The annual Windjammer Days Festival in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, celebrates the U.S. Coast Guard‘s 200 years of service to coastal Maine. The festival is also a salute to the large sailing merchant ships that once carried trade along the New England coast. There is an antique boat parade as well as tours of Navy and Coast Guard ships. Band concerts, seafood, and fireworks add to the merrymaking. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
The Egyptian plover is commonly called the “crocodile bird” because of a legend attributed to the ancient Greek historian Herodotus. Supposedly, these birds would pick scraps from the teeth of crocodiles, and, in exchange for the dental service, grateful crocodiles would refrain from eating the plovers. Despite anecdotal evidence, the legend is unconfirmed. Instead of being incubated, plover eggs are buried beneath a small layer of warm sand. By what unusual method do plover chicks drink water? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (noun) Abusive or venomous language used to express blame or censure or bitter, deep-seated ill will.
Synonyms: invective, vitriol.
Usage: From one open shop came the sound of blows and vituperation, and just as the officer came up to it a man in a gray coat with a shaven head was flung out violently.
Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
The oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament in the world, the Championships at Wimbledon are held for 13 days each summer on the manicured courts of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. The first competition in 1877 featured only the men’s singles event. Today the world’s best tennis players compete for both singles and doubles titles that are the most coveted in tennis. The event is watched on television by tennis fans all over the world. Members of the English Royal Family often watch the finals from the Royal Box. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Ushabtis are figurines that were buried in ancient Egyptian tombs to serve as stand-ins for the deceased in the event that he or she was called upon to perform manual labor in the afterlife. Some tombs hosted hundreds of the small statuettes, which were often mass produced and generally made from materials like wood, stone, or clay. The figures were crafted carrying the tools they would need to complete their work and bear inscriptions, often taken from what ancient collection of funerary texts? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
The U.S. Open is the oldest golf tournament in North America, first held in 1895. More than 6,000 professional and amateur golfers vie for only 156 available places. Unlike the Masters, which is an invitational tournament, the U.S. Open is for anyone good enough to survive the qualifying rounds. Rather than being played on the same course each year, its location changes, traditionally played on the nation’s best courses. The tournament itself takes four days. There is a qualifying round followed by three days of 18 holes each, for a total of 72 holes. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Developed in the early 1960s primarily by British artist Brion Gysin, the Dreamachine is a device designed to create visual hallucinations when viewed through closed eyelids. It is made of a light bulb suspended inside a perforated cylinder mounted on a record player. When it revolves, the light is said to flash at the same frequency as brain waves during relaxation, creating an intense visual experience while the viewer’s eyes remain closed. Why is it dangerous for about one in 10,000 people? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (verb) Prove to be false.
Synonyms: disprove.
Usage: He took out a packet of old letters and began turning them over as if in search of one that would confute Terence’s suspicions.
Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
In Kinyarwandan, a language spoken primarily in Rwanda, Kwita Izina means “to give a name,” referring to a long-standing ceremony for naming newborn Rwandan babies. In the 21st century, the tradition has extended to naming newborn mountain gorillas. First launched in 2005, the ceremony is a jubilant affair that includes traditional Rwandan dance and music. Each animal is publicly named by a notable figure from Rwanda or another country, and a fundraising gala dinner often accompanies the Kwita Izina to raise additional funds for gorilla conservation campaigns. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary