Wednesday, April 11, 2012

tony \TOH-nee\, adjective:

1. High-toned; stylish.

An Americanism, tony entered the language in the 1870s. Its precise origin is unclear, but it is related to the word tone meaning "a particular quality or way of sounding."
shift

To make out, snog, french kiss

"Will you shift my friend over there?"
Trivia
Which state was home to the very first Dunkin’ Donuts shop and the very first Howard Johnson’s restaurant?

• Massachusetts. Both chains were launched in Quincy—HoJo’s in 1925; Dunkin’ Donuts in 1950.

History

• Napoleon Bonaparte: abdicated as emperor of France and was banished to Elba (1814)
• The Tramp: Charlie Chaplin's comic silent film was released (1915)
• Jackie Robinson: broke the color barrier in major league baseball, appearing in his first exhibition game (1947)
• 1968 Civil Rights Act: LBJ signed into law an act prohibiting discrimination in selling or renting housing
• Uganda: Idi Amin's military regime was overthrown (1979)

Birthdays

• Lizzie P. Bliss 1864 - Co-founder of New York City's Museum of Modern Art
• Lou Holtz 1893 - Comedian, actor
• Dean G. Acheson 1893
• Percy Julian 1899 - Scientist
• Dale Messick 1906 - Cartoonist ("Brenda Starr")
• Paul Douglas 1907 - Actor
• Jane Bolin 1908 - Attorney, first black woman to graduate from Yale School of Law, first black, female judge
• John Levy 1912 - Jazz musician (George Shearing quintet)
• Oleg Cassini 1913 - Fashion designer
• Cameron Mitchell 1918
• Jean-Claude Servan-Schreiber 1918
• Dorothy Shay 1921 - Singer, actress
• Ralph Blaze 1922 - Guitarist (with Stan Kenton)
• Ethel Kennedy (Skakel) 1928 - Wife of U.S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy
• Johnny Sheffield 1931 - Actor
• Joel Grey 1932 - Singer (Katz), dancer, actor ("Cabaret"), actress Jennifer Grey's father
• Richard Berry 1935
• Louise Lasser 1939 - Actress ("Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman", "Slither")
• Ellen Goodman 1941 - Syndicated columnist
• John Milius 1944 - Director, screenwriter
• Joe Beauchamp 1944 - Football player
• Meshach Taylor 1947 - Actor ("Designing Women")
• Peter Riegert 1947 - Actor ("The Mask")
• Bill Irwin 1950 - Actor ("Hot Shots!", "Popeye"), choreographer
• Stever George 1951 - Football player
• Sid Monge 1951 - Baseball player
• Chris Difford 1954 - Musician (Squeeze)
• Neville Staple 1956 - Musician (The Specials)
• Jim Lauderdale 1957 - Country singer, songwriter
• Daryl Simmons 1957 - Songwriter, producer
• Stuart (William) Adamson 1958 - Musician (Big Country)
• Lucky Vanous 1961 - Actor
• Steve Azar 1964 - Country singer
• Nigel Pulsford 1965 - Musician (Bush)
• Lisa Stansfield 1966 - Singer, songwriter
• Delroy Pearson 1970 - Musician (Five Star)
• Dylan Keefe 1970 - Musician (Marcy Playground)
• Jason Varitek 1972 - Baseball player
• Mark Teixeira 1980 - Baseball player
• Joss Stone 1987 - Singer