California owes its statehood in part to the thousands of men who feverishly migrated to northern California to make “easy money” by finding nuggets of gold. Most of them, however, found barely enough gold to pay for daily expenses and had to seek work on projects like the Panama Railway. The California Gold Rush is generally considered to have ended in 1858. What American football team takes its name from the prospectors of this period? Discuss
Month: April 2022
gelid
pulling
pull out all the stops – Refers to the knobs and levers on a church organ that control the pipes; pulling out all the stops will result in the full range of pitch and maximum volume. More…
track – Borrowed from Old French trac, from Middle Dutch trek, “pulling,” or trekken, “pull.” More…
traction, tractor – Traction and tractor trace back to Latin tractus, “drawing, pulling,” and trahere, “draw, pull.” More…
tractive – Refers to power exerted in pulling, especially by a machine. More…
Faeroe Islands Gain Home Rule (1948)
The Faeroe Islands are a group of volcanic islands first settled by Irish monks circa 700 CE and colonized by Vikings about a century later. Since 1380, the islands have been under Danish rule. After World War II, the Faeroese sought independence, but the Danish king blocked any chance of this by dissolving the Faeroese parliament following a 1946 referendum in which residents voted for independence. Two years later, they were granted self-government. Where in the world are the Faeroe Islands? Discuss
April Fools' Day
There are many names for this day, just as there are many practical jokes to play on the unsuspecting. The simplest pranks usually involve children who, for example, tell each other that their shoelaces are undone and then cry “April Fool!” when the victims glance at their feet. Sometimes the media broadcast fictitious news items. British television, for example, once showed Italian farmers “harvesting” spaghetti from trees. The French call it Fooling the April Fish Day (the fool being the poisson d’avril) and try to pin a paper fish on someone’s back without getting caught. Discuss
William Manchester (1922)
Manchester, an American historian, biographer, and bestselling author, published 18 books during his lifetime, including three popular volumes on US president John F. Kennedy. His writings have been translated into multiple languages. He served as a Marine during World War II, and his wartime experiences formed the basis for Goodbye, Darkness: A Memoir of the Pacific War. Why did Jacqueline Kennedy file a lawsuit to prevent the publication of Manchester’s The Death of a President? Discuss
slanging match
A bitter argument or dispute in which each side hurls numerous insults, accusations, or verbal abuse at one another. Primarily heard in UK. Watch the video
Yoga
Yoga dates to at least the 2nd century BCE—and likely much earlier—as an orthodox school of Hindu philosophy, but it has become known outside of India as a means of physical and mental exercise. The popular form in the West is hatha yoga, which emphasizes specific postures combined with controlled breathing to bring about mental calm. Hatha yoga’s more than 1,000 positions are intended to make the spine supple and promote circulation throughout the body. What does yoga mean in Sanskrit? Discuss