The Michelin Guide (Le Guide Michelin) is a series of guide books to over a dozen countries published annually by the Michelin company. André Michelin published the first edition of the guide in 1900 to help drivers maintain their cars, find decent lodging, and eat well while touring France. Today, the Michelin Red Guide is the oldest and best-known European hotel and restaurant guide. International food critics have accused the guide of what type of bias? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (verb) To impose (oneself or one's ideas) on others with undue insistence or without invitation.
Synonyms: push out, thrust out.
Usage: He never hesitated to obtrude his opinion on others, believing that everyone must value what he had to say.
Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Now famously known as Leopold and Loeb, Nathan Leopold, Jr., and Richard Loeb were two University of Chicago students who murdered 14-year-old Bobby Franks in 1924 as part of an elaborate plan to commit the “perfect crime.” Although the duo attempted to conceal or destroy all evidence linking them to the crime, a pair of Leopold’s eyeglasses was found near the scene, and the two later confessed. Spared the death penalty, they were instead sentenced to life in prison plus how many years? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
This national holiday in Chile is often called Día de las Glorias Navales (“The Day of the Glorious Navy”). From 1879 to 1881, the Chilean navy fought an alliance of Peru and Bolivia in the War of the Pacific. The Chilean victory in the Battle of Iquique on May 21, 1879, was a turning point in a war that Chile eventually won decisively. The holiday is celebrated throughout Chile with festivals, military parades, and speeches. Sporting events, including boat and bicycle races, are held in honor of the holiday. Many people dress in traditional costumes as a symbol of national pride. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Dürer, a painter and printmaker, was one of the most influential artists of the German school as well as the first German artist to achieve substantial international renown. He was a superb draftsman and painter but is perhaps best known for the vast number of woodcuts and engravings he made throughout his career, which combine meticulous craftsmanship with rich detail. His work has influenced generations of printmakers and draftsmen. What are some of his most famous pieces? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
The Order of Skull and Bones is a secret society based at Yale University, in New Haven, Connecticut. It was founded in 1832 by Phi Beta Kappa pledges William Huntington Russell and Alphonso Taft. Membership has included US Presidents such as George W. Bush, Supreme Court Justices, business leaders, and US Senators such as John Kerry. What fictional Simpsons character is a member? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (noun) Sudden impairment of neurological function, especially that resulting from a cerebral hemorrhage.
Synonyms: stroke, cerebrovascular accident.
Usage: The medical evidence showed conclusively that death was due to apoplexy.
Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Fought over a period of 10 days in 1969, the Battle of Hamburger Hill was the last major US ground assault of the Vietnam War. Attacks on the heavily fortified hill were primarily carried out by infantry using small arms fire, with fighting akin to WWI trench warfare. The site was of little strategic value, and the high number of casualties that resulted from capturing it sparked controversy and led to dramatic changes in US strategy. How did the hill get its name? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
The citizens of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, like to think that their ancestors were the first to call for independence from the British when they adopted the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence on May 20, 1775. But historians now believe that the resolutions calling for independence were never actually presented there. Even though the Mecklenburg patriots may not have been the first to declare their independence from British rule, their actions represent an important step on the road to the American Revolution. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Ranking among the great masters of the novel, Balzac was a French writer regarded as one of the founders of realism in literature. His magnum opus was a vast collection of novels and short stories collectively titled La Comédie humaine—The Human Comedy—which presents a panorama of the French society of his time, picturing in precise detail characters from every class and every profession. Balzac’s work habits are legendary. How long was he said to write during a single stretch? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary