Showing or experiencing a noticeable or conspicuous increase, improvement, or expansion. Watch the video
Month: November 2021
Pecking Order
A pecking order is a basic pattern of social organization within a flock of poultry in which dominance is established by aggression—members maintain their status by pecking those lower in rank without fear of retaliation and by submitting to pecks from those of higher rank. Nowadays, the term is used somewhat colloquially to describe social hierarchies among other creatures, including humans, and has even been applied to the finance industry. Who coined the term? Discuss
iota
litter
Lopburi Monkey Banquet
Yongyuth Kijwattananuson first offered this banquet to the long-tailed macaque monkeys who live in the city of Lop Buri, Thailand, in 1988, to thank them for making his hotel so attractive to visitors. It has since become an institution, especially for the hundreds of monkeys who normally spend their time begging and stealing food from townspeople and tourists. Dozens of chefs prepare numerous dishes featuring fruit and vegetables on tables covered with red tablecloths. The monkeys eventually approach the tables to feast on the offerings, playing and throwing food in the process. Discuss
caught on the hop
Caught unawares or in a state of unpreparedness. Watch the video
Mammon
In the New Testament, Mammon is the personification of riches and greed in the form of a false god. The term is also used generally in the Bible to describe wealth as a source of corruption. “You cannot serve God and mammon”—meaning that you cannot be both a good person and absorbed with gaining wealth—is one of the most noted Biblical proverbs. The common literary usage of Mammon as a god of covetousness or avarice likely stems from what text, in which Mammon oversees a cave of worldly wealth? Discuss
orphic
Definition: (adjective) Having an import not apparent to the senses nor obvious to the intelligence; beyond ordinary understanding.
Synonyms: occult, mysterious, mystical, secret.
Usage: The orphic symbols on the tome could only be deciphered by the blind wizard.
Discuss
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Baha'i Day of the Covenant
The Baha’i Day of the Covenant is a Baha’i holy day. It commemorates the covenant Baha’u’llah, founder of the faith, made with humanity and his followers, appointing Abdu’l-Baha as the head of the Baha’i religion who would interpret Baha’i teachings. Abdu’l-Baha chose the date when followers requested an occasion to remember his importance. Discuss