The 1975 New Columbia Encyclopedia hails Lillian Virginia Mountweazel as a fountain designer and photographer renowned for her photos of rural mailboxes. Her entry notes that she was killed in an explosion while on assignment for Combustibles magazine. Alas, the amusing entry is fictitious. Incorrect articles purposely placed in reference works like dictionaries and encyclopedias have since become known as “Mountweazels.” What legitimate purpose do these entries serve? Discuss
Month: August 2021
proclivity
Definition: (noun) A natural propensity or inclination; predisposition.
Synonyms: leaning, propensity.
Usage: John has a proclivity for exaggeration, so take everything he says with a grain of salt.
Discuss
official
brevet – An official or authoritative message in writing. More…
provost – Etymologically, an official “placed before” or “put in charge” of others, from Latin praepositus, “superintendent.” More…
bailiwick – Comes from bailie, “custody,” and -wick, “function of an official” or “place of jurisdiction.” More…
probate – The official proving of a will, from Latin probatum, “thing proved.” More…
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon (1930)
The younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Margaret was a somewhat controversial member of the royal family, mainly as a result of her turbulent love life. She called off her first engagement, to a divorcee 16 years her senior, when it became clear that marrying him would mean renouncing her right of succession. A few years later, she wed photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones, but rumors of her infidelities abounded, and they eventually divorced. With whom did she supposedly stray? Discuss
make a hole in (something)
To take, use up, or deplete a large amount of money available in something, such as a budget, one’s wallet, etc. Watch the video
Megapodes
Megapodes are large-footed, chicken-like birds found in Australia and New Guinea. Rather than brood their eggs, females bury them in massive nest-mounds of decaying vegetation that males then tend. Megapode chicks are superprecocial, meaning they hatch in a very mature state that includes having open eyes, feathers, and, in some species, the ability to fly. They typically hatch unattended and therefore do not undergo imprinting. How then do they come to recognize other members of their species? Discuss
profligate
Definition: (adjective) Shamelessly immoral or debauched.
Synonyms: degenerate, degraded, dissipated, dissolute, libertine, riotous, fast.
Usage: We both know that he has been profligate in every sense of the word; that he has neither integrity nor honor; that he is as false and deceitful as he is insinuating.
Discuss
slaughter
fatstock – Livestock fattened for slaughter. More…
massacre – Comes from Latin mazacrium/masacrium, “slaughter.” More…
slaughter – From Old Norse, meaning “butcher’s meat.” More…
homicide, murder, manslaughter – The general term for the killing of a person by another is homicide; murder is either the intentional killing or the malicious killing of another, while manslaughter is the unintentional, accidental killing of another through carelessness. More…
Infamous Menendez Brothers Murder Their Parents (1989)
The trials of Lyle and Erik Menendez for the cold-blooded murders of their parents in their Beverly Hills mansion captivated the nation. The “bereaved” sons initially escaped suspicion, but in the months after the murders, they went on a spending spree with their parents’ money, to the tune of over $1 million, that raised a few eyebrows. Still, the pair might never have been arrested, and ultimately sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, had not who come forward? Discuss
be made of sterner stuff
To be very strong, determined, or of uncompromising character, especially in comparison to others. Watch the video