Wednesday, March 31, 2010

bedizen \bih-DY-zuhn\, transitive verb:

• To dress or adorn in gaudy manner.

Bedizen is the prefix be-, "completely; thoroughly; excessively" + dizen, an archaic word meaning "to deck out in fine clothes and ornaments," from Middle Dutch disen, "to dress (a distaff) with flax ready for spinning," from Middle Low German dise, "the bunch of flax placed on a distaff."
directionally challenged

1. Someone who has difficulty determining right from left
2. Someone who often confuses directions, and prefers visual aids.
3. Someone who has great difficulty reading maps and/or driving while listening to directions.

Can be spelt using a hyphen, if needed.
Are you directionally challenged? I told you to turn left two blocks ago; we're going to be late now!
Woman: You just turned left instead of right.
Man: I'm sorry, I'm directionally-challenged.
Trivia
The remains of what famous animal are kept in a peanut butter jar at Tufts University?

• Jumbo the Elephant, of Barnum & Bailey Circus fame. After Jumbo died in a train accident in 1885, showman P. T. Barnum had him stuffed and in 1889 donated him to Tufts, where he became the university mascot. When fire destroyed the mammoth mascot in 1975, his ashes were put in a peanut butter jar and kept for good luck for the university’s sports teams, which are known as the Jumbos.

History

• Alhambra Decree: was signed, giving Spain's Jews four months to convert or face expulsion (1492)
• Eiffel Tower: was dedicated in Paris; designed by bridge engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, the open-lattice wrought iron masterpiece was the tallest structure in the world at the time (1889)
• Daylight Savings Time: was instituted in the US for the first time (1918)
• Dalai Lama: Tibetan spiritual and political leader went into exile and was granted asylum in India (1959)

Birthdays

• René Descartes (1596-1650): French philosopher who posited, "cogito ergo sum" — "I think, therefore I am"
• Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809): Classical composer; plus, musicians Herb Alpert (75) and Angus Young (55)
• Sergei Diaghilev (1872-1929): impresario who created Ballets Russes
• Cesar Chavez (1927-1993): UFW's founder and director who spearheaded migrant worker boycotts of grapes and lettuce
• Gordie Howe (82): champion ice hockey forward; NHL right-winger Pavel Bure (39) shares this birth date
• Al Gore (62): former US Veep who cashed in on being an environmental activist, douchebag
• Christopher Walken (67): actor, The Deer Hunter, Hairspray; other actors born on this date include William Daniels (83), Shirley Jones (76), Richard Chamberlain (75), Gabe Kaplan (65), Rhea Perlman (62) and Ewan McGregor (39)