8 January 2019

gnurr

gnurr – The substance that collects over time in the bottoms of pockets or cuffs of trousers.
See also related terms for pockets.

Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.

Today’s quote

Nothing in the world can bother you as much as your own mind, I tell you. In fact, others seem to be bothering you, but it is not others. It is your own mind.

– Dalai Lama

On this day

8 January 1642 – death of Galileo Galilei, Italian polymath and central figure in the Renaissance and scientific revolution, known for his work as an astronomer, physicist, engineer, philosopher and mathematician. Also called the ‘father of observational astronomy’, ‘father of modern physics’, ‘father of the scientific method’, and ‘father of science’. The Catholic church his idea of heliocentrism, that is the earth revolving around the sun, to be heretical, as the church believed the heavens revolved around the Earth. Galileo was tried at an Inquisition and remained under house arrest for the remainder of his life. Born 15 February 1564.

8 January 1935 – birth of Elvis Aaron Presley, the King of Rock and Roll. Died 16 August 1977.

8 January 1942 – birth of Stephen Hawking, English theoretical physicist, cosmologist and author. In 1963, at the age of 21, Hawking was diagnosed with motor neuron disease, a degenerative condition that worsened over the years, leaving him paralysed and unable to speak. He communicated through a speech-generating device. Hawking proposed that black holes emit radiation and set out a theory of cosmology explained by a union of Einstein’s general theory of relativity and quantum mechanics. Died 14 March 2018.

8 January 1947 – birth of David Bowie, British musician and actor, born David Robert Jones. Died 11 January 2016.

8 January 1959 – Fidel Castro’s rebel forces take control of Cuba. Castro eventually became President and ruled the nation until 2011.

8 January 1964 – US President Lyndon B. Johnson introduces legislation that results in the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, otherwise known as the War on Poverty, in an effort to reduce the increasing poverty rate, which at that time was around 19%. Through this a number of poverty-reduction strategies were implemented, including Social Security Act 1965, Food Stamp Act of 1964, Elementary and Secondary Education Act (1965), Community Action Program, Job Corps, and Volunteers in Services to America. Within 10 years the poverty rate had been reduced to around 11%. In 2014, the rate had risen to around 15%.

7 January 2019

paisano

[pahy-sah-noh, -zah-; Spanish pahy-sah-naw]

noun, plural pai·sa·nos [pahy-sah-nohz, -zah-; Spanish pahy-sah-naws] /paɪˈsɑ noʊz, -ˈzɑ-; Spanish paɪˈsɑ nɔs/.
paisan.

Southwestern U.S.

a rustic or peasant.
a roadrunner.

Origin of paisano

1835–45, Americanism; Spanish; French paysan. See peasant

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for paisano

Historical Examples

We got rid of our paisano with difficulty, and only under a promise to visit his chacra, somewhere in the vicinity, next morning.
Atlantic Monthly Vol. 6, No. 33, July, 1860
Various

They received the usual frank welcome of a paisano, and were told to dismount and unsaddle.
Ponce de Leon
William Pilling

Their cabalistic watchword was “Paisano” (fellow-countryman), their battle cry “Independence.”
The American Occupation of the Philippines 1898-1912
James H. Blount

Sick with expectancy of the news he feared, he rode up, dismounted, and dropped Paisano’s reins.
Heart of the West
O. Henry

Today’s quote

How wonderful it is that no one has to wait, but can start right now to gradually change the world! How wonderful it is that everyone, great and small, can immediately help bring about justice by giving of themselves.

— Anne Frank

On this day

7 January – Christmas Day celebrated by some eastern and Orthodox churches, which is 25 December under the old Julian calendar. Most western churches celebrate Christmas on 25 December in the Gregorian calendar system which began replacing the Julian calendar throughout the world from 1582.

7 January 1943 – Death of Nikola Tesla, Serbian American inventor, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer and futurist. Inventor of alternating current (A/C) electricity supply. Born 10 July 1856.

7 January 1979 – Brutal Cambodian dictator, Pol Pot, is overthrown as Vietnamese forces invade Phnom Penh. Pol Pot and his army, the Khmer Rouge, were responsible for killing approximately 1.7 million people.

6 January 2019

posada

[poh-sah-duh; Spanish paw-sah-th ah]

noun, plural posadas [poh-sah-duh z; Spanish paw-sah-th ahs]

1. (in some Spanish-speaking countries) a government-operated or -approved inn offering moderately priced rooms to tourists, especially in a historic area.

Origin of posada

1755-1765; Spanish: inn, lodging, dwelling, equivalent to pos(ar) to lodge, rest (< Late Latin pausāre; see pose1) + -ada, feminine of -ado -ate1

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for posada

Contemporary Examples

posada used the skeleton as a way of talking about politics, commenting on life.
New Orleans’ Carnivalesque Day of the Dead
Jason Berry
November 1, 2014

It is tempting to think that posada would be proud of how far his calavera images have traveled.
New Orleans’ Carnivalesque Day of the Dead
Jason Berry
November 1, 2014

“We are going to do what we need to do to be here for our patients,” says posada.
Pro-Choice Texas Will Not Back Down
Emily Shire
March 28, 2014

Rivera and Jeter are certain Hall of Famers while Pettitte and posada will get some consideration.
The Last Days of Derek Jeter’s Yankees
Allen Barra
October 21, 2010

Historical Examples

It was no doubt a posada and some other traveller was trying for admittance.
Within the Tides
Joseph Conrad

Then he turned in to the posada, and hastily summoned Mateo.
The Argonauts of North Liberty
Bret Harte

I was assisted by the landlord of the posada, who had risen, and was stalking about in his serape.
The Scalp Hunters
Mayne Reid

The posada was a wretched one, but there were few people in it.
In New Granada
W.H.G. Kingston

She is worth a journey to the posada to see, but then, what is that—what are a few wisps of flowers?
When Dreams Come True
Ritter Brown

Today’s quote

I think every professor and writer is in some way an exhibitionist because his or her normal activity is a theatrical one. When you give a lesson the situation is the same as writing a book. You have to capture the attention, the complicity of your audience.

– Umberto Eco

On this day

6 January – the Epiphany, which commemorates when the Three Wise Men of the East (the Magi) visited the baby Jesus, with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. The Epiphany is celebrated the day after the ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’, which conclude on 5 January.

6 January 1925 – birth of John DeLorean, founder of the DeLorean Motor Company in Detroit, Michigan. The DeLorean with Gull-Wing doors was featured in the movie, ‘Back to the Future‘.

6 January 1973 – one of Hitler’s cars, a Mercedes 770K sedan, was auctioned on this day for $153,000,000.

6 January 1994 – Figure-skater Nancy Kerrigan is knee-capped in a violent attack as she was about to speak to reporters. Her rival, Tonya Harding, was accused of orchestrating the attack, resulting in Harding and four men being charged and sentenced to jail.

6 January 2005 – Ku Klux Klan leader, Ray Killen, is arrested and charged over the murders of three civil rights activists in Philadelphia, more than 40 years previously. On 21 June 2005, (exactly 41 years to the day of the murders) Killen is found guilty of three counts of manslaughter and sentenced to 20 years jail on each count.

5 January 2019

marimba

[muh-rim-buh]

noun

1. a musical instrument, originating in Africa but popularized and modified in Central America, consisting of a set of graduated wooden bars, often with resonators beneath to reinforce the sound, struck with mallets.

Origin of marimba

Portuguese Kimbundu
1695-1705; Portuguese; Kimbundu or a related Bantu language; akin to kalimba

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for marimba

Contemporary Examples

You’ll hear a marimba and dulcimer every so often in this crescendoing collection of stellar four-part harmonies.
10 Great Bands You’ve Never Heard
Winston Ross
May 26, 2013

Historical Examples

One of their chief instruments is the ‘ marimba ‘ or ‘Tyanbilo,’ a form of harmonium.
Chatterbox, 1906
Various

The marimba is played with drum-sticks of rubber, and the tone is good and powerful.
Chatterbox, 1906
Various

This form of marimba is also met with amongst the natives of Costa Rica.
Chatterbox, 1906
Various

The Portuguese have imitated the marimba, and use it in their dances in Angola.
Great African Travellers
W.H.G. Kingston

Others assert that the Indians have known the marimba time out of mind, and undoubtedly invented it.
The Gegence; A Comedy Ballet in the Nahuatl-Spanish Dialect of Nicaragua
Daniel G. Brinton

The Smithsonian Institution contains a good specimen of the marimba.
The Gegence; A Comedy Ballet in the Nahuatl-Spanish Dialect of Nicaragua
Daniel G. Brinton

Today’s quote

Infuse your life with action. Don’t wait for it to happen. Make it happen. Make your own future. Make your own hope. Make your own love. And whatever your beliefs, honor your creator, not by passively waiting for grace to come down from upon high, but by doing what you can to make grace happen… yourself, right now, right down here on Earth.

– Bradley Whitford

On this day

5 January – the twelfth day of the 12 days of Christmas (Western Christianity).

5 January 1914 – Henry Ford introduces the $5 per day wage, which was double the rate previously offered. Ford believed it would help him keep his best people and that it would enable his workers to buy Ford cars.

5 January 1932 – birth of Umberto Eco. Italian writer, philosopher and semiotician. Author of novels, including ‘The Name of the Rose’, ‘Foucalt’s Pendulum’, ‘The Island of the Day Before’, ‘The Prague Cemetery’. Died 19 February 2016.

5 January 1933 – work commences on San Francisco’s Golden Gate bridge. It was completed on 19 April 1937. The bridge is 2.7km long and 227.4m high.

5 January 1945 – First use of kamikaze pilots. Battle of Lingayan Gulf, Philippines. Allied forces attack Japanese positions. Japan had a seriously weakened air force that was now mainly comprised of inexperienced pilots, so authorised the first use of kamikaze (divine wind) attacks. USA ships included the USS Mississippi, New Mexico and Colorado. Australian ships included the HMAS Australia, Shropshire, Arunta, Warramunga, Gascoyne and Warrego. The Allies lost 30 ships, with 67 others damaged. Japanese casualties are unknown, however, the battle was a victory for the Allies.

5 January 1968 – the ‘Prague Spring’ in Czechoslovakia occurred through the political and economic reforms of leader Alexander Dubcek aimed at introducing ‘socialism with a human face’. The reforms included freedom of speech and allowing non-communist political organisations. The Soviet Union were less enthusiastic about these reforms and invaded Czechoslovakia with 600,000 troops.

4 January 2019

satrap

[sey-trap, sa-]

noun

a governor of a province under the ancient Persian monarchy.
a subordinate ruler, often a despotic one.

Origin of satrap

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin satrapa < Greek satrápēs < Old Persian khshathra-pāvan- country-protector

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for satrap

Historical Examples

When he had heard her words, Pharnabazus decided that the woman ought to be satrap.
Hellenica
Xenophon

Hence the Persians argued that they had been betrayed by the satrap.
Hellenica
Xenophon

He has made the satrap, as you see, a fugitive and a vagabond in his own vast territory.
Hellenica
Xenophon

What could be clearer, therefore, than that he was about to make a dash at the satrap’s home in Caria?
Agesilaus
Xenophon

Where a satrap is appointed he has charge of both departments.
The Economist
Xenophon

Today’s quote

If you aren’t in over your head, how do you know how tall you are?

– T. S. Eliot

On this day

4 January – the eleventh day of the 12 days of Christmas (Western Christianity).

4 January 1903 – Thomas Edison electrocutes an elephant to prove the dangers of ‘alternating current’ electricity. He had previously electrocuted stray cats and dogs and even horses and cows. He snidely referred to it as ‘getting Westinghoused’. Topsy, the elephant, had squashed 4 trainers at the Luna Park Zoo on Coney Island, so the zoo had decided to hang her, before someone suggested she ‘ride the lightning’. More on this at http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2008/01/dayintech_0104

4 January 1961 – death of Erwin Schrödinger, Nobel prize-winning Austrian physicist who developed a number of fundamental results in the field of quantum theory, which formed the basis of wave mechanics. He was the author of many works in various fields of physics: statistical mechanics and thermodynamics, physics of dielectrics, colour theory, electrodynamics, general relativity, and cosmology, and he made several attempts to construct a unified field theory. He paid great attention to the philosophical aspects of science, ancient and oriental philosophical concepts, ethics, and religion.[4] He also wrote on philosophy and theoretical biology. He is also known for his “Schrödinger’s cat” thought-experiment. Born 12 August 1887.

4 January 1965 – death of Thomas Stearns Eliot (T.S. Eliot), poet, playwright, publisher, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, described as ‘arguably the most important English language poet of the 20th century’. Wrote ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock‘, ‘The Waste Land‘, ‘Ash Wednesday‘, ‘The Hollow Men‘. Born 26 September 1888.

3 January 2019

rapacious

[ruh-pey-shuh s]

adjective

given to seizing for plunder or the satisfaction of greed.
inordinately greedy; predatory; extortionate:
a rapacious disposition.
(of animals) subsisting by the capture of living prey; predacious.

Origin of rapacious

1645–55; < Latin rapāci- (stem of rapāx greedy, akin to rapere to seize; see rape1) + -ous

Related forms

ra·pa·cious·ly, adverb
ra·pac·i·ty [ruh-pas-i-tee] /rəˈpæs ɪ ti/, ra·pa·cious·ness, noun
un·ra·pa·cious, adjective
un·ra·pa·cious·ly, adverb
un·ra·pa·cious·ness, noun

Synonyms

See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.com
2. ravenous, voracious, grasping; preying.

Synonym study

2. See avaricious.

Antonyms

2. generous.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for rapacity

Contemporary Examples

Even as we cheer for her stamina, we shrink from her rapacity.
Brecht’s Mercenary Mother Courage Turns 75
Katie Baker
September 10, 2014

Historical Examples

His eyes shone with rapacity and hope; he became confidential.
Nostromo: A Tale of the Seaboard
Joseph Conrad

Her folly and rapacity will sooner or later have their effect.
Memoirs of the Court of George IV. 1820-1830 (Vol 1)
Duke of Buckingham and Chandos

“I don’t know that rapacity is confined to trade,” admitted Annie.
A Houseful of Girls
Sarah Tytler

And the Spaniard here, who has been driven out for his cruelty and rapacity.
A Little Girl in Old Detroit
Amanda Minnie Douglas

With the rapacity Kidd had the cruelty of his odious calling.
The History of England from the Accession of James II.
Thomas Babington Macaulay

Today’s quote

If all the people in this world in which we live, were as selfish as a few of the people in this world in which we live, there would be no world in which to live.

– W.L. Orme

On this day

3 January – the tenth day of the 12 days of Christmas (Western Christianity).

3 January 106BC – birth of Marcus Tullius Cicero (sometimes anglicised as Tully), Roman statesman, politician, philosopher, orator. Tully’s influence on Latin and other European languages was immense and still felt up to the 19th century. The history of prose in Latin and other languages was said to be either a reaction against, or a return to, his style. Died 7 December 43BC.

3 January 1521 – Pope Leo X excommunicates Martin Luther in the papal bull Decet Romanum Pontificem.

3 January 1892 – birth of J.R.R. Tolkien, author of ‘The Hobbit‘ and ‘Lord of the Rings‘. Died 2 September 1973. ‘The road goes ever on … ‘

3 January 1956 – birth of Mel Gibson, Australian actor.

3 January 1962 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro.

3 January 1969 – birth of Michael Schumacher, German Formula 1 racing car driver.

3 January 1977 – Apple Computers is incorporated.

2 January 2019

Kohinoor

or Koh-i-noor
[koh-uh-noo r]

noun

an Indian diamond weighing 106 carats; now part of the British crown jewels.

Origin of Kohinoor

From the Persian word kōhinūr literally, mountain of light

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for kohinoor

Historical Examples

He had no more desire to possess her than to own the Kohinoor.
In a Little Town
Rupert Hughes

It stands to reason that you save the Kohinoor and let the little stones go.
The Best Short Stories of 1917
Various

She has been brought up like the Kohinoor, never out of somebody’s sight.
That Fortune
Charles Dudley Warner

The largest Diamonds of the world have been obtained from these mines, some exceeding the Kohinoor in size.
Birds and Nature, Vol. 12 No. 4 [September 1902]
Various

You’ve won the Kohinoor; and although you seem to live in the clouds, you’ve had the sense to make things pukka straightaway.
Far to Seek
Maud Diver

Today’s quote

You can build something beautiful from stones that are put in your way.

― Erich Kästner

On this day

2 January – the ninth day of the 12 days of Christmas (Western Christianity).

2 January 1952 – birth of Graeme ‘Shirley’ Strachan. Lead singer of Australian band, Skyhooks. Died 29 August 2001 in a helicopter crash near Maroochydore, Queensland.

2 January 1979 – Sid Vicious, former bass player with the Sex Pistols, goes on trial for the murder of his girlfriend, Nancy Spugen. Vicious and Spungen had allegedly been using heroin, and Vicious claimed he woke to find her dead on the bathroom floor. He was released on bail on 1 February 1979. It was later revealed that Mick Jagger paid the bail. That night he celebrated his release with friends. Vicious had stopped using heroin, however, his mother provided some that night. Early the following morning (2 February 1979), Vicious died of an overdose.

1 January 2019

depredation

[dep-ri-dey-shuh n]

noun

the act of preying upon or plundering; robbery; ravage.

Origin of depredation

1475–85; Late Latin dēpraedātiōn- (stem of dēpraedātiō) a plundering, equivalent to dēpraedāt(us) (see depredate) + -iōn- -ion

Related forms

dep·re·da·tion·ist, noun

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for depredations

Contemporary Examples

The depredations suffered by Southern blacks at the hands of white authorities had been known, at an abstract level, for decades.
The Daily Beast logo
When a Picture Is Too Powerful
Jeff Greenfield
September 15, 2014

Is it the depredations of unfettered capitalism that make people the servants of the market rather than the other way around?
The Daily Beast logo
You Say You Want a Revolution?
Christopher Dickey
June 23, 2013

Only grassroots opposition stopped, or at least limited, their depredations.
The Daily Beast logo
America’s New Oligarchs—Fwd.us and Silicon Valley’s Shady 1 Percenters
Joel Kotkin
May 14, 2013

Iran has also succumbed over the course of a cruel century, in large part because of the depredations of the Pahlavi dynasty.
The Daily Beast logo
Prince Ali Reza Pahlavi Suicide: Tragic End to Iran’s Dynasty
Stephen Kinzer
January 5, 2011

Historical Examples

He had no right to try the Begums, nor did he pretend to try them.
The Roof of France
Matilda Betham-Edwards

What do you mean by the word rebellion, as applied to the Begums?
End of the Tether
Joseph Conrad

Now they could not be sent by the Begums in their own person.
The Expedition to Borneo of H.M.S. Dido
Henry Keppel

Sheridan pleaded the cause of the Begums in what has been reckoned the finest speech ever heard in modern times.
Historical Tales, Vol. 9 (of 15)
Charles Morris

This depraved old man has clearly no feeling for symmetry of form or face; a long career of Begums has utterly vitiated his taste.
In School and Out
Oliver Optic

Today’s quote

Don’t depend too much on anyone in this world because even your own shadow leaves you when you are in darkness.

― Ibn Taymiyyah

On this day

1 January – the eighth day of the 12 days of Christmas (Western Christianity).

1 January – the official birthday for all thoroughbred horses in the Northern Hemisphere. (see 1 August for Southern Hemisphere).

1 January 1901 – Federation of Australia. The six self-governing colonies in Australia formed a single nation known as the Commonwealth of Australia.

1 January 1915 – Battle of Broken Hill. Two Turkish men shot dead four people and wounded seven others in the remote Australian town of Broken Hill, New South Wales. They claimed it was in relation to ongoing hostilities between the Ottoman Empire and the British Empire.

1 January 1942 – the United Nations is established by representatives of 26 nations in order to enforce peace-keeping campaigns throughout the world. There are now 193 member states and 2 non-member states (the Holy See and Palestine).

1 January 1959 – Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista flees Cuba following a revolution led by Fidel Castro. Batista allegedly fled with around $700 million of art and cash, the result of graft and corruption.

1 January 1985 – the UK’s first mobile phone call is made by British comedian, Ernie Wise (from ‘Morecombe and Wise’), to Vodafone.

31 December 2018

begum(1)

[bee-guh m, bey-]

noun

– (in India) a high-ranking Muslim woman, especially a widow.

Origin of begum(1)

1625–35; < Urdu begam ≪ Turkic begim, apparently a derivative of beg. See bey

begum(2)

[bih-guhm]

verb (used with object), be·gummed, be·gum·ming.

to smear, soil, clog, etc., with or as if with gum or a gummy substance.
Origin of begum2

be- + gum1

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for begum

Historical Examples

He had no right to try the Begums, nor did he pretend to try them.
Critical and Historical Essays, Volume III (of 3)
Thomas Babington Macaulay

What do you mean by the word rebellion, as applied to the Begums?
The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. XII. (of XII.)
Edmund Burke

Now they could not be sent by the Begums in their own person.
The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. XII. (of XII.)
Edmund Burke

Sheridan pleaded the cause of the Begums in what has been reckoned the finest speech ever heard in modern times.
Biographical Outlines
Anonymous

Today’s quote

I think there is only one quality worse than hardness of heart and that is softness of head.

– Theodore Roosevelt

On this day

31 December – the seventh day of the 12 days of Christmas (Western Christianity).

31 December 1948 – birth of Disco star, Donna Summer. Died 17 May 2012.

31 December 1967 – Evel Knievel unsuccessfully attempts a motorcycle jump over the fountains of Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. He received concussion and numerous broken bones, which left him in a coma for 29 days.

31 December 2007 – Murder statistics in the United States reveal that murder rate is 0.055 per head of population, which is slightly less than it was in 1947, when the rate was 0.0551. The population in 1947 was 145,000,000 and there were 8,000 murders. In 2007, the population was 300,000,000 and there were 16,500 murders.

30 December 2018

ryot

[rahy-uh t]

noun (in India)

a peasant.
a person who holds land as a cultivator of the soil.

Origin of ryot

1615–25; Hindi raiyat; Persian; Arabic raʿīyah subjects, literally, flock

Dictionary.com

Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for ryots

Historical Examples

Like the ryots and the agricultural labourers, they do not show the least sign of revolt.
The New World of Islam
Lothrop Stoddard

The farmers in Egypt irrigate in the same way as the ryots of India.
The Critic in the Orient
George Hamlin Fitch

Indian ryots are quite as receptive of new ideas as English farmers.
Tales of Bengal
S. B. Banerjea

Certain deductions have to be made—some ryots may be defaulters.
Sport and Work on the Nepaul Frontier
James Inglis

It is the business of all, from the ryots to the dewan, to conceal and deceive.
The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. XII. (of XII.)
Edmund Burke

Today’s quote

The foundation of every state is the education of its youth.

– Diogenes

On this day

30 December – the sixth day of the 12 days of Christmas (Western Christianity).

30 December 1896 – Death of Dr Jose Rizal, Filipino national hero. Rizal was an ophthalmologist by profession. He campaigned for reforms of the Spanish rule of the Philippines, writing numerous works critical of the Spanish government, which helped inspire the Philippine revolution. Following this Rizal was excecuted in Manila by the Spanish colonial government. Rizal was born in Calamba, Laguna on 19 June 1861.

30 December 1922 – Lenin establishes the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).

30 December 1945 – birth of Davy Jones, singer with British 1960’s rock band, The Monkees. Died 29 February 2012.

30 December 2006 – Former Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein, hanged after being found guilty of committing crimes against humanity.