December 18, 2008

hackneyed \HAK-need\, adjective:

1. used too often; commonplace
2. habituated; experienced

Special sense of "one who writes anything for hire" led to hackneyed "trite" by 1749.
Virtual Friday

• The last day of work or school in a normal work week, due to an extended weekend.

"I'm so glad I have Thursday and Friday off for Thanksgiving. Even though today is only Wednesday it's Virtual Friday!"

Trivia
What was the original purpose of automobile hood ornaments?

• They served as radiator caps—and some also housed temperature gauges. They became purely decorative when the radiator cap was put under the hood and temperature gauges were moved to the dashboard.

Today in History:

• Amendment XIII: anti-slavery amendment to the US Constitution was declared ratified by Secretary of State William Seward, abolishing the practice (1865)
• The Nutcracker: Tchaikovsky's classic holiday ballet premiered in Saint Petersburg (1892)
• capital punishment in the United Kingdom: was abolished by both houses of Parliament (1969)
• Tokyo Wan Aqua-Line: 1.5 trillion yen, 15-kilometer bridge-tunnel opened across Tokyo Bay (1997) after 31 years of construction

Today's Birthdays:

• Francis Ferdinand (1863-1914): Archduke of Austria whose assassination sparked WWI; plus, world leader Willy Brandt (1913-1992)
• Keith Richards (65): zombie, guitarist, Rolling Stones
• Ty Cobb (1886-1961): baseball hall of famer
• Steven Spielberg (62): highest-grossing filmmaker of all time; directors George Stevens (1904-1975), Ossie Davis (1917- 2005), Alan Rudolph (65) and Gillian Armstrong (58) were also born on this date
• Leonard Maltin (58): movie critic
• Brad Pitt (45): heartthrob actor and activist; also, actors Roger Smith (76), Ray Liotta (53), Rachel Griffiths (40) and Katie Holmes (30)
• Christina Aguilera (28): Grammy-winning pop singer; also, musicians Lonnie Brooks (75), Alejandro Sanz (40) and DMX (38)