The paparazzi or a large group of photojournalists, especially when actively engaged in photographing someone or something of great interest. (Refers to the Nikon brand of camera.) Watch the video
Month: November 2021
Being
Why is there something instead of nothing? This is one of the chief questions that, for millennia, has fueled the existential musings of philosophers who have pondered the concept of “being.” Used interchangeably with the word “existence,” the term “being” conceptualizes subjective and objective aspects of reality. One’s state of being is also a focus of psychology. According to psychiatrist Carl Jung, “the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light of meaning in the darkness of” what? Discuss
bedaub
sleeping
cubicle – Originally a small room for sleeping—from Latin cumb, “lie down”—that was separated from a larger room. More…
breakfast – Literally means “breaking the fast”—of the night, as it is the first meal after sleeping. More…
dormition – A peaceful and painless death, as well as the act of sleeping or falling asleep. More…
incubate, incubation – Latin incubare, the source of incubate, literally meant “lie down on”; incubation once had the sense of sleeping in a sacred place or temple for oracular purposes. More…
a night out
An evening spent having an enjoyable time away from home, as in a restaurant, theater, bar, or other such locations. Watch the video
Atonality
Musical compositions that do not use an established musical key are said to be atonal. Atonality is a radical alternative to the diatonic system—the natural major or minor scales that form the basis of the key system in Western music. After World War I, an atonal system of composing emerged using 12 tones. By World War II, however, “atonality” had become a pejorative term to condemn music perceived as lacking structure and coherence. In Nazi Germany, atonal music was also criticized as what? Discuss
aplomb
Definition: (noun) Self-confident assurance; poise.
Synonyms: assuredness, sang-froid, cool.
Usage: The defense attorney smiled with an air of aplomb, knowing that his client’s acquittal was all but assured.
Discuss
Sherwood Anderson
It would be better to give up the notion of writing until you are better prepared … You must not become a mere peddler of words. The thing to learn is to know what people are thinking about, not what they say. Discuss
inherent
imminent, immanent – Imminent is “about to happen” and immanent is “inherent” or “pervading the material world.” More…
intrinsic – Latin intrinsecus, “on the inside,” came to be the English intrinsic, “inner, internal” and “inherent.” More…
proper – First meant “inherent, intrinsic.” More…
innate, inherent – The word innate means “inborn” and should apply to living things; inherent is “essential, intrinsic” and applies best to nonliving things like ideas. More…
Día de los Muertos
Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a national holiday in Mexico and is observed in Hispanic communities throughout the U.S. Long before sunrise, people stream into the cemeteries laden with candles, flowers, and food that is often shaped and decorated to resemble the symbols of death. Children eat tiny chocolate hearses, sugar funeral wreaths, and candy skulls and coffins. But the atmosphere is festive. In many homes, people set up ofrendas, or altars, to the departed. These are decked with candles, special foods, and whatever the dead enjoyed when they were alive. Discuss