22 May 2013

vexation

[vek-sey-shuhn]

noun
1. the act of vexing.
2. the state of being vexed; irritation; annoyance: vexation at missing the bus.
3. something that vexes; a cause of annoyance; nuisance: Rush-hour traffic is a daily vexation.
Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English vexacioun < Latin vexātiōn- (stem of vexātiō ), equivalent to vexāt ( us ) (past participle of vexāre to vex; see -ate1 ) + -iōn- -ion

Related forms
self-vex·a·tion, noun
su·per·vex·a·tion, noun

Today’s aphorism

True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it is not haphazard and superficial. It comes to see that an edifice that produces beggars needs restructuring.

-Martin Luther King Jr

On this day

22 May 1927 – A 7.9 magnitude earthquake hits the city of Xining in the Chinese province of Quinghai, killing up to 200,000 people. It is the 5th deadliest earthquakes recorded.

22 May 1972 – Ceylon changes its name to Sri Lanka to break away from its colonial past. Ceylon had been the colonial name given by Great Britain to the island. The name itself was derived from Portuguese when part of the island was a colony of Portugal.

22 May 2010 – Jordan Romero, a 13 year old U.S. boy, becomes the youngest person to conquer Mt Everest.