May 3, known in Poland as Swieto Trzeciego Maja, is a patriotic legal holiday honoring the nation’s first constitution, adopted in 1791. It introduced fundamental changes in the way Poland was governed, based on the ideas of the French Revolution, and represented an attempt to preserve the country’s independence. Although the May 3rd Constitution (as it was called) represented a great advance for the Polish people, it also aroused the anxieties of neighboring countries and eventually led to the Second Partition two years later. Discuss
Month: May 2021
be in bad with (someone)
To be disliked or out of favor with someone; to be in trouble with someone. Watch the video
Polyphasic Sleep
Modern convention dictates that a single, consolidated period of sleep in each 24-hour period is ideal for human adults, but, in fact, early humans were likely polyphasic sleepers, meaning they experienced several sleep-wake cycles daily. Nowadays, the latter sleep pattern is generally reserved for extreme situations. Still, there are those who advocate its regular use as a means of increasing productivity. Which American futurist reportedly spent two years taking just four 30-minute naps a day? Discuss
inequity
Definition: (noun) Injustice by virtue of not conforming with rules or standards.
Synonyms: unfairness.
Usage: Even though I am older, my brother gets more allowance money than I do, and this inequity strains my relationship with my parents.
Discuss
nimble
agile – Means having quick motion and being nimble, from Latin agere, “to do.” More…
flippant – Once meant “flexible, nimble, pliant.” More…
chopsticks – In Chinese, the word for chopsticks originally meant “quick sticks” or “nimble ones.” More…
wieldy – Means “easily controlled or handled,” and once meant “agile, nimble.” More…
Flores de Mayo
Flores de Mayo (“May flowers”) festivals take place throughout the Philippines during the month of May. Children create offerings of flowers and bring them to their churches in the afternoon. Parades make their way through towns and villages, with girls wearing traditional costumes followed by their relatives and friends singing Hail Marys. The festival ends on May 31 with fiestas everywhere. In big cities like Manila, Flores de Mayo is one of the largest festivals of the year, featuring May Queens and fancy dress balls. Discuss
Hell and half of Georgia
A great distance or area; a huge amount of space. Primarily heard in US. Watch the video
Queen Catherine de' Medici
A member of the powerful Medici family, Catherine married Henry II in 1533, and together they had 10 children. She became queen when Henry inherited the crown in 1547. Though he largely excluded her from state affairs, she was thrust into the political arena upon his death in 1559. As regent for her young sons, first Francis II and then Charles IX, she determined state policy to a considerable extent. For that reason, she is generally blamed for what massacre carried out under Charles IX’s rule? Discuss
sententious
notch
crenelation, crenelle – A crenelation (from Latin crena, “notch”) is a series of indentations or loopholes around the top of a castle, battlement, or wall—with each indentation being a crenelle (or crenel). More…
carf, kerf – A cut or notch in timber is a carf or kerf—which are also used to describe the width of such a cut. More…
dent – As in “notch,” it comes from the French word for tooth; its original meaning was “blow, stroke” in general. More…
score – First a notch used to keep count, as on a stick. More…