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May 21, 2026
May 21, 2026
Word
caterwaul
verb
Definition
  1. to make a harsh cry
  2. to protest or complain noisily
Example
The toddler caterwauled loudly when her toy was taken away.
Origin
An angry (or amorous) cat can make a lot of noise. As long ago as the mid-1300s, English speakers were using "caterwaul" for the act of voicing feline passions. The "cater" part is, of course, connected to the cat, but scholars disagree about whether it traces to Middle Dutch "cāter," meaning "tomcat," or if it is really just "cat" with an "-er" added. The "waul" is probably imitative in origin; it represents the feline howl itself. English's first "caterwaul" was a verb focused on feline vocalizations, but by the 1600s it was also being used for noisy people or things. By the 1700s it had become a noun naming any sound as loud and grating as a tomcat's yowl.
Webster's Dictionary
Idiom
unkindest cut
The worst insult, ultimate treachery, as in And then, the unkindest cut of all---my partner walks out on me just when the deal is about to go through. This expression was invented by Shakespeare in describing Julius Caesar's stabbing to death by his friends in Julius Caesar (3:2): "This was the most unkindest cut of all.''
The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms
Fun facts
  1. About 90% of all garlic consumed in the U.S. comes from Gilroy, CA.
  2. Powerful earthquakes can make the Earth spin faster.
Snapple's under-the-cap 'Real Facts'
Artist
Cildo Meireles
Born 1948

Cildo Meireles is a Brazilian conceptual artist, installation artist and sculptor. He is noted especially for his installations, many of which express resistance to political oppression in Brazil. These works, often large and dense, encourage a phenomenological experience via the viewer's interaction.

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Historical figure
John IV of Portugal
Mar 19, 1604 - Nov 6, 1656

John IV, nicknamed John the Restorer, was the King of Portugal whose reign, lasting from 1640 until his death, led to the Portuguese "restoration" of independence from Spanish rule. His accession established the house of Braganza on the Portuguese throne, and marked the end of the 60-year-old Iberian Union, by which Portugal and Spain shared the same monarch.

Before becoming king, he was John II, 8th Duke of Braganza. He was the grandson of Catherine, Duchess of Braganza, a claimant to the crown during the Portuguese succession crisis of 1580. On the eve of his death in 1656, the Portuguese Empire reached its territorial zenith, spanning the globe.

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Historic event
Nuremberg trials
Nov 20, 1945 - Oct 1, 1946

The Nuremberg trials were a series of military tribunals held after World War II by the Allied forces under international law and the laws of war. The trials were most notable for the prosecution of prominent members of the political, military, judicial, and economic leadership of Nazi Germany, who planned, carried out, or otherwise participated in the Holocaust and other war crimes. The trials were held in Nuremberg, Germany, and their decisions marked a turning point between classical and contemporary international law.

The first and best known of the trials was that of the major war criminals before the International Military Tribunal. It was described as "the greatest trial in history" by Sir Norman Birkett, one of the British judges present throughout. Held between 20 November 1945 and 1 October 1946, the Tribunal was given the task of trying 24 of the most important political and military leaders of the Third Reich. Primarily treated here is the first trial, conducted by the International Military Tribunal. Further trials of lesser war criminals were conducted under Control Council Law No. 10 at the U.S.

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