Monday, August 3, 2009

desultory \DES-uhl-tor-ee\, adjective:

1. Jumping or passing from one thing or subject to another without order or rational connection; disconnected; aimless.
2. By the way; as a digression; not connected with the subject.
3. Coming disconnectedly or occurring haphazardly; random.
4. Disappointing in performance or progress.

Desultory comes from Latin desultorius, from desultor, "a leaper," from the past participle of desilire, "to leap down," from de-, "down from" + salire, "to leap."

nom de strip

• A name assumed for glamour photography / pornography / other sexual activity when an alias might be advisable; one's stripper name.

"She's principal fiscal advisor to the mayor nowadays, but I remember her fondly as Lola Wetness."
"Lola Wetness?"
"Her nom de strip."
Trivia
Who officially decreed that “God bless you” should be said when someone has a sneezing fit?

• Gregory the Great. He became pope in the late sixth century when Rome was besieged by the plague and the afflicted typically suffered spasms of sneezing as they neared death.

Today in History:

• La Scala: leading opera house opened in Milan with a production of Salieri's opera Europa riconosciuta, which was not performed again until December 7, 2004, when La Scala reopened after renovations (1788)
• USS Nautilus: the world's first nuclear-powered submarine sailed over the North Pole underwater in a journey under the Arctic ice cap (1958)
• Air Traffic Controllers Strike: PATCO workers walked out, leading to the firing of nearly all air traffic controllers by President Ronald Reagan two days later; in the wake of this event, US labor unions were weakened (1981)
• Statue of Liberty: pedestal reopened to the public for first time since 9/11 (2004)

Today's Birthdays:

• Stanley Baldwin (1867-1947): British three-term prime minister; Tunisian president Habib Bourguiba (1903-2000) shared this birth date
• P.D. James (89): mystery writer; also, authors Henry Cuyler Bunner (1855-1896), Rupert Brooke (1887-1915), Ernie Pyle (1900-1945) and Steven Millhauser (66)
• Tony Bennett (83): singer, "(I Left My Heart) in San Francisco"; also, musicians Beverly Lee (68), B.B. Dickerson (60), Randy Scruggs (56) and James Hetfield (46)
• Martha Stewart (68): homemaker guru who's become a household name
• John C. McGinley (50): Perry Cox on Scrubs; also, actors Martin Sheen (69), Isaiah Washington (46), Brigid Brannagh (37) and Evangeline Lilly (30)
• Tom Brady (32): New England Patriots quarterback