November 14, 2015
Word of the Day
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Definition:
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(noun) A meal at midday; a luncheon. |
Synonyms: |
luncheon, dejeuner, lunch
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Usage: |
His impudence still rankled when I came into the dining room at tiffin time. |
Article of the Day
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The Magyars, a nomadic people, migrated from the Urals to the Northern Caucasus region around 460 CE. They remained there for roughly 400 years, until the advance of the Pechenegs forced them west into what is now Romania. They arrived in Hungary towards the end of the 9th century, displacing the resident Huns and Slavs. The Magyars currently comprise 92% of the Hungarian population; consequently, the words Magyar and Hungarian are used interchangeably. What is the origin of the latter term?
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This Day in History
First Shipboard Aircraft Takeoff (1910)
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Discuss
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A year after learning to fly, aviator Eugene Ely performed an experiment for the US Navy: he took off from a temporary platform built over the bow of the USS Birmingham, anchored off Virginia's coast, and became the first person to take off from a ship in a fixed-wing aircraft. Two months later, he performed the first shipboard landing, using the first tailhook system to land on the USS Pennsylvania in San Francisco Bay, California. He died less than a year later while doing what?
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Today's Birthday
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Lindgren was a Swedish children's book author and screenwriter best remembered for writing the series of books featuring the character Pippi Långstrump, or Pippi Longstocking. Pippi, an unconventional, assertive, and extraordinarily strong girl—recognized by her fiery red hair worn in braids that stick out sideways from her head—was featured in many of Lindgren's hundreds of books, which sold roughly 145 million copies worldwide. What other memorable characters did Lindgren create?
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Today's Holiday
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The second Friday in November is Lord Mayor's Day in London, the day on which the city's Lord Mayor is admitted to office. The following day is the Lord Mayor's Show, a series of civic ceremonies held since 1215 that culminate in a parade to the Law Courts. Today, the Lord Mayor rides from Guildhall to the Law Courts in a scarlet and gold coach drawn by six matched horses. Accompanying the coach is an honor guard of musketeers and pikemen in period dress, as well as many bands and numerous floats decorated to reflect the interests or profession of the new Lord Mayor.
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Quote of the Day
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Most amusements only mean trying to win another person's money.
Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936)
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In the News
A Seismic Shift in How People Eat
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Discuss
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It's easy to make fun of people in big cities for their obsession with gluten, or chia seeds, or cleanses. But urbanites are not the only ones turning away from the products created by big food companies. Eating habits are changing across the country ...
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