Robbins was an influential American dancer and director and the choreographer of Broadway musicals such as The King and I, Peter Pan, and Fiddler on the Roof. He choreographed and directed both the stage and film versions of the immensely popular West Side Story, for which he shared an Academy Award for Best Director. He was reportedly so unpopular on the set of 1945’s Billion Dollar Baby that the company watched silently as he accidently walked into what? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Just as prohibition in the US led to speakeasies—establishments where alcohol was sold in contravention of the law—so too have smoking bans led to smokeasies—businesses, especially bars, that allow smoking despite a legal prohibition. To combat an expected loss of patrons, many bar owners have chosen to openly allow customers to smoke and regard the fines they incur as a cost of doing business. Others, however, employ stealth tactics to avoid penalties. What are some of their covert methods? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (verb) To release from something that holds fast, connects, or entangles.
Synonyms: withdraw.
Usage: Fiercely he strove to disengage his weapon, but Hordle John bent his arm slowly back until, with a sharp crack, like a breaking stave, it turned limp in his grasp.
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Source: The Free Dictionary
The cycle of day and night on our planet is age-old and inescapable, so the idea of an internal body clock might not sound that radical. In science, though, asking the questions “why?” and “how?” about the most day-to-day occurrences can require the greatest leap… Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
After being investigated for extortion and bribery allegedly committed while he was governor of Maryland, Agnew pleaded no contest to a charge of tax evasion and became the second US vice president to resign. President Richard Nixon then selected House Minority Leader Gerald Ford to replace Agnew. The following year, Nixon himself was forced to resign for his role in the Watergate scandal, making Ford president. Agnew’s portrait was removed from the Maryland State House in 1979. Who put it back? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
This official holiday in Cuba marks the day in 1868 when Cuba declared its autonomy from Spain. The declaration, called the Grito de Yara, began the Ten Years’ War (1868-1878), which was the first of three wars that Cuba fought against Spain for its freedom. Schools and offices in Cuba are closed on this day. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
One of the most important English playwrights of the late 20th century, Pinter wrote what have been called “comedies of menace.” His austere, distinctive language, which provokes an ominous sense of unease, gave rise to the adjective “Pinteresque.” His plays include The Birthday Party and The Homecoming, and he also wrote a number of screenplays. In 2005, he won the Nobel Prize for Literature. His 1978 play, Betrayal, was inspired by what betrayal in his own life? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Boredom is a condition that has been described by psychologists as arising not from a lack of things to do but from an inability to latch on mentally to a specific activity. Often viewed as a trivial nuisance to be escaped by sleeping, daydreaming, or participating in a new activity, it has been linked to a range of psychological, educational, and social problems. The first recorded use of the word “boredom” is in Dickens’s Bleak House, written in 1852. What are the 3 types of boredom? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (adjective) Having a set of mutually perpendicular axes; meeting at right angles.
Synonyms: rectangular.
Usage: Wind and sea may displace the ship's center of gravity along three orthogonal axes.
Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
The nail-biting moments of a hockey match can prove to be a bit too much for your heart to fathom, quite literally. The highs and lows of a thrilling match may leave you at the edge of your seats but the stress that accompanies it may lead to elevated heart … Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary