5 January 2018

faff

/fæf/

verb

1. (Brit, informal) ( intransitive) to dither or fuss. Often followed by ‘about’, such as ‘Instead of working, he would just faff about’.

Word Origin
of obscure origin

Collins English Dictionary

Today’s quote

I believe that what we become depends on what our fathers teach us at odd moments, when they aren’t trying to teach us. We are formed by little scraps of wisdom.

– Umberto Eco

On this day

5 January – the twelfth day of the 12 days of Christmas (Western Christianity).

5 January 1914 – Henry Ford introduces the $5 per day wage, which was double the rate previously offered. Ford believed it would help him keep his best people and that it would enable his workers to buy Ford cars.

5 January 1932 – birth of Umberto Eco. Italian writer, philosopher and semiotician. Author of novels, including ‘The Name of the Rose’, ‘Foucalt’s Pendulum’, ‘The Island of the Day Before’, ‘The Prague Cemetery’. Died 19 February 2016.

5 January 1933 – work commences on San Francisco’s Golden Gate bridge. It was completed on 19 April 1937. The bridge is 2.7km long and 227.4m high.

5 January 1945 – First use of kamikaze pilots. Battle of Lingayan Gulf, Philippines. Allied forces attack Japanese positions. Japan had a seriously weakened air force that was now mainly comprised of inexperienced pilots, so authorised the first use of kamikaze (divine wind) attacks. USA ships included the USS Mississippi, New Mexico and Colorado. Australian ships included the HMAS Australia, Shropshire, Arunta, Warramunga, Gascoyne and Warrego. The Allies lost 30 ships, with 67 others damaged. Japanese casualties are unknown, however, the battle was a victory for the Allies.

5 January 1968 – the ‘Prague Spring’ in Czechoslovakia occurred through the political and economic reforms of leader Alexander Dubcek aimed at introducing ‘socialism with a human face’. The reforms included freedom of speech and allowing non-communist political organisations. The Soviet Union were less enthusiastic about these reforms and invaded Czechoslovakia with 600,000 troops.