions, designed for individual study, as in a library.

Origin of carrel
1585-1595; variant spelling of carol enclosure

Today’s quote

In any given moment, we are given two options: to step forward into growth or to step back into safety.

– Abraham Maslow

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 Gandhi.

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