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Showing posts with the label Word of the Day

What is hype? Where does the word come from?

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The first dictionary definition of hype (1967) was ' excessive or misleading publicity or advertising'.

Where does the word meme come from?

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In  The Selfish Gene   (1976) the scientist Richard Dawkins expands the Darwinist concept of natural selection to the realm of ideas.

What is a troll?

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To troll is to insult or provoke, sometimes using subterfuge.

What is a curveball in general English?

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Word for admirer of American culture?

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  America is a vast conspiracy to make you happy. – John Updike

Where does the word dude come from?

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Meaning of 'sigma'?

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Meaning of Nepo Baby?

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A person who is famous largely because they have a celebrity parent or other close relative. 

Origin of word nepotism?

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Nepotism :  To allocate favour or advantage to family 

Why do we say 'Good' Friday?

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Photo by  Sincerely Media  on  Unsplash It may seem odd that Christians call their day of greatest sorrow Good Friday.

What is Globish?

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Globish  in British ( Ɡləʊbɪʃ     )  noun

Why do we say 'flea market'?

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March aux puces - original flea market still popular in Paris A mysterious term, given that the market for fleas is limited. There are two (vaguely) plausible theories:

New meaning of slay?

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What is the Rorschach test?

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Hermann Rorschach   (1884–1922) invented the 'ink blot' personality test.  

What does Auld Lang Syne mean?

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I llustration to Robert Burns' poem  Auld Lang Syne  by J.M. Wright and Edward Scriven . Auld Lang Syne  is from the  Scots  language.

Silver Spoons?

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Why does being ' born with a silver spoon in your mouth ' suggest inherited wealth and privilege? Apostle spoons were a symbol of wealth

Origin of word blackmail?

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The original meaning of blackmail was not directly connected to the concept of extortion

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...

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.

What is nepotism?

—   nep · o · tis · tic   \ ˌ ne-pə- ˈ tis-tik\   adjective