Friday, November 18, 2011

omnibus \OM-nuh-buhs\, noun:

1. A volume of reprinted works of a single author or of works related in interest or theme.

2. A bus.

adjective:

1. Pertaining to, including, or dealing with numerous objects or items at once.

Omnibus means “for all” in Latin.

barside manner

• manner or conduct of a bartender, when waiting on customers.

That bartender hasn't acknowledged me since I've sat down. What bad barside manner!

Trivia

In Greek mythology, how many times does the river Styx circle Hades?

• Nine.

History

• William Tell: legendary Swiss archer shot an arrow through an apple on his son's head, his life depended on success in this challenge after he defied his canton's Austrian bailiff (1307)
• time zones: US and Canadian railroad companies implemented a system of five standard time zones so that train travelers would be able to keep time (1883)
• Steamboat Willie: Mickey Mouse made his big screen debut in the Walt Disney-directed feature (1928)
• Calvin and Hobbes: comic strip about a boy and his stuffed tiger (named for the French theologian and the English political philosopher) debuted (1985)
• Jonestown: over 900 people died from drinking cyanide-laced Kool-Aid — or through other means — in a murder/suicide pact led by preacher Jim Jones in Guyana (1978)

Birthdays

• Ignace Paderewski (1860-1941): pianist and composer who became prime minister of Poland; plus, lyricist William Gilbert (1836-1911), conductor Eugene Ormandy (1899-1985) and composer Johnny Mercer (1909-1976)
• Alan Shepard (1923-1998): the first American in space
• Margaret Atwood (72): author of The Blind Assassin and The Year of the Flood
• Wilma Mankiller (1945-2010): first female chief of the Cherokee Nation
• Warren Moon (55): NFL hall-of-famer; athletes Gary Sheffield (43) and David Ortiz (36) share this birthday
• Elizabeth Perkins (51): Weeds' Celia Hodes; also, actors Brenda Vaccaro (72), Linda Evans and Susan Sullivan (both 68), Jameson Parker (64), Kevin Nealon (58), Oscar Nunez (53), Romany Malco (43), Peta Wilson and Mike Epps (both 40), Chloë Sevigny (37), Steven Pasquale (35) and Nate Parker (32)

Read more: http://www.answers.com/