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April 18, 2026
Apr 18, 2026
Word
sesquipedalian
adjective
Definition
  1. having many syllables : long
  2. using long words
Example
Jacob's editor advised him to do away with much of the sesquipedalian prose he favored and opt for simpler words that would reach readers of all ages and backgrounds.
Origin
Horace, the Roman poet known for his satire, was merely being gently ironic when he cautioned young poets against using "sesquipedalia verba"-"words a foot and a half long"-in his book Ars poetica, a collection of maxims about writing. But in the 17th century, English literary critics decided the word "sesquipedalian" could be very useful for lambasting writers using unnecessarily long words. Robert Southey used it to make two jibes at once when he wrote "the verses of [16th-century English poet] Stephen Hawes are as full of barbarous sesquipedalian Latinisms, as the prose of [the 18th-century periodical] the Rambler." The Latin prefix "sesqui-" is used in modern English to mean "one and a half times," as in "sesquicentennial" (a 150th anniversary).
Webster's Dictionary
Idiom
worth one's salt
Deserving of one's wages; a good employee. In ancient Rome salt was a valuable commodity and was used to pay soldiers. From this came the Latin noun salarium and the English salary. In the mid-1800s the term was applied to current practices of employment, although salt had long since ceased to be a medium of pay. Thus, "Paul's done a fine job so far; he's really worth his salt.
The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms
Fun facts
  1. Bamboo (the world's tallest grass) can grow up to 90cm in a day.
  2. Until the nineteenth century, solid blocks of tea were used as money in Siberia.
Snapple's under-the-cap 'Real Facts'
Artist
Richard Dadd
Aug 1, 1817 - Jan 7, 1886

Richard Dadd was an English painter of the Victorian era, noted for his depictions of fairies and other supernatural subjects, Orientalist scenes, and enigmatic genre scenes, rendered with obsessively minuscule detail. Most of the works for which he is best known were created while he was a patient in Bethlem and Broadmoor hospitals.

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Wikipedia, Google Arts & Culture
Historical figure
William Lovelace
Died Mar 23, 1577

William Lovelace, of Bethersden, near Ashford and Canterbury, Kent, was an English politician and lawyer.

He was the son of William Lovelace and studied law in Gray's Inn, being called to the bar in 1551.

He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Canterbury in 1563, 1571 and 1572. He became serjeant-at-law in 1567.

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Wikipedia, Google Arts & Culture
Historic event
Air raid on Bari

The air raid on Bari was an air attack by German bombers on Allied forces and shipping in Bari, Italy, on 2 December 1943, during World War II. 105 German Junkers Ju 88 bombers of Luftflotte 2 achieved surprise and bombed shipping and personnel operating in support of the Allied Italian Campaign, sinking 27 cargo and transport ships, as well as a schooner, in Bari harbour.

The attack lasted a little more than an hour and put the port out of action until February 1944. The release of mustard gas from one of the wrecked cargo ships added to the loss of life. The British and US governments covered up the presence of mustard gas and its effects on victims of the raid.

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Wikipedia, Google Arts & Culture
Quote
“Education costs money. But then so does ignorance.”
—Sir Claus Moser