Thursday, July 5, 2012

surfeit \SUR-fit\, noun:

1. Excess; an excessive amount: a surfeit of speechmaking.
2. Excess or overindulgence in eating or drinking.
3. An uncomfortably full or crapulous feeling due to excessive eating or drinking.
4. General disgust caused by excess or satiety.

verb:

1. To bring to a state of surfeit by excess of food or drink.
2. To supply with anything to excess or satiety; satiate.

Surfeit is a very old English word. It is recorded as early as 1393. It comes from the Latin roots sur- meaning "over" and facere meaning "to do."
fronting

• Acting like you are more, or you have more than what really exists.

Casey drove around the rented car acting like it was hers. She was straight fronting.
Trivia

Where is the largest Fourth of July celebration outside the U.S. held annually?

• In Denmark. For the past 100 years—except during the two world wars—an Independence Day festival has been held in Rebild National Park near Aalborg.

Yesterday's Trivia

In what distinctive shape was Fort McHenry—the birthplace of the U.S. national anthem—built?

• A five-pointed star, which was a popular design when the Maryland fort was built (1799–1802).

History

• Principia Mathematica: Isaac Newton published the three-volume work containing his laws of motion and law of universal gravitation (1687)
• Venezuela, Algeria, Cape Verde: declared independence (1811, 1962, 1975)
• Salvation Army: Christian charitable organization was founded by William Booth to feed the poor of London (1865); it received its name 13 years later
• bikini: the itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny swimsuit made its debut at a Paris fashion show (1946)
• Dolly the sheep: the first mammal successfully cloned from an adult cell was born in Scotland (1996)

Birthdays

• Étienne de Silhouette 1709 - French Controller-General of Finances under Louis XV
• Sarah Siddons 1755 - Actress
• Sir Stamford Raffles 1781 = British statesman, know for founding of the city of Singapore
• David G. Farragut 1801 - Officer in U.S. Navy during the U.S. Civil War, known for the paraphrased quote: "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!"
• P.T. Barnum (Phineas Taylor Barnum) 1810 - American showman, businessman, entertainer
• Jean Cocteau (Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau) 1889 - Poet, novelist, dramatist, boxing manager, playwright
• Henry Cabot Lodge 1902 - American statesman, historian
• Milburn Stone 1904 - Actor
• Georges Pompidou (Georges Jean Raymond Pompidou) 1911 - French politician
• Janos Starker 1924 - Musician (cellist)
• Warren Oates 1928 - Actor
• Katherine Helmond 1934 - Actress ("Soap," "Who's the Boss")
• Shirley Knight 1936 - Actress
• Chuck Close 1940 - Artist
• Robbie Robertston 1944 - Musician (The Band)
• Michael Monarch 1950 - Musician (Steppenwolf)
• Huey Lewis 1951 - Musician (Huey Lewis and the News)
• Richard "The Goose" Gossage 1951 - Baseball player
• Charles Ventre 1952 - Musician (River Road)
• James Lofton 1956 - Football player
• Bill Watterson 1958 - cartoonist (Calvin & Hobbes)
• Marc Cohn 1959 - Singer, songwriter
• Edie Falco 1963 - Actress ("The Sapranos")
• Kathryn Erbe 1965 - Actress ("Law & Order: Criminal Intent")
• RZA (Robert Fitzgerald Diggs) 1969 - Music producer, author, rapper
• Joe (the R&B singer) 1973
• Bengt Lagerberg 1973 - Musician (The Cardigans)
• Dale Godboldo 1975 - Actor
• Bizarre 1978 - Musician (D12)
• Amelie Mauresmo 1979 - Tennis player
• Jason Wade 1980 - Musician (Lifehouse)
• Dave Haywood 1982 - Musician (Lady Antebellum)