Posts

What is FLOTUS? Who is the POTUS?

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There some dispute as to when FLOTUS entered the lexicon: 

Which actress has most influenced the English language?

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Quotation reference books lean towards Mae West but in terms of cultural influence there can only be one  choice.

What is the Hobson-Jobson dictionary?

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In 1872 two men began work on a lexicon of words of Asian origin used by the British in India. Since its publication the 1,000-page dictionary has never been out of print.

Should Elvis have been 'shaken up"?

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shake  up 1.  To  upset  by or as if by a  physical   jolt  or  shock:   was   badly   shaken  up by  the   accident.   Source Freedictionary.com

What does it mean to 'move the needle'?

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The expression “ moving the needle ” first appeared in England during the industrial revolution.  The reference was to gauges on steam engines.    During World War II, it became a more common term in reference to aviation gauges.  In business today it’s synonymous with making progress.   Source In US politics to 'move the needle' is to significantly change the opinion polls in the direction of your candidate.  An alternative - more recent - origin to the one above comes from seismology. The movement of the Richter Scale indicates the strength of an earthquake.

What is a zero-sum game?

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A zero-sum game is  a competition/conflict in which 'the winner takes all'. Whatever is gained on one side is lost on the other.

What is a Republican? And a Democrat?

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There are only two major political parties in the US; the Republicans & the Democrats. A representative from one or other party has won every presidential election since 1852. Why the names Republican and Democrat?   This gets very confusing!  The Federalist Party of Alexander Hamilton   was opposed by Thomas Jefferson who formed an opposition party in 1792. Jefferson's  party developed into the Democratic-Republican Party (1798). This was the forerunner of the modern Democratic Party . The  modern Republican Party was founded in the 1850s and  key features included opposition to slavery and a support base in the northern states. Abraham Lincoln was a Republican, while the pro-slavery southern states were largely Democrat. Where do they stand today?   Registered voters in 2004 Broadly speaking, the Democratic Party is left-of-center and the Republican Party right-of-center. The American electorate is divided into these two camps. On one side are the Democrat

What is a primary? What is a caucus?

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American presidential elections follow a fixed timetable in a system that has its origins in the American Constitution.

What are phrasal verbs? Why are they difficult to learn?

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Where does the name Macintosh come from?

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The first Apple logo features Isaac Newton. There is no reference Macintosh or Turin The naming of the world's most glamorous technology company is surrounded by entertaining legends.