missile – First an adjective meaning “suitable for throwing.” More…
precipitate, precipitation – Precipitate is from Latin praecipitare, “to throw or drive headlong”; precipitation first meant the action of falling or throwing down. More…
throw – Its original sense was “twist, turn,” as in throwing a pot on a potter’s wheel; it is not known how it evolved into “hurl, project.” More…
gone to pot – Comes from Elizabethan times, when leftover meat was thrown into a big pot for another meal. More…
Following Japan’s defeat in World War II, Taiwan was placed under the administrative control of the Republic of China. The transition did not go smoothly. The Taiwanese had been content under Japanese rule and quickly grew to resent the heavy-handed tactics of the Kuomintang. On February 27, 1947, a dispute between a cigarette vendor and authorities escalated the next day into an anti-government uprising that was violently suppressed. How many Taiwanese are thought to have been massacred? Discuss
The Kalevala is Finland’s national epic poem, researched and transcribed by Dr. Elias Lönnrot. Lönnrot and his assistants traveled throughout the country, asking people to tell them whatever they could remember about the folklore surrounding Kalevala, the “Land of Heroes.” On February 28, 1835, after years of research, Lönnrot signed the preface to the first edition of the poem. This event marked a turning point in Finnish literature; up to this point, little had been written in the Finnish language. Lönnrot is honored with parades and concerts on this day. Discuss
The youngest child of Joseph Stalin, and his only daughter, Svetlana Alliluyeva caused a furor when she defected to the West in the 1960s, leaving behind her two grown children in the process. After becoming a naturalized US citizen, she published two successful memoirs, married, took the name Lana Peters, had a daughter, and divorced. In 1984, she returned to the USSR and renounced her defection, but her resolve soon wavered. How long was it before she left again for the West? Discuss
Move aside! Get out of the way! (Short for “move to one side.”) Watch the video
In 1784, French astronomer Charles Messier compiled a list of non-stellar celestial objects. He had no understanding of what these items—now known to be galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters—actually were; he just wanted to further the search for comets by listing the indistinct objects that might be mistaken for them. Designations from his catalog are still used to refer to some nebulae and star clusters—for instance, M1 is the Crab Nebula and M45 is the Pleiades. What is a “Messier Marathon”? Discuss
transpicuous – Describing something easily seen through or understood. More…
passive vocabulary – Contains lexemes we know and understand but do no actively use (in writing or speech). More…
scrutable – Describing that which can be understood through scrutiny. More…
esoteric – Its root sense is “for the initiates of a religious mystery,” and it means “confined to or understood by just a few people.” More…
More than a decade after a blaze on a train packed with Hindu pilgrims claimed 59 lives—many of the victims women and children—the debate rages on as to whether it was a tragic accident or deliberately set as part of a larger conspiracy. The train was passing through the Indian state of Gujarat when it was set upon by a Muslim mob near the Godhra train station and the fire broke out. Several investigations have yielded conflicting results as to the source of the blaze, yet what was done in 2011? Discuss
In the 1830s, Juan Pablo Duarte (1813-1876) organized a secret society known as La Trinitaria to fight the Haitians. After a long struggle, independence was finally declared on February 27, 1844. February 27 is still observed as the country’s Independence Day and is celebrated with parades and political meetings. Dominicans usually celebrate Carnival along with Independence Day—thousands gather in the capital, Santo Domingo, for the traditional day-long parade and street party. Discuss