6 September 2013

quaff

[kwof, kwaf, kwawf]

verb (used without object)

1. to drink a beverage, especially an intoxicating one, copiously and with hearty enjoyment.
verb (used with object)
2. to drink (a beverage) copiously and heartily: We spent the whole evening quaffing ale.
noun
3. an act or instance of quaffing.
4. a beverage quaffed.

Origin:
1515–25; origin uncertain

Related forms
quaff·er, noun
out·quaff, verb (used with object)
un·quaffed, adjective

Synonyms
1. swallow, gulp, swig, guzzle.

Today’s aphorism

‘And when they found our shadows
Grouped ’round the TV sets
They ran down every lead
They repeated every test
They checked out all the data on their lists
And then, the alien anthropologists
Admitted they were still perplexed
But on eliminating every other reason
For our sad demise
They logged the only explanation left
This species has amused itself to death’

– Roger Waters, from the song, ‘Amused to death’.

On this day

6 September 1819 – the lathe patented by Thomas Blanchard.

6 September 1919 – death of Worm Pander, sculptor. (Born 20 June 1864).

6 September 1930 – Democratically elected Argentine President Hipólito Yrigoyen overthrown by fascist and conservative forces. Hipólito was affectionately known as ‘el peludo‘ (the Hairy Armadillo) because of his introverted character. A revolutionary, left-wing politician, Hipólito was also known as the ‘Father of the Poor’. He was twice president (1916-1922 and 1928-1930). He introduced numerous important social reforms, becoming a hero to the working class, including compulsory male suffrage, a rise in the standard of living for Argentina’s working class, improvements in factory conditions, regulation of working hours, compulsory pensions and universally accessible public education system.

6 September 1943 – birth of Roger Waters, bassist and vocalist for Pink Floyd.