Month: January 2021

shocking

church key – Started out as slang for bottle opener in the early 1950s and was considered mildly shocking, even sacrilegious. More…

flagrant, blatant – Flagrant implies shocking and reprehensible, while blatant is obvious, contrived, and usually obnoxious; flagrant is a stronger term than blatant. More…

forbysen, bysen – Forbysen is an “example or parable”; bysen is a “shocking thing.” More…

tingle – From Middle English, possibly a variant of tinkle, its original meaning was “response to a loud noise” and “response to hearing something shocking.” More…

Antichess

Also known as suicide chess or loser’s chess, antichess is a variation on the traditional game, but one in which the objective is to get all of one’s own pieces captured. Participants are compelled to capture an opponent’s pieces whenever the opportunity arises, while earnestly attempting to maneuver their own pieces into hopelessly vulnerable positions. There is no check or checkmate. A player wins by losing all of their pieces, including the king. How can a stalemate be resolved? Discuss

The Dance of the Seven Veils

Though the Dance of the Seven Veils is not mentioned in the biblical account of John the Baptist’s death, it has come to be associated with the event in subsequent retellings of the story. King Herod is said to have offered his stepdaughter, Salomé, anything she wanted in exchange for a dance—in which she removed seven layers of clothing. At the prompting of her mother, she demanded the head of John the Baptist after her performance. What Assyrian myth may have inspired the dance? Discuss

kiln

hovel – A conical building enclosing a kiln. More…

oast – A kiln used to dry hops or malt or tobacco. More…

battledore – Can refer to various tools, such as the paddle of a canoe or a utensil for inserting loaves into an oven or wares into a kiln. More…

china – Comes from Persian chini, for the delicate and valuable ware first made in China; the word describes pieces made from certain kinds of clay that have been glazed, usually decorated, and fired in a kiln at high temperatures. More…

Birthday of Mozart

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg, Austria, on this day in 1756. His achievements in composing operas, chamber music, symphonies, and piano concerti have earned him a reputation as one of the greatest musical geniuses of all time. Mozart’s birthday is observed by musical societies all over the world, who often give concerts of his music on this day. The city of his birth also honors him at the end of January with Mozart Week. Discuss