Definition: (adjective) Showing a high degree of refinement and the assurance that comes from wide social experience.
Synonyms: svelte, polished, refined.
Usage: In his mind, he was suave and urbane, but in real life, he was just the opposite.
Discuss
Month: March 2021
leaving
drawing room – A shortening of withdrawing room, the room to which the ladies withdrew, leaving the men to smoking and drinking. More…
egression – The action of going out or leaving a place. More…
bequeath – Etymologically, what you bequeath is what you “say” you will leave someone in your will—but the original sense “say, utter” died out, leaving the legal sense. More…
exclaustration – Being expelled from or leaving a religious retreat; it is also the return to secular life by someone who has been released from their religious vows. More…
Joseph Jenkins Roberts's Birthday
Joseph Jenkins Roberts (1809-1876), Liberia‘s first and seventh president, led the movement for an independent Liberia, established in 1848. This day (also known as J. J. Roberts Day) is also an occasion to pay homage to Liberia’s historical role as Africa’s oldest republic. In many respects, Roberts’s birthday stands apart from other holidays that recognize Liberian notables because he was a member of the established Americo-Liberian elite, a group historically criticized for wielding control over the country’s indigenous population for more than a century. Discuss
a legend in (one's) own mind
A person who affects or believes him- or herself to be of greater importance or notoriety than is actually the case. A humorous, ironic twist on the phrase “a legend in one’s own lifetime.” Watch the video
Backpacking
Backpacking is an outdoor activity that combines hiking and camping. Because backpackers must carry all of their own supplies for food and shelter, backpacking excursions involve fewer comforts than traditional camping trips. On the other hand, because backpackers can remain in the wilderness overnight and resume hiking each morning, they are able to access remote areas of wilderness that are inaccessible by car or too distant for day-hikers to reach. What dangers do backpackers face? Discuss
scattergood
Definition: (noun) Someone who spends money prodigally.
Synonyms: spendthrift.
Usage: I prefer to think of myself not as a scattergood but as a collector of rare designer shoes and handbags.
Discuss
ray
radiate – As an adjective, it means having rays or parts coming out of a center, from Latin radius, “ray, spoke.” More…
radio wave – Travels like rays of light, so it takes its name from Latin radius, “spoke of a wheel; ray of light.” More…
sol-fa – The sol-fa syllables are doh, ray, mi, fah, sol, lah, te—for the notes of the major musical scale. More…
a legend in (one's) own lifetime
A person who has an extraordinary level of fame or reputation while he or she is still alive. Watch the video
Drapetomania
Today considered to be a glaring example of pseudoscience, drapetomania was a supposed mental illness described by American physician Samuel A. Cartwright in 1851. In a paper prepared for the Medical Association of Louisiana, Cartwright explained that the disorder caused black slaves to run away from their masters. He further speculated that the malady was caused by masters who treated slaves as equals. What did Cartwright prescribe as a preventive measure for drapetomania? Discuss