Definition: (verb) Formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief, usually under pressure.
Synonyms: abjure, forswear, retract, resile.
Usage: The dissident refused to recant and was imprisoned.
Discuss
Month: August 2023
USS Constitution Defeats HMS Guerrière (1812)
The USS Constitution, better known as “Old Ironsides,” is perhaps the most famous vessel in the history of the US Navy. One of the first frigates built for the Navy, the Constitution saw action in several wars and defeated the British frigate HMS Guerrière during the War of 1812. Later condemned as unseaworthy, the ship was saved from dismantling by public sentiment aroused by Oliver Wendell Holmes’ poem “Old Ironsides.” How did the wooden ship get its nickname? Discuss
Gabrielle Bonheur "Coco" Chanel (1883)
Arguably the most important figure in 20th-century fashion, Chanel founded her first house of couture in 1913. Within five years, her innovative use of jersey fabric and accessories was attracting wealthy patrons. Her nonconformist designs stressed simplicity and comfort and revolutionized the fashion industry. The financial basis of her empire was her Chanel No. 5 perfume, introduced in 1922 and still popular today. What essential women’s fashion staple was first popularized by Chanel? Discuss
hanging offense
A crime, misdeed, or impropriety that is (hyperbolically) perceived to warrant death by hanging. Primarily heard in US. Watch the video
Sea Urchins
The sea urchin, a spiny sea creature related to the starfish, is found in oceans all over the world. Its body wall is a firm, globose shell, made of fused skeletal plates. Five rows of the skeletal plates are pierced by pores for its tube feet, which it uses, along with its spines, for locomotion. Sea urchin “roe,” which is actually made from the organs that produce the roe, is considered a delicacy in Mediterranean regions and Japan, where it has been sold for what price? Discuss
dieresis
Virginia Dare (1587)
The first English child born in the Americas, Dare began her life in the colony of Roanoke in what is now the state of North Carolina. Strangely, the colony soon disappeared, and what became of Dare and the other colonists remains a mystery. In the 400 years since, Dare has become a prominent figure in American mythology and folklore. To many, she represents concepts like innocence and hope. Others use her name as a rallying cry for bigotry and sexism. How do historians know about her birth? Discuss
hangdog look
A self-pitying expression of abjection, defeat, shame, or guilt. Watch the video
The Ukulele
The ukulele is a Hawaiian musical instrument developed from the Portuguese guitar. It has a fretted fingerboard and four strings that are plucked or strummed. A similar instrument is the banjolele, which has a banjo body. The ukulele became popular in the US through a 1915 exposition held in San Francisco, at which the Hawaiian Pavilion featured a guitar and ukulele ensemble. Vaudeville performers took it up, and its popularity spread. “Ukulele” is Hawaiian for what? Discuss