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September 26, 2026
Sep 26, 2026
Word
withy
noun
Definition
  1. willow; especially : any of various willows whose pliable twigs are used for furniture and basketry
  2. a flexible slender twig or branch
Example
The withies must be soaked in water for about a week before they will be ready to be woven into baskets.
Origin
"Withy" is a word with several synonyms. In its broadest use, it is simply another word for "willow," but it can also be used for a particular category of willows which are also known by the name "osier." Additionally, the word "withe" can be substituted for the "flexible slender twig or branch" sense of "withy." "Osier" entered English from Anglo-French in the 14th century, whereas "willow," "withy," and "withe" all have their origins in Old English. "Willow" comes from the Old English "welig," a word that can be found in writing going back to the middle of the 8th century, and "withy" and "withe" come from "wīthig," a word that is known to have been used at least as far back as the 10th century.
Webster's Dictionary
Idiom
at someone's elbow
Immediately beside someone, close by, as in The apprentice was constantly at the master's elbow. Why this idiom focuses on the elbow rather than the arm, shoulder, or some other body part is not known. Moreover, it can mean either that someone is so nearby as to constitute a nuisance or in order to readily provide assistance. Either can be meant in the example above. [Mid-1500s]
The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms
Fun facts
  1. The Wildwood Boardwalk extends nearly two miles and has more than 70,000 wooden planks.
  2. A tankless water heater uses half the energy of a standard model.
Snapple's under-the-cap 'Real Facts'
Artist
Pisanello
1395 - 1455

Pisanello, known professionally as Antonio di Puccio Pisano or Antonio di Puccio da Cereto, also erroneously called Vittore Pisano by Giorgio Vasari, was one of the most distinguished painters of the early Italian Renaissance and Quattrocento. He was acclaimed by poets such as Guarino da Verona and praised by humanists of his time, who compared him to such illustrious names as Cimabue, Phidias and Praxiteles.

Pisanello is known for his resplendent frescoes in large murals, elegant portraits, small easel pictures, and many brilliant drawings. He is the most important commemorative portrait medallist in the first half of the 15th century, and he can claim to have originated this important genre.

He was employed by the Doge of Venice, the Pope in the Vatican and the courts of Verona, Ferrara, Mantua, Milan, Rimini, and by the King of Naples. He stood in high esteem in the Gonzaga and Este families.

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Wikipedia, Google Arts & Culture
Historical figure
Galeazzo Ciano
Mar 18, 1903 - Jan 11, 1944

Gian Galeazzo Ciano, 2nd Count of Cortellazzo and Buccari was an Italian diplomat and politician who served as Foreign Minister in the government of his father-in-law, Benito Mussolini, from 1936 until 1943.

He was the son of Admiral Costanzo Ciano, a founding member of the National Fascist Party; father and son both took part in Mussolini's March on Rome in 1922. Ciano saw action in the Italo-Ethiopian War and was appointed Foreign Minister on his return. Following a series of Axis defeats in the Second World War, Ciano began pushing for Italy's exit, and he was dismissed from his post as a result. He then served as ambassador to the Vatican.

In July 1943, Ciano was among the members of the Grand Council of Fascism that forced Mussolini's ouster and subsequent arrest. Ciano proceeded to flee to Germany but was arrested and turned over to Mussolini's new regime, the Italian Social Republic. Under German pressure, Mussolini ordered Ciano's death, and in January 1944 he was executed by firing squad.

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Wikipedia, Google Arts & Culture
Historic event
Hurricane Matthew
Sep 28, 2016 - Oct 10, 2016

Hurricane Matthew was the first Category 5 Atlantic hurricane since Felix in 2007. Matthew caused catastrophic damage and a humanitarian crisis in Haiti, as well as widespread devastation in the southeastern United States. The deadliest Atlantic hurricane since Hurricane Stan in 2005, Matthew was the thirteenth named storm, fifth hurricane and second major hurricane of the 2016 Atlantic hurricane season. It caused extensive damage to landmasses in the Greater Antilles, and severe damage in several islands of the Bahamas who were still recovering from Joaquin which had pounded such areas nearly a year earlier. At one point, the hurricane even threatened to be the first storm of Category 3 or higher intensity to strike the United States since Wilma in 2005, but Matthew stayed just offshore paralleling the Florida coastline.

Originating from a tropical wave that emerged off Africa on September 22, Matthew developed into a tropical storm just east of the Lesser Antilles on September 28.

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Wikipedia, Google Arts & Culture