liquid courage
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Legal, Encyclopedia.
Like this video? Subscribe to our free daily email and get a new idiom video every day!
liquid courage
slang The decrease in timidity or inhibition that comes from imbibing alcoholic beverages. I'm planning on proposing to Mary tonight, but I think I need a little liquid courage first!
See also: courage, liquid
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content.
Link to this page:
with my pleasure
|
Mother-in-Law Day
Mother-in-Law Day
Fourth Sunday in October
Modeled on the celebration of Mother's Day and Father's Day, Mother-in-Law's Day was first celebrated on March 5, 1934, in Amarillo, Texas, where it was initiated by the editor of the local newspaper. The observance was later moved to the fourth Sunday in October.
Mothers-in-law have never enjoyed the widespread respect and devotion that mothers have received over the years, and the rising divorce rate has given the whole concept of in-laws a less permanent place in the national imagination. This may be part of the reason why Mother-in-Law Day has failed to catch on like Mother's Day, Father's Day, and even Grandparents' Day. But many people feel that mothers-in-law deserve a special day of their own, if for no other reason than for their good humor in enduring the many jokes that have been told about them.
SOURCES:
AnnivHol-2000, p. 182
Holidays, Festivals, and Celebrations of the World Dictionary, Fourth Edition. © 2010 by Omnigraphics, Inc.
Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content.
Link to this page:
with my pleasure
|
Homer, principal figure of ancient Greek literature; the first European poet.
Works, Life, and Legends
Two epic poems are attributed to Homer, the Iliad and the Odyssey. They are composed in a literary type of Greek, Ionic in basis with Aeolic admixtures. Ranked among the great works of Western literature, these two poems together constitute the prototype for all subsequent Western epic poetry.
The "Homeric question" was the great dispute of scholarship in the 19th cent. Scholars tried to analyze the two works by various tests, usually to show that they were strung together from older narrative poems. Recent evidence strongly suggests that the Iliad is the work of a single poet. Modern scholars are generally agreed that there was a poet named Homer who lived before 700 B.C., probably in Asia Minor, and that the Iliad and the Odyssey are each the product of one poet's work, developed out of older legendary matter. Some assign the Odyssey to a poet who lived slightly after the author of the Iliad.
Legends about Homer were numerous in ancient times. He was said to be blind. His birthplace has always been disputed, but Chios or Smyrna seem most likely. The study of Homer was required of all Greek students in antiquity, and his heroes were worshiped in many parts of Greece. The Iliad and the Odyssey are composed in dactylic hexameter and are of nearly the same length. The Homeric Hymns
were falsely attributed to Homer.
The Iliad
Divided into 24 books, the Iliad tells of the wrath of Achilles
and its tragic consequences, an episode in the Trojan War
. The action is in several sections. Achilles quarrels with Agamemnon over possession of the captive woman Briseis, and Achilles retires from the war to sulk in his tent. The Greek position gradually weakens until Agamemnon
offers amendment to Achilles (Books I–IX). Book X tells of an expedition by Odysseus and Diomedes leading to Greek reverses in the war. Thereupon Patroclus, Achilles' friend, is inspired to go into battle wearing Achilles' armor. He is killed by Hector
(Books XI–XVII).
Book XVIII tells of the visit of Thetis, mother of Achilles, to comfort her grieving son and of the forging of new armor by Hephaestus for Achilles. Achilles then determines to avenge his friend, kills Hector, buries Patroclus, and finally, at the entreaty of Priam, gives Hector's body to the Trojan hero's aged father (Books XIX–XXIV). The Iliad is a highly unified work, splendid in its dramatic action. Written in a simple yet lofty style, it contains many perceptive characterizations that make exalted personages like Hector and Achilles believable as human beings.
with my pleasure
|
Liszt, Franz
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Encyclopedia.
Franz Liszt
Portrait of Liszt by Ary Scheffer
Franz Liszt (German: [fʁant͡s lɪst]; Hungarian: Liszt Ferencz; October 22, 1811 – July 31, 1886), in modern use Liszt Ferenc[n 1] (Hungarian pronunciation: [list ˈfɛrɛnt͡s]); from 1859 to 1867 officially Franz Ritter von Liszt,[n 2] was a 19th-century Hungarian[1][2][3] composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor, teacher, and Franciscan.
Liszt gained renown in Europe during the early nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age, and in the 1840s he was considered by some to be perhaps the greatest pianist of all time. Liszt was also a well-known and influential composer, piano teacher and conductor. He was a benefactor to other composers, including Richard Wagner, Hector Berlioz, Camille Saint-Saëns, Edvard Grieg and Alexander Borodin.[4]
As a composer, Liszt was one of the most prominent representatives of the "Neudeutsche Schule" ("New German School"). He left behind an extensive and diverse body of work in which he influenced his forward-looking contemporaries and anticipated some 20th-century ideas and trends. Some of his most notable contributions were the invention of the symphonic poem, developing the concept of thematic transformation as part of his experiments in musical form and making radical departures in harmony.[5] He also played an important role in popularizing a wide array of music by transcribing it for piano.
Life
Early life
The earliest known ancestor of Liszt is his great-grandfather, Sebastian List who was one of the thousands of German migrant serfs locally migrating within the Austrian Empire's territories (around the area now constituting Lower Austria and Hungary) in the first half of the 18th century. Sebastian was a cotter ("Söllner"), said to be born in Rajka (Ragendorf), Moson County, Kingdom of Hungary, around 1703,[6] where he died on January 7, 1793.[7][8] Liszt's grandfather was an overseer on several Esterházy estates; he could play the piano, violin and organ.[9] The Liszt clan dispersed throughout Austria and Hungary and gradually lost touch with one another.[10]
with my pleasure
|
Beltway sniper attacks
Beltway sniper attacks
Beltway sniper attacks
Locations of the fifteen sniper attacks numbered chronologically.
Locations of the fifteen sniper attacks numbered chronologically.
Location Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
Date October 2, 2002 –
October 22, 2002 (Eastern Time Zone)
Target Civilians
Attack type Mass murder
Weapon(s) Bushmaster XM-15 rifle
Deaths 10
Injured (non-fatal) 3
Assailants John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo
The Beltway sniper attacks were a series of coordinated shootings that took place during three weeks in October 2002 in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. Ten people were killed and three other victims were critically injured in several locations throughout the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and along Interstate 95 in Virginia. It was widely speculated that a single sniper, initially identified as a white man with assumed military experience, was using the Capital Beltway for travel, possibly in a white van or truck. It was later learned that the rampage was perpetrated by one man, John Allen Muhammad, and one minor, Lee Boyd Malvo, driving a blue 1990 Chevrolet Caprice sedan, and had apparently begun the month before with murders and robbery in Louisiana and Alabama, which had resulted in three of the deaths.[1]
In September 2003, Muhammad was sentenced to death. One month later, Malvo was sentenced to six consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. On November 10, 2009, Muhammad was executed by lethal injection.
Preliminary shootings
On August 1, 2002, John Gaeta was changing a tire at a parking lot in Hammond, Louisiana and was shot in the neck by Malvo.[2] The bullet exited through Gaeta's back, and he pretended to be dead while Malvo stole his wallet. Gaeta ran to a service station after the shooter left and discovered that he was bleeding; he went to a hospital and was released within an hour. On March 1, 2010, he received a letter of apology from Malvo.[3]
On September 5, 2002, at 10:30 p.m., Paul LaRuffa, a 55-year-old pizzeria owner, was shot six times at close range while locking up his Italian restaurant in Clinton, Maryland. LaRuffa survived the shooting, and his laptop computer was found in John Allen Muhammad's car when he and Malvo were arrested.[4]
On September 21, 2002, at 12:15 a.m., 41-year-old Million A. Woldemariam was fatally shot in the head and back with a .22-
with my pleasure
|
mondegreen
Also found in: Dictionary.
Mondegreen
A mondegreen is the mishearing or misinterpretation of a phrase as a result of near-homophony, in a way that gives it a new meaning. It most commonly is applied to a line in a poem or a lyric in a song.[1][2] American writer Sylvia Wright coined the term in her essay "The Death of Lady Mondegreen," published in Harper's Magazine in November 1954.[3] "Mondegreen" was included in the 2000 edition of the Random House Webster's College Dictionary. Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary added the word in 2008.[4][5] The phenomenon is not limited to English, with examples cited by Fyodor Dostoyevsky,[6] in the Hebrew song Háva Nagíla ("Let's Be Happy"),[7] and in Bollywood movies.[8]
A closely related category is soramimi—songs that produce unintended meanings when homophonically translated to another language.[9]
The unintentionally incorrect use of similar-sounding words or phrases in speaking is a malapropism. If there is a connection in meaning, it can be called an eggcorn. If a person stubbornly sticks to a mispronunciation after being corrected, that can be described as mumpsimus.[10]
Etymology
In the essay, Wright described how, as a young girl, she misheard the last line of the first stanza from the 17th-century ballad "The Bonny Earl O'Moray". She wrote:
with my pleasure
|
The Farlex Grammar Book > English Grammar > Syntax > Sentences > Negative Interrogative Sentences
Negative Interrogative Sentences
What is a negative interrogative sentence?
As their name implies, negative interrogative sentences (sometimes called interro-negative sentences) are interrogative sentences that are made negative. In addition to asking literal questions, negative interrogative sentences are often used to imply that the speaker is expecting a certain answer or for emphatic effect.
Constructing negative interrogative sentences
As with all negative sentences, we generally form the negative interrogative by adding the word not. Where it appears in the sentence depends on the type of interrogative sentence we’re using.
Yes/No questions
Questions that have either “yes” or “no” for an answer are formed using auxiliary verbs at the beginning of the sentence, as in:
“Do you have a dollar?”
“Are you aware of the consequences of your actions?”
“Have you seen my wallet?”
To make them negative, we add the word not after the subject of the sentence. If not is contracted with the auxiliary verb, however, then the contraction comes before the subject.
Negative interrogative “yes/no” questions usually imply that the speaker expects the answer to be (or believes the answer should be) “yes.”
For example:
“Don’t you have a dollar?”
“Are you not aware of the consequences of your actions?”
“Haven’t you seen my wallet?”
With question words
We can also use the negative with interrogative sentences that are formed with certain question words (who, what, where, and why). These kinds of questions are sometimes called “Wh-” questions, because of the common beginning of each of the question words.
To make these sentences negative, we add not either immediately after the subject of the sentence, or contract it with the linking or auxiliary verb. Unlike the negative form of “yes/no” questions, the negative form of question word sentences can either be literal or be used for emphasis.
Literal questions
The negative interrogative is often used literally for sentences with question words.
For example:
“It seems like just about everyone is signed up for the trip. Who isn’t coming?”
“Why haven’t we left yet?”
“Your keys must be somewhere. Where have we not looked?”
In each of these sentences, the speaker is asking a question that requires a literal response.
Emphatic responses
We can also use the negative interrogative with these question words for emphasis, usually in response to another question. In this case, not is almost exclusively contracted with the auxiliary verb, as in:
Person A: “Who’s coming to the party tomorrow night?”
Person B: “Who isn’t coming?” (It seems like everyone will be coming.)
Person A: “Where did you travel while you were in Europe this summer?”
with my pleasure
|
unlettered
Also found in: Thesaurus, Legal, Encyclopedia.
Related to unlettered: bunging
un·let·tered (ŭn-lĕt′ərd)
adj.
1.
a. Not adept at reading and writing; deficient in the knowledge that can be acquired from books.
b. Illiterate.
2. Having no lettering: a plain, unlettered T-shirt.
unlettered (ʌnˈlɛtəd)
adj
1. (Education) uneducated; illiterate
2. not marked with letters: an unlettered tombstone.
un•let•tered (ʌnˈlɛt ərd)
adj.
1. uneducated; untutored; ignorant.
2. illiterate.
3. not marked with letters, as a tombstone.
[1300–50]
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
Adj. 1. unlettered - having little acquaintance with writingunlettered - having little acquaintance with writing; "special tutorials to assist the unlettered sector of society"
analphabetic
illiterate - not able to read or write
2. unlettered - uneducated in general; lacking knowledge or sophistication; "an ignorant man"; "nescient of contemporary literature"; "an unlearned group incapable of understanding complex issues"; "exhibiting contempt for his unlettered companions"
ignorant, nescient, unlearned
uneducated - not having a good education
unlettered
adjective uneducated, ignorant, illiterate, unlearned, untutored, unschooled, untaught Such misconceptions have not been confined to the unlettered masses.
educated, literate, learned, schooled, taught, tutored
with my pleasure
|
the lion's den
Like this video? Subscribe to our free daily email and get a new idiom video every day!
the lion's den
A particularly dangerous, hostile, or oppressive place or situation, especially due to an angry or sinister person or group of people within it. I felt like I was walking into the lion's den when I went in front of the board for my annual review.
See also: den
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content.
Link to this page:
with my pleasure
|
Bridge Day
Also found in: Wikipedia.
Bridge Day
Third Saturday in October
Bridge Day is both a celebration of the New River Gorge Bridge in Fayetteville, West Virginia, and a day of bliss for daredevils. The bridge, completed in 1977, is the world's longest steel-arch span and is the second highest bridge in the nation (after the Royal Gorge Bridge over the Arkansas River in Colorado). Its arch span is 1,700 feet, with a rise of 360 feet, putting it 876 feet above the New River Gorge National River. On Bridge Day, celebrated since 1980, parachutists jump from the bridge onto the river's banks below. The less bold walk over the bridge. About 200 vendors offer food, crafts, and souvenirs for sale. Attendance is about 150,000.
CONTACTS:
Fayette County Chamber of Commerce
New River Convention and Visitors Bureau
310 Oyler Ave.
Oak Hill, WV 25901
800-927-0263 or 304-465-5618
www.nps.gov/neri/bridgeday.htm
Holidays, Festivals, and Celebrations of the World Dictionary, Fourth Edition. © 2010 by Omnigraphics, Inc.
with my pleasure
|
|