26 October 2013

zombie

[zom-bee]

— noun, plural: -bies , -bis
1. a person who is or appears to be lifeless, apathetic, or totally lacking in independent judgment; automaton
2. a supernatural spirit that reanimates a dead body
3. a corpse brought to life in this manner
4. the snake god of voodoo cults in the West Indies, esp Haiti, and in scattered areas of the southern US
5. the python god revered in parts of West Africa
6. a piece of computer code that instructs an infected computer to send a virus on to other computer systems
7. a tall cocktail made typically with several kinds of rum, citrus juice, and often apricot liqueur.

[from Kongo zumbi: god, good-luck fetish]

– noun

‘zombiism or zombi

Today’s quote

Yeah, I know I’m ugly… I said to a bartender, ‘Make me a zombie.’ He said ‘God beat me to it.’

– Rodney Dangerfield

On this day

26 October 1863 – Football Association forms in England, standardising the rules of soccer.

26 October 1881 – Gunfight at the OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona, the most famous gunfight in the Wild West. It is believed the gunfight lasted around 30 seconds and was between outlaws Billy Clanton, Ike Clanton, Billy Claiborne, Tom McLaury and Frank McLaury and lawmen Wyatt Earp, Virgil Earp, Morgan Earp, Doc Holliday. Three of the outlaws were killed, Billy Clanton, Tom McLaury and Frank McLaury. The gunfight has been immortalised in a number of movies and songs.

26 October 1917 – birth of Felix the Cat, legendary cartoon character.