Smartful
Learn something every day
Word
Idiom
Fun facts
Artist
Historical figure
Historic event

July 4, 2026
Jul 4, 2026
Word
pianistic
adjective
Definition
  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the piano
  2. skilled in or well adapted to piano playing
Example
“[Pianist Yuja] Wang performed as if she were claiming ownership of some of Prokofiev's pianistic ideas.” (Edward Ortiz, Sacramento Bee [California], May 23, 2009)
Origin
The origin of "pianistic" won’t surprise anyone -- it’s ultimately from "piano," of course. But the "-istic” suffix is less than ubiquitous and bears some attention. It is used from time to time to create adjectives that correspond to nouns ending primarily in "-ism" or "-ist." (In this case, both "pianism" and "pianist" outdate "pianistic," although only by a few years.) The pedigree of "-istic" isn’t too surprising; etymologists report that it comes from Middle French ("-istique"), Latin ("-isticus"), and ultimately Greek ("-istikos"). As with words formed from the suffix "-ic," words ending in "-istic" can sometimes find life as nouns -- for example, "autistic" and "characteristic."
Webster's Dictionary
Idiom
gild the lily
Add unnecessary adornment or supposed improvement. For example, Offering three different desserts after that elaborate meal would be gilding the lily. This expression is a condensation of Shakespeare's metaphor in King John (4:2): "To gild refined gold, to paint the lily... is wasteful and ridiculous excess." [c. 1800]
The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms
Fun facts
  1. If you keep a goldfish in a dark room it will eventually turn white.
  2. To take lumps out of a bag of sugar, place it in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
Snapple's under-the-cap 'Real Facts'
Artist
Wifredo Lam
Dec 8, 1902 - Sep 11, 1982

Wifredo Óscar de la Concepción Lam y Castilla, better known as Wifredo Lam, was a Cuban artist who sought to portray and revive the enduring Afro-Cuban spirit and culture. Inspired by and in contact with some of the most renowned artists of the 20th century, e.g., Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. Lam melded his influences and created a unique style, which was ultimately characterized by the prominence of hybrid figures. This distinguished visual style of his also influences a lot of artists. Though he was predominantly a painter, he also worked with sculpture, ceramics and printmaking in his later life.

Learn more »
Wikipedia, Google Arts & Culture
Historical figure
Ludwig III of Bavaria
Jan 7, 1845 - Oct 18, 1921

Ludwig III was the last king of Bavaria, reigning from 1913 to 1918. He served as regent and de facto head of state from 1912 to 1913, ruling for his cousin, Otto. After the Bavarian parliament passed a law allowing him to do so, Ludwig deposed Otto and assumed the throne himself. He led Bavaria into World War I, and lost his throne along with the other rulers of the German states at the end of the war.

Learn more »
Wikipedia, Google Arts & Culture
Historic event
Raid on the Medway
Jun 9, 1667 - Jun 14, 1667

The Raid on the Medway, during the Second Anglo-Dutch War in June 1667, was a successful attack conducted by the Dutch navy on English battleships laid up in the fleet anchorages off Chatham Dockyard and Gillingham in the county of Kent. At the time, the fortress of Upnor Castle and a barrier chain called the "Gillingham Line" were supposed to protect the English ships.

The Dutch, under nominal command of Willem Joseph van Ghent and Lieutenant-Admiral Michiel de Ruyter, over several days bombarded and captured the town of Sheerness, sailed up the Thames estuary to Gravesend, then sailed into the River Medway to Chatham and Gillingham, where they engaged fortifications with cannon fire, burned or captured three capital ships and ten more ships of the line, and captured and towed away the flagship of the English fleet, HMS Royal Charles.

Politically, the raid was disastrous for King Charles' war plans and led to a quick end to the war and a favourable peace for the Dutch. It was one of the worst defeats in the Royal Navy's history, and one of the worst suffered by the British military. Horace George Franks called it the "most serious defeat it has ever had in its home waters."

Learn more »
Wikipedia, Google Arts & Culture