Tuesday, May 5, 2009

quaff \KWOFF; KWAFF\, verb:

1. To drink a beverage, esp. an intoxicating one, copiously and with hearty enjoyment.
2. To drink (a beverage) copiously and heartily
3. An act or instance of quaffing.
4. A beverage quaffed.

Quaff is of unknown origin.
Buffer Guest

• A buffer guest is a close friend that you invite to a party ten or 15 minutes before the rest of the guests are scheduled to arrive. This guest or group of guests is meant to 1) make it seem like the party has already begun and good times are to be had and 2) make it less awkward in case someone you don't know particularly well arrives before everyone else.

I invited Jona over as a buffer guest in case Tim or Josh came over early, because I don't really have a lot in common with them.

Trivia
When it comes to movie heroes, who was Max Rockatansky?

• Mad Max, the road warrior portrayed by Mel Gibson in the Mad Max trilogy. The three movies in the adventure film series are Mad Max (1979), Mad Max 2 (1981), and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985).

Today in History:

• Kublai Khan: followed his brother Möngke in becoming ruler of the Mongol Empire, which he expanded to include China (1260)
• Mary Dixon Kies: Connecticut woman became the first female to be granted a patent, for an innovation in weaving straw with silk and thread (1809)
• Cy Young: threw the first perfect game in modern Major League Baseball history (1904)
• West Germany: became a sovereign state and a member of NATO (1955)
• "Boy with a Pipe": Picasso masterpiece sold for a record $104,168,000 at Sotheby's (2004)
• Cinco de Mayo: Mexican holiday commemorating the Mexican victory over the French at Puebla in 1862. The French army, better-equipped and far larger than the Mexican army, had been sent by Napoleon III to conquer Mexico. The Mexicans, under Gen. Ignacio Zaragoza, defeated the French at Puebla, inflicting serious losses. The French withdrew to the coast but returned the next year to take Puebla; they would control most of Mexico for the next four years. Cinco de Mayo celebrations often include music, dancing, and parades [and lots of booze!].

Today's Birthdays:

• Karl Marx (1818-1883): political philosopher and founder of Marxism and communism; also born today was philosopher Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855)
• Christopher Morley (1890-1957): writer and editor, founder of Saturday Review of Literature
• Michael Palin (66): actor-comedian, Monty Python, A Fish Called Wanda; actors John Rhys-Davies (65) and Richard E. Grant (52) were also born on this date
• Brian Williams (50): broadcast journalist and anchor of NBC Nightly News; journalists Nellie Bly (1864-1922), Kurt Loder (64) and John Miller (51) share this date
• Craig David (28): R&B singer; other musicians born on this date include Ace Cannon (75), Tammy Wynette (1942-1998), Bill Ward (61) and Chris Brown (20)