6 December 2012

louche

[loosh]

adjective

– dubious; shady; disreputable in an appealing sort of way.

Example sentence:

‘Though Rancid just celebrated 20 years together, the lovably louche No Cal punks are still preoccupied with teenage rebellion’.

Origin:
1810–20; < French: literally, cross-eyed; Old French losche, feminine of lois < Latin luscus blind in one eye

Today’s aphorism

‘Most rock journalism is people who can’t write, interviewing people who can’t talk, for people who can’t read’.

– Frank Zappa

On this day

6 December 1790 – The United States Capitol is relocated from New York to Philadelphia. Ten years later,  the District of Columbia is completed and the capitol permanently relocates there.

6 December 1922 – Creation of the Irish Free State as a dominion under the Anglo-Irish Treaty. Northern Ireland was included in the State, but chose not to join.

6 December 1962 – a deadly smog, mainly containing sulfur dioxide, kills 90 people in London.

6 December 1969 – The Rolling Stones organise a free concert at the disused Altamont Speedway, Livermore, California, featuring themselves, as well as Jefferson Airplane, Santana, the Flying Burrito Brothers and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Hell’s Angels were used as security, but the concert was marred by the deaths of four people, including one who was stabbed by a member of the Hell’s Angels.