Friday, June 11, 2010

kowtow \KOU-TOU\, verb:

1. To act in a subservient manner.

2. To kneel and touch the forehead to the ground in expression of deep respect, worship, or submission, as formerly done in China.

noun:

1. An act of servile deference.

Kowtow is from the Mandarin k'o-t'ou, the custom of touching the ground with the forehead to show respect or submission, literally "knock the head."

rocket surgery (n.)

• a play on words which mixes two common metaphors: "rocket science" and "brain surgery"

[A line in a hilarious Chris Rock comedy act states that one shouldn't eat green meat. No kidding.] It doesn't take a degree in rocket surgery to figure out something like that! ;oD

Trivia

What was the original name of the Dow Jones & Company publication that became The Wall Street Journal?

• The Customer’s Afternoon Letter. It was first published in 1883, a year after Dow Jones & Company was founded. It was renamed The Wall Street Journal in 1889.

History

• Great Barrier Reef: Capt. James Cook discovered the world's largest coral reef (1770)
• Triple Crown: horse racing's top honor was won by Sir Barton (1919) and Seattle Slew (1977)
• sugar: US rationing ended after five bitter years (1947)
• Stand in the Schoolhouse Door: in a bid to resist racial integration, Alabama Governor George Wallace tried to block African-Americans Vivian Malone and James Hood from attending the University of Alabama; later that day he gave in (1963)
• E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial: heartwarming sci-fi blockbuster film opened (1982)
• American Idol: the British spinoff debuted with judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson (2002)

Berfdays, yo!

• Jeannette Rankin (1880-1973): first female member of US Congress; suffragist Millicent Fawcett (1847-1929) was also born on this date
• Kawabata Yasunari (1899-1972): Nobel Prize winner in literature; writer William Styron (1925-2006) shared this birth date
• Jacques Cousteau (1910-1997): oceanographer who photographed underwater life
• Vince Lombardi (1913-1970): legendary football coach whose team won the first two Super Bowls; other football greats born on this date include Ernie Nevers (1903-1976) and Joe Montana (54)
• Hugh Laurie (51): the cantankerous but brilliant doctor, House; also, actors Gene Wilder (77), Chad Everett (74), Peter Bergman (57), Peter Dinklage (41), Joshua Jackson (32) and Shia LaBoeuf (24)
• Mehmet Oz (50): surgeon and author with his own TV show, The Dr. Oz Show
• Frank Beard (61): drummer, the only member of ZZ Top without a beard.