Friday, August 5, 2011

overslaugh \OH-ver-slaw\, verb:

• To pass over or disregard (a person) by giving a promotion, position, etc., to another instead.

Overslaugh derives from the Dutch overslaan, with slaan meaning "to strike."

Microwave inflation

• When the cooking time of food needs to be adjusted to account for a weaker or stronger microwave.

The microwave at my dorm room is older than the one at my house, so when I make a bag of popcorn, I have to adjust for microwave inflation.

Trivia

What was the favorite song of Ross Geller’s pet Capuchin monkey, Marcel, on the TV sitcom Friends?

• “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.”

History

• federal income tax: was levied for the first time in the US; it aimed to help pay the bills for the Civil War and was rescinded in 1872 (1861)
• "Damn the torpedoes": famous order was given by Union Admiral David G. Farragut as he led his fleet at Mobile Bay during the Civil War (1864)
• Little Orphan Annie: Harold Gray's comic strip debuted (1924)
• Nelson Mandela: South African resistance leader and later president was arrested and jailed; his imprisonment lasted till 1990 (1962)
• Marilyn Monroe: was found dead after overdosing on sleeping pills (1962)
• Test Ban Treaty: the US, Britain and the Soviet Union agreed to prohibit nuclear weapon tests underwater, in the atmosphere and in outer space (1963)

Birthdays

• Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893): author of novels and short stories, "The Necklace"
• Harold Holt (1908-1967): Australian PM
• Neil Armstrong (81): first human to walk on the moon
• Erika Slezak (65): Victoria Lord on One Life to Live; other actors born on this date include Zakes Mokae (1934-2009), John Saxon (75), Loni Anderson (65), Holly Palance (61), Maureen McCormick (55) and Jonathan Silverman (45)
• Patrick Ewing (49): former NY Knicks basketball star
• Adam "MCA" Yauch (47): filmmaker who began as a rapper with the Beastie Boys

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