Definition: (adjective) Given to excessive indulgence of bodily appetites, especially for intoxicating liquors.
Synonyms: hard, heavy.
Usage: As he was prone to intemperate behavior at the alehouse, she expected him to stumble out of the carriage, hiccupping, in the wee hours of the morning.
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Month: May 2021
swallow
Haiti Flag and University Day
National unity is a primary theme of Flag and University Day in Haiti, an independence celebration and an occasion to recognize the country’s educational system. Flag Day became an annual celebration shortly after Catherine Flon sewed the first red and blue flag in 1803, a year before Haiti won its independence from France. The government incorporated University Day as part of the celebration in 1919. Haitians wave flags throughout the day’s parades and fairs, which take place throughout Haiti as well as in New York and Miami, two cities with large Haitian communities. Discuss
the keys to the kingdom
A resource that will give the possessor access to the most complete or profound knowledge or power possible in a given area or pursuit. A reference to Matthew 16:19, when Jesus said to Peter: “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Watch the video
Operation Paperclip
During World War II, German scientists made great strides in rocketry, aeronautics, and other fields. Almost immediately after the war’s end, the US began vigorously recruiting these scientists, bolstering its own scientific programs while denying the USSR access to these assets. Though the US president authorized Operation Paperclip, he forbade the recruitment of Nazi Party members and active supporters of Nazi militarism. How did the agency overseeing the program sidestep this order? Discuss
alleviative
Definition: (adjective) Moderating pain or sorrow by making it easier to bear.
Synonyms: lenitive, mitigative, palliative.
Usage: After the blacksmith burned his hand, he applied an alleviative salve to lessen the searing pain.
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imposed
boycott, embargo – A boycott is an organized popular protest, named for Captain Charles C. Boycott (1832-97), a land agent in Ireland to whom this was done in 1880; an embargo is usually imposed by a government. More…
silentium – A place where silence is imposed (library, religious retreat). More…
Pax Romana – An uneasy peace, as one imposed by a powerful state on a weaker or vanquished state. More…
mumbletypeg – The children’s game was first mumble-the-peg, descriptive of one of the penalties imposed on the loser. More…
George Boleyn, Brother of Anne, Beheaded (1536)
Henry VIII had two of his six wives beheaded, but the unpleasant consequences of his marriages did not apply only to his spouses. After Henry’s first marriage was annulled, he took Anne Boleyn as his queen. Though she bore him the future Queen Elizabeth I, she produced no male heir, and he lost interest in her. In 1536, he had her imprisoned on questionable charges of adultery and incest—allegedly with her brother, George. Both were beheaded. What did George reportedly say before his execution? Discuss
Toshogu Haru-No-Taisai
This festival provides the most spectacular display of ancient samurai costumes and weaponry in Japan. The Toshogu Shrine, in Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture, was built in 1617 to house the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616), the first of the Tokugawa shoguns. On the first day of the festival, dignitaries and members of the Tokugawa family make offerings to the deities of the shrine, and warriors on horseback shoot at targets with bows and arrows. The next morning, more than 1,000 people take part in the procession from Toshogu to Futarasan Shrine, including hundreds of samurai warriors. Discuss
keep schtum
To remain silent; to not say anything. (Used especially when by saying something, especially at the wrong time, one would cause trouble or difficulty for him- or herself.) Primarily heard in UK. Watch the video