Definition: (noun) An unforeseen event that disrupts the normal course of things; an inopportune occurrence.
Synonyms: mishap, predicament, calamity.
Usage: His cross-country tour had its full share of comic contretemps.
Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Many Bostonians resented the heavy British military presence in their city during the late 1700s, and the soldiers’ enforcement of the unpopular Townshend Acts merely exacerbated the tense situation. On March 5, 1770, soldiers opened fire on an aggressive, rioting civilian mob, killing five men. The Boston Massacre, as it became known, fueled the anti-British sentiment that culminated in the American Revolutionary War. Which future US president served as the troops’ defense lawyer? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
March 5 marks the anniversary of the 1770 street fight between a group of colonial American protesters and a squad of British troops quartered in Boston—an event that reflected the unpopularity of the British regime in colonial America and set the stage for the American Revolution. In Massachusetts, the anniversary of the Boston Massacre is observed annually with patriotic songs and speeches. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Luxemburg was a Polish-born German revolutionary and Marxist political theorist. She helped found the Polish Socialist party, was a leader in the German Social Democratic Party, and collaborated with Karl Liebknecht in founding the Spartacus League in 1916. Imprisoned during World War I for opposing the war, Luxemburg continued to secretly write politically inflammatory essays and had them illegally smuggled out of prison and published. How did she die? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Velcro is a brand name of fabric hook-and-loop fasteners. It was invented by a Swiss engineer who came up with the idea after examining the burdock seeds that kept sticking to his clothes. Velcro consists of a layer of hooks and a layer of loops which, when pressed together, form a bond that can be very strong: full-body hook and loop suits have been made that can hold a person to a suitably-covered wall. Velcro was even involved in the first medical procedure of what kind? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Death is the only physician, the shadow of his valley the only journeying that will cure us of age and the gathering fatigue of years. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (adjective) Very cold; icy.
Synonyms: arctic, frigid, glacial, polar.
Usage: After only a few minutes in the gelid wind, they were shivering too hard to speak.
Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Frederick Barbarossa was elected King of Germany in 1152 and crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 1155. Shortly thereafter, an apparent misunderstanding with Pope Adrian IV led Frederick to mount military operations against Italy and install an antipope in opposition to Adrian’s successor. The schism continued for some time, but Frederick and the Catholic pontiff ultimately reconciled. According to scholars, what factors may have contributed to Frederick’s drowning death in the shallow Saleph River? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Omizutori Matsuri is marked by religious rites that have been observed for 12 centuries at the Buddhist Todaiji Temple in the city of Nara, Japan. During this period of meditative rituals in the first two weeks of March, the drone of recited sutras and the sound of blowing conchs echo from the temple. On March 12, young monks on the temple gallery brandish burning pine-branches, shaking off burning pieces. Spectators below try to catch the sparks, believing they have magic power against evil. On March 13, the ceremony of drawing water is observed to the accompaniment of ancient music. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Henry the Navigator, a Portuguese prince, figured strongly in Portugal’s early development as a colonial empire. Though not a navigator himself, Henry was a great patron of exploration and is credited with establishing a school for navigators and encouraging the study of navigational instruments and cartography. Under his patronage, Portuguese sailors explored and colonized Madeira, the Cape Verde Islands, and the Azores. Where did Henry get the money to fund these expeditions? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary