Word of the Day for Friday, July 4, 2008

dapple \DAP-uhl\, noun:

1. A small contrasting spot or blotch.
2. A mottled appearance, especially of the coat of an animal (as a horse).
3. To mark with patches of a color or shade; to spot.
4. To become dappled.
5. Marked with contrasting patches or spots; dappled.

fourth of july

• The day people light things on fire, and blame it on loving their country.

police officer: hey, you kids, that type of fireworks is illegal!

kid: dude, its the fourth of july. just showing some love for my country.

police officer: oh. in that case. toss me an m-80.

Trivia

How many times does the word America appear in "The Star-Spangled Banner"?

• None. (But the phrase “O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave” appears four times.)

Today's Holiday

• Fourth of July (US)

Today in History

• Walden: Henry David Thoreau took up abode in a small cabin he built himself near Walden Pond, where he spent two years in simple living (1845)
• Lou Gehrig: afflicted by ALS, the baseball player bid farewell to fans at Yankee Stadium, calling himself that day "the luckiest man on the face of the Earth" (1939)
• Philippines: gained independence from the US (1946)
• Operation Entebbe: hostages taken by pro-Palestinian hijackers were rescued by Israeli commandos in Uganda (1976)

Today's Birthdays

• Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864): author of The Scarlet Letter and The House of the Seven Gables
• Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807-1882): Italian patriot
• Stephen Foster (1826-1864): composer of minstrel songs "Old Folks at Home" and "Camptown Races"
• Calvin Coolidge (1872-1933): laconic, no-nonsense 30th POTUS
• Neil Simon (81): Tony/Oscar-winning playwright and screenwriter of The Odd Couple and The Heartbreak Kid
• Gina Lollobrigida (81): Italian actor and photographer; actor Eva Marie Saint (84) shares this birth date
• John Waite (53): rock singer