Wednesday, December 16, 2009

doff \DOF\, transitive verb:

1. To take off, as an article of clothing.
2. To tip or remove (one's hat).
3. To put aside; to rid oneself of.

Doff Middle English doffen, from don off, "to do off," from don, "to do" + off, "off."
immaculate congestion

• When traffic is backed up for miles on a highway, crawling along -- and then suddenly everyone returns to normal high speeds without passing an accident, stalled car, or road construction.

We spent 45 minutes bumper-to-bumper for no reason?!? It must be immaculate congestion.
Trivia
When it comes to Wall Street lingo, what’s a killer bee?

• An investment banker who devises strategies to help a company targeted for a hostile takeover fend off the unwanted acquisition.

Today in History

• Oliver Cromwell: was sworn in as Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland; he reigned for five years, till his death (1653)
• Battle of the Bulge: German attack began in the Ardennes region of southern Belgiumin WWII (1944)
• Millau Viaduct: the tallest vehicular bridge in the world, located in southern France, was opened to traffic (2004)

Today's Birthdays

• Catherine of Aragon (1485-1536): first of Henry VIII's six wives
• Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827): composer of nine symphonies and the "Moonlight" Sonata; plus, composers François Boieldieu (1775-1834) and Zoltán Kodály (1882-1967)
• Jane Austen (1775-1817): author, Pride and Prejudice; also, writers George Santayana (1863-1952), Noel Coward (1899-1973), V.S. Pritchett (1900-1997), Arthur C. Clarke (1917-2008) and Philip K. Dick (1928-1982)
• Margaret Mead (1901-1978): culture anthropologist
• Liv Ullmann (71): actor, best known for her roles in Ingmar Bergman films; also, actors Ben Cross (62), Alison LaPlaca (50), Jon Tenney (48), Sam Robards (47), Benjamin Bratt (46) and Hallee Hirsh (22)
• Steven Bochco (66): TV producer, Hill Street Blues, NYPD Blue