"Tin ear" is an idiom which originally meant was that
someone was not able to appreciate music, was tone deaf, or was insensitive to
differences in other kinds of sounds. It was then extended to also mean that
someone was insensitive to subtle differences in a particular discipline or subtleties in what he/she was
told. Oddly enough, an 1867 West Point scrapbook gives "hunkey boy with
a tin ear" as slang meaning "a lucky fellow"--just about the opposite
of every other use of the phrase. The
exact origin of the idiom is debatable. Merriam
Webster gives 1935 as the date of first citation without
giving a source. A.Word.A.Day simply stated that it was "from
the idea of metal being incapable of sensation,"
but several readers wrote in to offer further ideas. One said that the use of tin particularly had a connotation of low value (as in tin-pot/tin pot dictator, tin pan alley, tin god, or Tin Lizzie) compared to other metals. Another reader offered the idea that ear trumpets for the hard of
hearing had once been
made of steel plated with tin to prevent rusting. Find more information at http://everything2.com/title/tin+ear
Toshogu Shrine, Nikko by Varsha Vaswati
Toshogu shrine is the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the
Tokugawa Shogunate, a dynasty that ruled Japan from 1603-1867, with its capital
in Edo, current day Tokyo. As per
Ieyasu’s last instructions, this shrine was built posthumously in 1617 and
later enlarged and reformed into the present day lavish structure by the third
successive Shogun Iemitsu. This Shinto shrine
is a part of ‘Shrines and Temples of Nikko’,
a UNESCO World Heritage site and 5 of its structures are categorized as the
National Treasures of Japan. A cobbled
path leads up to the Shrine entrance marked by a granite stone Torii gate
called the Ishidorri. To its left stands the beautiful 5-storied
pagoda representing
the five elements of nature--air, water, earth, fire and wind. This pagoda, donated by a feudal lord in
1650, was destroyed in fire in 1815 and later rebuilt in 1818. Further ahead we came across the Omotemon and
a walking trail flanked by stone lanterns, leading up to a wide open space
right in front of the lavishly decorated Yomoeimon gate,
also known as the Higurashimon or "Twilight Gate" as one can keep
admiring its beauty from morning until twilight. What caught our attention though were the
carvings at the unpainted wooden sacred stable right in front of the
Yomoeimon. There were 8 such carved
panels depicting the ‘way of life’ through the “Three Wise Monkeys” or the ‘San Zaru’ - Kikazaru, Mizaru and Iwazaru,
who respectively “hear no evil, see no evil and speak no evil”. Till that day we (as everyone in India) had
known them to be Mahatma Gandhi’s "Three Monkeys” depicting his popular
sermon of “Hear no evil, Speak no evil and See no evil”. See picture of the three wise monkeys
at http://en.japantravel.com/view/toshugu-shrine-nikko
Ham salad recipe adapted from Madison Restaurant, Toledo Mix diced, cooked ham and diced red onions or
shallots with mayonnaise. Chill until
serving time.
A color circle, based on red, yellow and blue, is
traditional in the field of art. Sir
Isaac Newton developed the first circular diagram of colors in 1666. Primary Colors: Red, yellow and blue--all
other colors are derived from these 3 hues. Secondary Colors: Green,
orange and purple are the colors formed by mixing the primary colors. Tertiary Colors: Yellow-orange, red-orange,
red-purple, blue-purple, blue-green & yellow-green--these are the colors
formed by mixing a primary and a secondary color. That's why the hue is a two word name, such
as blue-green, red-violet, and yellow-orange.
See beautiful graphics at http://www.colormatters.com/color-and-design/basic-color-theory NOTE that some people define tertiary colors
as being formed by mixing two secondary colors.
Six Common Dog Expressions and Their
Origins by Renee
Moen Find information on dog days of
summer, three dog night, it's raining cats and dogs, and other expressions at http://iheartdogs.com/6-common-dog-expressions-and-their-origins/
Ann B. Ross
is the author of the Miss Julia series, with Book 17 appearing in 2015. http://www.missjulia.com/
Frequently Asked Questions lists the
Miss Julia novels and gives advice to writers in getting published at http://www.missjulia.com/faq.html Borrow the book Miss Julia Stirs Up Trouble
from the library and look up recipes such as Binkie's Fresh Peach Cobbler, p.
137 (Stir together 2 cups of fresh
peaches (peeled and sliced) and 3/4 cup of sugar and let sit to form juice . .
. ) and Miss
Mattie's Deviled Crab, p. 172 (crabmeat, dry mustard, hard-boiled eggs, and Worcestershire sauce . . . ). You will find a
list of all recipes along with page numbers in the back of the book.
NYC libraries are engine of the city running out of
fuel by Sabrina I. Pacifici on Apr 24, 2015 “The city’s libraries — the fusty old
buildings, and a few spiffier modern ones, planted in all five boroughs — had
37 million visitors in the last fiscal year, said Angela Montefinise,
a spokeswoman for the New York Public Library,
which runs branches and research centers in Manhattan and the Bronx and on
Staten Island. The Brooklyn Public Library and the Queens Library have their own extensive systems . . .
So the city’s libraries have more users than major professional sports,
performing arts, museums, gardens and zoos — combined.
Cite (verb) mention by name, summon, or give an
example or proof
Site (noun) location
Everyday (adjective. adverb) common, daily
Every day (noun
preceded by adjective) each day
SPOON BREAD soft cornbread served with a spoon--it is also called egg bread or butter bread. Find many recipes at http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-00,spoon_bread,FF.html
http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com Issue 1297
May 15, 2015 On this date in
1755, Laredo, Texas was established by the Spaniards. On this date in 1776, the Virginia Convention instructed its Continental Congress delegation to propose a resolution of independence from Great Britain, paving the way for
the United
States Declaration of Independence.
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