In the 1980s, research on monoclonal antibodies—antibodies mass produced in a laboratory to target a single antigen—generated excitement for their potential applications in fighting disease, especially cancer. However, their effectiveness in disease treatment has been limited. Today, a much smaller type of monoclonal antibody called a nanobody is being researched to treat diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s. Nanobodies were discovered during unrelated research on what animal? Discuss
Month: October 2021
nullify
sunset
occultation – One of its meanings is “the disappearance from view of a star or planet in the sun’s rays after sunset or before sunrise, when the star or planet is above the horizon.” More…
acronical – Means happening at sunset or twilight. More…
antitwilight – The sky’s pink or purple glow after sunset. More…
evening – Its Old English base meant “grow towards night,” as evening extends from sunset to dark. More…
curse (someone or something) under (one's) breath
To say threatening, consternated, or disgruntled remarks (toward someone or something) in a very soft or indistinct voice, such that no one else can hear or understand them clearly. Watch the video
Les Nabis
Les Nabis began as a rebellious group of students at Rodolphe Julian’s private art school in Paris in the late 19th century. Taking their name from the Hebrew word for “prophet,” these artists rejected the naturalism of the impressionists and developed a style of decorative art—using boldly juxtaposed but muted colors—that paved the way for the 20th-century abstract movement. They also embraced formats like printmaking and coined their own private language. How did they sign letters? Discuss
jocose
shot
shot – Referring to a fluid dram of liquor, the term is fairly new, dating to 1928 (PG Wodehouse). More…
deadline – Originally a Civil War term for a line that marked the distance a prisoner could go before being shot on sight. More…
schuss – A straight downhill ski run, it is literally German for “a shot.” More…
beside the point – The expression is from ancient archery, and literally means one’s shot is wide of the target. More…
Automaker John DeLorean Arrested in Cocaine Trafficking Sting (1982)
After years of designing cars for others, John DeLorean went into business for himself and designed the DeLorean DMC-12, a distinctive stainless steel sports car with gull-wing doors that was immortalized in 1985’s Back to the Future. Prior to the film’s release, however, DeLorean was better known for his arrest for cocaine trafficking than for his cars. At the time, DeLorean’s car company was failing, and drug smuggling offered him much-needed cash. How did he manage to beat the rap? Discuss
Bettara-Ichi
The annual Pickle Market, or Sticky-Sticky Fair, is held near the Ebisu Shrine in Tokyo, Japan, to supply people with what they will need to observe the Ebisu Festival on the following day, October 20. People buy wooden images of Ebisu, good-luck tokens, and most importantly, the white, pickled radish known as bettara that is so closely identified with the fair. The Sticky-Sticky Fair was named after the way the pickled radishes were sold. Stall keepers used to dangle them from a rope so the buyer wouldn’t get his hands sticky from the malted rice in which the radishes had been pickled. Discuss
a game of musical chairs
A situation in which people or things are moved, shuffled, or rearranged from one position to another. Watch the video