Today’s Mexican charros are more sportsmen than cowboys or ranchers. On September 14, the day before the Mexico Festival of Independence, many of the charro associations organize parades and rodeos. The jaripeo, or rodeo, generally consists of 10 or more events involving special horse-handling skills and exhibitions of various tricks. Perhaps the most difficult trick is the paso de la muerte (death’s pass), in which the charro pursues a wild horse, switching from his own horse’s saddle to the back of the wild horse at full gallop. Discuss
Month: September 2021
catch (the) headlines
To be featured on the headlines of news articles, as due to being particularly important, popular, fashionable, etc. Watch the video
The Moon Rabbit
While the Man in the Moon is a popular European myth, many other cultures tell the tale of the Moon Rabbit, whose contours they trace on the orb’s surface. In East Asian folklore, the Moon Rabbit mixes the elixir of immortality. In Aztec legends, the god Quetzalcoatl elevated a rabbit to the Moon as a show of gratitude after the rabbit offered himself up as food. Native Americans tell of a rabbit riding the Moon. Who famously agreed in 1969 to look out for the Chinese “bunny girl” on the Moon? Discuss
asperity
rigging
rig, rigging – A ship’s rig is the arrangement of masts, sails, etc.; the rigging is the system of ropes or chains supporting these. More…
spread-eagle – First described a navy man who was lashed to the rigging for flogging. More…
furniture – The furniture of a ship is its apparel, including the sails, rigging, and anchor; to apparel, in early use, meant “make ready or fit.” More…
tight ship – Literally one in which ropes and rigging are tied and taut. More…
make a mark
To do something that makes one famous or successful; to do something that is very important or meaningful. Watch the video
The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes
The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes is a volcanic region in Alaska’s Katmai National Park that was formed when the Novarupta volcano erupted in 1912. All plant and animal life in the remote region was destroyed by the eruption, which was the largest of the 20th century by volume. Ash and rock fragments filled a valley adjacent to the volcano, and hot gases were emitted through countless cracks in the surface, giving the area its nickname. Does smoke still escape from the cracks today? Discuss
truant
Definition: (noun) Someone who shirks duty.
Synonyms: nonattender, no-show.
Usage: As the two truants rolled up the avenue … the sense of duties neglected added zest to their holiday.
Discuss
shaking
pulsatilla – Can refer to the shaking of a flower in the wind. More…
quassation – The act or process of being shaken or shaking. More…
concussion – Its underlying etymological notion is of “violent shaking,” from Latin concutere, “shake violently.” More…
Shaker – The Shakers got their name from the shaking and convulsive movements they made during worship. More…
Bad Durkheim Wurstmarkt
Although called Bad Durkheim Wurstmarkt, or Sausage Fair, this is actually Germany‘s biggest wine festival—the name is said to have originated about 150 years ago because of the immense amounts of sausage consumed. The opening day of the festival features a concert and a procession of bands, vineyard proprietors, and tapsters of the tavern stalls with decorated wine floats. The following days are a medley of fireworks, band playing, dancing, and singing through the night. Wine is served in glasses called Schoppen that hold about a pint. Discuss