Definition: (noun) A humorous play on words.
Synonyms: pun, punning, wordplay.
Usage: His attempts at comedy usually flopped, especially when he recited his favorite paronomasia, "I do it for the pun of it."
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Source: The Free Dictionary
In 1845, Thoreau, an American author and naturalist, built himself a cabin on the shore of Walden Pond in Massachusetts. He spent the next two years, two months, and two days there, observing nature, reading, and writing. He also kept a journal that he later used to write his masterpiece, Walden, or Life in the Woods, which compresses his time there into a single calendar year and uses the passage of the seasons to symbolize human development. What were Thoreau’s enigmatic last words? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Since 1989, the Mauna Lani Resort in Hawaii has taken in baby Hawaiian green sea turtles from the Sea Life Park in Oahu, Hawaii. Staffers raise the turtles in salt water ponds located on the resort hotel’s grounds until they reach maturity and can be released into the wild. Every Fourth of July, a Turtle Independence Day is held in which turtles are brought down to the hotel’s beach and let go. In addition to the release of the mature turtles, which is open to the public, the hotel also has entertainment, games, canoe rides, and educational displays for children. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Lansky was a Russian-born US gangster. After partnering with Bugsy Siegel as a young man, he joined Lucky Luciano in forming a national crime syndicate. By 1936, he ran gambling operations in Cuba and the US, and by 1970, he had amassed a fortune estimated at $300 million. In 1979, a government investigation linked Lansky with Jack Ruby, the nightclub owner who killed Lee Harvey Oswald, the assassin of President John F. Kennedy. In what wartime effort did Lansky partner with the US government? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, and extremely poisonous gas. It is present in the exhaust of internal-combustion engines, such as in automobiles, and is generated in coal stoves, furnaces, and gas appliances that do not get enough air. Breathing air that contains as little as 0.1% carbon monoxide by volume can be fatal; a concentration of about 1% can cause death within a few minutes. What are the early symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (noun) An official emissary, especially an official representative of the pope.
Synonyms: official emissary.
Usage: Cardinal Giovanni Battista Caprara was the legate of Pope Pius VII in France.
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Source: The Free Dictionary
Extinct since 1844, the great auk was a flightless seabird once found in great numbers on rocky islands off eastern Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Ireland, and Britain. The bird was hunted on a significant scale by humans for food, eggs, and down since at least the 8th century, but massive exploitation for its down and the collecting of its eggs eventually contributed to the demise of the species. Specimens are now exhibited in many museums. Where was the last pair of great auks killed? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
In the Marshall Islands, Fishermen’s Day is a public holiday sponsored by the Marshalls Billfish Club. During the contest, competing fishermen go out into the ocean and attempt to catch the most, the biggest, or the heaviest fish in several categories. In 1981, four friends, Tom Micheals, Wally Milne, Ramsey Reimers, and Ronnie Reimers, founded the Marshalls Billfish Club, and they were inspired to set up an annual tournament in the Marshall Islands every July. The Marshall Islands government endorsed the club, and since then the event has become a national holiday each year. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
One of the greatest architects of the late 18th century, Adam was a Scottish architect and designer whose work influenced the development of Western architecture both in Europe and North America. Along with his brother James, he developed the Adam style, an essentially decorative style of architecture that is most remembered for its application in interiors and is characterized by contrasting room shapes and delicate Classical ornaments. What are some of Adam’s most famous projects? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
The tooth fairy is a character in modern Western culture that attends a child’s loss of a deciduous tooth. In Spanish and Italian culture, the tooth fairy takes the form of a little mouse. Typically, a child who has just lost a tooth places it under his or her pillow before going to sleep; in the morning, the child finds that the tooth has been replaced by a coin, a dollar bill, or a present. What is the origin of the tooth fairy character? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary