subingression – A subtle or unseen entrance. More…
ethereal – First meant “resembling the ether or lightest and most subtle of elements,” and now means that something is impalpable or unearthly. More…
hard sell, soft sell – Hard sell implies an aggressive approach toward a potential buyer; a soft sell is a more subtle, suggestive approach. More…
subtle – Its ultimate source is Latin subtilis, “finely woven,” a weaving term, from sub tela, “beneath the lengthwise threads of a loom.” More…
When heavy winds struck the North Sea during the high spring tide in 1953, it created a severe flood that affected parts of the Netherlands, Belgium, and the UK. Belgium suffered significant property damage but little loss of life. The Netherlands, on the other hand, had 1,836 reported deaths, and the UK had more than 500, with nearly half of the victims perishing at sea. The flood remains one of the UK’s worst natural disasters. What has been done to prevent future disasters of this sort? Discuss
This island in the Pacific Ocean gained independence from Great Britain on January 31, 1968. It had been governed by Australia. Independence Day is a national holiday in Nauru. Discuss
Along with Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Tokugawa was one of the three unifiers of war-torn, premodern Japan. The three warriors established military control over the whole country and succeeded one another in the dictatorship. Tokugawa’s time as shogun, or military dictator, ushered in a period of internal peace, urban growth, increased literacy, and resistance to Western influences. He died in 1616, but the Tokugawa shogunate did not die with him. For how long did his heirs rule Japan? Discuss
Less shy, reserved, or reticent and in a more sociable, outgoing, or enthusiastic state. Watch the video
An astronomical transit is the passage of a celestial body or satellite across the face of a relatively larger body. Transits are not the same thing as the familiar solar or lunar eclipse. In an eclipse, a large celestial body hides a major part of a smaller body. In an astronomical transit, a small body crosses in front of a larger one. An astronomical transit can involve two planets, but this has not been observed on Earth since 1818. When will the next planetary transit be visible from Earth? Discuss
clinic – First meant “teaching of medicine at the bedside.” More…
didactics – The art or science of teaching. More…
ear training – In music, it is the teaching of pitch and rhythm recognition. More…
hypnopedia – Teaching during sleep. More…
In 1968, civil rights protests by Roman Catholics in Northern Ireland sparked violent conflicts with Protestants, resulting in the occupation of the province by British troops. The Bogside Massacre greatly worsened the situation. On “Bloody Sunday”—January 30, 1972—British troops shot 26 unarmed civil rights protesters. Thirteen victims—seven of whom were teenagers—died almost immediately, and a fourteenth later succumbed to his injuries. What did the first inquiry into the massacre find? Discuss
Charles I, crowned king of England in 1625, was illegally executed on January 30, 1649, primarily for defending the Anglican Church. His body was secretly buried in Windsor Castle, and he was widely acclaimed as a martyr. A royal decree ordered a special service on this day to be in the Book of Common Prayer from 1662 to 1859. It also ordered it to be a day of national fasting. The anniversary of this event is commemorated by the Society of Charles the Martyr with an annual service at the site of his execution in Whitehall, London. Discuss