24 April 2018

aleatory

[ey-lee-uh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee, al-ee-]

adjective

1. Law. depending on a contingent event:
an aleatory contract.
2. of or relating to accidental causes; of luck or chance; unpredictable:
an aleatory element.
3. Music. employing the element of chance in the choice of tones, rests, durations, rhythms, dynamics, etc.

Also, aleatoric [ey-lee-uh-tawr-ik, -tor-, al-ee-]

Origin of aleatory

Latin

1685-1695; < Latin āleātōrius, equivalent to āleātōr- (stem of āleātor gambler ( āle(a) game of chance + -ātor -ator ) + -ius adj. suffix; see -tory1

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for aleatory

Historical Examples

At best the actor’s is an aleatory profession and, as in all games of chance, the losses score highest.
My Actor-Husband
Anonymous

Some are aleatory, but the light-minded or interested alone call them so.
Decadence and Other Essays on the Culture of Ideas
Remy de Gourmont

This was the aleatory element in life, the element of risk and loss, good or bad fortune.
Folkways
William Graham Sumner

Anagram

early oat
royal tea

Today’s quote

People don’t notice whether it’s winter or summer when they’re happy.

– Anton Chekhov

On this day

24 April 1581 – birth of St Vincent de Paul, Catholic priest, born in France, who dedicated himself to serving the poor. Died 27 September 1660.

24 April 1915 – arrest of 250 Armenian intellectuals and leaders in Istanbul, Turkey, leads to the Armenian Genocide. It is estimated that the Ottoman Empire massacred between 1 million and 1.5 million Armenians.

24 April 1916 – Easter Rising (or Easter Rebellion) in which Irish republicans rose up against British rule with an armed insurrection in order to establish an independent Irish Republic. The Rising lasted for six days and resulted in the deaths of 500 people, of whom 54% were civilians, 30% were British military and 16% were Irish rebels. Most of the civilians deaths were caused by the British military using artillery or mistaking them for rebels. Fighting occurred mainly in Dublin, although there were also fights in counties Meath, Galway, Louth and Wexford. The rebels surrendered after six days. Most of their leaders were subsequently tried and executed. 3,430 men and 79 women were arrested. 90 were sentenced to death, however 15 were actually executed. The evidence against many of them was flimsy at best and with many them prohibited from defending their charges, accusations were made that the trials and sentences were illegal. There were also claims of British atrocities involving extrajudicial killings during the Rising. The executions and extrajudicial killings further fed the anger of the Irish against British rule.

24 April 1933 – Hitler begins persecuting Jehovah’s Witnesses by shutting down the Watch Tower Society office in Magdeburg. Around 10,000 Witnesses were incarcerated during Hitler’s reign, with approximately 1,200 dying in custody, including 250 who were executed.

23 April 2018

wonga

/ˈwɒŋɡə/

noun

1. (Brit, informal) money

Word Origin

C20: possibly from Romany wongar coal

Collins English Dictionary

Examples from the Web for wonga

Historical Examples

A large flight of wonga wonga pigeons were feeding on the seeds of various species of Acacia; we shot two of them.
Journal of an Overland Expedition in Australia
Ludwig Leichhardt

Anagram

a gown

Today’s quote

We know what we are, but know not what we may be.

– William Shakespeare

On this day

23 April 1564 – birth of William Shakespeare, the Bard. English poet and playwright.

23 April 1616 – death of William Shakespeare, the Bard. English poet and playwright. Shakespeare invented more than 1700 words which are now in common use. He changed nouns into verbs, verbs into adjectives and joining words that normally wouldn’t be joined.

23 April 1928 – birth of Shirley Temple, American actress, singer, dancer and former U.S. ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia. Died 10 February 2014.

22 April 2018

spondulicks or spondulix

[spon-doo-liks]

noun, Older Slang.

1. money; cash.

Origin of spondulicks

1855-1860 An Americanism dating back to 1855-60; origin uncertain

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for spondulicks

Historical Examples

Suppose I can’t raise the spondulicks in time for the ten train!
Molly Brown’s Orchard Home
Nell Speed

” spondulicks,” said Dicky with a laugh, as the other hesitated for a word.
Blindfolded
Earle Ashley Walcott

“I wonder where he got the spondulicks,” broke in her son Richard.
The Fourth Watch
H. A. Cody

Also it was convincingly true that the ingoing party—its way now made a pacific one—would need the ” spondulicks.”
Cabbages and Kings
O. Henry

Word Origin and History for spondulicks

n.

1856, American English slang, “money, cash,” of unknown origin, said to be from Greek spondylikos, from spondylos, a seashell used as currency (the Greek word means literally “vertebra”). Used by Mark Twain and O. Henry and adopted into British English, where it survives despite having faded in American English.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Anagram

disco plunks
clouds pinks
unsold picks

Today’s quote

Capitalists are no more capable of self-sacrifice than a man is capable of lifting himself up by his own bootstraps.

– Vladimir Lenin

On this day

22 April – Earth Day. The United Nations created International Mother Earth Day by resolution A/RES/63/278 to be celebrated on 22 April each year. It recognises that ‘the Earth and its ecosystems are our home‘ and that ‘it is necessary to promote harmony with nature and Earth‘.

22 April 1616 – death of Miguel de Cervantes, Spanish novelist, authored Don Quixote, a classic of Western literature and which is considered to be the first modern European novel. Cervantes is considered to be the greatest writer in the Spanish language and the world’s pre-eminent novelist. Born 29 September 1547.

22 April 1870 – birth of Vladimir Lenin. Russian communist revolutionary and political leader. He served as Russian leader from 1917 to 1924 and concurrently as Premier of the Soviet Union from 1922 to 1924. Died 21 January 1924.

22 April 1889 – at high noon, thousands rush to claim land in the ‘Land Run of 1889’ resulting in the creation of Oklahoma City and Guthrie with populations greater than 10,000 within a few hours.

22 April 1917 – birth of Sidney Nolan, one of Australia’s leading artists, best known for his series of Ned Kelly paintings. During the 2000 Olympics, performers wore costumes based on Nolan’s depiction of Ned Kelly. Nolan painted a number of Australian legends and historical events, including the Eureka Stockade, and explorers Burke and Wills. Nolan was influenced by Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse. Died 28 November 1992.

22 April 1979 – birth of Daniel Johns, Australian musician, singer-songwriter. Played in Silverchair and The Dissociatives.

22 April 1995 – death of Maggie Kuhn, activist and founder of the Gray Panthers, who campaigned for nursing home reform and opposed ageism. She also fought for human rights, social and economic justice, global peace, integration, and mental health issues.

21 April 2018

acer

/ˈeɪsə/

noun

1. any tree or shrub of the genus Acer, often cultivated for their brightly coloured foliage See also maple

Examples from the Web for acer

Historical Examples

Growing on the outer surface of the bark of acer, Fagus, etc.
The Myxomycetes of the Miami Valley, Ohio
A. P. Morgan

Growing out of fissures of the bark and wood of Hickory, acer, etc.
The Myxomycetes of the Miami Valley, Ohio
A. P. Morgan

The occasional forms in ‘er’ and ‘il’ will have similar power ( acer, basil).
Proserpina, Volume 1
John Ruskin

Anagram

race

Today’s quote

I find it hard to focus looking forward. So I look backward.

– Iggy Pop

On this day

21 April 753BC – Romulus founds Rome.

21 April 1782 – the city of Rattanaskosin is founded by King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke. The city is now known as Bangkok.

21 April 1910 – death of Mark Twain, U.S. novellist, author of ‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer’ and ‘The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’. Born 30 November 1835.

21 April 1947 – birth of Iggy Pop, punk, garage & glam rocker, actor.

21 April 1970 – Prince Leonard (born Leonard Casley), self-appointed sovereign secedes the Hutt River Province from Australia. Now known as the Principality of Hutt River, it is located 517km north of Perth, Western Australia and is the oldest micronation in Australia. Its sovereignty is not recognised by Australia or other nations. On 2 December 1977, Prince Leonard declared war on Australia after the Australian Tax Office pursued him for non-payment of taxes. Hostilities were ceased a few days later and Prince Leonard wrote to the Governor-General declaring his sovereignty based on the Province being undefeated in war. In 2012, the ATO again unsuccessfully attempted to recover claimed taxes. Hutt River has its own stamps and currency.

21 April 1972 – The Province of Hutt River attains legal status when Australia fails to challenge its sovereignty within two years of its formation, as required by Australian law.

17 April 2018

abed

[uh-bed]

adverb

1. in bed :
to stay abed late on Sundays.
2. confined to bed.

Origin of abed

Middle English

1200-1300 Middle English word dating back to 1200-1300; See origin at a-1, bed

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for abed

Contemporary Examples

From behind the steering wheel, abed introduced me as a journalist.
The Fourth War: My Lunch with a Jihadi
Elliot Ackerman
January 21, 2014

Abu Hassar began to slowly nod and his gaze moved from abed to me.
The Fourth War: My Lunch with a Jihadi
Elliot Ackerman
January 21, 2014

abed filled his mouth with a piece of the baklava, I needed to get our conversation going.
The Fourth War: My Lunch with a Jihadi
Elliot Ackerman
January 21, 2014

Anagram

bade
bead

Today’s quote

If you are going to get anywhere in life, you have to read a lot of books.

– Roald Dahl

On this day

17 April 1521 – Martin Luther appears before the Diet of Worms to be questioned by representatives of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, over the alleged possession of heretical books. (Worms is a town in Germany and Diet is a formal assembly).

17 April 1961 – the U.S. government sponsor 1,500 Cuban exiles to invade the Bay of Pigs, Cuba in an effort to overthrow the socialist government of Fidel Castro. The attacks fails, resulting in the deaths or capture of all of the exiles.

17 April 1967 – the final episode of the sit-com, Gilligan’s Island, airs in the United States. The first episode aired on 26 September 1964. It told the story of four men and three women on board the S.S. Minnow are ship-wrecked on a deserted island in the Pacific Ocean following a storm. Stranded are the ship’s mate, Gilligan and the ship’s skipper, a millionaire and his wife (the Howells), a sultry movie star (Ginger Grant), a professor and farm girl (Mary-Anne Summers).

17 April 1969 – Sirhan Sirhan convicted of 1968 assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy. He was originally given a death sentence, which was later commuted to life imprisonment. Robert Kennedy was the brother of assassinated President John F. Kennedy.

17 April 2010 – A Manhattan library reveals that first President George Washington failed to return two library books, accruing overdue fees of $300,000. The library said they weren’t pursuing payment of the fees.

16 April 2018

oppugnant

[uh-puhg-nuh nt]

adjective

1. opposing; antagonistic; contrary.

Origin of oppugnant

Latin

1505-1515; < Latin oppugnant- (stem of oppugnāns), present participle of oppugnāre to oppose. See oppugn, -ant

Related forms

oppugnancy, noun

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for oppugnant

Historical Examples

He could have taken another, an oppugnant stand, as many a familiar confederate did.
Abraham Lincoln’s Cardinal Traits;
Clark S. Beardslee

Ant pop gun
to pun pang

Today’s quote

Heroes are not known by the loftiness of their carriage; the greatest braggarts are generally the merest cowards.

– Jean-Jacques Rousseau

On this day

16 April – Panda Appreciation Day. It was on this day in 1972, that the People’s Republic of China presented US President Richard Nixon with two pandas, Ling Ling and Hsing Hsing.

16 April 73AD – The Great Jewish Revolt ends when the fortress Masada falls to the Romans.

16 April 1850 – death of Marie Tussaud, French-English sculptor, founder of Madam Tussaud’s wax museum. Born 1 December 1761.

16 April 1917 – Vladimir Lenin returns to Petrograd, Russia following exile in Switzerland.

16 April 1947 – Bernard Baruch coins the term ‘Cold War’ to describe the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union.

16 April 1990 – Dr Jack Kevorkian, (euthanasia activist, otherwise known as the Doctor of Death) participates in his first assisted suicide.

15 April 2018

appurtenant

[uh-pur-tn-uh nt]

adjective

1. appertaining or belonging; pertaining.
noun
2. an appurtenance.

Origin of appurtenant

Middle English, Late Latin

1350-1400; Middle English (see appurtenance, -ant ); replacing Middle English apertinent < Late Latin appertinent- (stem of appertinēns, present participle of appertinēre). See ap-1, pertinent

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for appurtenant

Historical Examples

It is my duty to warn you that the property does not produce much revenue; the appurtenant estates are not well kept up.
The White House (Novels of Paul de Kock Volume XII)
Charles Paul de Kock

And its appurtenant projectiles belong to the same branch as in the preceding case.
Memoir, Correspondence, And Miscellanies, From The Papers Of Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson

Only pieces of land together with the appurtenant territorial waters are alienable parts of territory.
International Law. A Treatise. Volume I (of 2)
Lassa Francis Oppenheim

Waste land (it may be) is given in large quantities, but merely as appurtenant to the profitable core of the gift.
Domesday Book and Beyond
Frederic William Maitland

Has any of your readers met with, or heard of the second short line, appendant and appurtenant to the first?
Notes & Queries, No. 39. Saturday, July 27, 1850
Various

Have the Dalbergs no ghost such as is appurtenant to all well-regulated royal families?
The Colonel of the Red Huzzars
John Reed Scott

A right of pasture attached to land in the way we have described is said to be appendant or appurtenant to such land.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 7
Various

appurtenant to the towns of Karanglan and Pantabangan are a few minor communities, among them Patakgao.
The Negrito and Allied Types in the Philippines and The Ilongot or Ibilao of Luzon
David P. Barrows

Anagram

Apparent nut
pupa entrant
tartan pen up
papa turn net

Today’s quote

To pretend, I actually do the thing: I have therefore only pretended to pretend.

– Jacques Derrida

On this day

15 April 1452 – birth of Leonardo Da Vinci, Italian renaissance inventor, painter, sculptor, mathematician, writer. Died 2 May 1519.

15 April 1865 – Death of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln after being shot the day before. Born 12 February 1809.

15 April 1912 – RMS Titanic sinks after hitting an iceberg on her maiden voyage from Southampton UK to New York City, USA, costing the lives of 1,502 people out of the 2,224 crew and passengers who were on board. The White Star Line, who owned the Titanic, had declared her unsinkable.

14 April 2018

antecedent

[an-tuh-seed-nt]

adjective

1. preceding; prior:
an antecedent event.
noun
2. a preceding circumstance, event, object, style, phenomenon, etc.
3. antecedents.
ancestors.
the history, events, characteristics, etc., of one’s earlier life:
Little is known about his birth and antecedents.
4. Grammar. a word, phrase, or clause, usually a substantive, that is replaced by a pronoun or other substitute later, or occasionally earlier, in the same or in another, usually subsequent, sentence. In Jane lost a glove and she can’t find it, Jane is the antecedent of she and glove is the antecedent of it.
5. Mathematics.
the first term of a ratio; the first or third term of a proportion.
the first of two vectors in a dyad.
6. Logic. the conditional element in a proposition, as “Caesar conquered Gaul,” in “If Caesar conquered Gaul, he was a great general.”.

Origin of antecedent

Middle English, Middle French, Latin
1350-1400; Middle English (< Middle French) < Latin antecēdent- (stem of antecēdēns) going before, present participle of antecēdere to antecede; see -ent

Related forms

antecedental [an-tuh-see-den-tl] (Show IPA), adjective
antecedently, adverb

Can be confused

antecedence, antecedents.

Synonyms

1. precursory, preexistent. 2. precursor, forerunner, ancestor.

Antonyms

1. subsequent. 2. successor.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for antecedent

Contemporary Examples

Even online chat rooms have an antecedent in the exchanges of nineteenth-century American telegraph operators.
Social Media is So Old Even the Romans Had It
Nick Romeo
October 25, 2013

Historical Examples

The antecedent of this pronoun had been mentioned for the last time at eight o’clock.
Barnaby Rudge
Charles Dickens

If magnetism be an antecedent factor, magnetism may be its product.
The Machinery of the Universe
Amos Emerson Dolbear

Anagram

net enacted
a decent ten

Today’s quote

Tact is the ability to describe others as they see themselves.

– Abraham Lincoln

On this day

14 April 1865 – President Abraham Lincoln is shot by John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theater, Washington DC. Lincoln died the following day.

14 April 1912 – the RMS Titanic strikes an ice-berg just before midnight in the north Atlantic ocean as it sailed on its maiden voyage from Southampton UK to New York City USA , resulting in the deaths of 1,502 of the 3,372 people onboard.

14 April 1988 – Soviet Union begins withdrawing troops from Afghanistan after nine years of occupation.

13 April 2018

mimetic

[mi-met-ik, mahy-]

adjective

1. characterized by, exhibiting, or of the nature of imitation or mimicry:
mimetic gestures.
2. mimic or make-believe.

Anagram

mime tic

Today’s quote

The highest activity a human being can attain is learning for understanding, because to understand is to be free.

– Baruch Spinoza

On this day

13 April 1570 – birth of Guy Fawkes, English soldier and one of the masterminds behind the failed ‘Gunpowder Plot’ to blow up English Parliament in an effort to assassinate King James 1 and VI of Scotland. Died 31 January 1606.

13 April 1923 – birth of Don Adams, American actor, most famous for his character Maxwell Smart (Agent 86) in the TV show ‘Get Smart’. Died 25 September 2005.

13 April 1947 – birth of Mike Chapman, Australian songwriter and record producer. Hailing from Nambour, Queensland, Chapman became one of the most influential record producers in Britain when he teamed with Nicky Chinn, with hits for Sweet, Smokie, Suzi Quatro, Mud, Racey and others, including Bow Wow Wow, Pat Benatar, Huey Lewis, Toni Basil. He also produced albums for the Knack and Blondie.

13 April 1975 – The 15 year long Lebanese Civil War starts when Christian Phalangists attack a bus, massacring 26 members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.