March 31, 2007
interlanguage
DEFINITION: (noun) The type of language produced by nonnative speakers in the process of learning a second language or foreign language.
SYNONYMS: lingua franca, koine.
USAGE: Koine Greek was the interlanguage of the empire of Alexander the Great and was widely spoken throughout the eastern Mediterranean.
Octavio Paz
Paz was a Mexican poet and critic, diplomat, and the winner of the 1990 Nobel Prize in Literature. He wrote with a revealing depth of insight, elegance, and erudition that place him among his generation's ablest writers. Among his many works are the Charles Eliot Norton lectures, delivered at Harvard in 1972 and collected under the title Children of the Mire: Modern Poetry from Romanticism to the Avant-Garde. Paz was born in Mexico City during what political event?Daylight Saving Time Goes into Effect
Daylight saving time (DST) is observed when clocks are set ahead in the spring, so that the sun rises and sets later in the day as measured by those clocks. DST was first mentioned in a satirical 1784 article by Ben Franklin that recommended that shops be opened and closed earlier in the day to save on the cost of lighting. Daylight saving time was used during WWI and WWII, and the US went on extended DST in 1974 and 1975 in response to what crisis?The History of Auto Racing
Automobile racing originated in France in 1894, almost immediately after the construction of the first successful petrol-fueled autos, and it appeared in the US the following year. Open-road races were banned in France in 1903, however, after they led to 8 fatalities. Today, there are several different categories of racing. In open-wheel, stock-car, and other types of circuit auto races, flags are displayed to communicate instructions to competitors. What does a black flag signify?March 30, 2007
malediction
DEFINITION: (noun) The calling down of a curse.
SYNONYMS: imprecation.
USAGE: They muttered maledictions and curses, but we ignored them.
Ingvar Kamprad
Kamprad founded IKEA, the home furnishing retail chain. The acronym IKEA is made up of the initials of his name plus those of Elmtaryd, the farm where he was born, and Agunnaryd, a nearby village. As a boy, Kamprad bought matches in bulk and sold them individually at a low price for profit. He expanded to selling fish, seeds, and pencils. When he was 17, his father gave him a reward that he used to start IKEA. Where does Kamprad rank on Forbes' list of the world's wealthiest people?Thomas Cranmer Becomes Archbishop of Canterbury
Thomas Cranmer was the archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of the English kings Henry VIII and Edward VI. He promoted and proclaimed Henry's various marriages and divorces according to the king's will, and he endorsed the translation of the Bible into English. During Edward VI's reign, he shaped the doctrinal and liturgical transformation of the Church of England and was responsible for much of the first Book of Common Prayer. How did Thomas Cranmer die?Sunflower
The sunflower is a plant native to the New World and common throughout the US. Its stem can grow up to 10 ft (3 m) tall, and its flower head, commonly having yellow rays, can reach 1 ft (30 cm) in diameter. The sunflower was domesticated around 1000 BCE in the Americas, where the Incas venerated it as an image of their sun god, and it reached Europe in the 16th century. It is valued today for its oil-bearing seeds that can be made into bread. The sunflower is the state flower of what US state?Study Finds Gamblers Risking Their Health
A new study found that people who gambled five or more times a year had higher rates of hypertension, obesity, and alcoholism, and were also were more likely to smoke and to have been to the emergency room in the past year. Problem and pathological gamblers also had higher incidences of angina and cirrhosis of the liver. It is unclear whether gambling causes these problems or whether people with these kinds of conditions tend to be gamblers.March 29, 2007
paroxysm
DEFINITION: (noun) A sudden uncontrollable attack.
SYNONYMS: convulsion, fit.
USAGE: Michael strained backward in a paroxysm of rage, making fierce short jumps to the end of the tether as he snarled and growled with utmost fierceness.
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