11 March 2018

bosh(1)

[bosh]

noun

1. absurd or foolish talk; nonsense.

Origin of bosh(1)

Turkish

1830-1835; < Turkish boş empty; popularized from its use in the novel Ayesha (1834) by British author James J. Morier (1780-1849)

bosh(2)

[bosh]

noun, Metallurgy.

1. the section of a blast furnace between the hearth and the stack, having the form of a frustum of an inverted cone.

Origin

1670-80; probably < German; akin to German böschen to slope, Böschung slope, scarp

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for bosh

Contemporary Examples

“Somebody had to break the ice,” bosh, whose own sexuality has been questioned in recent years, says.
Miami’s Chris Bosh Goes High Fashion
Justin Jones
August 13, 2014

And just as the NBA and WNBA continue to develop as open-minded sports leagues, bosh plans to develop even further as a designer.
Miami’s Chris Bosh Goes High Fashion
Justin Jones
August 13, 2014

But in New York this week, bosh said he had to take a step back from basketball and simply take in his surroundings.
Chris Bosh On the NBA Star-Studded New York City Fundraiser for Obama
Allison Samuels
August 24, 2012

But the tasty meal of steak, lobster, and shrimp was only the beginning of a night to remember for bosh and company.
Chris Bosh On the NBA Star-Studded New York City Fundraiser for Obama
Allison Samuels
August 24, 2012

But after few rounds of simply making baskets, the game turned a tad more serious, bosh says.
Chris Bosh On the NBA Star-Studded New York City Fundraiser for Obama
Allison Samuels
August 24, 2012

Historical Examples

What a lot of bosh is talked about lovers,” his comment ran.
Dust
Mr. and Mrs. Haldeman-Julius

This stupendous mass of bosh could not have been produced unless there were a demand for it.
The Curse of Education
Harold E. Gorst

That talk about me trying to get you out of Illington, Blaine, is all bosh, and you know it.
The Crevice
William John Burns and Isabel Ostrander

How even such a banquet of bosh was got ready in the time remained a riddle.
The Innocence of Father Brown
G. K. Chesterton

If my reader finds this bosh and abracadabra, all right for him.
Fantasia of the Unconscious
D. H. Lawrence

Today’s quote

A well-written life is almost as rare as a well-spent one.

– Thomas Carlyle

On this day

11 March 1845 – death of Johnny Appleseed, American environmentalist. The exact date of Appleseed’s death is in dispute, with some sources claiming 18 March 1845 and others as ‘Summer 1845’. 11 March is celebrated in the USA as ‘Johnny Appleseed Day’. He was born as John Chapman and was a nurseryman who introduced significant numbers of apple trees to Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia and Illinois. His legend grew while he was still alive because of his generous nature, care for animals and the environment, and respect he had for the American Indian tribes who believed he’d been touched by the ‘Great Spirit’ because of his love and admiration for them and the gospel message he preached. Born 26 September 1774.

11 March 1952 – birth of Douglas Adams, British author most famous for his Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series, a comical science fiction trilogy in five parts. Also wrote Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, The Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul and co-wrote, The Meaning of Liff, The Deeper Meaning of Liff and Last Chance to See. Adams also wrote three episodes of Dr Who. Adams campaigned for conservation and the environment. Died 11 May 2001.

11 March 2003 – The United States renames the humble ‘french fries’ to ‘freedom fries’ in response to the French President, Jacques Chirac, condemning the U.S. actions in Iraq.

11 March 2004 – Madrid bombings in which 191 people are killed and 1800 injured. Basque Separatists were blamed for the bombing, although did not claim responsibility. Al Qaeda-linked terrorists were also suspected of the attacks as they occurred exactly 911 days after the 9/11 attacks in the USA. In 2007, 28 suspected terrorists with links to Al Qaeda were charged. On 31 October 2007, the Spanish National Court found 21 of the defendants guilty on charges ranging from forgery to murder. Most were sentenced to 23 years or less, however, three of the accused were sentenced to 42,924 years in prison.

11 March 2007 – an earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter Scale strikes off the coast of Japan, triggering a tsunami that kills thousands of people and causes the Fukushima nuclear disaster, in which three of the six nuclear reactors melted down, releasing significant amounts of radiation. It was the world’s second largest nuclear disaster, surpassed only by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986.

9 March 2018

terrene

[te-reen, tuh-, ter-een]

adjective

1. earthly; worldly.
2. earthy.
noun
3. the earth.
4. a land or region.

Origin of terrene

Middle English Latin

1300-1350; Middle English < Latin terrēnus pertaining to earth. See terra

Related forms

terrenely, adverb

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for terrene

Historical Examples

But the visitor could not convey celestial realities to terrene minds.
Mountain Meditations
L. Lind-af-Hageby

They conduct to the terrene genera of the great family Colubrid.
Reptiles and Birds
Louis Figuier

It grows to a length of eight feet, and its habits are terrene.
Reptiles and Birds
Louis Figuier

Anagram

reenter

Today’s quote

You can make anything by writing.

– C.S. Lewis

On this day

9 March 1454 – birth of Amerigo Vespucci in Florence, Italy. Italian explorer, financier, navigator and cartographer. Vespucci believed that Christopher Columbus’s discovery of the ‘New World’ or ‘East Asia’ (now known as the Bahamas) and the land mass beyond it, was not part of Asia, but a separate ‘super-continent’. America is named after Vespucci. Died 22 February 1512 in Seville, Spain.

9 – 10 March 1945 – A new U.S. offensive against Japan is launched in which more than 2,000 bombs were dropped on Tokyo over a 2 day period, killing around 80,000 people and destroying 40km2. The attack was known as ‘Operation Meetinghouse’ and is considered the single worst bombing in history. It is also believed the official death toll was greatly understated by both Japan and America for their own reasons. Operation Meetinghouse was only one of a number of fire (incendiary) bombings of Japan between 17 November 1944 and 15 August 1945. The fire-bombings demolished every Japanese city, except for Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which were reserved for the atomic bomb attacks of 6 and 9 August 1945. The incendiary and atomic bombings killed at least 2 million Japanese civilians.

9 March 1934 – birth of Yuri Gagarin, Soviet astronaut. On 12 April 1961, he became the first man into space and to orbit Earth while aboard the Vostok 1 spacecraft.

9 March 1954 – birth of Bobby Sands, member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) who died following a hunger strike while imprisoned at HM Prison Maze. He and other prisoners, were protesting against the removal of special category status which conferred a ‘Prisoner of War’ status on prisoners convicted of ‘Troubles-related’ offences in Ireland. Special Category Status meant they were subject to the Geneva Convention so didn’t have to wear prison uniforms or do prison work, were housed within paramilitary factions, received extra visits and more food. During his fast, Sands was elected to British Parliament as an anti-H-Block candidate (H-Block representing Maze Prison’s H-shaped block). Sands was one of 10 hunger strikers to die during the 1981 hunger strike. Died 5 May 1981

8 March 2018

picayune

[pik-ee-yoon, pik-uh-]

adjective, Also, picayunish, Informal.

1. of little value or account; small; trifling:
a picayune amount.
2. petty, carping, or prejudiced:
I didn’t want to seem picayune by criticizing.
noun
3. (formerly, in Louisiana, Florida, etc.) a coin equal to half a Spanish real.
4. any small coin, as a five-cent piece.
5. Informal. an insignificant person or thing.

Origin of picayune

French Provençal

1780-1790; < Provençal picaioun small copper coin (compare French picaillons), derivative of an onomatopoetic base *pikk- beat, here referring to the coining of coppers

Related forms

picayunishly, adverb
picayunishness, noun

Synonyms

1. trivial, insignificant. 2. narrow-minded.

Anagram

epic yuan
a puny ice

Today’s quote

The hardest thing to do is to be true to yourself especially when everybody is watching.

– Dave Chappelle

On this day

8 March – International Women’s Day.

8 March 1010 – Abolqasem Ferdowsi completes his epic poem, Shahnameh (The Book of Kings). The poem is 50,000 verses long and tells the story of Persia, from creation to the Islamic conquest in the 7th century. Ferdowsi commenced the poem in 977AD. It is the national poem of Iran and is revered by Zoroastrians. The poem is celebrated every year in Iran and by Persian speakers in surrounding areas, including Afghanistan and Tajikstan.

8 – 12 March 1917 – February Revolution in Russia. Following International Women’s Day celebrations many women march out of factories and encourage male counterparts to participate in the strikes and rallies. The first of two events that formed the Russian Revolution, resulting in the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II, which ended the Romanov dynasty and saw the creation of the Russian Provisional Government, initially led by Prince George L’vov and then by socialist Alexander Kerensky.

8 March 1973 – Whiskey Au Go Go nightclub in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, Australia, is fire-bombed, killing 15 people. The building was on the corner of Amelia Street and St Paul’s Terrace. It was claimed the fire was part of an extortion attempt of night-club owners. The men found guilty of the crime, continued protesting their innocence from prison, claiming they were verballed.

5 March 2018

irregardless

[ir-i-gahrd-lis]

adverb, Nonstandard.

1. regardless.

Origin of irregardless

1910-1915; ir-2(probably after irrespective) + regardless

Can be confused

irregardless, regardless (see usage note at the current entry)

Usage note

Irregardless is considered nonstandard because of the two negative elements ir- and -less. It was probably formed on the analogy of such words as irrespective, irrelevant, and irreparable. Those who use it, including on occasion educated speakers, may do so from a desire to add emphasis. Irregardless first appeared in the early 20th century and was perhaps popularized by its use in a comic radio program of the 1930s.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for irregardless

Contemporary Examples

Besides, like knowing some French or making sure not to say “irregardless,” having a B.A. is a class marker in America.
Did Needs-Blind Admission Create the College Debt Crisis?
John McWhorter
July 6, 2014

Word Origin and History for irregardless

an erroneous word that, etymologically, means the opposite of what it is used to express. Attested in non-standard writing from at least 1870s (e.g. “Portsmouth Times,” Portsmouth, Ohio, U.S.A., April 11, 1874: “We supported the six successful candidates for Council in the face of a strong opposition. We were led to do so because we believed every man of them would do his whole duty, irregardless of party, and the columns of this paper for one year has [sic] told what is needed.”); probably a blend of irrespective and regardless. Perhaps inspired by the colloquial use of the double negative as an emphatic.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Anagram

girls readers
riders glares

Today’s quote

Music in the soul can be heard by the universe.

– Lao Tzu

On this day

5 March 1946 – The term ‘Iron Curtain’ to describe the Soviet Union and Communist Europe, is coined in a speech by Winston Churchill.

5 March 1953 – USSR leader Joseph Stalin died at his dacha at Kuntseva,15km west of Moscow, following a stroke three days earlier. An autopsy suggested he may have died from ingesting warfarin, a rat poison which thins the blood, and that this may have caused the cerebral hemorrhage. The warfarin may have been added to his food by Deputy Premier Beria and Nikita Khrushchev. It was later revealed by former Politburo member, Vyacheslav Molotov in his 1993 memoirs that Beria had boasted of poisoning Stalin. Born 18 December 1878.

3 March 2018

Mumblecrust

noun

Mumblecrust isn’t a terribly flattering term. Although, if you are in fact a mumblecrust, you probably don’t care if you’re thrown this insult—you’ve got bigger issues. The word refers to a toothless, haggard beggar (as portrayed in a medieval comedy show).

www.dictionary.com

Today’s quote

Empower yourselves with a good education, then get out there and use that education to build a country worthy of your boundless promise.

– Michelle Obama

On this day

3 March 1923 – the first edition of Time magazine is published featuring Joseph Gurney Cannon, a U.S. congressman.

3 March 1931 – the Star Spangled Banner becomes the United States national anthem. The song was written by Francis Scott Key on 14 September 1814.

3 March 1991 – In Los Angeles, three white police officers are filmed viciously bashing African American, Rodney King. The video of police brutality is shown publicly. Four police officers are charged in relation to the bashing, but are later acquitted. News of the acquittal led to the 1992 Los Angeles riots.

2 March 2018

Shot-clog

noun

You know that one person who always tags along on group outings . . . and you really don’t want them there, but you feel bad and they usually pick up the tab. Well, that person is known as a shot-clog. Shot refers to the bill, and the clog part is derived from a weight attached to an animal’s leg that is used to impede their progress. Bottom line: This shot-clog may bring some of the group down, but they offer to pay the bill so . . . another round for everyone!

www.dictionary.com

Anagram

go cloths

Today’s quote

I would never be so arrogant to think that someone should model their life after me. But the idea of possibility . . . the idea that I get to live my dreams out in public, hopefully will show to other folks that it’s possible. So I prefer the term ‘possibility model’ to ‘role model’.

– Laverne Cox

On this day

2 March 1904 – birth of Theodore Seuss Geisel, (Dr Seuss), children’s author. Died 24 September 1991.

2 March 1917 – Russian Czar Nicholas II is forced to abdicate following the Bloody Sunday massacres in which palace guards opened fire on unarmed protesters, killing many of them. His abdication brought an end to 300 years of rule by the Romanov dynasty.

2 March 1942 – birth of Lou Reed (Lewis Allan Reed), American glam rock musician, singer and song-writer. Was lead singer of 60s alternative band, Velvet Underground, before going solo and having hits such as ‘Walk on the Wild Side’, ‘Vicious’, ‘Satellite of Love’ and ‘Perfect Day’. His albums Transformer and Berlin are considered among the most influential albums of the 20th century. Reed coined the term ‘Ostrich tuning’ in relation to a type of trivial tuning of strings. The six strings of a guitar are normally tuned to EADGbe. However in his 1964 song, The Ostrich (performed by the Primitives, which later became Velvet Underground) Reed tuned all six strings of his guitar to a single D note: DDDDdd. Died 27 October 2013.

2 March 1969 – The Concorde, the world’s first supersonic passenger jet, makes its maiden flight.