Monday, August 24, 2009

flout \FLOWT\, transitive verb:

1. To treat with contempt and disregard; to show contempt for.
2. To mock, to scoff.
3. Mockery, scoffing.

Flout comes from Middle English flouten, "to play the flute."
shress

• An article of clothing that is a mix between a shirt and a dress. Best described as those frilly tops that girls wear over jeans or tights and often wear boots along with them.

Vanessa looked great in her bright green shress and matching boots. Forever 21 has a lot of shresses.

Trivia

Which is the only country to be awarded the George Cross, Great Britain’s second-highest military decoration?

• Malta. The people of the strategic island nation were recognized for their heroic struggle in the face of continuous enemy bombing attacks during World War II. The George Cross is now on Malta’s flag. Britain’s highest military decoration is the Victoria Cross.

Today in History:

• Mount Vesuvius: southern Italian volcano erupted, killing thousands and burying the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum (79)
• St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre: the murder of 70,000 French Protestants (Huguenots) by Catholics began (1572)
• Pluto: got demoted to dwarf planet following a redefinition of "planet" by the International Astronomical Union (2006)

Today's Birthdays:

• Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986): Argentinian writer, Ficciones
• Mason Williams (71): musician/writer best known for his guitar instrumental, "Classical Gas"; rocker Ken Hensley (64) was also born on this date
• Mike Huckabee (54): former governor of Arkansas who made an unsuccessful run for US president; other politicians with this birthdate include William Wilberforce (1759-1833), René Lévesque (1922-1987), Joe Manchin (62) and Bob Corker (57)
• Cal Ripken, Jr. (49): baseball hall-of-famer; hoopster Reggie Miller (44) shares this birth date
• Rupert Grint (21): Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter movies; also, actors Kenny Baker (75), Stephen Fry (52), Steve Guttenberg (51), Marlee Matlin (44), Dave Chappelle and Carmine Giovinazzo (both 36) and Chad Michael Murray (28)