Wednesday, August 18, 2010

piquant \PEE-kuhnt\, adjective:

1. Agreeably stimulating, interesting, or attractive.

2. Agreeably pungent or sharp in taste or flavor.

3. Of an interestingly provocative or lively character.

Piquant is an alteration of the French piquel, literally "pricking."

Run and tell that

• Meaning to go spread the word. To let it be known. To go tell everyone quickly.

After Antoine Dodson, a young hero from Huntsville, AL, saved his sister from an attack he left a public message for the perp letting him know that this wasn't the end of the story, and that he would be caught.

Antoine- "You don't have to come and confess. We looking for you. We gon' find you, so you can run and tell that! Homeboy!"

Trivia

What country is the top producer of Brazil nuts?

• Bolivia. It has outproduced former leader Brazil since 1999.

History

• Phobos: Martian moon named for the Greek god of fear was discovered by Asaph Hall (1877)
• 19th Amendment: was ratified when Tennessee became the 36th state to approve it; this gave US women the right to vote (1920)
• Lolita: controversial Vladimir Nabokov novel, about a middle-aged man who becomes obsessed with a 12-year-old girl, was published (1955)
• James Meredith: became the first African American to graduate from "Ole Miss" (1963)

Birthdays

• Virginia Dare (1587-?): first child born to English parents on American soil; she disappeared along with entire colony from Roanoke Island, North Carolina
• Roman Polanski (77): Oscar-winning director, convicted child rapist
• Patrick Swayze (1952-2009): dancer and actor who starred in Dirty Dancing and Ghost; actors Robert Redford (73), Elayne Boosler (58), Martin Mull (66), Denis Leary (53), Madeleine Stowe (52), Craig Bierko (46), Christian Slater and Edward Norton (both 41), and Kaitlin Olson (35) were also born on this date
• Bob Woodruff (49): broadcast journalist