Argentina was one of a number of Spanish colonies controlled by the Spanish viceroy in Lima, Peru. On May 25, 1810, Buenos Aires declared its independence from the viceroyalty but continued to pledge loyalty to the Spanish crown. May 25 is observed throughout the country as the anniversary of the revolution; independence from Spain wasn’t declared until July 9, 1816. Both days are national holidays and are observed with religious services at the cathedral and special performances at the Colón Theatre in Buenos Aires. Discuss
Month: May 2021
king of the jungle
The lion, especially in cultural or artistic depictions. (Usually a misnomer, as lions typically inhabit deserts or dry forests, as opposed to jungles.) Watch the video
Project Habakkuk
It seems like pure folly to build a ship—let alone a giant aircraft carrier—out of ice, but during World War II, that is exactly what inventor Geoffrey Pyke proposed the Allies do. While plain ice—the kind put in drinks—is not strong or durable enough for such a task, Pyke believed a composite material made of wood pulp and ice would be. For much of 1943, a multinational team based in Canada toiled to realize a ship made of pykrete—a portmanteau of Pyke and concrete. Did the project succeed? Discuss
savoir-faire
limbs
ashtanga – Sanskrit for “having eight parts”—referring to the eight limbs or sutras of yoga; ashtanga yoga is also known as power yoga. More…
basket case – Originally slang denoting a soldier who had lost all four limbs, thus unable to move independently. More…
stretch – Originally meant “lengthening the limbs” or making them stiffer by stretching. More…
hurkle, hurple – To hurkle or hurple is to draw one’s limbs in and scrunch up the shoulders in reaction to the cold or in a storm. More…
Bulgarian Culture Day
This Bulgarian national holiday promotes Bulgarian culture and honors two brothers, St. Cyril (c. 827-869) and St. Methodius (c. 815-844), missionaries to Moravia. They are believed to have invented the Slavonic alphabet, also known as the Cyrillic alphabet. Special religious services, concerts, festivals, and student parades are held throughout Bulgaria on this day, which is also known as Saints Cyril and Methodius’s Day, and Day of the Founders of the Slavonic Alphabet. An impressive liturgy, celebrated at the cathedral in Sofia, is one of the highlights. Discuss
a kindred spirit
A person who shares several or many fundamental beliefs, ideas, convictions, sentiments, attitudes, and/or interests with oneself. Watch the video
Andrianampoinimerina
In the 16th century, the Merina people—a Malagasy ethnic group—founded the kingdom of Imerina on the central plateau of Madagascar, but it disintegrated in the early 18th century. In 1787, Andrianampoinimerina became king of one of the four continually warring Merina provinces and embarked on a campaign to reunify the kingdom. Having accomplished this, he moved on to conquer neighboring lands and peoples in an effort to become sole king of Madagascar. How did he express this political ambition? Discuss
compensable
Definition: (adjective) Being such as to entitle or warrant compensation.
Synonyms: remunerative, paying, salaried, stipendiary.
Usage: Once I traded my unpaid internship for a compensable job, I was able to move out of my parents’ house into a place of my own.
Discuss
splash
jaup, jawp – A jaup or jawp is the splash of liquid against a surface or the sound made by liquid sloshing around in a container. More…
jabble – Turbulence on the surface of water; to jabble is “to splash or splatter.” More…
spritzer – From German, meaning “splash.” More…
swab – As in “mop the decks,” it is a back-formation from swabber, “sailor who mops the decks,” from a Germanic base meaning “splash.” More…