11 September 2016

quittance

[kwit-ns]

noun

1. recompense or requital.
2. discharge from a debt or obligation.
3. a document certifying discharge from debt or obligation, as a receipt.

Origin of quittance

Middle English, Old French

1175-1225; Middle English quitaunce; Old French quitance, equivalent to quit (er) to quit1+ -ance -ance

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for quittance

Historical Examples

Hereat the brewer did wonder, and desired to see the quittance.
The Sources and Analogues of ‘A Midsummer-night’s Dream’
Compiled by Frank Sidgwick

The guerdon; the quittance ; could it be possible after all, the end was not far?
Under the Rose
Frederic Stewart Isham

The portrait has the look of being designed as a quittance in full of old scores.
Atlantic Monthly, Volume 2, Issue 10, August, 1858
Various

I’ve sent him his quittance papers, and he’s your enemy for all time.
A Captain in the Ranks
George Cary Eggleston

The man was a bankrupt; but still he had given her all he had to give, a quittance.
The Talk of the Town, Volume 2 (of 2)
James Payn

In a few minutes I should receive a quittance, and be free to think only of myself.
A Gentleman of France
Stanley Weyman

The deputy turned over his charge to him, received his quittance, and went away.
Robert Tournay
William Sage

Anagram

enact quit
quiet cant
acquit ten

Today’s quote

Man only likes to count his troubles; he doesn’t calculate his happiness.

– Fyodor Dostoyevsky

On this day

11 September 1297 – William Wallace leads Scottish forces to victory against the English at the Battle of Stirling Bridge.

11 September 1941 – construction of the Pentagon commences in Washington DC. (Completed on 15 January 1943).

11 September 1948 – death of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the father of Pakistan. Leader of the Muslim League calling for the creation of Pakistan. Served as Pakistan’s first Governor-General from 15 August 1947 until his death. In Pakistan, his birthday is a national holiday. Born 25 December 1876.

11 September 1972 – Democratically elected President Salvador Allende of Chilé, is overthrown in a U.S. sponsored coup which brings to power General Augusto Pinochet. The Church Committee, commissioned by the U.S. Department of State to investigate covert C.I.A. operations in Chilé, found that Henry Kissinger had directed the C.I.A. to prevent the socialist Allende from being elected, then to undermine his presidency, before supplying arms to a military junta which succeeded in overthrowing Allendé. Thousands of people died or disappeared under Pinochet’s rule, with approximately 40,000 suffering human rights violations, including torture.

11 September 1987 – death of Peter Tosh, Jamaican reggae singer and musician. From 1963 to 1974, Tosh was a member of Bob Marley and Wailers until going solo. His most famous song is ‘Legalize It’, about legalising marijuana. Tosh’s album, ‘Bush Doctor’, included a duet with Mick Jagger in the song, ‘Don’t Look Back’. Tosh was a Rastafarian. He campaigned against apartheid, which he sang about on his album ‘Equal Rights’. Tosh was murdered on 11 September 1987, after three men broke into his house and tortured him in an effort to extort money. After several hours, one of the men shot Tosh in the head, killing him. Two other friends of Tosh’s were also killed. Born 19 October 1944.

11 September 2001 – 9/11 Terrorist Attacks in which four commercial airliners were hijacked by Al Qaeda terrorists. Two planes hit the twin towers of the World Trade Centre in New York City, one plane hit the Pentagon in Washington DC and one crashed in a field in Pennsylvania after passengers fought with the hijackers. Approximately, 3,000 people died in the attacks.

10 September 2016

proscenium

[proh-see-nee-uh m, pruh-]

noun, plural proscenia [proh-see-nee-uh, pruh-] (Show IPA). Theater.

1. Also called proscenium arch. the arch that separates a stage from the auditorium.
Abbreviation: pros.
2. (formerly) the apron or, especially in ancient theater, the stage itself.

Origin of proscenium

Latin, Greek
1600-1610; < Latin proscēnium, proscaenium < Greek proskḗnion entrance to a tent, porch, stage ( Late Greek: stage curtain), equivalent to pro- pro-2+ skēn (ḗ) (see scene ) + -ion neuter noun suffix

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for proscenium

Historical Examples

The proscenium Arch is the arch or frame extending around the front of the stage of a theatre.
The Boy Craftsman
A. Neely Hall

Anyway, I’m going to propose, him for the Stuyvesant and the proscenium.
The Younger Set
Robert W. Chambers

The chief feat however is not yet performed, that which is to be acted in front of the proscenium!
Beethoven’s Letters 1790-1826 Vol. 2
Lady Wallace

Anagram

income spur
upon crimes
Sumo prince

Today’s quote

When you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this: you haven’t.

– Thomas Edison

On this day

10 September – World Suicide Prevention Day.

10 September 1945 – birth of José Feliciano, Puerto Rican singer/musician.

9 September 2016

allonym

[al-uh-nim]

noun

1. the name of another person taken by an author as a pen name.
Compare pseudonym.
2. a work published under a name that is not that of the author.

Origin of allonym

1865-1870; all- + -onym; cf. pseudonym

Related forms

allonymous [uh-lon-uh-muh s], adjective
allonymously, adverb

Dictionary.com

Examples

Some people believe that Shakespeare’s works were written by various authors who used his allonym.

(wordsmith.org)

‘Her name was Diane and I had known her intermittently for about a year. I had never flown with her, having met her in the Atlanta airport terminal, and she knew me under the alias Robert F. Conrad, a Pan-Am first officer, an allonym I used on occasion’.
Frank W. Abagnale and Stan Redding
Catch Me If You Can.
Random House, 2000

Anagram

yon mall
lo manly

Today’s quote

The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.

– Leo Tolstoy

On this day

9 September 1543 – Mary Stuart crowned ‘Queen of Scots’. She was 9 months old.

9 September 1828 – birth of Leo Tolstoy, Russian writer, (‘Anna Karenina‘, ‘War and Peace‘). Died 20 November 1910.

9 September 1890 – birth of Harlan Sanders who eventually becomes a Colonel and chickens throughout Kentucky, and ultimately the rest of the world, are never the same again as he invents Kentucky Fried Chicken. Died 16 December 1980.

9 September 2004 – Australian Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, bombed. 10 people killed.

8 September 2016

baksheesh or bakshish, bakshis
[bak-sheesh, bak-sheesh] (in the Near and Middle East)

noun

1. a tip, present, or gratuity.
verb (used with or without object)
2. to give a tip.

Origin of baksheesh

Persian

1615-1625; Persian bakhshish gift

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for baksheesh

Historical Examples

Still, I am sorry now I didn’t contribute the baksheesh he expected.
The Ship Dwellers
Albert Bigelow Paine

The next best thing to do is to forget the wish, pay two-pence in baksheesh and ride away to get the most of a glorious view.
The Walls of Constantinople
Bernard Granville Baker

For the first two years of war he kept out of the army by means of baksheesh.
Eastern Nights – and Flights
Alan Bott

In common with the rest of the world I had heard of baksheesh, but until then I never understood its magic power.
The Making Of A Novelist
David Christie Murray

Mounted men were racing off full speed to Kabul and the other big towns; those who got in first received the baksheesh.
At the Court of the Amr
John Alfred Gray

Anagram

he she bask

Today’s quote

There is only one happiness in this life, to love and be loved.

– George Sand

On this day

8 September – International Day of Literacy.

8 September 1504 – Michelangelo unveils his iconic sculpture, ‘David‘.

8 September 1930 – Richard Drew invents ‘scotch’ tape, the world’s first transparent, adhesive tape … otherwise known as ‘sticky tape’.

8 September 1966 – Star Trek premiers on NBC TV in the U.S.

8 September 2006 – death of Peter Brock, Australian car racing legend. Born 26 February 1945.

7 September 2016

indicia

[in-dish-ee-uh]

plural noun, singular indicium.

1. a postal marking used rather than a stamp or a regular cancellation on each item in a large shipment of prepaid mail.
2. Often, indicium.
a printed message or instruction, especially one stamped on a package: an indicium of “bulk mail.”.
an indication or token.

Origin of indicia

1615-1625;Latin, plural of indicium indicium

indicium

[in-dish-ee-uh m]

noun, plural indicia [in-dish-ee-uh], indiciums.

1. indicia (def 2).

Origin

1615-25; Latin: disclosure, sign, indication, equivalent to indic (āre) to make known (see indicate ) + -ium -ium

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for indicia

Historical Examples

They form the indicia to a people’s mission, and are our best guides to God’s purpose in creating us.
The Negro Problem
Booker T. Washington, et al.

Averages may be indicia of causation, but they are not themselves causes.
The Value of Money
Benjamin M. Anderson, Jr.

He next tried to bring forward what might be called a number of indicia supporting his view.
The Science and Philosophy of the Organism
Hans Driesch

Anagram

I in acid

Today’s quote

The best way to pay for a lovely moment is to enjoy it.

– Richard Bach

On this day

7 September 1876 – birth of C.J. Dennis, Australian poet (Songs of a Sentimental Bloke). Died 22 June 1938.

7 September 1936 – birth of Charles Hardin Holley, otherwise known as Buddy Holly. 1950s rock star, famous for songs such as ‘Peggy Sue’ and ‘That’ll be the day’. Died in a plane crash on 3 February 1959 with other musicians, Richie Valens, J.P. ‘Big Bopper’ Richardson 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.

7 September 1978 – death of Keith Moon, British musician, drummer for ‘The Who’. Born 23 August 1946.

6 September 2016

titular

[tich-uh-ler, tit-yuh-]

adjective

1. existing or being such in title only; nominal; having the title but none of the associated duties, powers, etc.:
the titular head of the company.
2. from whom or which a title or name is taken:
His titular Saint is Michael.
3. of, relating to, or of the nature of a title.
4. having a title, especially of rank.
5. designating any of the Roman Catholic churches in Rome whose nominal incumbents are cardinals.
noun
6. a person who bears a title.
7. a person from whom or thing from which a title or name is taken.
8. Ecclesiastical. a person entitled to a benefice but not required to perform its duties.

Origin of titular

Latin

1585-1595; < Latin titul (us) title + -ar1

Related forms

titularity [tich-uh-lar-i-tee, tit-yuh-] (Show IPA), noun
titularly, adverb
multititular, adjective
nontitular, adjective
nontitularly, adverb

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for titular

Contemporary Examples

But House Speaker John Boehner, while he is the titular leader of the Congressional Republicans, is nothing like a CEO.
Fiscal Cliff Vote Fails Due to Republican Theology on Taxes
Daniel Gross
December 20, 2012

George Soros, also 83, is titular chairman of Soros Fund Management.
Don’t Count Rupert Murdoch Out Yet: Why The Magnate Hasn’t Given Up on Time Warner
Daniel Gross
July 15, 2014

There are the titular detectives, Rust Cohle and Marty Hart.
Sasha Grey on Her Secret ‘True Detective’ Cameo, ‘Open Windows,’ and the Duke Porn Star Backlash
Marlow Stern
March 11, 2014

In Shantytown, the titular slum of Buenos Aires is the backdrop for a series of killings that threaten the entire community.
This Week’s Hot Reads: Nov. 18, 2013
Thomas Flynn
November 17, 2013

Historical Examples

Such are the titular archbishops in partibus, and certain archbishops of Italian sees who have no bishops under them.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 4
Various

He reviewed his information on Dovenilid titular systems while he touched the switch.
Citadel
Algirdas Jonas Budrys

On each side of the altar is the figure of a youth, the titular deities; and at the back a crown.
Rambles in Rome
S. Russell Forbes

In 1855 the third of the titular Nawabs died without any son to succeed him.
The Story of Madras
Glyn Barlow

Anagram

rail tut
tail rut
it ultra

Today’s quote

We meet aliens every day who have something to give us. They come in the form of people with different opinions.

– William Shatner

On this day

6 September 1819 – the lathe patented by Thomas Blanchard.

6 September 1919 – death of Worm Pander, sculptor. (Born 20 June 1864).

6 September 1930 – Democratically elected Argentine President Hipólito Yrigoyen overthrown by fascist and conservative forces. Hipólito was affectionately known as ‘el peludo‘ (the Hairy Armadillo) because of his introverted character. A revolutionary, left-wing politician, Hipólito was also known as the ‘Father of the Poor’. He was twice president (1916-1922 and 1928-1930). He introduced numerous important social reforms, becoming a hero to the working class, including compulsory male suffrage, a rise in the standard of living for Argentina’s working class, improvements in factory conditions, regulation of working hours, compulsory pensions and universally accessible public education system.

6 September 1943 – birth of Roger Waters, bassist and vocalist for Pink Floyd.

5 September 2016

banshee or banshie

[ban-shee, ban-shee]

noun

1. (in Irish folklore) a spirit in the form of a wailing woman who appears to or is heard by members of a family as a sign that one of them is about to die.

Origin of banshee

Irish

1765-1775; < Irish bean sīdhe woman of a fairy mound; see sídh

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for banshee

Contemporary Examples

When the sheriff-to-be is killed, the man assumes his identity, Lucas Hood, and becomes the new Sheriff of banshee.
‘Banshee,’ Cinemax’s Deliciously Over-the-Top Carnival of Sex and Violence, Is Must-See TV
Marlow Stern
January 9, 2014

The first season of banshee, meanwhile, was completely outrageous (in a good way).
‘Banshee,’ Cinemax’s Deliciously Over-the-Top Carnival of Sex and Violence, Is Must-See TV
Marlow Stern
January 9, 2014

Historical Examples

When you’re going right it sounds a pass between a peanut roaster and a banshee with bronchitis.
Half Portions
Edna Ferber

But that was the last act of destruction that the banshee was destined to accomplish.
The World Peril of 1910
George Griffith

She dug her little heel into the ground to show how she would crush the banshee.
The Meadow-Brook Girls Under Canvas
Janet Aldridge

The banshee corked the bottle and held it up proudly to the light.
David and the Phoenix
Edward Ormondroyd

The figure waved her arms towards the house, and my mother heard the bitter wailing of the banshee.
The Best Ghost Stories
Various

I thought it might be a banshee, if thair is that crayther in this counthry.
The Castaways
Captain Mayne Reid

Presently he heard the long-drawn, quavering, banshee wail of a locomotive.
The Escape of Mr. Trimm
Irvin S. Cobb

He marched his men up, with the thin wailing of a banshee in his ears.
Police Your Planet
Lester del Rey

Anagram

has been

Today’s quote

Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do… but how much love we put in that action.

– Mother Teresa

On this day

5 September – Freddie for a Day. Dress up as Freddie Mercury for the day. FFOD is the brainchild of Liz Swanton and raises money for the Mercury Phoenix Trust. The MPT was founded in 1992, following Freddie Mercury’s death, and helps AIDS charities throughout the world. To participate or find out more, go to: http://www.freddieforaday.com.au or http://www.freddieforaday.com

5 September 1689 – Tsar Peter the Great of Russia, starts taxing men’s beards. He wasn’t the first to do this however. In 1535, King Henry VIII also taxed beards and Queen Elizabeth I reintroduced the tax later that century.

5 September 1847 – birth of Jesse James, U.S. outlaw. (Died 3 April 1882).

5 September 1877 – death of Crazy Horse, Sioux Chief (not to be confused with a Sous Chef … or an 1960’s rock band of the same name, who teamed up with a crazy hippy named Neil Young). Born around 1840 (Chief Crazy Horse that is, not Neil Young).

5 September 1939 – United States declares its neutrality in the Second World War.

5 September 1946 – birth of Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara) on Zanzibar. British musician and vocalist. Lead singer of rock group, Queen. Died 24 November 1991.

5 September 1997 – death of Mother Teresa (Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu) in Yugoslavia, winner of Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for her work in the slums of Calcutta. On 4 September 2016, she became Saint Mother Teresa in a canonisation ceremony conducted by Pope Francis. Born 26 August 1910.

4 September 2016

unrequited

[uhn-ri-kwahy-tid]

adjective

1. not returned or reciprocated:
unrequited love.
2. not avenged or retaliated:
an unrequited wrong.
3. not repaid or satisfied.

Origin of unrequited

1535-1545; un-1+ requite + -ed2

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for unrequited

Contemporary Examples

And of course I loved the Lancelot story because it is all about longing and unrequited love.
Only Six Books: Excerpt From Jeanette Winterson’s New Memoir
Jeanette Winterson
March 6, 2012

The convent, obviously, but also the court—and even her unrequited longing for the elusive lady of her sonnets.
Sor Juana: Mexico’s Most Erotic Poet and Its Most Dangerous Nun
Katie Baker
November 7, 2014

“It was not just an obsession, a one-sided romance of unrequited love,” said Overland.
L.A. Policewoman on Trial for Murdering Her Ex’s Wife
Christine Pelisek
March 7, 2012

I loved the tragedy of the unrequited love in Brief Encounter– and her vulnerability, her wonderful voice, and her big eyes.
Tracey Ullman’s 11 Favorite British Performances Ever
Tracey Ullman
December 25, 2010

Historical Examples

Her affections were untrammelled by false hopes or unrequited love.
Lady Rosamond’s Secret
Rebecca Agatha Armour

This sonata is a true drama of life, a story of unrequited passion.
The Pianolist
Gustav Kobb

He is taken prisoner by mountain tribesmen, and set free by a girl who drowns herself on account of her unrequited love.
An Outline of Russian Literature
Maurice Baring

What cared he for love, either successful or unrequited, now?
The Floating Light of the Goodwin Sands
R.M. Ballantyne

The house has one record at least of unrequited hospitality.
Highways and Byways in Surrey
Eric Parker

Anagram

endure quite
quid tenure

Today’s quote

If you don’t receive love from the ones who are meant to love you, you will never stop looking for it.

― Robert Goolrick
The End of the World as We Know It: Scenes from a Life

On this day

4 September 1937 – birth of Dawn Fraser AO MBE, Australian swimming legend. Won Olympic gold medals in 1956, 1960 and 1964, as well as a number of silver medals.

4 September 2006 – death of Steve Irwin, ‘The Crocodile Hunter’, Australian wildlife expert and television personality. (Born 22 February 1962).

3 September 2016

gargantuan

[gahr-gan-choo-uh n]

adjective

1. gigantic; enormous; colossal:
a gargantuan task.

Origin of gargantuan
1585-1595; Gargantu(a) + -an

Synonyms

huge, mammoth, immense, vast, elephantine.
Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for gargantuan

Contemporary Examples

“The amount of venom that can be delivered from a single bite can be gargantuan.” You know, I’ve always liked that word, “gargantuan.” I so rarely have an opportunity to use it in a sentence.
Elle describing to Budd the amount of venom delivered by a Black Mamba snake.
Kill Bill 2

The death of the gargantuan Hummer marks the passing of our obsession with largeness.
The End of Really Big
Tunku Varadarajan
February 23, 2010

But the gargantuan department, while assailed for scandals and big spending, has not had its basic existence threatened—until now.
Can the Housing and Urban Development Department Survive a Romney Administration?
Miranda Green
April 20, 2012

The other funeral home is not in operation because it is behind the gargantuan fence and considered part of the red zone.
‘It Was Like Hiroshima’: A Tour Through the Quebec Town Destroyed by a Runaway Train
Christine Pelisek
July 14, 2013

Anagram

A rang gaunt
A ragtag nun
gaga ant run

Today’s quote

Loneliness does not come from having no people around, but from being unable to communicate the things that seem important to oneself, or from holding certain views which others find inadmissible.

– Carl Jung

On this day

3 September 1901 – Australian national flag flies for the first time. The Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne has the honours. 3 September is celebrated each year as Australia’s National Flag Day.

3 September 1939 – Britain declares war on Germany.

3 September 1970 – death of Alan Wilson from barbiturate poisoning. It’s unclear whether his death was accidental or suicide. American guitarist and singer-songwriter for Canned Heat. He was 27. His death occurred exactly 14 months after the death of Rolling Stones founder and guitarist Brian Jones, two weeks before the death of Jimi Hendrix, four weeks before the death of Janis Joplin and exactly 10 months before the death of Jimmy Morrison, all of whom were 27 when they died, fanning concerns for musicians at this age and referencing the deaths as the 27 Club. Born 4 July 1943.