pod – A group of whales (or seals or dolphins), or a small flock of birds. More…
boll weevil – From Old English wifel, “beetle,” and boll, the pod of the cotton plant, which this beetle attacks. More…
chalice – From Latin calix, “cup,” and Greek kalux, “pod.” More…
vanilla – Once thought to be an aphrodisiac because its pod resembled the vagina; its name comes from the Spanish for “little vagina.” More…
St. Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) was born in Lisbon, Portugal, in 1195, and is the patron saint of Portugal. The festivities held here in his honor begin on the evening of June 12 with an impressive display of marchas, walking groups of singers and musicians, who parade along the Avenida da Liberdade. The celebration continues the next day with more processions and traditional folk dancing. Another custom of the day is for a young man to present the girl he hopes to marry with a pot of basil concealing a verse or love letter. Discuss
(hyphenated if used before a noun) Incredibly fast; too quick to keep up with. Watch the video
Music video games require players to interact with songs in order to advance gameplay. Perhaps the best known music video games are Dance Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero, which are sub-categorized as rhythm games, since players must press the buttons on specialized controllers in time with the game’s music. Other music video games, such as Karaoke Revolution, score players on their ability to match pitch while singing. What is considered the first rhythm video game? Discuss
inequity, iniquity – Inequity is “injustice, unfairness”; iniquity refers to “immorality, sin, wickedness.” More…
remission, remit – Remission originally meant forgiveness or pardon for an offense or sin, and remit meant “forgive, pardon.” More…
reprehensible – Usually applied to things, not people—the sin and not the sinner. More…
Emilio Aguinaldo (1869-1964) declared the Philippines independent on June 12, 1898. But the U.S. acquired the islands in 1899, and it wasn’t until July 4, 1946, that they were granted full independence. For many years, Filipinos set aside July 4 to celebrate their independence. In 1962, the date was changed to June 12. Independence Day ceremonies in Manila include a military parade and the pealing of church bells. After the ceremonies are over, Filipinos devote the remainder of the day to recreation. There are games and athletic competitions, fireworks displays, and Independence Day balls. Discuss
An incredibly difficult, unlikely, and/or elusive achievement or period of success. (Usually used with “catch” or “capture.”) Primarily heard in US. Watch the video
During the second half of the 20th century, space agencies began to take a keen interest in the use of tethers in space. In 1992, NASA and the Italian Space Agency jointly launched the first tether satellite, TSS-1, from the Space Shuttle, but a protruding bolt kept the tether—a thin, super-strong, conductive cable—from fully extending. The next tether satellite mission, TSS-1R, was undertaken in 1996 with plans to extend the tether to a range of more than 12 mi (19 km). What went wrong? Discuss