31 January 2014

quango

[kwang-goh]

noun, plural quan·gos.

(especially in Great Britain) a semi-public advisory and administrative body supported by the government and having most of its members appointed by the government.

Origin:
1975–80; qu(asi)-a(utonomous) n(on-)g(overnmental) o(rganisation) or qu(asi)-a(utonomous) n(ational) g(overnmental) o(rganisation)

Anagram

quo nag

Today’s quote

Mr. Robinson and his quango
Drinks with the general and the county wives
Yes the family business is doing all right
They are doing tangos down in the quangos
He makes them tick and he makes them tock
And if he doesn’t like you he’ll put you in the dock

– Blur, from the song, Mr Robinson’s quango

On this day

31 January 1961 – Ham the Astrochimp, returns safely to Earth after completing a NASA mission into outer space. HAM is an acronym for Holloman Aerospace Medical Centre, which was located at the Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico.

31 January 1991 – McDonald’s opens its first restaurant in Moscow.