10 December 2016

exonym

[ek-soh-nim]

noun

1. a name used by foreigners for a place, as Florence for Firenze.
2. a name used by foreigners to refer to a people or social group that the group itself does not use, as Germans for Deutsche.

Dictionary.com

Example

But upon closer examination, “political correctness” becomes an impossibly slippery concept. The term is what Ancient Greek rhetoricians would have called an “exonym”: a term for another group, which signals that the speaker does not belong to it. Nobody ever describes themselves as “politically correct”. The phrase is only ever an accusation.
Political correctness: how the right invented a phantom enemy
Moira Wiegel
30 November 2016

Anagram

me onyx
my oxen

Today’s quote

When I heard the learn’d astronomer,
When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me,
When I was shown the charts and diagrams, to add, divide, and measure them,
When I sitting heard the astronomer where he lectured with much applause in the lecture-room,
How soon unaccountable I became tired and sick,
Till rising and gliding out I wander’d off by myself,
In the mystical moist night-air, and from time to time,
Look’d up in perfect silence at the stars.

– Walt Whitman

On this day

10 December 1896 – death of Alfred Bernhard Nobel, Swedish chemist and armaments manufacturer, inventor of dynamite and the Nobel Prizes. Was known as the ‘Merchant of Death’. A newspaper stated that he ‘became rich by finding ways to kill people faster than ever before‘. As a result, he decided to leave a better legacy than that and used his estate to establish and fund the Nobel Prizes, which included the Nobel Peace Prize. Born 21 October 1833.

10 December – Human Rights Day.

10 December 1948 – Universal Declaration of Human Rights is adopted by the United Nations General Assembly.

10 December 1959 – James Coburn (star of ‘The Great Escape‘, ‘The Magnificent Seven‘) takes 200 micrograms of LSD-25 for the first time as part of a controlled experiment conducted by Dr Janiger. Other famous people who participated in Janiger’s experiments include Cary Grant (‘North by Northwest‘, ‘An Affair to Remember‘) who took over 100 acid trips, Jack Nicholson, Dennis Hopper, and author Anais Nin (refer: http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/lsd/lsd_history6.pdf and http://www.carygrant.net/autobiography/autobiography14.html)

10 December 1967 – Soul singer, Otis Redding and members of the Bar-Kays band are killed when the plane they are travelling on crashes into Lake Monona, Madison, Wisconsin.

10 December 1981 – An epidemic comprising of two diseases, skin cancer and pneumonia, spreads throughout the United States since July, killing 75 people, 92% of whom are gay men. The disease is eventually identified as Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).

10 December 1983 – Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

10 December 1992 – Prime Minister Paul Keating delivers the historic ‘Redfern Speech’ at Redfern Park, New South Wales. It is regarded as one of the greatest Australian speeches and was the first time a Prime Minister had acknowledged the role that European settlement had in the murders and other travesties inflicted on the indigenous population. In 2007, Radio National listeners voted the speech as the third most unforgettable speech in the world, behind Martin Luther King’s ‘I have a dream’ speech (first) and Jesus’s ‘Sermon on the Mount (second). The speech can be heard here: Redfern Speech – audio or on YouTube. The text is available here: Redfern Speech – Text.

10 December 2002 – Former US President Jimmy Carter is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his diplomatic efforts in solving the Middle East crisis in the 1970s.

10 December 2009 – President Barack Obama is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his ‘extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples‘.

9 December 2016

patois

[pat-wah, pah-twah; French pa-twa]

noun, plural patois [pat-wahz, pah-twahz; French pa-twa]

1. a regional form of a language, especially of French, differing from the standard, literary form of the language.
2. a rural or provincial form of speech.
3. jargon; cant; argot.

Origin of patois

1635-1645; < French: literally clumsy speech; akin to Old French patoier to handle clumsily, derivative of pate paw

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for patois

Historical Examples

His voice was deep, sonorous, and somewhat touched with the true Kerry patois.
Bits of Blarney
R. Shelton Mackenzie

He only spoke in the patois, which Frank understood very well.
The Silver Lining
John Roussel

French was to be no longer a hodgepodge or a patois, but the pure and perfect speech of the king and his court.
A History of Literary Criticism in the Renaissance
Joel Elias Spingarn

There is no mistaking it; it is peculiar to Pont du Sable, and note, too, her patois !
A Village of Vagabonds
F. Berkeley Smith

“The young patron is mistaken,” interposed the Indian, speaking a patois of the lingoa-geral.
Our Young Folks–Vol. I, No. II, February 1865
Various

Their language was a Spanish patois ; their voices were sharp and disagreeable.
The Scalp Hunters
Mayne Reid

“His Excellency is in there,” said the old man, in his Sicilian patois.
My Strangest Case
Guy Boothby

The man spoke in patois French, the woman in her native Cree language.
The Buffalo Runners
R.M. Ballantyne

patois, a name the French give to a corrupt dialect of a language spoken in a remote province of a country.
The Nuttall Encyclopaedia
Edited by Rev. James Wood

“Lower that spar, my lads,” he added, in the patois the men used.
Rob Harlow’s Adventures
George Manville Fenn

Anagram

so pita

Today’s quote

Don’t waste your time with explanations: people only hear what they want to hear.

– Paulo Coelho

On this day

9 December 1906 – birth of Sir Douglas Nichols KCVO, OBE. Aboriginal activist, raising awareness of aboriginal issues, including treating aborigines with dignity and as people. He played for Carlton football club in the A-grade Victorian Football League (VFL), leaving after racist treatment and joining the Northcote football club in the Victorian Football Association (VFA). Nicholls became a minister and social worker. In 1957, he was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE). In 1972 he was the first aborigine to be knighted. In 1976, he became the 28th governor of South Australia, the first aborigine to be appointed to a vice-regal position. He died on 4 June 1988.

9 December 1947 – Deputy Prime Minister of India, Sandar Valiabbhai Patel announces that India and Pakistan have reached an agreement on the borders of the two countries following partition … except for the issue of Kashmir, which is unresolved to this day.

9 December 1990 – Polish dissident, Solidarity union leader and 1983 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Lech Walesa wins Polish presidential election in a landslide. Solidarity was the Soviet Bloc’s first independent trade union. Walesa presided over Poland’s transition from a communist state to a post-communist state.

7 December 2016

daedal

[deed-l]

adjective

1. skillful; ingenious.
2. cleverly intricate, e.g. the computer’s daedal circuitry
3. diversified.
4. adorned with many things, e.g.

Origin of daedal

Latin, Greek
1580-1590; < Latin daedalus skillful < Greek daídalos, equivalent to daidál (lein) to work with skill + -os adj. suffix

Dictionary.com
merriam-webster.com

Anagram

ad deal
dad ale

Today’s quote

Friendship improves happiness and abates misery, by the doubling of our joy and the dividing of our grief.

– Marcus Tullius Cicero

On this day

7 December 43BC – death of Marcus Tullius Cicero (sometimes Anglicised as Tully), Roman statesman, politician, philosopher, orator. Tully’s influence on Latin and other European languages was immense and still felt up to the 19th century. The history of prose in Latin and other languages was said to be either a reaction against, or a return to, his style. Born 3 January 106BC .

7 December 1941 – bombing of Pearl Harbor by Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. The bombing was a major tactical victory for Japan and led to the United States entering World War II. The USA suffered 2403 deaths, including 68 civilians, and 1178 wounded. Japan lost 64 lives.

7 December 1941 – At the same time as Pearl Harbour, Japan attacked British and Australian forces in Malaysia and Singapore, British forces in Hong Kong and US forces in the Philippines. British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill declared war on Japan as a result. Singapore fell to Japan on 15 February 1942. US General Douglas MacArthur escaped the Philippines in March 1942 as the country fell to Japan. He relocated his headquarters to Brisbane, Australia, and became the Supreme Commander of Allied forces in the Pacific, with forces from the United States, Australia, Netherlands, Britain and other countries coming under his command.

7 December 1987 – USSR President Mikael Gorbachev arrives in the USA for an arms control summit with US President Ronald Reagan. The summit resulted in the Intermediate Nuclear Force Treaty (INF) which called for elimination of all cruise and ballistic missiles and launchers in Europe that had a range of 320 to 3,400 miles. This was one of the most significant arms treaties of the Cold War.

7 December 1988 – An earthquake registering 7.2 on the richter scale, completely destroys the Armenian city of Spitak, in the Soviet Union, killing 50,000.

7 December 2001 – the Taliban regime surrenders 61 days after commencement of US-led war in Afghanistan.

6 December 2016

Mediterranean

[med-i-tuh-rey-nee-uh n]

noun

1. Mediterranean Sea.
2. a person whose physical characteristics are considered typical of the peoples native to or inhabiting the Mediterranean area.
3. the, Informal. the islands and countries of the Mediterranean Sea collectively.
adjective
4. pertaining to, situated on or near, or dwelling about the Mediterranean Sea.
5. pertaining to or characteristic of the peoples native to the lands along or near the Mediterranean Sea.
6. surrounded or nearly surrounded by land.

Origin of Mediterranean

Latin

1585-1595; < Latin mediterrāne (us) midland, inland (see medium, terra, -an, -eous ) + -an. Latin: medius (middle), terra (earth) – literally, centre of the earth.

Related forms Expand
non-Mediterranean, noun, adjective
trans-Mediterranean, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2016.
Cite This Source
Examples from the Web for Mediterranean Expand
Contemporary Examples
But the study is a boon to Mediterranean expats in the U.S., particularly those in the restaurant business.

Eat Like a Greek: The Mediterranean Diet That Could Save Your Life
Lizzie Crocker
February 26, 2013
Mediterranean flavors paired with eggplant and barley make these lamb shanks perfect for winter.

Fresh Picks
Anne Burrell
December 28, 2009
Fruits and veggies are mainstays of the Mediterranean diet, along with legumes and fish.

Eat Like a Greek: The Mediterranean Diet That Could Save Your Life
Lizzie Crocker
February 26, 2013

Anagram

drama internee
manta reindeer
a marine tender

Today’s quote

You gotta be really careful what you bite off. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. It’s a dangerous world.

– Ozzy Osbourne

On this day

6 December 1790 – The United States Capitol is relocated from New York to Philadelphia. Ten years later, the District of Columbia is completed and the capitol permanently relocates there.

6 December 1922 – Creation of the Irish Free State as a dominion under the Anglo-Irish Treaty. Northern Ireland was included in the State, but chose not to join.

6 December 1928 – Chiquita Banana massacre. On 12 November 1928, workers for the American- owned United Fruit Company in Columbia went on strike. To protect UFC’s interests, the United States positioned Naval vessels off the coast of Columbia, threatening to invade if the Columbian government didn’t bring the strike under control. On 6 December, Columbian Army troops opened fire on the strikers, killing up to 3,000 people.

6 December 1956 – birth of Randy Rhoads, American heavy metal guitarist, played with Ozzy Osbourne and Quiet Riot. Rhoads was on tour with Ozzy Osbourne, heading to Orlando, Florida when their bus broke down near an airstrip at Leesburg, Florida. While some of the band continued sleeping in the van, the driver (an ex-commercial pilot) took one of the light planes for joy-rides with some of the band members. He didn’t have permission for the flights. Randy Rhoads and make-up artist, Rachel Youngblood were on the second flight. The pilot thought it would be funny to buzz the tour bus by flying as close as possible to it. On the third pass, the plane’s wing clipped the bus causing the plane to spiral out of control and for Rhoads and Youngblood’s heads to smash through the plane’s windshield. The plane severed the top of a pine tree before crashing into a garage at a nearby mansion. Rhoads, Youngblood and the pilot (Andrew Aycock) died instantly, all burnt beyond recognition. In 1987, Ozzy Osbourne released a live album in memory of Rhoads, called ‘Tribute’, it featured Osbourne and Rhoad’s work together. Died 19 March 1982.

6 December 1962 – a deadly smog, mainly containing sulfur dioxide, kills 90 people in London.

6 December 1969 – The Rolling Stones organise a free concert at the disused Altamont Speedway, Livermore, California, featuring themselves, as well as Jefferson Airplane, Santana, the Flying Burrito Brothers and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Hell’s Angels were used as security, but the concert was marred by the deaths of four people, including one who was stabbed by a member of the Hell’s Angels.

5 December 2016

asinine

[as-uh-nahyn]

adjective

1. foolish, unintelligent, or silly; stupid:
It is surprising that supposedly intelligent people can make such asinine statements.
2. of or like an ass:
asinine obstinacy; asinine features.

Origin of asinine

Latin

1600-1610; < Latin asinīnus, equivalent to asin (us) ass1+ -īnus -ine1

Related forms

asininely, adverb
asininity [as-uh-nin-i-tee]. noun

Synonyms

1. See foolish.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for asinine

Contemporary Examples

Actress Ashley Judd, who campaigned against the aerial slaughter of wolves, is “a perky, pretty celebrity” with “ asinine plans.”
10 Palin Hits the Leakers Missed
Benjamin Sarlin, Samuel P. Jacobs
November 16, 2009

asinine comments like this leave the President looking like the only mature kid in town.
See Ya, Randian Romney!
Justin Green
November 14, 2012

Is Olivia Pope an “Angry Black Woman,” as one asinine TV critic suggests?
‘Scandal’ Review: Olivia Pope Has Lost Her Damn Mind
Kevin Fallon
September 25, 2014

She hypnotized Cory with her free spirit, freer hair, and asinine name, coaxing him out of his shell and into love with her.
‘Boy Meets World’ Turns 20: The Silly Show We Can’t Help but Love
Kevin Fallon
September 23, 2013

Funny how the ones deemed “geniuses” always act the most asinine in relationships.
Lights, Camera, Cocktails
Brody Brown
September 10, 2011

Historical Examples

What an asinine act, this pouring of poison into the stomach to cure a malady of the soul!
The Root of Evil
Thomas Dixon

Why can not you keep quiet, instead of making your asinine remarks?
Among the Humorists and After Dinner Speakers, Vol. I
Various

It was the first time I had presented myself at a strange hotel without my asinine credentials.
On a Donkey’s Hurricane Deck
R. Pitcher Woodward

These equine and asinine glories have passed away, extinguished by the rail.
Lancashire Folk-lore
John Harland

If you had an idea that I am the type of man to use as the butt for a silly, asinine jest, I’ll teach you to think differently.
Mixed Faces
Roy Norton

Anagram

is insane
in anise

Today’s quote

Nevertheless the passions, whether violent or not, should never be so expressed as to reach the point of causing disgust; and music, even in situations of the greatest horror, should never be painful to the ear but should flatter and charm it, and thereby always remain music.

– Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

5 December – International Volunteer Day

5 December 1791 – death of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, composer. Born 27 January 1756.

5 December 1870 – death of Alexandré Dumas, French author of celebrated works such as ‘Count of Monte Christo‘, ‘The Three Musketeers‘, ‘The Black Tulip‘. Born 24 July 1802.

5 December 1972 – Gough Whitlam appointed Prime Minister of Australia. Whitlam led the Australian Labor Party to its first victory since 1949. The results of some electoral seats had not been finalised, so Whitlam and Deputy Prime Minister, Lance Barnard ran a duumvirate government by taking on all 27 ministerial portfolios between them for two weeks, until Whitlam could select his ministry. Labor had won control of the House of Representatives but failed to gain control of the Senate, which resulted in numerous bills being blocked by the Upper House. With the Senate threatening to block supply (failing to vote in favour of the budget), Whitam introduced a bill that was defeated twice in the Senate, leading to a double dissolution of parliament. Labor was reelected at the subsequent election and continued to control the House of Representatives with a reduced majority. In the Senate, Labor and Liberal both won 29 seats, with the balance of power held by two independents. Even with the almost paralysed government that he led, Whitlam managed a number of crucial achievements including abolition of the White Australia policy, withdrawing Australian troops from Vietnam and ended conscription in 1972, granting independence to Papua New Guinea, Medibank, multi-culturalism, abolition of university tuition fees, establishing a new government department for Aboriginal Affairs and one for Environment, Aboriginal Land Fund Commission, Australian Legal Aid Office, National Employment and Training Scheme, Trade Practices Act 1975, Racial Discrimination Act 1975, National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1975, Family Law Act 1975. In October 1975, opposition leader Malcolm Fraser again threatened to block supply which would have seen the government’s budget run out on 10 November 1975. A compromise couldn’t be reached and on 11 November 1975, Governor-General Kerr sacked the Whitlam government and appointed Malcolm Fraser as Prime Minister.

5 December 2013 – death of Nelson Mandela, South African anti-apartheid revolutionary and politician. Born 18 July 1918.

5 December – International Volunteer Day

5 December 1791 – death of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, composer.

5 December 1870 – death of Alexandré Dumas, French author of celebrated works such as ‘Count of Monte Christo‘, ‘The Three Musketeers‘, ‘The Black Tulip‘. Born 24 July 1802.

5 December 1972 – Gough Whitlam appointed Prime Minister of Australia. Whitlam led the Australian Labor Party to its first victory since 1949. The results of some electoral seats had not been finalised, so Whitlam and Deputy Prime Minister, Lance Barnard ran a duumvirate government by taking on all 27 ministerial portfolios between them for two weeks, until Whitlam could select his ministry. Labor had won control of the House of Representatives but failed to gain control of the Senate, which resulted in numerous bills being blocked by the Upper House. With the Senate threatening to block supply (failing to vote in favour of the budget), Whitam introduced a bill that was defeated twice in the Senate, leading to a double dissolution of parliament. Labor was reelected at the subsequent election and continued to control the House of Representatives with a reduced majority. In the Senate, Labor and Liberal both won 29 seats, with the balance of power held by two independents. Even with the almost paralysed government that he led, Whitlam managed a number of crucial achievements including abolition of the White Australia policy, withdrawing Australian troops from Vietnam and ended conscription in 1972, granting independence to Papua New Guinea, Medibank, multi-culturalism, abolition of university tuition fees, establishing a new government department for Aboriginal Affairs and one for Environment, Aboriginal Land Fund Commission, Australian Legal Aid Office, National Employment and Training Scheme, Trade Practices Act 1975, Racial Discrimination Act 1975, National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1975, Family Law Act 1975. In October 1975, opposition leader Malcolm Fraser again threatened to block supply which would have seen the government’s budget run out on 10 November 1975. A compromise couldn’t be reached and on 11 November 1975, Governor-General Kerr sacked the Whitlam government and appointed Malcolm Fraser as Prime Minister.

5 December 2013 – death of Nelson Mandela, South African anti-apartheid revolutionary and politician. Born 18 July 1918.

4 December 2016

elicit

[ih-lis-it]

verb (used with object)

1. to draw or bring out or forth; educe; evoke:
to elicit the truth; to elicit a response with a question.

Origin of elicit

Latin

1635-1645; Latin ēlicitus drawn out (past participle of ēlicere), equivalent to ē- e-1+ lici- draw, lure + -tus past participle suffix

Related forms

elicitation, noun
elicitor, noun

nonelicited, adjective
unelicited, adjective

Can be confused

elicit, illicit.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for elicit

Contemporary Examples

The accusation that Makaburi encouraged young men to kill Americans touched a nerve—and did not elicit a denial.
Death Squads in Kenya’s Shadow War on Shabaab Sympathizers
Margot Kiser
April 5, 2014

The Deport Justin Bieber Petition, has already garnered the necessary number of signatures to elicit a White House response.
Justin Bieber Has Been Drag Racing Down the Road to Recovery
Amy Zimmerman
February 4, 2014

Putman’s funeral will elicit new tributes Wednesday at the Saint-Germain-des-Prés church in Paris.
Andrée Putman, ‘the Grande Dame of Design,’ Revolutionized Interiors
Tracy McNicoll
January 19, 2013

Not bad, if Sediuk’s intentions really were to elicit an authentic response from the original Material Girl.
An Analysis of Vitalii Sediuk’s Pranks (He’s the Guy Who Touched Brad Pitt)
Amy Zimmerman
May 28, 2014

Historical Examples

Possibly, but not one more likely to elicit Wallenstein’s candour.
The Mercenary
W. J. Eccott

With what authority do we elicit respect and obedience from our little people!
Mother Earth, Vol. 1 No. 4, June 1906
Various

But whenever the teacher fails to elicit both respect and love, his power for good is lost.
Buchanan’s Journal of Man, June 1887
Various

No amount of cross-examination could elicit any further information.
The Light of Scarthey
Egerton Castle

No question was admissible which tended to elicit information or a positive declaration from the respondent.
Aristotle
George Grote

Anagram

lit ice

Today’s quote

We must plan for freedom, and not only for security, if for no other reason than that only freedom can make security secure.

– Karl Popper

On this day

4 December 1952 – A deadly smog in London caused by soot and sulphur dioxide from factories, cars and home coal-fires. It continues for four days and kills at least 4,000 people.

4 December 1954 – the first franchised Burger King store is opened in Miami, Florida by James McLamore and David Edgerton.

4 December 1961 – the birth control contraceptive pill (‘the pill’) available publicly through the National Health Service.

4 December 1969 – 14 police shoot dead two members of the Black Panther Party, Fred Hampton and Mary Clark, who were asleep in their apartment. The Black Panther Party was committed to racial equality and rights for African Americans.

4 December 1971 – Montreux Casino in Switzerland burns to the ground, becoming the inspiration for rock’s most identifiable riff, Smoke on the Water. Savvy listeners will hear the song refer to Montreux, the Gambling House, a flare gun and of course, the brilliant, Frank Zappa & the Mothers. Deep Purple was in Montreux, on Lake Geneva, recording their legendary album, Machine Head, in the Rolling Stones Mobile Recording Studio (or ‘truck thing’ as they call it in the song) and penned arguably the greatest riff of all time after the gambling house went up in flames during a Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention concert. The fire began when someone fired a flare gun into the rattan ceiling during the Zappa song, ‘King Kong’. This link is footage of the actual concert that Frank Zappa & the Mothers were playing in the Montreux Casino on the Lake Geneva shoreline when ‘some stupid with a flare gun burned the place to the ground’ causing smoke on the water & fire in the sky … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lpFeopjJhI

3 December 2016

cadge(1)

[kaj]

verb (used with object), cadged, cadging.

1. to obtain by imposing on another’s generosity or friendship.
2. to borrow without intent to repay.
3. to beg or obtain by begging.
verb (used without object), cadged, cadging.
4. to ask, expect, or encourage another person to pay for or provide one’s drinks, meals, etc.
5. to beg.

Origin of cadge(1)

Middle English

1275-1325; perhaps to be identified with Middle English caggen to tie, of uncertain origin

Related forms

cadger, noun

cadge(2)

[kaj]

noun, Falconry.

1. a frame on which hawks are carried to the field.

Origin

1605-15; apparently variant of cage

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for cadge

He might cadge for a bath, but his hands he could look after himself for nothing.
The Story of Louie
Oliver Onions

Anagram

caged

Today’s quote

It isn’t necessary to imagine the world ending in fire or ice. There are two other possibilities: one is paperwork, and the other is nostalgia.

– Frank Zappa

On this day

3 December – International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

3 December 1854 – the Eureka Rebellion (Battle of the Eureka Stockade) in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. Gold miners, led by Peter Lalor and Henry Ross, revolted against the oppression of the British colonial powers as well as the excessive charges for miners licences. Between 22 and 60 people were killed in the rebellion and around 120 were arrested. The rebellion resulted in the right to vote for men and so is often seen as the birth of democracy in Australia.

3 December 1944 – Civil war breaks out in Greece following its liberation during World War II, when communist rebels fight democratic forces for control.

3 December 1948 – birth of Ozzy Osbourne, legendary British rocker, former lead singer of Black Sabbath, who has also had a successful solo career. He was born as John Michael Osbourne.

3 December 1984 – Bhopal Union Carbide accident in India in which thousands of people die from toxic gases that leaked from the factory when safety systems failed.

3 December 1992 – the world’s first SMS is sent. This monumental event occurred in the United Kingdom when Neil Papworth of the SEMA Group used a PC to send the message over a Vodafone GSM network to Richard Jarvis of Vodafone, who was using an Orbitel 901 phone. The message was ‘Merry Christmas’.

3 December 1993 – death of Frank Zappa, American revolutionary musician. Born 21 December 1940.

2 December 2016

sepia

[see-pee-uh]

noun

1. a brown pigment obtained from the inklike secretion of various cuttlefish and used with brush or pen in drawing.
2. a drawing made with this pigment.
3. a dark brown.
4. Photography. a print or photograph made in this color.
5. any of several cuttlefish of the genus Sepia, producing a dark fluid used naturally for defense and, by humans, in ink.
adjective
6. of a brown, grayish brown, or olive brown similar to that of sepia ink.

Origin of sepia

Latin, Greek
1560-1570; < Latin sēpia cuttlefish, its secretion < Greek sēpía; akin to sêpsis sepsis

Related forms

sepialike, adjective
sepic [see-pik, sep-ik], adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for sepia

Contemporary Examples

With a book about Jane Franklin and her life of letters to her brother Benjamin, sepia yellow connotes yellowing papers.
You Can Indeed Judge a Book By Its Cover
Brian Gresko
November 19, 2013

Each of those women had a sepia photograph on the mantelpiece, of a young man in uniform.
The Tragic, Heroic Women of World War I
Jacqueline Winspear
June 28, 2014

A sepia photo shows him as a young boy, head in his hands, with a large book open at a bar table.
The Bars That Made America Great
Nina Strochlic
December 27, 2014

Filmed in Riga, Latvia, in monochromatic, sepia tones, the film evokes a world drained of life and color.
The Female ‘Schindler’
Kati Marton
April 17, 2009

Both play within a relatively constrained color palette rich in sepia yellow, with strategic daubs of sky blue and red.
You Can Indeed Judge a Book By Its Cover
Brian Gresko
November 19, 2013

Historical Examples

Its flavour is most rich, and its texture most delicate when the gills show the pink colour with sepia margins.
Mushroom Culture
W. Robinson

All derived from cuttle-fish varieties of sepia used for baits.
The Sailor’s Word-Book
William Henry Smyth

The picture is a copy in sepia tones of Murillo’s Saint Anthony, 16 inches in height by 20 inches horizontally.
The Library of Work and Play: Home Decoration
Charles Franklin Warner

This food is chiefly the Squid or sepia octopus, known also by the name of the cuttle-fish.
Old Jack
W.H.G. Kingston

In other cases they extend laterally along a greater length of the body, as in sepia (fig. 15).
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 6
Various

Anagram

as pie

Today’s quote

Let everyone regulate his conduct… by the golden rule of doing to others as in similar circumstances we would have them do to us, and the path of duty will be clear before him.

– William Wilberforce

On this day

2 December – International Day for the Abolition of Slavery.

2 December 1972 – death of Yip Man, Wing Chun Kung Fu grand-master. Immortalised in the movie, Ip Man. Born 1 October 1893.