31 March 2016

Croesus

[kree-suh s]

noun, plural Croesuses, Croesi [kree-sahy] (Show IPA), for 2.

1. died 546 b.c, king of Lydia 560–546: noted for his great wealth.
2. a very rich man.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for Croesus

Contemporary Examples

Yet she was as rich as Croesus.
The Girl In the Spider’s Web (Millenium Series)
David Lagercrantz

And given the legacy, long before then, of bonuses worthy of Croesus in a world of quotidian pay raises for the 99 percent?
Why Was Executive Greg Smith Shocked by Greed at Goldman Sachs?
Zachary Karabell
March 14, 2012

Historical Examples

Croesus considers her the most excellent among women, and he has studied mankind as the physicians do plants and herbs.
An Egyptian Princess, Complete
Georg Ebers

Anagram

Sources
so curse
score us

Today’s quote

I want to be with those who know secret things or else alone.

– Rainer Maria Rilke

On this day

31 March 1992 – the Warsaw Pact ends. This was a defence treaty between the Soviet Union and Communist states in Central and Eastern Europe.

31 March 1993 – death of Brandon Lee on set, while filming ‘The Crow’, during a scene in which Lee’s character, Eric Draven, was shot. A real bullet had been lodged in the barrel of the pistol used and when the dummy bullet was loaded and fired, it triggered the real bullet which hit and fatally wounded Lee. Lee is the son of martial arts champion, Bruce Lee. He was to marry his fiance, Eliza Hutton, on 17 April 1993. ‘The Crow’ was dedicated to Brandon and Eliza.

31 March 2005 – death of Terry Schiavo who was the centre of the most prolonged right-to-die case in U.S. history. She had collapsed in 1990 from a cardiac arrest and entered a coma from which she did not recover. Doctors declared her to be in a ‘persistent vegetative state’. Her husband petitioned the court in 1998 to remove her feeding tubes, but her parents opposed the request. The case ran from 1998 – 2005 with numerous petitions to either remove the tubes or to keep them in. Terry died 13 days after her feeding tubes were removed on order of the court in 2005.

30 March 2016

Deus vult

[de-oos voolt]

Latin.

1. God wills (it): cry of the people at the declaration of the First Crusade by Pope Urban II in 1095 following a request by the Eastern Orthodox Church to help defend against the Muslim Conquests. The phrase also appears as Deus Vult (Classic Latin), Dieu le veut (French), Deus lo vult (motto of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem, a Catholic order of chivalry).

Dictionary.com / wikipedia.com

Anagram

duel us TV

Today’s quote

One may have a blazing hearth in one’s soul and yet no one ever came to sit by it. Passers-by see only a wisp of smoke from the chimney and continue on their way.

– Vincent Van Gogh

On this day

30 March – Land Day, annual day of commemoration for Palestinians following the events of 1976 in which 6 Palestinian protestors were killed campaigning against the Israeli government’s announcement of plans to expropriate large amounts of Palestinian land for Israel. Land Day is recognised as a pivotal event in the struggle over Palestinian land and Palestine’s relationship to Israel.

30 March 1853 – birthday of Vincent Van Gogh, dutch painter.

30 March 1878 – the USA buys Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million.

30 March 1981 – US President Ronald Reagan shot at close range by John Hinckley, who was later found not guilty by reason of insanity. Hinckley was obsessed with actress Jodie Foster and thought he could get her attention and impress her, by killing the President. Also shot were Reagan’s press secretary, a Washington police officer and a Secret Service agent. None were injured fatally. Reagan underwent emergency surgery. He was released from hospital on 11 April 1981 and is the first president to survive an assassination attempt.

30 March 1987 – an anonymous buyer purchases the Vincent Van Gogh painting, ‘Sunflowers‘ for $36.3 million.

30 March 2002 – the Queen Mother dies at the age 101.

29 March 2016

wherewithal

[hwair-with-awl, -with-, wair-]

noun

1. that with which to do something; means or supplies for the purpose or need, especially money:
the wherewithal to pay my rent.
adverb
2. by means of which; out of which.
3. Archaic. wherewith.
pronoun
4. wherewith.

Origin of wherewithal

1525-1535; where + withal

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for wherewithal

Contemporary Examples

When the firm was failing, top executives assured the world that it had the wherewithal to survive.
Where’d Our Money Go?
Charlie Gasparino
February 10, 2009

“Even if you had the wherewithal to embarrass a reporter, there was no mechanism to do it,” Mr. Cramer said.
Richard Ben Cramer Dies at 62
Justin Green
January 7, 2013

Those who have the wherewithal to shop online with greater ease and frequency have a greater ability to avoid sales taxes.
Three Cheers for the Internet Tax!
Daniel Gross
April 23, 2013

Anagram

threw awhile
whiter whale

Today’s quote

You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view, until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.

– Harper Lee

On this day

29 March 1946 – birth of Billy Thorpe, English-born Australian rock legend. Front man for ‘Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs’. Died 28 February 2007.

29 March 1971 – Charles Manson and three of his followers are sentenced to death for the 1969 murders of actress Sharon Tate and six others. California abolished the death penalty in 1972, before the death sentences could be carried out. Even though California reinstated the death penalty in 1978, Manson is still held in prison.

29 March 1971 – A court martial finds Lieutenant Calley guilty of murder for his role in the massacre of 500 Vietnamese civilians in My Lai. Calley had been in charge of Charlie Company, 11th Infantry Brigade, which had raped, maimed, assaulted and murdered civilians living in My Lai. Calley was the only one of 26 members of Charlie Company to be convicted. He was sentenced to life imprisonment, but on the instructions of President Richard Nixon the following day was released to house arrest at Fort Benning, Georgia. During this time his sentence was cut to 10 years and he was paroled, only having served three and a half years while under house arrest. Many people protested the sentencing, claiming he was a scapegoat. Others were horrified that he was the only one in the chain of command to be charged and convicted.

29 March 1973 – America’s direct involvement in the Vietnamese War ends with the withdrawal of last USA troops from South Vietnam.

28 March 2016

moratorium

[mawr-uh-tawr-ee-uh m, -tohr-, mor-]

noun, plural moratoria [mawr-uh-tawr-ee-uh, -tohr-, mor-] (Show IPA), moratoriums.

1. a suspension of activity:
a moratorium on the testing of nuclear weapons.
2. a legally authorized period to delay payment of money due or the performance of some other legal obligation, as in an emergency.
3. an authorized period of delay or waiting.

Origin of moratorium

Late Latin

1870-1875; < New Latin, Late Latin morātōrium, noun use of neuter of morātōrius moratory

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for moratorium

Contemporary Examples

His Democratic challenger, Tom Wolf, has promised to issue a moratorium on executions if elected.
Pennsylvania’s Lethal Injection Fiasco
Christopher Moraff
September 17, 2014

But Landrieu says the White House moratorium on deepwater offshore drilling is a huge mistake.
Mitch Landrieu’s Tough Challenge
Lloyd Grove
August 15, 2010

Perry is calling for a moratorium on all new regulations “to get America working again.”
Can Perry Keep the Heat?
Mark McKinnon
August 16, 2011

Anagram

atrium moor
omit armour

Today’s quote

For me, I am driven by two main philosophies: know more today about the world than I knew yesterday and lessen the suffering of others. You’d be surprised how far that gets you.

– Neil deGrasse Tyson

On this day

28 March 1930 – Turkey changes the name of Constantinople to Istanbul and Angora to Ankara.

28 March 1939 – end of the Spanish Civil War, with Nationalist General Francisco Franco taking control of Madrid after a 3 year war against the Government of the Second Spanish Republic, which was led by President Manuel Azaña. Franco established a fascist dictatorship which lasted for 36 years. The Civil War had been fought between Fascist and Republican forces. The Republicans were comprised of a number of socialist, communist and anarchist forces. The Soviet Union backed the Republicans, but opposed other socialist forces such as the POUM (Workers Party of Marxist Unification), PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party), CNT (Confederationo of anarcho-syndicalist trade unions) and others.

28 March 1964 – The Beatles have 10 hits in the Billboard charts at the same time.

28 March 2008 – President George W. Bush states that the USA is not in recession, but just slowing down and that tax cuts will stimulate spending. The US National Bureau of Economic Research declared the USA recession started in December 2007 and ended in July 2009.

28 March 2008 – The Pew Centre reports that the USA has the highest number of incarcerations in the world, at 2.3 million, which surpasses the number of prisoners in China, Russia and Iran. The USA also has the highest rate of imprisonments in the world as a percentage of population.

27 March 2016

tortuous

[tawr-choo-uh s]

adjective

1. full of twists, turns, or bends; twisting, winding, or crooked:
a tortuous path.
2. not direct or straightforward, as in procedure or speech; intricate; circuitous:
tortuous negotiations lasting for months.
3. deceitfully indirect or morally crooked, as proceedings, methods, or policy; devious.

Origin of tortuous

Middle English, Latin
1350-1400; Middle English < Latin tortuōsus, equivalent to tortu (s) a twisting ( tor (quēre) to twist, bend + -tus suffix of v. action) + -ōsus -ous

Related forms

tortuously, adverb
tortuousness, noun
nontortuous, adjective
nontortuously, adverb
untortuous, adjective

Can be confused

tortuous, torturous (see usage note at torturous )

Synonyms

See more synonyms on Thesaurus.com

1. bent, sinuous, serpentine. 2. evasive, roundabout, indirect.

Usage note

See torturous.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for tortuous

Contemporary Examples

All of the various things I do I love doing, and occasionally I find them tortuous.
Bob Balaban: How I Write
Noah Charney
February 4, 2014

In 2011, after tortuous negotiations, a deal was struck for $1.2 trillion in spending cuts over 10 years.
Markets Approve of the Way U.S. Political System Handles Debt Problems
Robert Shapiro
January 2, 2013

The Quetta Shura official says the negotiations with the French were tortuous.
How the Taliban’s Hostages Were Freed
Sami Yousafzai, Ron Moreau
June 30, 2011

Anagram

roust out
tout ours

Today’s quote

Remember, when you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing that you have received, only what you have given: a heart enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice and courage.

– St Francis of Assisi

On this day

27 March 1963 – birth of Quentin Tarantino, Hollywood producer, director and writer. He has developed a cult-following with movies such as Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill, Natural Born Killers, Killing Zoe, True Romance, Four Rooms, From Dusk Till Dawn, Jackie Brown, Sin City, Hostel, Grindhouse, Inglourious Basterds, Django Unchained.

27 March 2001 – California electricity prices rise by up to 46% following the partial deregulation of the electricity system.

25 March 2016

hypocoristic

[hahy-puh-kuh-ris-tik, hip-uh-]

adjective

1. endearing, as a pet name, diminutive, or euphemism.

2. shortening of words as in slang, e.g. totes for total, evs for whatever, arvo for afternoon.

Origin of hypocoristic

Greek

1600-1610; < Greek hypokoristikós diminutive, equivalent to hypokor (ízesthai) to play the child, call by endearing names ( hypo- hypo- + kor- child (Compare kórē girl, kóros boy)) + -istikos -istic

Related forms

hypocoristically, adverb

Dictionary.com

Examples

Besides phonetic and morphological arbitrariness, there is an unpredictable element in the semantics of hypocoristic forms, at least in Australia.
VERBATIM: The Language Quarterly Vol VII No 2

Perhaps what all hypocoristic forms have in common is an atmosphere of familiarity.
VERBATIM: The Language Quarterly Vol VII No 2

Story on hypocoristics:
http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/drive/using-aussie-slang-makes-you-more-likeable/7275290

Anagram

chicory posits
choir copyists
or I psychotics
hit spy sirocco

Today’s quote

I may be no better, but at least I am different.

– Jean-Jacques Rousseau

On this day

25 March 1947 – birth of Elton John (Reginald Dwight), British singer-songwriter.

25 March 1957 – the Treaty of Rome is signed by France, West Germany, Holland, Belgium, Italy and Luxembourg, establishing the European Economic Community (EEC). In 1993, following the ratification of the Maastricht Treaty, the EEC became known as the European Community (EC).

24 March 2016

maverick

[mav-er-ik, mav-rik]

noun

1. Southwestern U.S. an unbranded calf, cow, or steer, especially an unbranded calf that is separated from its mother.
2. a lone dissenter, as an intellectual, an artist, or a politician, who takes an independent stand apart from his or her associates:
a modern-dance maverick.

Synonyms: nonconformist, individualist; free thinker; loner, lone wolf.

a person pursuing rebellious, even potentially disruptive, policies or ideas:

You can’t muzzle a maverick.

Synonyms: rebel, cowboy; loose cannon.

3. Maverick, an electro-optically guided U.S. air-to-ground tactical missile for destroying tanks and other hardened targets at ranges up to 15 miles (24 km).
adjective
4. unorthodox, unconventional, nonconformist:
a maverick fiscal conservative willing to raise taxes.

Origin of maverick
1865-1870, Americanism; after Samuel A. Maverick (1803-70), Texas pioneer who left his calves unbranded

Word story

The term maverick surged in popularity, propelled by the presidential bid in the late 2000s of US Senator John McCain, then considered a “political maverick” of the Republican Party. Given the word’s Wild West roots, maverick has always had an edgy, rebellious connotation: it originally referred to unbranded cattle that strayed from the herd, putting their ownership in doubt. It was then a short step in going from this original meaning to applying the word to a person who strayed from and did not follow the thinking of a group he or she belonged to, or who rebelled against accepted ideas or to a herd mentality. Maverick thus came to generally mean an individualistic and independent thinker. In popular culture, as exemplified in the movies Maverick (1994) and Top Gun (1986), the term often describes colorful gamblers and risk takers. Depending on context, then, maverick can be applied to a pioneer who bucks current trends, or to a wild and potentially reckless loose cannon.

Popular references
—Dallas Mavericks: American professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas, a member of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
— Maverick : popular American TV series (1957–62) set in the Wild West that inspired a film of the same name (1994).
—Maverick: Nickname and call sign of ace fighter pilot, played by Tom Cruise, in the film Top Gun (1986).
—Ford Maverick: Stylish, youthfully designed mid-size car made in the late 1960s and ‘70s in North America and Brazil.
Related Quotations Expand
“Gradually the term [maverick] came to mean any unbranded cattle of unknown ownership. Such animals were fair game for the first branding iron.“
—Richard W. Slatta, The Cowboy Encyclopedia (1994)
“Maverick is a word which appeals to me more than misfit. Maverick is active, misfit is passive.“
—Alan Rickman (actor), “Alan Rickman’s Quotes“ Facebook (2008)
“The rugged individualist is too often mistaken for the misfit, the maverick, the spoilsport, the sore thumb.“
—Lewis H. Lapham, Money and Class in America: Notes and Observations on Our Civil Religion (1988)
“Listen closely to maverick entrepreneurs…, and you quickly realize that they don’t sound like traditional executives.“
—William C. Taylor and Polly G. Labarr, Mavericks at Work: Why the Most Original Minds in Business Win (2006)

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for maverick

Contemporary Examples

McCain thinks of himself as a maverick, an unorthodox thinker, a dissenter.
McCain’s Revenge
News Shrink
November 4, 2008

maverick ‘s “education” is part of a growing wisdom that good old-fashioned play may be better than hitting the books.
Let Preschoolers Play!
Joyce C. Tang
April 4, 2011

Anagram

vim creak
mark vice

Today’s quote

I know of only one duty, and that is to love.

– Albert Camus

On this day

24 March 1958 – Elvis Presley is conscripted into the U.S. Army as a Private. He was discharged on 2 March 1960 with the rank of Sergeant.

24 March 1989 – the oil-tanker, Exxon Valdez, is seriously damaged after running aground on a reef in Alaska’s Prince William Sound. Over 11 million gallons of crude oil was released, resulting in a five mile oil slick, which caused severe environmental damage, including the deaths of 250,000 birds, 3,000 sea otters, 300 seals, 22 killer whales and an untold number of fish.

24 March 1973 – Pink Floyd release their iconic ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ album, which is the 6th best-selling album of all time with over 40 million sales worldwide.

23 March 2016

pluperfect

[ploo-pur-fikt]

adjective

1. Grammar.
perfect with respect to a point of reference in past time, as had done in He had done it when I came.
designating a tense or other verb formation or construction with such meaning, as Latin portāveram “I had carried.”. The pluperfect is formed by combining the auxiliary verb had with the past participle of the main verb, as in ‘had jumped’ or ‘had written’.
2. more than perfect:
He spoke the language with pluperfect precision.
noun, Grammar.
3. the pluperfect tense, or other verb formation or construction with such meaning.
a form in the pluperfect.
4. another term for ‘past perfect’: denoting a tense of verbs used in relating past events where the action had already occurred at the time of the action of a main verb that is itself in a past tense. In English this is a compound tense formed with had plus the past participle

Usage

pluperfect subjunctive (grammar)

Used in subordinate clauses and expresses unreal past situations. The pluperfect subjunctive (or past perfect subjunctive) has the same form as the past perfect tense, as follows: HAD + PAST PARTICIPLE. For example, the subjunctive is the ‘If’ statement and the pluperfect is the ‘had + past participle’:

– I would’ve bought the dress if there hadn’t been such a long queue.

– If I had known you were busy, I wouldn’t have called.

– If I had seen you, I would have said hello.

Origin of pluperfect

Latin, Greek

1520-1530; < Latin plū (s quam) perfectum (more than) perfect, translation of Greek hypersyntelikós

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for pluperfect

Historical Examples

Anything to avoid the pluperfect, which the people cannot manage.
English As We Speak It in Ireland
P. W. Joyce

The rest as the pluperfect of gwîl, or of menny, to will, with the infinitive.
A Handbook of the Cornish Language
Henry Jenner

The imperfect and pluperfect alone have besides this a loosely attached particle.
The Philosophic Grammar of American Languages, as Set Forth by Wilhelm von Humboldt
Daniel G. Brinton

Anagram

flu precept
upper cleft

Today’s quote

Only the guy who isn’t rowing has time to rock the boat.

– Jean-Paul Sartre

On this day

23 March 1919 – Benito Mussolini establishes the Italian National Fascist Party. In 1936, Mussolini joins forces with Adolf Hitler through the Axis Pact. Following Mussolini’s arrest in 1943, the party was dissolved. The Italian Constitution has banned the reformation of the INF.

23 March 1924 – birth of Bette Nesmith Graham in Dallas, Texas. Bette is the inventor of Liquid Paper. Her son, Mike Nesmith, was a member of 1960s UK/American pop/rock band, The Monkees.

23 March 1956 – Pakistan becomes the first Islamic republic in the world. Republic Day in Pakistan.

22 March 2016

invective

[in-vek-tiv]

noun

1. vehement or violent denunciation, censure, or reproach.
2. a railing accusation; vituperation.
3. an insulting or abusive word or expression.
adjective
4. vituperative; denunciatory; censoriously abusive.

Origin of invective

late Middle English Late Latin
1400-1450; late Middle English < Late Latin invectīvus abusive, equivalent to Latin invect (us) (past participle of invehī to attack with words, inveigh ) + -īvus -ive

Related forms

invectively, adverb
invectiveness, noun
uninvective, adjective

Synonyms

1. contumely, scorn. See abuse.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for invective

Contemporary Examples

Humor has given way to humorlessness, sarcasm to sanctimony, irony to invective.
Obama’s No Gangster, Bachmann
Matt Latimer
March 6, 2011

A lot of invective has been thrown their way, but that one company spends about $50 million a year on R&D.
It’s in the Genes
Megan McArdle
June 12, 2013

The local government, despite all the invective directed at its leadership, seems to be functioning normally for the moment.
Hong Kong Between Calm and Chaos
Ben Leung
October 2, 2014

Anagram

ice vine TV
civet vein

Today’s quote

Unlike a drop of water which loses its identity when it joins the ocean, man does not lose his being in the society in which he lives. Man’s life is independent. He is born not for the development of the society alone, but for the development of his self.

– B. R. Ambedkar

On this day

22 March – World Water Day. Established by the UN in 1993 to encourage nations to implement UN initiatives and promote wise use of water resources. People are encouraged to not use their taps all day.

22 March 1418 – death (?) of Nicholas Flamel, French alchemist who purportedly made it his life’s work to decode a mysterious book, known as Book of Abramelin the Mage. Some believe he decoded the recipe for the Philosopher’s Stone, which could turn base metals into silver and gold, and that he also had the ‘elixir of life’ which reputedly made him and his wife immortal. It’s been claimed that he was seen at least 3 times after his death, which led to rumour that he had produced the elixir of life. He has been immortalised in numerous books and movies, including ‘Harry Potter‘ by J.K. Rowling, and the ‘Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel‘ series by Michael Scott. Born 28 September 1330.

22 March 1829 – Following the Greek War of Independence, the London Protocol (1829) is signed by Great Britain, Russia and France, establishing the borders of an internally autonomous Greece, although it remained under Ottoman Empire suzerainty. The Ottoman Empire was forced to accept the London Protocol following the Treaty of Adrianople. Greece achieved full independence from the Ottoman Empire with the signing of the London Protocol (1830) of 3 February 1830.

22 March 1916 – The last Emperor of China, Yuan Shikai, abdicates the throne and the Republic of China is restored.

22 March 1963 – the Beatles’ first album, Please, Please Me, is released in the UK.

21 March 2016

scupper(1)

[skuhp-er]

noun

1. Nautical. a drain at the edge of a deck exposed to the weather, for allowing accumulated water to drain away into the sea or into the bilges.
Compare freeing port.
2. a drain, closed by one or two flaps, for allowing water from the sprinkler system of a factory or the like to run off a floor of the building to the exterior.
3. any opening in the side of a building, as in a parapet, for draining off rain water.

Origin of scupper(1)

1475-1485; earlier skoper. See scoop, -er1

scupper(2)

[skuhp-er]

verb (used with object), British.

1. Military. to overwhelm; surprise and destroy, disable, or massacre.
2. Informal. to prevent from happening or succeeding; ruin; wreck.

Origin

1880-85; origin uncertain

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for scupper

Contemporary Examples

As the equality movement found a renewed focus and determination, so its opponents ratcheted up their efforts to scupper it.
How Robin Williams’ Mrs. Doubtfire Won the Culture Wars
Tim Teeman
August 12, 2014

The minister fears that now even lesser frictions could scupper the new agreement.
Taliban Slams Loya Jirga Bilateral Security Agreement
Ron Moreau & Sami Yousafzai
November 25, 2013

Historical Examples

Every port and scupper was working to ease the weight of North Atlantic that perpetually fell on board.
The Mutiny of the Elsinore
Jack London

“Here, all hands,” he ordered, and shoved his rifle out of the scupper.
Gold Out of Celebes
Aylward Edward Dingle

Anagram

per cusp

Today’s quote

If you love a flower, don’t pick it up.
Because if you pick it up it dies and it ceases to be what you love.
So if you love a flower, let it be.
Love is not about possession.
Love is about appreciation.

― Osho

On this day

21 March – International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

21 March – National Harmony Day in which Australia celebrates its cultural diversity.

21 March – World Poetry Day. Declared by UNESCO in 1999 to promote the reading, writing, publishing and teaching of poetry.

21 March 1960 – Sharpeville Massacre in South Africa, when Afrikaner police opened fire on unarmed protestors in front of the police station, killing 69 people and wounding 180. In South Africa, every 21 March is a public holiday to celebrate human rights and commemorate the Sharpeville massacre.

21 March 1963 – President John F. Kennedy orders the closure of federal penitentiary, Alcatraz (The Rock).