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March 22, 2026
Mar 22, 2026
Word
appellation
noun
Definition
  1. an identifying name or title : designation
  2. the act of calling by a name
  3. a geographical name used to identify wine
Example
We used to call him "Danny," but he recently let us know that he prefers the appellation "Daniel."
Origin
Ask a Frenchman named "Jacques" his name, and you may very well get the reply, "Je m'appelle Jacques." The French verb "appeller" means "to call (by a name)," so Jacques' answer literally translates to "I call myself Jacques." Knowing the function of "appeller" makes it easy to remember that "appellation" refers to the name or title by which something is called or known. "Appeller" and "appellation" also share a common ancestor -- the Latin "appellare," meaning "to call or summon," formed by combining the prefix "ad-" ("to") with another verb, "pellere" ("to drive"). "Appellare" is also the root of our word "appeal" (by way of Anglo-French and Middle English), as well as "appellate," referring to a kind of court where appeals are heard.
Webster's Dictionary
Idiom
one picture is worth a thousand words
A graphic illustration conveys a stronger message than words, as in The book jacket is a big selling point---one picture is worth a thousand words. This saying was invented by an advertising executive, Fred R. Barnard. To promote his agency's ads he took out an ad in Printer's Ink in 1921 with the headline "One Look Is Worth a Thousand Words" and attributed it to an ancient Japanese philosopher. Six years later he changed it to "Chinese Proverb: One Picture Is Worth Ten Thousand Words," illustrated with some Chinese characters. The attribution in both was invented; Barnard simply believed an Asian origin would give it more credibility.
The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms
Fun facts
  1. There are approximately 9,000 taste buds on your tongue.
  2. In Athens, Greece, a driver's license can be taken away by law if the driver is deemed either unbathed or poorly dressed.
Snapple's under-the-cap 'Real Facts'
Artist
Charles Rennie Mackintosh
Jun 7, 1868 - Dec 10, 1928

Charles Rennie Mackintosh was a Scottish architect, designer, water colourist and artist. His artistic approach had much in common with European Symbolism. His work, alongside that of his wife Margaret Macdonald, was influential on European design movements such as Art Nouveau and Secessionism and praised by great modernists such as Josef Hoffmann. Mackintosh was born in Glasgow and died in London.

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Wikipedia, Google Arts & Culture
Historical figure
Manuel Roxas
Jan 1, 1892 - Apr 15, 1948

Manuel Acuña Roxas was the fifth President of the Philippines who served from 1946 until his death in 1948. He briefly served as the third and last President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from May 28, 1946 to July 4, 1946 and then became the first President of the independent Third Philippine Republic after the United States ceded its sovereignty over the Philippines.

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Wikipedia, Google Arts & Culture
Historic event
United States Bicentennial
1976

The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to historical events leading up to the creation of the United States of America as an independent republic. It was a central event in the memory of the American Revolution. The Bicentennial culminated on Sunday, July 4, 1976, with the 200th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.

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Wikipedia, Google Arts & Culture
Quote
Be curious. Read widely. Try new things. I think a lot of what people call intelligence boils down to curiosity.
Aaron Swartz