Lerner, an American lyricist and librettist, began his musical theater career with collegiate contributions to the annual Harvard Hasty Pudding musicals. After two years as a radio scriptwriter, he was introduced to composer Frederick Loewe. Their collaboration resulted in the 1947 musical hit Brigadoon. Their crowning achievement, however, was My Fair Lady (1956), whose film version won eight Oscars. My Fair Lady is adapted from which novel? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (noun) A loose coverall (coat or frock) reaching down to the ankles.
Synonyms: dust coat, smock, duster.
Usage: He was an unshaven little man in a threadbare coat like a gaberdine, with his feet in slippers, and I thought him a harmless fool.
Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
In the spring of 1864 during the American Civil War, Union General William T. Sherman began preparing his troops for their first major attack on the defenses of Atlanta, Georgia. Just days after taking command of a Confederate army in that area, General John Bell Hood unsuccessfully attacked Sherman’s troops as they crossed the nearby Peachtree Creek. Most historians consider the attack a grave error, as the Union troops routed Hood’s army. What went wrong for Hood? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Mt. Osore, located on the Shimokita Peninsula in the north of Honshu, Japan, is a spiritual center for many Japanese. It is known as a place where departed souls congregate. During the Osorezan Taisai Festival, or Osorezanrei Grand Festival, people flock to the mountain at Mutsu City, Aomori Prefecture, where psychics endeavor to summon the spirits of the dead by chanting. The priests who cross the weathered slopes of the mountain in procession add to the festival’s grim and ghostly atmosphere. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Mendel was an Austrian monk who laid the mathematical foundation for the science of genetics. While working in his monastery’s garden in 1854, he began planning the experiments that led him to identify the basic principles of heredity. By crossing different varieties of pea plants, he determined that each parent plant contributes a “factor”—now known as a gene—to its offspring for a particular trait. His findings went unrecognized until the 20th century, when they were rediscovered by whom? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
The Young Men’s Christian Organization (YMCA) was founded in London in 1844 and has as its objective the development of values and behaviors that are consistent with Christian principles; membership is not limited to Christians, however, and women and girls have been accepted as members since World War II. In North America, the YMCA is usually perceived to be primarily a community sports facility, but in practice it utilizes a broad range of other programs, such as what? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (noun) A fragment of incombustible matter left after a wood or coal or charcoal fire.
Synonyms: clinker.
Usage: Ella loved to read by the fire; her cruel stepsisters dubbed her "Cinderella," since her face was often blackened with cinder dust.
Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
After King Henry VIII divorced her mother, Catherine of Aragon, and married Anne Boleyn, Mary was declared illegitimate and lost her place in the line of succession. In 1553, her granddaughter, Lady Jane Grey, was deposed following a nine-day reign, and Mary—restored to the line of succession in 1544—became queen. She restored Roman Catholicism to England, but the resulting persecution of Protestants and the execution of some 300 heretics earned her the hatred of her subjects and what nickname? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Kinderzeche is a festival in Dinkelsbühl, Bavaria, Germany, to honor the children who saved the town during the Thirty Years’ War of 1618-48. In 1632, according to legend, as Swedish troops rode into town, a small band of children appeared before the commander and asked for his mercy. The commander’s heart softened, and he spared the town. The celebration today is a reenactment of the event, with participants in costumes of 17th-century town councilors and soldiers. Highlights of the festival include the parade of the Dinkelsbühl Boys’ Band and a performance of a sword dance. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Colt patented his revolving-breech pistol in 1836, but the six-shooter was slow to gain acceptance, and his company failed in 1842. However, a US government order for 1,000 pistols during the Mexican War allowed Colt to resume its manufacture in 1847. Colt advanced the development of interchangeable parts and the assembly line, and his revolvers, including the famous Colt .45, became so popular that the word “Colt” was sometimes used as a generic term for any revolver. What else did Colt invent? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary