Tuesday, June 18, 2013

de profundis \dey proh-FOON-dis\, adverb:

• out of the depths (of sorrow, despair, etc.).

De profundis means "out of the depths" in Latin. It is the opening of Latin translation of Psalm 130 which continues "Out of the depths I cry to you." Today the term can be used as a phrase to convey sadness or as an adverb.

Smilezoned

• When you approach a member of the opposite sex to ask them out and they respond with a pitying smile.

Brad confidently approached the blonde at the bar and offered to buy her a drink. She briefly turned to him, gave a pitying smile, then turned away as if nothing had happened. Brad, visibly deflated, slunk back to his friends. One turned to him sympathetically and said, 'Smilezoned again?' A dejected Brad nodded pathetically, then wept into his cheap off-brand vodka and cola.

Trivia

In the late 18th century, what was the meaning of “lunatic fringe”?

• Hair that came down over the forehead, better known today as bangs.

History

• War of 1812: US President James Madison declared war on Great Britain (1812)
• Battle of Waterloo: Napoleon was defeated by the Duke of Wellington (1815)
• Susan B. Anthony: was fined $100 for her attempt to vote in the 1872 US presidential election; she did not, however, pay it (1873)
• Amelia Earhart: became the first woman to fly transatlantically; she went from Newfoundland to Wales (1928)
• "This was their finest hour": address delivered by PM Winston Churchill to the House of Commons to inspire his embattled nation during WWII (1940)
• International Declaration of Human Rights: was adopted by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (1948)
• Columbia Records: unveiled its new long-playing 33 1/3 rpm phonograph record (1948)
• Egypt: republic was declared; monarchy abolished (1953)
• Sally Ride: became the first American woman in space, aboard the space shuttle Challenger (1983)

Birthdays

• Sir Thomas Overbury 1581 - Poet, essayist
• Viscount Castlereagh (Robert Stewart) 1769 - British statesman known as Lord Castlereagh
• Edouard Daladier 1884 - French politician
• George Mallory 1886 - Mountaineer
• M.C. Escher (Maurits Cornelis Escher) 1898 - Graphic artist
• Jeanette MacDonald 1901 - Singer, actress
• Keye Luke 1904 - Actor
• Kay Kyser (James Kern "Kay" Kyser) 1906 - Bandleaer
• Bud Collyer 1908 - Radio announcer/actor
• E.G. Marshall 1910 - Actor ("The Defenders")
• Ray McKinley 1910 - Drummer, singer, bandleader
• Samuel Cahn (Samuel Cohen) 1913 - Lyricist, songwriter, musician
• Sylvia Porter 1913 - Economist, journalist
• Richard Boone (Richard Allen Boone) 1917 - Actor
• Ian Carmichael 1920 - Actor
• Robert Arthur (Robert Arthaud) 1925 - Actor
• Tom Wicker (Thomas Grey "Tom" Wicker) 1926 - Journalist
• Maggie McNamara (Marguerite "Maggie" McNamara) 1928 - Actress
• Eva Bartok 1929 - Actress
• Lou Brock (Louis Clark "Lou" Brock) 1939 - Baseball player
• Paul McCartney 1942 - Musician (Beatles, Wings)
• Roger Ebert 1942 - Film critic, screenwriter
• Linda Thorson (Linda Robinson) 1947 - Actress
• Carol Kane (Carolyn Laurie "Carol" Kane) 1952 - Actress
• Isabella Rossellini (Isabella Fiorella Elettra Giovanna Rossellini) 1952 - Actress
• Jerome Smith (KC & The Sunshine Band) 1953 - Musician
• Tom Bailey (The Thompson Twins) 1957 - Musician
• Alison Moyet (Geneviève Alison Jane Moyet) 1961 - Singer (Yazoo or Yaz in the US)
• Nathan Morris 1971 - Singer (Boyz II Men)
• Alana de la Garza 1976- actress