rule the roost – Was first “rule the roast,” as it referred to the master of the house who sat at the head of the table. More…
steak – Seems to be related to Old Norse steikja, “roast on a spit,” and stikna, “be roasted.” More…
dry roast – To roast without oils. More…
rotisserie – First meant a restaurant or shop specializing in roasted or barbecued meat. More…
Puerto Rico Constitution Day is the anniversary of the day on which Puerto Rico changed from a territory to a commonwealth and adopted its new constitution in 1952. Sometimes referred to as Commonwealth Day, July 25 is a legal holiday throughout the island. It is celebrated with parades, speeches, fireworks, and parties. Discuss
A failing or hopeless effort; a situation or activity that is ultimately futile or cannot be won. (Most often used in the phrase “play a losing game.”) Watch the video
The term “Streisand effect” describes the result of an attempt to suppress online information that instead increases its exposure. It was coined in 2003 after American entertainer Barbra Streisand sued a photographer for $50 million so that aerial photos of her home, part of a collection of California coastline photographs, would be taken off the Internet. The case was dismissed, and the ensuing media coverage further publicized the photos. What are other famous examples of the phenomenon? Discuss
A fool with a heart and no brains is just as unhappy as a fool with brains and no heart. Discuss
coy, quiet – Coy and quiet derive from Latin quietus, “at rest, in repose,” with coy coming from the Old French form coi (earlier quei), and quiet coming straight from Latin; the original sense of coy was “quiet, still.” More…
conticent – If something is hushed or quiet, it is conticent. More…
q.t. – An abbreviation for “quiet,” as in, on the q.t. (or QT). More…
wildtrack, room tone – The wildtrack or room tone consists of the barely audible noises that make up a background sense of quiet. More…
To become less liberal with or more controlling of one’s expenditures; to decrease the availability of money for spending purposes. Watch the video
If you were to split the Earth’s surface in to four parts, the center of each part would be a 45X90 point—the location between the geographical North or South Pole and the equator, and between the prime meridian and the 180th meridian. Two of the points are in the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean, respectively. Another is in Poniatowski, Wisconsin, where visitors can become members of the 45X90 Club by signing a logbook. Only a few people claim to have visited the final 45X90 point. Where is it? Discuss