Wednesday, July 13, 2016

vestigial \ve-STIJ-ee-uhl\, adjective:

1. Relating to a body part that has become small and lost its use because of evolutionary change.

2. Pertaining to, or of the nature of anything that is no longer present or in existence.

Vestigial is from the French vestige, "a mark, trace, sign," which comes from the Latin vestigium, "footprint, trace," of unknown origin.

 

Social Fruitfly

• Like a social butterfly, without any charm or beauty. An unwanted pest.

My manager is a social fruitfly. All he does is talk and never does any work.

History

• Jean Paul Marat: physician and radical French revolutionary was stabbed in his bath by noblewoman Charlotte Corday; she was swiftly guillotined (1793)
• Hollywood Sign: the iconic landmark was officially dedicated (1923); until 1949 it read "HOLLYWOODLAND"
• World Cup: the first world soccer competition began in Uruguay (1930)
• Live Aid: benefit concert took place in London and Philadelphia, raising £150 million for famine relief; Phil Collins performed at both venues, traveling by Concorde (1985)
• presidential disability clause: President Ronald Reagan transferred power for 7 hours to his vice president, George Bush, before undergoing surgery for cancer; it was the first time the clause was invoked (1985)

Birthdays

• Edward J. Flanagan 1886 - Founder of Boys Town in Nebraska.
• Dave Garroway 1913
• Sam Hanks 1914
• Ruben Gomez 1927
• Bob Crane 1928
• Robert N.C. Nix, Jr. 1928
• Frank Ramsey 1931
• David Storey 1933
• Wole Soyinka 1934
• Jack Kemp 1935
• Charles Coody 1937
• Patrick Stewart 1940
• Robert Forster 1941
• Harrison Ford 1942
• Roger McGuinn (Byrds) 1942
• Stephen Bladd (J. Geils Band) 1942
• Erno Rubik 1944
• Lynn Loring 1944
• Cheech Marin 1946
• Didi Conn 1951
• Louise Mandrell 1955
• Cameron Crowe 1957
• Lawrence Donegan 1961
• Victoria Shaw 1962
• Michael Jace 1965
• Neil Thrasher (Thrasher Shiver) 1965
• Gerald Levert 1966
• Deborah Cox 1973