Tuesday, February 2, 2010

gelid \JEL-id\, adjective:

• Extremely cold; icy.

Gelid comes from Latin gelidus, from gelu, "frost, cold."
evasive mumbling

• Mumbling the answer to a question in hopes that the questioner won't hear or understand an answer that may get you in trouble.

When mom asks about that broken plate, you better answer with some evasive mumbling.
Trivia
How did necessity result in the invention of the stethoscope?

• French physician René-Théophile-Hyacinthe Laennec felt it was inappropriate for him to check the heartbeat of a young female patient by placing his ear against her chest. So he made a cylinder out of paper and placed one end to her chest and one to his ear—and was amazed to find that the sound of her heartbeat was louder and clearer than it would have been had he pressed his ear directly to her chest.

Today's Holiday

• Groundhog Day: (February 2) In the U.S., the day that the groundhog predicts whether spring will be coming soon. If, on emerging from his hole, he sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter; if not, spring is imminent. The tradition stems from English beliefs about seeing shadows on Candlemas (also February 2).

History

• Buenos Aires: was founded by Pedro de Mendoza of Spain (1536)
• Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo: agreement ended the Mexican-American War, with Mexico ceding much of the US West and Southwest (1848)
• Cardiff Giant: 10-foot-tall "petrified man" was revealed as a hoax; the figure was made of gypsum (1870)
• F.W. de Klerk: lifted the 30-year ban on the African National Congress and promised to free Nelson Mandela (1990)

Berfdays, yo!

• Talleyrand (1754-1838): diplomat, statesman; also, Abba Eban (1915-2002)
• James Joyce (1882-1941): author of Ulysses and Finnegans Wake; plus, poet and novelist James Dickey (1923-1997)
• George Halas (1895-1983): football pioneer who founded the Chicago Bears; wide receiver Donald Driver (35) also celebrates a birthday today
• Graham Nash (68): musician, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young; also, musicians Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962), Jascha Heifetz (1901-1987), Stan Getz (1927-1991), Tom Smothers (73) and Shakira (33)
• Marissa Jaret Winokur (37): Tony Award-winning actor, Hairspray; also, actors Elaine Stritch (84?), Robert Mandan (78), Bo Hopkins (68), Farrah Fawcett (1947-2009), Brent Spiner and Jack McGee (both 61), Kim Zimmer (55) and Jennifer Westfeldt (40)