Friday, March 11, 2011

epicene \EP-uh-seen\, adjective:

1. Having the characteristics of both sexes.

2. Effeminate; unmasculine.

3. Sexless; neuter.

4. (Linguistics) Having but one form of the noun for both the male and the female.

noun:

1. A person or thing that is epicene.

2. (Linguistics) An epicene word.

Epicene derives from Latin epicoenus, from Greek epikoinos, "common to," from epi-, "upon" + koinos, "common."

1 yard stare

• Similar to the 1,000 yard stare that veterans acquire, the 1 yard stare is a trait that people that work in cubicles or open workspaces pick up as they will avoid noticing anything that is not on their computer monitor.

Dude, I just walked by Lindsay with a plate of donuts and she completely ignored me.

Doesn't surprise me. She is working on closing the accounts receivable for this quarter and has a bad case of the 1 yard stare.

Trivia

Why did flamboyant All-Star pitcher Dock Ellis wear hair curlers during pregame drills during the 1973 baseball season?

• The curlers helped him throw illegal spitballs. He used them to straighten the hair behind his head, enabling sweat to drip down and provide moisture for the banned pitch.

History

• Lend-Lease Act: was signed into law by FDR, providing aid in the form of equipment, food and weapons to the Allies during WWII (1941)
• Mikhail Gorbachev: was appointed the leader of the Soviet Union, despite being the youngest member of the politburo at the time (1985)
• Paul McCartney: was knighted by Queen Elizabeth (1997)
• Madrid bombings: 10 bombs exploded on the train system during rush hour, killing 191 (2004)

Birthdays

• Frederick IX (1899-1972): Danish king; also, British PM Harold Wilson (1916-1995)
• Sam Donaldson (77): broadcast journalist and news anchor; and, media mogul Rupert Murdoch (80)
• Bobby McFerrin (61): a cappella singer of "Don't Worry, Be Happy"; also, musicians Nina Hagen (56), Benji and Joel Madden (both 32) and Le Toya (30)
• Douglas Adams (1952-2001): sci-fi author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy; and, Renaissance poet Torquato Tasso (1544-1595)
• Terrence Howard (42): Oscar nominee for Hustle & Flow; other actors born on this date include Mark Metcalf (65), Alex Kingston (48), Peter Berg (47), Wallace Langham (46), David Anders (30), Thora Birch (29), and Johnny Knoxville (40)