hoodoo – A person who practices voodoo; the word also describes a person or thing whose presence is supposed to bring bad luck. More…
al fresco – Implies the presence of some nearby structure (one does not hike al fresco). More…
pyrosis – Heartburn is actually pyrosis, caused by the presence of gastric secretions, called reflux, in the lower esophagus. More…
evince – To indicate, to reveal the presence of a quality or feeling. More…
As FBI director from 1924 until his death in 1972, Hoover built a more efficient crime-fighting agency and established a centralized fingerprint file, a crime laboratory, and a training school for police. After World War II, he turned to the perceived threat of Communist subversion with a focus that his many critics considered obsessive. It has been verified that he orchestrated systematic harassment of political dissenters and activists, including what celebrated civil-rights leader? Discuss
Selznick was an iconic producer during the early days of Hollywood. He worked for several Hollywood studios before founding his own Selznick International Pictures in 1936. He was renowned for intruding in his productions either through long detailed memos or by actually directing a few scenes. Selznick is best known for producing the epic film Gone with the Wind, which earned him an Oscar for Best Picture. The following year, he won a second consecutive Best Picture Oscar for what film? Discuss
Completely full; teeming; having no room to spare. Watch the video
In 1995, computer programmer Pierre Omidyar founded AuctionWeb in San Jose, California. One of its first sales was a broken laser pointer. However, what began humbly as a hobby for Omidyar grew rapidly. In 1997, Omidyar changed the site’s name to eBay—a contraction of Echo Bay Technology Group—and it has since become the premier online auction site, with millions of items listed, bought, and sold daily. Essentially unregulated at first, eBay now prohibits the sale of what items on its site? Discuss
poult – A young domestic fowl (like a turkey) being raised for food. More…
meleagrine – The adjective form of turkey. More…
wattle – The fleshy part hanging from the neck of a turkey or other bird. More…
turkey – Originally the name for African guinea fowl, it eventually became the name for the Western hemisphere fowl with which the earlier fowl was confused; it is short for turkeycock or turkeyhen. More…
Blood was an Irish-born adventurer who served under Oliver Cromwell during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. After Charles II returned to the throne, Blood fled to Ireland. He later attempted to kidnap the Duke of Ormonde but failed. In 1671, Blood and his accomplices made an infamous attempt to steal the Crown Jewels of England. Having befriended the jewel keeper, Blood arranged a private viewing, during which time the men made off with the treasures. Why did Charles II pardon Blood? Discuss
Barrie was a Scottish novelist and dramatist best known for his play Peter Pan, the Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up. Emotionally immature—likely due to his domineering mother—Barrie was prone to sentimentality in his writing. Yet his best works reveal a profound understanding of human nature and a capacity for irony and wit. His 1917 tragicomedy Dear Brutus is widely considered his best work. Why was Barrie disappointed with the statue of Peter Pan erected in Kensington Gardens, London? Discuss
To not do any work at all. Watch the video