Tuesday, April 5, 2011

beau geste (bo ZHEST)noun:

• A gracious, but often meaningless, gesture.

Etymology: From French, literally fine gesture. Earliest documented use: 1920.

office quarterback

• a manager that is infamously known for handing off their work and other useless assignments to you that they could and should be doing themselves

The office quarterback just handed off a bunch of her assignments to me, AGAIN!

Trivia

What is a baby porcupine called?

• A porcupette.

History

• Pocahontas: Algonquian princess married English colonist John Rolfe, a tobacco planter (1614)
• veto: was used by a US president for 1st time — by George Washington; it was another half century before Congress first overrode a presidential veto (1792)
• manual alphabet: Anne Sullivan breaks through to Helen Keller when she spells "water" into her hand (1887)
• Akashi Kaikyō Bridge: Japanese "Pearl Bridge" opened; it links Kobe to Awaji Island and, at 1,991 meters or 6,532 feet, is the world's longest suspension bridge (1998)

Birthdays

• Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679): political philosopher, Leviathan; also, philosopher/politician Vincenzo Gioberti (1801-1852)
• Joseph Lister (1827-1912): physician who pioneered the use of antiseptics during surgery
• Booker T. Washington (1856-1915): educator, founder of Tuskegee University; plus, philanthropist and namesake of Yale University Elihu Yale (1649-1721)
• Agnetha Fältskog (61): one of the ABBA four; musicians Tommy Cash (71), Allan Clarke (69), Mike McCready (45), Troy Gentry (44), Paula Cole (43) and Pharrell Williams (38) were also born on this date
• Spencer Tracy (1900-1967): Oscar-winning star of Adam's Rib and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner; other actors born on this date include Bette Davis (1908-1989), Gregory Peck (1916-2003), Gale Storm (1922-2009), Michael Moriarty (70), Max Gail (68), Jane Asher (65), Mitch Pileggi (59) and Krista Allen (40)