9 July 2014

clout

[klout]

noun

1. a blow, especially with the hand; cuff: The bully gave him a painful clout on the head.
2. Informal. pull; strong influence; muscle, especially political power: a wealthy campaign contributor with clout at city hall.
3. Baseball. a long hit, especially an extra-base hit: A hard clout to deep center field drove in the winning run.
4. Archery.
a. the mark or target shot at, especially in long-distance shooting.
b. a shot that hits the mark.
5. Also called clout nail. a nail for attaching sheet metal to wood, having a short shank with a broad head.
verb (used with object)
6. Archaic.
a. a patch or piece of cloth or other material used to mend something.
b. any worthless piece of cloth; rag.
c. an article of clothing (usually used contemptuously).
7. to strike, especially with the hand; cuff.
8. Archaic.
a. to bandage.
b. to patch; mend.

Origin:
before 900; Middle English; Old English clūt piece of cloth or metal; cognate with Middle Low German klūte, Old Norse klūtr

Related forms
clout·er, noun

Today’s aphorism

‘Hodor’.

– Hodor

On this day

9 July 1941 – British military cryptologists break the Enigma code which the German Army was using for encrypting messages used for directing ground to air operations. However, a group of Polish cryptologists claim to have assisted in the cracking of Enigma and have been campaigning for recognition of their part in the break-through.

9 July 1946 – birth of Ronald Belford ‘Bon’ Scott, Scottish-born Australian rock musician. Most famous as the lead-singer of legendary hard rock band, AC/DC. Scott died on 19 February 1980, after choking on his own vomit following a heavy drinking session.

9 July 1982 – In the early hours of the morning, 30 year old Irishman, Michael Fagan breaks into Buckhingham Palace and makes his way to Queen Elizabeth II’s bedroom. Reports at the time, claimed that he spent 10 minutes in there talking with the Queen before being arrested, however, Fagan later claimed that the Queen immediately fled the bedroom and summoned security. The incident was the biggest royal security breach of the 20th century.

9 July 2004 – A US Senate Intelligence Committee finds that the CIA misrepresented the threat posed by Iraq, which was used by President George W. Bush in order to justify the 2003 Iraq invasion by the ‘Coalition of the Willing’.