Sunday, September 20, 2009

tchotchke \CHOCH-kuh\, noun:

• A trinket; a knickknack.

Tchotchke is from Yiddish tshatshke, "trinket," ultimately of Slavic origin. It is also spelled tsatske.

Sticker Paralysis

• The effect caused by having a really awesome sticker and no appropriate place to use it. General symptoms include keeping the sticker in a drawer and never actually using it. Sometimes resulting in affixation remorse.

"I have contracted a case of sticker paralysis from this Vintage Apple sticker. I can't decide if I should put it on my fake plastic guitar or my rear window or my skateboard. It is too precious to use on just anything.

Trivia
What cult horror movie featured a mad scientist named Dr. Frank-N-Furter?

• The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Tim Curry, who portrayed the crazed doctor in the 1975 film, had earlier appeared in the role onstage in London and the U.S.

Holiday:

• Rosh Hashana (Judaism)

Today in History:

• Ferdinand Magellan: explorer set sail from southern Spain to circumnavigate the globe (1519)
• civil rights: Mississippi governor Ross Barnett personally blocked the entrance of African-American James Meredith to the University of Mississippi; Meredith did end up attending (1962)
• Battle of the Sexes tennis match: Billie Jean King won against Bobby Riggs, who had said women couldn't stand the pressure of the game; 30,000 attended and millions watched on TV (1973)

Today's Birthdays:

• Sir James Dewar (1842-1923): chemist and physicist who came up with the Dewar flask
• Upton Sinclair (1878-1968): writer/reformer, The Jungle
• Red Auerbach (1917-2006): basketball coach who led the Boston Celtics to eight consecutive NBA titles; hockey hall-of-famer Guy LaFleur (57) shares this birth date
• Sophia Loren (75): Oscar-winning actress for Two Women — in 1991 she got a special Oscar for her full body of work; other actors born on this date include Anne Meara (80), Betsy Brantley (54), Gary Cole (53) and Kristen Johnston (42)