Cool Word of the Day

Fletcher: maker of seller of arrows.
I don't know this for sure, but I'm guessing this word has gone by the by because of a lack of need for arrows nowadays. So if you've been fletched, you've been supplied with arrows. It reminds me of fleeced, which means you've been ripped off.

Feeling Cross?

Crosswords are a wonder and I love them. To show my love, I will write about the history of the crossword. Here goes...
In 1913, Arthur Wynne, a journalist created a new puzzle he called the "word-cross" and it was published in New York World newspaper. The new puzzle gained popularity, its name was changed to crossword and it began to appear in other American newspapers.
By 1924, crosswords had become a fad, and many thought it belittled the newspaper industry. By the time the word 'crossword' appeared in the dictionary in 1930, the crossword puzzle trend was here to stay.
Crossword Fact: some cryptographers who worked for the Allies in WWII, were selected after winning or placing in crossword competitions.

Poetry in Motion

I like poetry but I write crap poems so I'm showcasing someone else's poem. I didn't ask permission so let's say anonymous wrote it. Well, here it is.

The winter froze his love for me
The pelting rain that turned to sleet
Sealed his heart - a casket closed
The snow falls down & cruel winds blow

Y’know a real canuck
Well they would shoot the puck (give a fuck?)
Instead of taking flight
When they turn on the streetlights

The winter froze his love for me
I feel the cold on every seat
Beside the fire, I don’t know
A dusky ember from an inferno

The winter froze his love for me
I can’t help that my heart still beats
But his heart turned to tungsten steel
And I can’t help the way he feels

Cool Word of the Day

Panhandle. Not that uncommon of a word, but insteresting for its different meanings.
1. a narrow strip of territory projecting from a larger area, but not a peninsula.
2. to stop people in the street and ask for food or money. this term arose from the sight of an outstretched arm appearing like a geographical panhandle.

Cool Word of the Day

Phalanx. Usually used to describe military troops, arranged for maximum defense, but can also mean a group of people united with a common goal. Another definition is the bones of the fingers and toes.  

Cool Word of the Day

Ignominious: deserving of shame or infamy. marked by disgrace or shame.

"he died an ignominious death."

Cool Word of the Day

Flummox. to confuse, perplex, puzzle or bewilder. this word isn't exactly uncommon and I'm sure that most know what it means, but it sure sounds great.

Cool Word of the Day

Germane: being relevant and appropriate. pronounced germain.

"what you've said is both central and germane to the issue"

Cool Word of the Day

Gadfly: someone who upsets the status quo by posing upsetting or novel questions or someone who attempts to stimulate innovation by proving an irritant.

"Socrates was a gadfly to the Athenian political scene."

Typo Hatred

I hate typos too. they're annoying and make the writer look stupid. they're also infuriating when they are on government created signs, because it means that our taxes have paid for mistakes a high school student could likely correct.
it is unlikely though, that i would resort to this just because i hate typos. it seems a little extreme.

Cool Word of the Day

Sphygmomanometer.
just a fancy-pants medical word for a blood pressure meter. it was invented by Samuel Sigfried Karl Ritter von Basch. Scipione Riva-Rocci created a more easily usable version in 1896.
it's further explained on this Wikipedia link.

this word is also mentioned on an episode of M*A*S*H.

Hawkeye: "I always wake up when a lady pumps her sphygmomanometer."