Tuesday, June 28, 2016

yen \YEN\, noun:

1. A desire or craving.

2. An aluminum coin and monetary unit of Japan, equal to 100 sen or 1000 rin.

verb:

1. To have a craving; yearn.

The use of yen to signify a desire, as opposed to Japanese currency, is an Americanism that probably derives from Chinese dialect, yáhn or yin, "craving."

 

get at me

• Short for "Get back to me" or "Get back at me", meaning "respond", or "reply".

"Mike, I hope you get this email in time. We are changing the plans from Friday to Saturday. Get at me and let me know if you can still make it."

History

• Ned Kelly: Australian bushranger was captured at Glenrowan; he was later hanged for murder (1880)
• Franz Ferdinand: archduke and heir to the Austrian throne was assassinated, along with his wife, in Sarajevo by a Serbian; the event precipitated WWI (1914)
• Treaty of Versailles: was signed, ending WWI (1919)
• Stonewall riots: patrons of a Greenwich Village bar resisted a police raid, sparking the gay pride movement (1969)
• Mike Tyson: boxer bit Evander Holyfield's ear during a heavyweight title fight; he lost the match and gained a 16-month suspension (1997)
• Elian González: was returned to his father in Cuba (2000)
• Slobodan Milosevic: former Yugoslavian leader was turned over to the UN war crimes tribunal (2001)
• Iraqi Interim Government: took power after US handover (2004)

Birthdays

• Henry VIII 1491 - King of England from April 21, 1509 until his death, known for his six marriages and his role in the separation of the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church
• Peter Rubens 1577
• John Wesley 1703
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau 1712
• Alexis Carrel 1873
• Clara Maass 1876
• John Dillinger 1902
• Richard Rodgers 1902
• Ashley Montague 1905
• Maria Goeppert Mayer 1906
• Eric Ambler 1909
• Peter Candoli 1923
• George Morgan 1925
• Mel Brooks 1926 - Writer, director, actor
• Pat Morita 1932
• Cathy Carr 1936
• George Knudson 1937
• John Byner 1937 - Comedian, impressionist
• David Knights 1945 - Musician (Procol Harum)
• Gilda Radner 1946
• Bruce Davison 1946
• Kathy Bates 1948 - Actress
• Alice Krige 1955
• John Elway 1960 - Football player
• Tony Mercedes 1962
• Jessica Hecht 1965 - Actress
• John Cusack 1966 - Actor
• Mary Stuart Masterson 1966 - Actress
• Gil Bellows 1967 - Actor ("Ally McBeal")
• Jimmy Sommers 1969
• Danielle Brisebois 1969
• Ray Slijngaard 1971 - Musician (2 unlimited)
• Kellie Pickler 1986 - Country singer ("American Idol")