Definition:
Describe something as it really is.
Description:
Dickens (1854).
Hard Times.
‘There’s no imaginative sentimental humbug about me. I call a spade a spade.’
Source:
Charles Dickens (1854)
Mar 17
adminChristianity, Everyday, military, Religion english, latin, spanish
Definition:
a deserter of any type, (historically, in terms of religion)
Description:
The English borrowed and modified this word from the Spanish ‘renegado,‘ who formed it from a Latin term meaning “to deny.”
When a Christian deserted and joined the Muslim army, Spanish churchmen labeled a man who denounced his faith a “renegado.” English took this and modified it to ‘renegade’ and was used to designate “the occasional turncoat who denied his religion for profit.”
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Mar 17
adminClothing irish
Definition:
a knitted, unbleached cotton fabric used for underwear and hosiery.
Description:
Named after the Irish seaport town where this fabric material of the same name is made, Balbriggan arose in the 18th Century from a small fishing village to a place of commercial and manufacturing importance, thanks to Baron Hamilton, who introduced cotton manufacture in 1780.
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Mar 16
sarahscullyMaritime, Names, Political, Shakespeare American English, Dutch, foreign, freebooter, french, government, Latin America, legislation, mercenaries, nautical, pirates, Political, spanish, speech, U. S. Congress
Definition:
1. (Political) a. The use of irregular or obstructive tactics by a member or members of a legislative assembly to prevent a majority-favored measure from passing.
b. An extraordinarily long speech or series of speeches that can stall procedure for days in order to accomplish the above.
c. A member of a legislature who makes such a speech.
2. (Military) A rogue individual engaged in illicit military conduct in a foreign land. Usually referring to U. S. citizens who helped to foment revolution in Latin America in the 19th century.
Description:
The word “filibuster” can be traced back to a label given to pirates who marauded trade routes in the 17th and 18th centuries. It originated from the Dutch word vrijbuiter, which literally translates to “freebooter,” [vrij (“‘free’”) + buit (“‘booty’”) + er].
The term spread across Europe with the Spanish and French translating it into filibustero and filibustier, respectively.
Americans adapted the spelling and pronunciation to “filibuster” and expanded the definition to include mercenaries engaged in illicit military actions against foreign governments, referring in particular to Southern adventurers in Latin America.
In the mid-1800s, “filibuster” became popular in the U. S. Congress as a euphemism for delaying or blocking the passing of legislation by taking advantage of the procedural rules to hold the floor for inordinate amounts of time. Senator Huey Long (D-LA) demonstrated a particular talent for filibustering, reciting everything from Shakespeare to recipes for Southern dishes for up to 15 hours at a time.
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Mar 14
sarahscullyEveryday, Life, Literary drama, english, Literary, playwrights, theater, theft
Definition:
To have attention or credit for an idea taken away from you
Description:
In the early 1700s, English critic and playwright John Dennis devised a new method of simulating the sound of thunder for his play Appius and Virginia. The play was deemed a failure and its run at the Drury Lane Theatre was cancelled but Dennis’s invention caught on and was used in other productions without his permission, prompting him to protest. His exact words are unconfirmed but it is generally accepted that he said something to the affect of: ”They stole my thunder!”
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Mar 10
adminClothing, Life Algonquin, english, Native American, Native American Indian
Definition:
a soft leather shoe, usually made from deerskin, originally made and worn by Native American Indians; often decorated, especially with beads.
Description:
The word moccasin in association with Native American footwear has been adopted by the greater American public but it was never a universally understood word within the different Native American tribes. Moccasin was the word for shoe in the Virginia Algonquian language and was passed into English as a generalization through the encounters early English settlers had with the native community. Captain John Smith of the Jamestown settlement is attributed with noting the translation in his 1612 glossary, ‘mockasins: shoes.’ In actuality, each tribe used words in their own language or dialect to signify shoe/slipper and it is coincidence that has made ‘moccasin’ the lasting word in English. It is more than coincidence and surely a tribute to the beauty of the design and image of the moccasin that it has been preserved as a style of shoe until today and continues to permeate the broader fashion market.
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