Friday, June 17, 2022

oscitant \OS-i-tuhnt\, adjective:

1. Yawning, as with drowsiness; gaping.

2. Drowsy or inattentive.

3. Dull, lazy, or negligent.

Oscitant derives from the Latin oscitare, "to gape or yawn."

 

vuvuzela

• A mind-numbing torture device made of cheap, brightly colored plastic. It resembles a horn but its pitch cannot be changed. It is being used during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

I thought I heard an angry swarm of bumblebees, but it was the sound of vuvuzelas playing at the World Cup.

 

History

• California: was claimed by Sir Francis Drake for England; he called it Nova Albion (1579)
• Battle of Bunker Hill: first great battle of the Revolutionary War began (1775)
• Statue of Liberty: gift from France arrived in New York (1885)
• Watergate: office break-in at Democratic Headquarters in Washington began a scandal that would bring down a government (1972)
• O.J. Simpson: the car chase watched by millions on TV ended in the arrest of the NFL Hall-of-Famer suspected of murdering his ex-wife, Nicole, and Ronald Goldman (1994)

Birthdays

• Edward I 1239 - Edward of Carnarvon, King of England from 1307-1327
• John Wesley 1703 - Cleric, Christian theologian
• James Weldon Johnson 1871 - Author, politician, diplomat, critic
• Igor Stravinski (Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky) 1882 - Composer
• Ralph Bellamy 1904 - Actor
• Red Foley (Clyde Julian Foley) 1910 - Singer, musician, television personality
• John Hersey (John Richard Hersey) 1914 - Writer, journalist
• Stringbean (David Akeman) 1915 - Country singer
• Elroy Hirsch 1923 - Football player
• Peter Lupus 1932 - Bodybuilder, actor
• Dickie Doo 1939 - Musician (Dickie Doo and The Don'ts)
• Bobby Bell (Robert "Bobby" Lee Bell, Jr) 1940 - Football player
• Norman Kuhlke 1942 - Musician (The Swinging Blue Jeans)

  
• Steve Clark 1943 - Musician (Def Leppard)
• Newt Gingrich (Newton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich) 1943 - Politician, historian, author
• Randy Johnson (Randolph Klaus "Randy" Johnson) 1944 - Football player
• Chris Spedding (Peter Robinson) 1944 - Musician
• Barry Manilow 1946 - Musician
• Joe Piscopo (Joseph Charles John "Joe" Piscopo) 1951 - Comedian, actor
• Dave Fortier 1951 - Hockey player
• Mark Linn-Baker 1953 - Actor ("Perfect Strangers"), director
• Bobby Farrelly 1954 - Writer, director
• Jello Biafra 1959 - punk rocker (Dead Kennedys)

  
• Thomas Haden Church 1961 - Actor
• Greg Kinnear 1963 - Actor, television personality
• Dan Jansen 1965 - Speed skater
• Jason Patric 1966 - Actor
• Kevin Thornton 1969 - Musician (Color Me Badd)
• Will Forte 1970 - Actor, comedian ("Saturday Night Live," "MacGruber")
• Venus Williams 1980 - Tennis player