19 February 2016

agraffe or agrafe

[uh-graf]

noun

1. a small cramp iron.
2. a clasp, often richly ornamented, for clothing or armor.
3. a device, as a hook, for preventing vibration in the section of a piano string between the pin and the bridge.
4. (in classical architecture) a sculptural relief on the face of a keystone.
5. the wire that holds a cork in a champagne bottle.

Origin of agraffe

1660-1670; < French, variant of agrafe, noun derivative of agrafer to hook, equivalent to a- a-5+ grafe hook, cramp iron, probably < Germanic; see grape

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for agraffe

Historical Examples

What part the agraffe played in it (a medival beast I imagined) I could not know, could not guess.
The Crow’s Nest
Clarence Day, Jr.

Anagram

ear gaff
fag fear

Today’s quote

For there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.

– William Shakespeare

On this day

19 February 1950 – Cyprus independence is granted with the signing of a joint agreement by Britain, Greece and Turkey.

19 February 1980 – death of Ronald Belford ‘Bon’ Scott, Scottish-born Australian rock musician. Most famous as the lead-singer of legendary hard rock band, AC/DC. Scott died after choking on his own vomit following a heavy drinking session. Born 9 July 1946.

19 February 2006 – Hamas leader, Ismail Haniya, becomes Prime Minister of Palestine following Palestinian Legislative Council elections.

19 February 2008 – Fidel Castro retires as leader of Cuba after 49 years at the helm, following the revolution he led in 1959. At 81 years old, Castro had been unwell.

18 February 2016

nictitate or nictate

[nik-ti-teyt]

verb (used without object), nictitated, nictitating.

1. to wink.

Origin of nictitate

Medieval Latin, Latin
1815-1825; < Medieval Latin nictitātus, past participle of nictitāre, frequentative of Latin nictāre to wink, frequentative of nicere to beckon; see -ate1

Related forms

nictitant, adjective

Dictionary.com

Example

The power of hearing is acute, and so is the sight, the eyes being protected by upper and lower lids and by a nictitating membrane.

Anagram

intact tie
cite titan

Today’s quote

Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.

– Abraham Lincoln

On this day

18 February 1294 – death of Kublai Khan, of the Mongol Empire. He was the grandson of Genghis Khan. In 1271, Kublai Khan established the Yuan Empire ruling over modern-day Mongolia, China and Korea. He became the first non-Chinese Emperor to conquer all of China. He was born on 23 February 1215.

18 February 1965 – Australian Freedom Rides led by Charles Perkins. The Freedom Rides were inspired by the Freedom Rides in America. Perkins and 33 others travelled by bus to numerous towns in New South Wales challenging and protesting against discrimination and segregation. They picketed pools, parks and pubs where aborigines were expected to be segregated. Some of the protests turned violent, such as in Moree and Walgett when locals attacked the protesters. One of the protesters was Jim Spigelman who became Lieutenant Governor of New South Wales and later, Chief Justice of New South Wales. Charles Perkins became the first aborigine to graduate from university.

17 February 2016

ethos

[ee-thos, ee-thohs, eth-os, -ohs]

noun

1. Sociology. the fundamental character or spirit of a culture; the underlying sentiment that informs the beliefs, customs, or practices of a group or society; dominant assumptions of a people or period:
In the Greek ethos the individual was highly valued.
2. the character or disposition of a community, group, person, etc.
3. the moral element in dramatic literature that determines a character’s action rather than his or her thought or emotion.

Origin of ethos

1850-1855; < Greek: custom, habit, character

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for ethos

Contemporary Examples

During World War II, the ethos was “use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.”
Millennials Will Be Just Fine
Justin Green
March 25, 2013

The history of superheroes on the screen falls into four distinct stages, each reflecting the ethos of their time.
The Superhero Backlash
Richard Rushfield
June 22, 2011

Anagram

to she

Today’s quote

All great truths begin as blasphemies.

– George Bernard Shaw

On this day

17 February 1933 – End of Prohibition, when the US Senate passes the Blaine Act.

17 February 1934 – birth of Barry Humphries, Australian comedian, famous for characters such as Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson.

17 February 2007 – Sylvester Stallone is held by Australian Customs for a couple of hours after prohibited items were confiscated from his baggage.

16 February 2016

gaga or ga-ga

[gah-gah]

adjective, Informal.

1. excessively and foolishly enthusiastic:
The public went gaga over the new fashions.
2. ardently fond; infatuated:
He’s gaga over the new girl in class.
3. demented; crazy; dotty.

Origin of gaga

French

1915-1920; < French; imitative

Dictionary.com

Anagram

a gag

Today’s quote

It is a mistake to think you can solve any major problems just with potatoes.

– Douglas Adams (From Life, the Universe and Everything)

On this day

16 February 1923 – the burial chamber of King Tutankhamen in Egypt is opened, after it was recently discovered by British archaeologist, Howard Carter. The tomb was 3,000 years old.

16 February 1936 – The left-wing Popular Front is elected to power in Spain. The Popular Front was a coalition of numerous Communist and Socialist parties, including the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE), Communist Party of Spain (PCE), Worker’ Party of Marxist Unification (POUM), Republican Left (IR) and Republican Union Party (UR). The pact which enabled the formation of the Popular Front was supported by Galician (PG) and Catalan nationalists (ERC), the Workers’ General Union (UGT) and the anarchist trade union, Confederación Nacional del Trabajo (CNT). The Popular Front had defeated the National Front (a coalition of right-wing parties) in the elections, and was formed to combat the rising tide of right-wing Fascism throughout Europe. In July 1936, conservative monarchists led by General Francisco Franco instigated a military coup that started the Spanish Civil War. Franco received backing from Mussolini and Hitler, while some of the left-wing forces, including the International Brigade (formed of volunteers from all over Europe) received backing from Stalin. British author, George Orwell, a democratic socialist, travelled to Spain and fought with the POUM because he wanted to help defeat Fascism. It was only be chance that Orwell didn’t join the International Brigade. The POUM (an anti-Stalinist Communist Party) was declared an illegal organisation in 1937 by the government in an effort by Communist forces to purge Troskyists, forcing Orwell to flee or face imprisonment. Orwell wrote of his Spanish Civil War experience in Homage to Catalonia. His experience made him a life-long anti-Stalinist and committed Democratic Socialist. In April 1939, Franco’s forces defeated the Popular Front, installing him as President. Franco ruled Spain with a military dictatorship until his death in 1975.

16 February 1959 – Fidel Castro sworn in as Prime Minister of Cuba after leading a successful revolution against the President Batista.

16 February 1983 – Ash Wednesday bush-fires burn over 2,000m2 of land in South Australia and Victoria, killing 75 people, destroying more than 3,700 buildings, and more than 2,500 people lost their homes.

15 February 2016

anathema

[uh-nath-uh-muh]

noun, plural anathemas.

1. a person or thing detested or loathed:
That subject is anathema to him.
2. a person or thing accursed or consigned to damnation or destruction.
3. a formal ecclesiastical curse involving excommunication.
4. any imprecation of divine punishment.
5. a curse; execration.

Origin of anathema

Latin

1520-1530; < Latin < Greek: a thing accursed, devoted to evil, orig. devoted, equivalent to ana (ti) thé (nai) to set up + -ma noun suffix

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for anathema

Contemporary Examples

That annoying responsibility stuff comes from three words that are anathema to the Tea Partiers: United American citizenry.
Stephen King: Tax Me, for F@%&’s Sake!
Stephen King
April 29, 2012

In his opinion, the “path to citizenship” for immigrants, which is anathema to many conservatives, is absolutely essential.
Cardinal O’Malley: Pope Francis Knows Immigrants Are the Future of the Church
Christopher Dickey
June 3, 2014

The occasional yellow or red was acceptable, but the suggestion of a blue dress was met with distress, and brown was anathema.
Why I Finally Let My Girls Be Girly
Andy Hinds
May 16, 2014

Historical Examples

Jackson was told that a pipe was anathema maranatha, which is Greek for no bon.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 153, Sept. 12, 1917
Various

He even pronounced his anathema upon any who taught other doctrine.
A Tour of the Missions
Augustus Hopkins Strong

I wish I could give you an idea, madame, of the tone and expression of Sallenauve as he uttered this anathema.
The Deputy of Arcis
Honore de Balzac

Anagram

a mean hat

Today’s quote

I like friends who have independent minds because they tend to make you see problems from all angles.

– Nelson Mandela

On this day

15 February 1989 – the last Soviet troops leave Afghanistan after a 10 year occupation referred to as the Soviet Union’s ‘Vietnam’. The Soviets had invaded on 24 December 1979 in response to Afghan insurgents (armed by the United States) who had been attacking Soviet troops. The occupation lasts for 10 years and results in the deaths of between 600,000 and 2,000,000 Afghan civilians, as well as 6,000,000 refugees who fled to Pakistan and Iran. The cost of the Afghan occupation is a significant factor that led to the economic collapse of the Soviet Union. During the Soviet occupation, the United States funded Afghan resistance in the form of the Mujahideen and other militant Islamic groups, out of whom emerged Al Qaeda and the Taliban. The Afghan people continue to suffer and to comprise a significant portion of global refugee numbers because of the involvement of the USSR and the USA during this period.

14 February 2016

aggrade

[uh-greyd]

verb (used with object), aggraded, aggrading. Physical Geography.

1. to raise the grade or level of (a river valley, a stream bed, etc.) by depositing detritus, sediment, or the like.

Compare degrade.

Origin of aggrade

1895-1900; ag- + grade

Related forms

aggradation [ag-ruh-dey-shuh n], noun
aggradational, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for aggrade

Historical Examples

Its deposits tend to aggrade (build up) the flat which its meanderings develop.
The Geography of the Region about Devils Lake and the Dalles of the Wisconsin
Rollin D. Salisbury

In this way they aggrade each portion of it in turn by means of their shifting channels.
The Elements of Geology
William Harmon Norton

Anagram

a dagger
age drag
garaged

Today’s quote

The man who has really won the love of one good woman in this world, I do not care if he dies in the ditch a beggar – his life has been a success.

– Robert Green Ingersoll

On this day

14 February – Valentine’s Day

14 February – International book giving day, focussing on giving books to children.You can participate by 1) give a book to a friend or family member, 2) leave a book in a waiting room for children to read, or 3) donate a gently used book to a local library, hospital or shelter, or to an organization that distributes used books to children in need internationally. http://bookgivingday.com

14 February 1779 – death of Captain James Cook, British explorer. Made three major voyages in which he discovered many of the islands of the south pacific, including the east coast of Australia. Cooktown, Queensland, is named after him. The house he grew up in was relocated from Yorkshire, England, to Melbourne, Australia and is open to visits (now known as Captain Cook’s Cottage and is situated in Fitzroy Gardens, Melbourne). Died 14 February 1779 after being stabbed by Hawaiians who credited their Chief Kalanimanokahoowaha (Kanaina) with the kill. Captain Cook’s body was then subjected a funeral ritual that was normally reserved for a Chief. Born 27 October 1728.

14 February 1929 – St Valentine’s Day massacre when Chicago gangster, Al Capone’s Italian gang killed seven of Bugs Moran’s Irish gang.

14 February 1966 – Australia introduces decimal currency, replacing pounds, shillings and pence with dollars and cents.

14 February 1989 – Police raid Rocking Horse Records in Brisbane, Queensland (which had long been seen as a Police State under the leadership of Premier Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen). 4ZZZ (another target of police raids during the 1980s) described the raid thus, ‘On this day in 1989 – Police raid long time 4ZZZ supporters Rocking Horse Records, then located at 158 Adelaide Street in the city. An undercover officer from the Licensing branch, came into the store seeking out rude records for a “wild valentine’s day party”, followed later that day by four uniformed police who raided the store. Owner Warwick Vere was charged with exhibiting and selling obscene material under the Vagrants, Gaming and Other Offences Act, but ultimately found not guilty. Albums included The Dead Kennedys “Give me Convenience” (featuring the classic ‘Too Drunk to F**k’), Guns n Roses “Appetite for Destruction” (available at many major chain stores at the time), the Hard-Ons “Dick Cheese” and The Champs “Do the Shag” (an instrumental album from the early 60s). In an interview with Gavin Sawford for Time Off Magazine, Dead Kennedy’s Jello Biafra commented: “if these attempts to shut down record stores because an instrumental band mention a type of carpet on their record helps to galvanise people to vote out the present administration, then by all means let’s see some more raids”.’ They also took a Sonic Youth album with the song, Master-Dik. Jello Biafra went on to state, ‘now if I’m a robber or a rapist in Brisbane, I should call the cops and report obscene records on the other side of town in store before I go out and commit a crime that harms real people, because obviously the cops don’t care about those kind of crimes’.

13 February 2016

detritus

[dih-trahy-tuh s]

noun

1. rock in small particles or other material worn or broken away from a mass, as by the action of water or glacial ice.
2. any disintegrated material; debris.

Origin of detritus

French

1785-1795; < French détritus < Latin: a rubbing away, equivalent to dētrī-, variant stem of dēterere to wear down, rub off ( de- de- + terere to rub) + -tus suffix of v. action

Related forms

detrital, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for detritus

Contemporary Examples

And then she came up with the idea of asking him to fiddle with his collection of detritus.
Tacita Dean’s ‘Five Americans’ Captures a Quiet Brilliance
Blake Gopnik
May 6, 2012

Perhaps Pappy fans are so insatiable that they even want the detritus of their favorite tot.
The Cult of Pappy van Winkle
Eric Felten
December 2, 2014

Her fantastical accumulations of detritus and throwaway goods can seem to pack more whimsy than wallop.
America Swamped by Its Plenty
Blake Gopnik
May 28, 2013

The artist is drinking beer, smoking and the detritus is building up around him.
The Biennale’s Best
Paul Laster, Bettina Von Hase
June 17, 2009

Amidst the detritus of old amplifiers, beaten up electric guitars and drum kits was a tatty white plastic bag.
The Lost Madonna Tapes
Andrew Morton
October 19, 2008
Historical Examples

By some unknown convulsion, this detritus had been heaped up.
Fragments of science, V. 1-2
John Tyndall

Death is only real for all the detritus of the world, for all the sorrow, for all the injustice, for all the grief.
The Octopus
Frank Norris

What an inconceivable tangle of detritus those streets must be!
Darkness and Dawn
George Allan England

The mouth of the Dranse, hard by, is a dreary collection of detritus.
Lausanne
Francis Henry Gribble

The soil, composed of sand and that detritus which abounds in American forests, gave way beneath the foot.
Last of the Incas
Gustave Aimard

Anagram

die trust
edits rut

Today’s quote

The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.

– William James

On this day

13 February 1915 – birth 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.

13 February 1920 – the perpetual neutrality of Switzerland is recognised by the League of Nations (predecessor of the United Nations).

13 – 15 February 1945 – the bombing of Dresden in which 722 British and 527 USAF aircraft drop more than 3,900 tons of explosives on Dresden, Germany. At the time, Nazi Germany claimed more than 300,000 casualties, however, an official report in 2010 claimed that casualties were around 25,000, historians generally number the casualties between 35,000 and 135,000. Because of the number of refugees in the city, it is unlikely the exact figure will ever be known.

13 February 2008 – Prime Minister Kevin Rudd apologises to Australia’s indigenous peoples, particularly those of the stolen generation from whom children were forcibly removed from their parents.

12 February 2016

gongoozler

noun

1. an idle spectator, esp. one who stares for a long time at something
2. a person who enjoys watching activity on the canals of the United Kingdom. The term is also used more generally to describe those who harbour an interest in canals and canal life, but do not actively participate

Word Origin
1904

Usage Note
slang

Dictionary.com’s 21st Century Lexicon
Copyright © 2003-2014 Dictionary.com, LLC
Wikipedia

Anagram

go long zero

Today’s quote

Just because something doesn’t do what you planned it to do doesn’t mean it’s useless.

– Thomas A. Edison

On this day

11 February 1847 – birth of Thomas Edison, U.S. inventor. Died 18 October 1931.

11 February 1916 – Emma Goldman arrested for campaigning for birth control in New York.

11 February 1945 – The Yalta Agreement is signed by Josef Stalin (USSR), Winston Churchill (UK), Franklin D. Roosevelt (USA), regarding the control of Germany once World War II finishes.

11 February 1979 – the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, is overthrown by the Iranian Revolution, and replaced by the Ayatollah Khomeini.

11 February 2016

estrapade

[es-truh-peyd]

noun

– the attempt by a horse to throw its rider, often by rearing, plunging or kicking.

(Collins English Dictionary, Wiktionary)

Origin

– French.

Anagram

set parade
deer pasta
data spree

Today’s quote

Being busy does not always mean real work. The object of all work is production or accomplishment and to either of these ends there must be forethought, system, planning, intelligence, and honest purpose, as well as perspiration. Seeming to do is not doing.

Thomas A. Edison

On this day

11 February 1847 – birth of Thomas Edison, U.S. inventor. Died 18 October 1931.

11 February 1916 – Emma Goldman arrested for campaigning for birth control in New York.

11 February 1945 – The Yalta Agreement is signed by Josef Stalin (USSR), Winston Churchill (UK), Franklin D. Roosevelt (USA), regarding the control of Germany once World War II finishes.

11 February 1979 – the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, is overthrown by the Iranian Revolution, and replaced by the Ayatollah Khomeini.

10 February 2016

maven
(or mavin)

[mey-vuh n]

noun

1. an expert or connoisseur.

Origin of maven

1960-1965 < Yiddish < Hebrew: connoisseur

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for maven

Contemporary Examples

Symbolism aside, many analysts say the public discourse on issues of displacement and resettlement is being framed by Western politicians and media mavens along all-too-predictable left-right lines, generating an abundance of soundbites but obscuring the complex challenges confronting their governments.
Much Ado About Muslim Refugees
Al Jazeera
December 08, 2015

Anagram

van me

Today’s quote

To live means to finesse the processes to which one is subjugated.

Bertolt Brecht

On this day

10 February 1837 – death of Aleksandr Pushkin, Russian poet and author from the romantic era. Considered the father of modern Russian literature. He was born into Russian nobility. His matrilineal great grandfather, Abram Gannibal, was brought over as a slave from Africa and had risen to the aristocracy. Died during a duel. Born on 6 June 1799. His birthday is recognised by the UN as Russian Language Day.

10 February 1898 – birth of Bertolt Brecht, German playwright, writer and theatre practitioner. Died 14 August 1956.

10 February 1992 – death of Alex Haley, U.S. author of ‘Roots‘, ‘Malcolm X‘. Born 11 August 1921.

10 February 2014 – death of Shirley Temple, American actress, singer, dancer and former U.S. ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia. Born 23 April 1928.