Definition: (noun) Crafty deception or trickery or an instance of it.
Synonyms: hanky panky, hocus-pocus, jiggery-pokery, slickness, trickery.
Usage: No one trusted Glenn enough to invest in his new business venture, as he had a history of skullduggery.
Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Sponsored by the Hannibal, Missouri, Jaycees, the National Tom Sawyer Days celebration began in 1956 with a Tom Sawyer Fence Painting Contest and a Tom and Becky competition. Three years later, all of the events relating to the character were combined with the traditional Fourth of July celebration in Hannibal, and Independence Day was officially proclaimed “Tom Sawyer Day.” Today the festival spans five days and includes a number of unique competitions. The Frog Jump Competition is one of the festival’s highlights, drawing up to 300 children and their pet frogs. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
A coup d’état, French for “stroke of state,” is a sudden, often violent overthrow of a government. Coups differ from revolutions in that coups are usually carried out by small groups of people in or previously in positions of authority to install their leaders as heads of government, while revolutions are mass uprisings by the people. Coups depend on surprise and speed and rarely change a country’s basic social or economic policies. What current world leaders assumed power through coups? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (noun) An injury that doesn’t break the skin but results in some discoloration.
Synonyms: bruise.
Usage: The purple and green contusion on my arm looks much worse than it actually feels.
Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
One of Bosnia and Herzegovina‘s biggest events, Bascarsija Nights is a month-long celebration of culture. Artistic expressions ranging from street theatre to classical symphony make up this festival held in the country’s capital, Sarajevo; one well-established tradition is the opening night performance by the Sarajevo Philharmonic Orchestra. The remaining days are marked by events offering sophisticated entertainment—theatre, book readings, ballet, art exhibits—as well as popular fare like rock concerts, movie screenings, and folklore presentations. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Latakia is Syria’s principal port city and a manufacturing center for nearby agricultural towns and villages. Formerly the ancient Phoenician city of Ramitha, it was rebuilt circa 290 BCE by one of Alexander the Great’s generals and prospered under Roman rule. Byzantines and Arabs fought over it from the 7th to 11th century, and it was captured in 1098 by the Crusaders and in 1188 by Saladin. From the 16th century to WWI, it was part of the Ottoman Empire, after which it fell into whose hands? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (adjective) Occurring immediately after birth.
Synonyms: postpartum.
Usage: Premature babies often spend the postnatal period in the neonatal intensive care unit, where they receive specialized care.
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Source: The Free Dictionary
Since 1967, the Festival of American Folklife has been held on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., to celebrate the richness and diversity of American and world cultures, emphasizing folk, tribal, ethnic, and regional traditions in communities throughout the U.S. and abroad. Recent festival programs have included musicians from the former Soviet Union, demonstrations of African-American coil basketry and Italian-American stone-carving, and the performance of a Japanese rice-planting ritual. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Heshen was an 18th-century Manchu official who has come to symbolize the corruption of China’s Qing dynasty. A favorite of the emperor, he rose from bodyguard to grand councilor and minister of the imperial household in just two years, at which point he took to extorting and embezzling on a grand scale. His associates, whom he had given political appointments, followed his example, thus beginning a century of corruption that led to the dynasty’s downfall. Why did he enjoy the emperor’s favor? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (adjective) Reflecting light.
Synonyms: glistening, shiny, glossy.
Usage: There arrived through the post a small card-board box addressed to me, which I found to contain a very large and lustrous pearl.
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Source: The Free Dictionary