Tuesday, May 16, 2017

nonplus \non-PLUHS\, transitive verb:

• To cause to be at a loss as to what to think, say, or do; to confound; to perplex; to bewilder.

Nonplus is from the Latin non plus, "no more." To be nonplussed is to be at a point where "no more" can be said or done

 

edgehog

• a passenger at the bus who hogs the aisle seat

I rode the bus with the ultimate edgehog! I had to squeeze my way to the window seat.

History

• Marie Antoinette: married Louis XVI of France when they were 14 and 15 years of age, respectively (1770)
• Edgar Allan Poe: writer of the macabre wed his 13-year-old cousin, Virginia (1836)
• shield nickel: US Congress voted to replace the half dime with a new nickel (1866)
• impeachment: in its first of 11 ballots, the US Senate failed by one vote to convict President Andrew Johnson; he was acquitted of all charges (1868)
• Academy Awards: Emil Jannings, Janet Gaynor and Wings were the winners at the first awards ceremony (1929)
• Annie Get Your Gun: Irving Berlin musical opened on Broadway, starring Ethel Merman (1946)
• Junko Tabei: became the first woman to scale Mt. Everest (1975)

Birthdays 

• William Seward (William Henry Seward, Sr.) 1801 - Governor of New York, U.S. Secretary of State under Abraham Lincoln
• Elizabeth Palmer Peabody 1804 - Educator, opened the first English-language kindergarten
• Henry Fonda 1905 - Actor, father of Jane Fonda and Peter Fonda
• Margret Rey 1906 - Co-author and illustrator of children's books (Curious George)
• Studs Terkel (Louis "Studs" Terkel) 1912 - Author, historian, actor, broadcaster
• Woody Herman (Woodrow Charles Herman) 1913 - Musician, singer
• George Gaynes 1917 - Actor
• Liberace (Wladziu Valentino Liberace) 1919 - Musician
• Harry Carey Jr. 1921 - Actor
• Eddie Bert 1922 - Musician
• Robert Perpoint 1925 - Broadcast journalist, White House correspondent
• Billy Martin (Alfred Manuel "Billy" Martin, Jr.) 1928 - Baseball player and manager
• Betty Carter (Lillie Mae Jones) 1930 - Singer
• Yvonne Craig 1940 - Actress ("Batman" tv series)
• Billy Cobham (William C. Cobham) 1944 - Musician
• Robert Fripp 1946 - Musician
• Bill Smitrovich (William Stanley "Bill" Smitrowicz) 1947 - Actor
• Darrel Sweet 1947 - Musician (Nazareth)
• Barbara Lee 1947 - Musician (The Chiffons)
• Jim Langer (James John Langer) 1948 - Football player
• Rick Reuschel 1949 - Baseball player
• Jonathan Richman 1951 - Musician
• Pierce Brosnan 1952 - Actor ("Remington Steel," "Dante's Peak," "Golden Eye")
• Olga Korbut (Olga Valentinovna Korbut) 1955 - Gymnast, known as the Sparrow from Minsk
• Debra Winger 1955 - Actress
• Glenn Gregory 1958 - Musician (Heaven 17)
• Mare Winningham 1959 - Actor
• Krist Novoselic 1965 - Musician (Nirvana)
• Janet Jackson 1966 - Singer
• Ralph Tresvant 1968 - Singer (New Edition)
• Tracey Gold 1969 - Actress ("Growing Pains")
• Gabriela Sabatini 1970 - Tennis player
• Rick Trevino (Ricardo Treviño, Jr.) 1971 - Country musician
• David Boreanaz 1971 - Actor
• Simon Katz 1971 - Musician (Jamiroquai)
• Tori Spelling 1973 - Actress ("Beverly Hills 90210")
  Lynn Collins 1977 - actress (Wolverine, John Carter)
• Megan Fox 1986 - Actress and stunning hottie