Friday, February 11, 2011

imbroglio \im-BROHL-yoh\, noun:

1. A complicated and embarrassing state of things.

2. A confused or complicated disagreement or misunderstanding.

3. An intricate, complicated plot, as of a drama or work of fiction.

4. A confused mass; a tangle.

Imbroglio derives from Italian, from Old Italian imbrogliare, "to tangle, to confuse," from in-, "in" + brogliare, "to mix, to stir." It is related to embroil, "to entangle in conflict or argument."

If you will

1. An phrase overused by those trying to sound sophisticated and/or intelligent.

2. A phrase used frequently by Tobias Bluth from Arrested Development.

Tobias: You could say I'm, if you will, 'buy curious'

Man: I can "sprinkle the pudding" if you will.

Trivia

Who was anointed the Godson of Soul by Godfather of Soul James Brown?

• Usher, at the 2005 Grammy Awards ceremony after the two danced and sang a duet of Sex Machine.

History

• gerrymandering: Massachusetts governor Elbridge Gerry signed a redistricting law that favored his party, the Democratic-Republicans (1812)
• Bernadette Soubirous: as a teenager, St. Bernadette saw her first vision of the Virgin Mary at Lourdes (1858)
• Lateran Treaty: pact between Italy and the Vatican was signed, in which Roman Catholicism was declared the state religion of Italy and Italy recognized Vatican City as independent and sovereign (1929)
• Yalta Agreement: plan signed by FDR, Winston Churchill and Josef Stalin, dealing with attacks on Germany and the establishment of the UN (1945)
• Natan Sharansky: Soviet dissident was released after 10 years in prison (1986)
• Nelson Mandela: political prisoner was freed after 27 years in detention; he went on to dismantle apartheid and become South Africa's first black president (1990)

Birthdays

• Thomas Edison (1847-1931): prolific inventor of the light bulb, the phonograph and so much more; and, scientists William Henry Fox Talbot (1800-1877) and Vivian Ernest Fuchs (1908-1999)
• Joseph L. Mankiewicz (1909-1993): director, screenwriter and producer, All About Eve; and, screenwriter Sidney Sheldon (1917-2007)
• Farouk I (1920-1965): king of Egypt
• Sarah Palin (47): MILF / politician; plus, former Florida governor Jeb Bush (58)
• Taylor Lautner (19): Bella's other love interest in Twilight, Tyler Harrington in Valentine's Day; also, actors Leslie Nielsen (1926-2010), Conrad Janis (83), Tina Louise (77), Burt Reynolds (75), Philip Anglim (59), Catherine Hickland (55), Carey Lowell (50), Jennifer Aniston (42), Damian Lewis (40), Matthew Lawrence (31) and Natalie Dormer (29)
• Mike Shinoda (34): singer, keyboardist, guitarist, songwriter of Linkin Park fame; also born today, musicians Gerry Goffin (72), Sergio Mendes (70), Otis Clay (69), Sheryl Crow (49), Brandy (32) and Kelly Rowland (30)