Monday, January 4, 2010

enjoin \en-JOIN\, transitive verb:

1. To direct or impose with authority; to order.
2. To prohibit; to forbid.

Enjoin derives from Old French enjoindre, from Latin injungere, "to attach, to fasten to; also, to bring upon," from in- + jungere, "to join."

work avalanche

• When there is so much work piled on your or your desk, movement from out from under it is nearly impossible.

Hey--pour me a drink! I worked up quite a thirst digging out from my work avalanche to get to happy hour.

Trivia
In the world of whales and dolphins, what is spyhopping?

• Rising vertically out of the water to check the surroundings.

Today in History

• McDonald Islands: uninhabited, barren, volcanic islands were discovered in the Indian Ocean near Antarctica (1854)
• appendectomy: the first such surgical removal of the appendix was performed in Iowa (1885)
• Great Society: President Lyndon B. Johnson outlined his domestic policies in his State of the Union address; he aimed to "end poverty and racial injustice" (1965)

Today's Birthdays

• Wilhelm Beer (1797-1850): astronomer who made the first map of the moon
• Louis Braille (1809-1852): musician, educator who developed a raised-point writing system for the blind; plus, inventor of shorthand Sir Isaac Pitman (1813-1897)
• Jane Wyman (1914-2007): Oscar-winning actress (Johnny Belinda); she shared a birthday with daughter Maureen Reagan (1941-2001)
• Floyd Patterson (1935-2006): first two-time world heavyweight champ
• Don Shula (80): NFL coach with the most wins
• Grace Bumbry (73): mezzo-soprano and recipient of 2009's Kennedy Center Honors; plus, R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe(50)
• Gao Xingjian (70): Nobel Prize-winning author; plus, writer Doris K. Goodwin (67)
• Julia Ormond (45): actor, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; also, actors Dyan Cannon (73), Ann Magnuson (54), Patrick Cassidy (48) and Dave Foley (47)
• Vanity (51): actress, singer, Born-Again Christian Evangelist now known as Denise Matthews