26 October 2014

diktat

[dik-taht]

noun
1. a harsh, punitive settlement or decree imposed unilaterally on a defeated nation, political party, etc.
2. any decree or authoritative statement:
The Board of Education issued a diktat that all employees must report an hour earlier.

Origin
Latin
1930-1935; < German: literally, something dictated < Latin dictātus, past participle of dictāre to dictate

Dictionary.com

Examples from the web for diktat
– Surely, then, it should be put to a vote rather than being enacted via bureaucratic diktat.
– Nowadays the price of gold is set by the market rather than by official diktat.
– The alternative to euro-zone diktat is being abandoned to the market.

Anagram

tad kit

Today’s aphorism

The illusion of freedom will continue as long as it’s profitable to continue the illusion. At the point where the illusion becomes too expensive to maintain, they will just take down the scenery, they will pull back the curtains, they will move the tables and chairs out of the way and you will see the brick wall at the back of the theater.

– Frank Zappa

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.