Definition: (noun) A clumsy social error; a faux pas.
Synonyms: slip, solecism, gaucherie.
Usage: He knew by the silence that greeted his speech that he had made some kind of gaffe.
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Month: November 2021
judge
no one in his/her/their right mind would (do something)
No one who is sane would consider doing something; someone would have to be crazy to do something. (In this case, “their” is used as a singular, gender-neutral pronoun.) Watch the video
The House of Yi
In the 13th century, Mongol forces from China invaded the nation that would become Korea. Peace came when Korea accepted Mongol suzerainty, but in 1392, Yi Songgye, a general who favored the Chinese Ming dynasty, seized the throne. He was the first of the House of Yi, or Joseon Dynasty, that ruled Korea until 1910. That year, Korea was formally annexed by Japan following the Sino-Japanese War, effectively ending the dynasty. Who are the living descendants of the House of Yi? Discuss
slake
shoulder
hobo – A style of handbag or purse that is typically large and characterized by a crescent shape, a slouchy posture and a long strap designed to wear over the shoulder. More…
lane – A narrow, often bucolic, path that lacks a shoulder or median; it can also be a division of a larger road. More…
jowl – The head and shoulders of certain fishes, such as salmon and sturgeon. More…
trousseau – The French diminutive of truss or bundle—the thing that tramps or runaways carry tied to a stick over their shoulders. More…
Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht (Crystal Night, or Night of the Broken Glass) gets its name from the shattered glass that littered the streets on November 9, 1938, when the windows of Jewish-owned shops and homes were systematically smashed throughout German and Austrian cities in a frenzy of destruction that resulted in the arrest and deportation of about 30,000 Jews. It marked the beginning of the Nazis‘ plan to rob the Jews of their possessions and to force them out of their homes and neighborhoods. Today, Jews everywhere observe the anniversary of this infamous event by holding special memorial services. Discuss
be little love lost between (two people)
Of two people, to dislike one another very much. Watch the video
The Butterfly Effect
The idea that a small change in one place can have large effects elsewhere in a complex system—for instance, that the flapping of a butterfly’s wings might eventually produce a hurricane—is called the butterfly effect. A common trope in science fiction involving time travel, the butterfly effect is studied in chaos theory. The term was coined by meteorologist Edward Lorenz, the first to describe “deterministic chaos” as a shaper of weather. How did he accidentally discover the butterfly effect? Discuss
tacit
Definition: (adjective) Implied by or inferred from actions or statements.
Synonyms: understood, silent.
Usage: Management has given its tacit approval to the plan.
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