A state beyond possible human control, intervention, or responsibility; a state or condition that is or will be decided by nature or fate. Usually used in the phrase “in the lap of the gods.” Watch the video
Month: February 2021
Hoodoos
Also known as fairy chimneys, hoodoos are tall, thin columns of rock that are left behind when everything else around them erodes, making them a strikingly conspicuous feature of the landscape. Sheltered from erosion by a cap of hard rock, they can be up to 10 stories tall. Because they may be composed of layers of rock that vary in density and thus erode at differing rates, they may take on a “totem pole” appearance. What location boasts the highest concentration of hoodoos in the world? Discuss
prescience
Definition: (noun) Knowledge of actions or events before they occur.
Synonyms: foresight, clairvoyance, precognition, second sight, foreknowledge, prevision.
Usage: Did she realize in a flash of prescience that there was no earthly future for our sweet Cecily?
Discuss
naked
gymnasium – A school where Greek youths were given athletic training while naked (gymnos). More…
hare, rabbit, jackrabbit – Hares live in the open and bear young that have fur at birth, while rabbits live in burrows and bear young that are naked at birth; jackrabbits are hares, not rabbits. More…
stark naked – A corruption of start naked, from Anglo-Saxon steort, “tail” —as it described being naked to the tail. More…
stag – To go in stag meant to “go naked,” which influenced the later “stag party.” More…
land-poor
Owning a large amount of land that is unprofitable and being without the means to maintain it or capitalize on its fertility. Watch the video
London's East End
Once a heavily industrial area, the storied East End of London attracted large numbers of immigrants and became known for its poverty and dense population. Vividly described by Charles Dickens, the neighborhood was haunted by Jack the Ripper in 1888, decimated by World War II bombing, and hosted the 2012 Summer Olympics. Natives of the East End, called Cockneys, are known for their dialect. A traditional definition holds that to be a Cockney, one has to have been born within the sound of what? Discuss
demure
Definition: (adjective) Affectedly modest or shy especially in a playful or provocative way.
Synonyms: coy, overmodest.
Usage: Lowering her glance unexpectedly till her dark eye-lashes seemed to rest against her white cheeks, she presented a perfectly demure aspect.
Discuss
sack
sachet – Etymologically, a “little sack”—a small packet of perfumed matter. More…
cul-de-sac – Literally French for “bottom of a sack,” it also means “situation from which there is no escape”; it can be pluralized as cul-de-sacs or culs-de-sac. More…
gunny – From Sanskrit goni, “sack,” it is the material used for sacks, made from jute or sunn-hemp. More…
haversack, knapsack, rucksack – Haversack is from German Haber, “oats,” and Sack, “bag, sack”; knapsack is from German knapper, “to bite (food)” and zak, “sack”; rucksack comes from German Rucken, “back,” and sack. More…
Parentalia
This was an ancient Roman festival held in honor of the manes, or souls of the dead—in particular, deceased relatives. It began a season for remembering the dead, which ended with the Feralia on February 21. This week was a quiet, serious occasion, without the rowdiness that characterized other Roman festivals. Everything, including the temples, closed down, and people decorated graves with flowers and left food—sometimes elaborate banquets—in the cemeteries in the belief that it would be eaten by the spirits of the deceased. Discuss
the lady of the house
A woman who looks after and runs the house; the matriarch of a family or household. Watch the video