I believe that Virtue shows quite as well in rags and patches as she does in purple and fine linen. Discuss
Month: December 2020
trunk
billet – A civilian house where soldiers are lodged temporarily; a billet is also a thick piece of wood, from Latin billa/billus, “branch, trunk.” More…
trunk – As a box or chest, it was originally made from a tree trunk. More…
bole – Another name for the trunk of a tree. More…
stocky – A derivative of stock, which first meant “trunk, block of wood,” in Old English. More…
Dian Fossey Day
American conservationist Dian Fossey (1932-1985) conducted groundbreaking research on Rwanda’s mountain gorillas, a species long victimized by wide-scale poaching, and helped ensure their preservation. Fossey was murdered in her cabin at a research center in the Virunga Mountains on December 27, 1985. Ceremonies for the anniversary of her death take place in Volcanoes National Park, which contains a permanent memorial to the zoologist. Individuals typically perform traditional dances, while government officials deliver speeches and lay wreaths on her grave site. Discuss
(it's) just as well (that) (something happened)
It is or turned out to be beneficial (that something happened). Watch the video
Reduviidae, AKA Assassin Bugs
Thousands of species of the aptly named assassin bug crawl the Earth. Most prey on other insects, using a segmented beak to suck out victims’ body fluids, and some species even kill bedbugs and roaches. Still, not all are beneficial. There are species that drink blood and prey on vertebrates, and one is even known to bite the eyes of sleeping humans. Another defends itself by spitting toxic saliva that causes blindness. Some produce pain-inducing venom, and others carry what often-fatal disease? Discuss
palliate
hire
freelance – Comes from the knights whose lances were free for hire and who were not pledged to one master; originally, a freelance was a free companion or a person free of occupational or political party obligation or allegiance. More…
hire – As a noun, it originally meant the payment for the use of something. More…
claque – A group of people hired to applaud an act or performer. More…
dry lease, wet lease – To rent an aircraft without a crew is a dry lease; a wet lease is to hire an aircraft with a crew. More…
it wouldn't do (someone) any harm (to do something)
It would or may be good, pragmatic, or beneficial for someone (to do something). Watch the video
Iranian Pottery
A crossroads of ancient civilizations and home to some of the world’s oldest human settlements, Iran has a rich and storied history. Modern-day excavations have uncovered an almost continuous record of that history in the form of pottery, which transformed stylistically as a reaction to cultural and political changes. For example, following the 13th-century Mongol domination of Persia, Islamic pottery clearly began exhibiting a Chinese influence. During which dynasty were ceramic coffins used? Discuss
android
Definition: (noun) An automaton that resembles a human being.
Synonyms: humanoid, mechanical man.
Usage: I programmed the android to mimic my expressions, but something about its subtly inhuman smile leaves me, a scientist, unsettled.
Discuss