Tuesday, June 15, 2010

virga (VUHR-guh) noun:

• Rain or snow that evaporates before hitting the ground.

Etymology: From Latin virga (rod, streak).

That's What BP Said

• A variant of "that's what she said." Instead of referring to sexual connotations, it is used to refer to spending a lot of money, making a mess, or fucking up very badly. Arose after the 2010 BP oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico.

X: Oh man, I really screwed the pooch on that one.

Y: That's what BP said!

X: It's going to take me all day to clean this mess up.

Y: That's what BP said!

X: I'm paying tonight. The sky is the limit.

Y: That's what BP said!

Trivia

What is the source of cream of tartar, the fine white powder used in manufacturing baking soda, making candies and frostings creamy, and cleaning brass pots and pans?

• Wine barrels. Cream of tartar is derived from the crystalline acid sediment known as argol that’s found inside wine casks. After the sediment is scrapped off, it is purified and ground to create cream of tartar.

History

• King John: signed and sealed the Magna Carta at Runnymede (1215)
• Charles Goodyear: received a patent for vulcanization, a process to strengthen rubber (1844)
• John Lennon: first met Paul McCartney when Lennon's rock group, The Quarrymen, performed at a church dinner; Lennon was 15, McCartney was 13 (1956)
• Dan Quayle: famous "potatoe" misspelling incident occurred (1992)
• 2002 MN: asteroid had a near miss as it flew by Earth (2002)

Birthdays

• Edward the Black Prince (1330-1376): heir apparent to the English throne; he always wore black armor
• Erik Erikson (1902-1994): psychoanalyst who coined the phrase "identity crisis"
• Waylon Jennings (1937-2002): country music singer; also, musicians Franz Danzi (1763-1826), Edvard Grieg (1843-1907), Terri Gibbs (56) and Dryden Mitchell (34) share this birth date
• Jim Belushi (56): actor, According to Jim; also, actors Julie Hagerty (55), Eileen Davidson (51), Helen Hunt (47), Courtney Cox Arquette (46), Ice Cube (41), Leah Remini (40), Neil Patrick Harris (37) and Elizabeth Reaser (35)
• 
  Wade Boggs (52): baseball hall-of-famer; plus, sports stars Billy Williams (72), Mike Holmgren (62) and Andy Pettitte (38)

Today's Holiday

• Native American Citizenship Day (US)