I learned a lot of assorted things in January… Did you already know all this?
- TLDR is an acronym for Too Long Didn’t Read, usually accompanying a synopsis of a long article.
2. A contranym (contronym, autantonym, auto-antonym, Janus word) is a word with two opposite meanings. For example “sanction” can mean official approval or a penalty for disobeying a rule; “cleave” can mean separate or adhere.
3. There are four modes of baptism practiced by different Christian traditions: sprinkling (aspersion), pouring (affusion), partial immersion, and full immersion (submersion).
4. The original title of the Swedish blockbuster The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is literally translated Men Who Hate Women.
5. The Moody Blues were performing and filming in Prague, Czechoslovakia in August 1968 when Soviet tanks rolled in. The band was airlifted out by the British Air Force.
4. According to designer Emily Henderson, it’s only a good idea to paint a room white if it gets lots of natural light; if a room ever needs artificial light during the day you should use at least a little colour on the walls.
5. Radon exposure is the leading cause of lung disease in non-smokers. (Apparently I am supposed to test my house for this?!)
6. Making artisan sourdough bread is complicated. For example, autolyse is the stage where you mix the flour and water and let it rest before adding any leavening. There are also baker’s percentages to consider and for best results you’ll want to calculate the final dough temperature.
7. A bruised tailbone takes a long time to heal. I landed on mine when sledding and couldn’t do all my pilates exercises for many weeks. 🙁
8. Grey Poupon is often mentioned in hip-hop songs. File under: who knew?