July = Summertime and It’s Hot

July 28, 2007

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED HOW A WORD, IDIOM OR PHRASE ORIGINATED IN THE AMERICAN LANGUAGE?

It is almost the end of July, the month that was named after Julius Caesar, but initial research revealed only the most obvious. Per Encyclopedia Britannica, July is the “seventh month of the Gregorian calendar. It was named after Julius Caesar in 44 BC. Its original name was Quintilis, Latin for the “fifth month,” indicating its position in the early Roman calendar.”

This minimal information was hardly satisfactory for a decent word origin posting, so I expanded the topic to the Julian Calendar, which in 46 BC expanded the year to 12 months – Ianuarius, Februarius, Martius, Aprilis, Maius, Iunius, Quintilis, Sextilis, September, October, November, and December.

The Romans later renamed Quintilis (originally, “the Fifth month”, with March = month 1) as Iulius (July) for Julius Caesar in 44 BC and Sextilis (“Sixth month”) as Augustus (August) in 8 BC. Other months were renamed by other emperors, but apparently none of the later changes survived their deaths.

The search for an icon or picture to represent July for this week’s posting was not an easy task. A picture of Julius Caesar or a simple picture of the word would have worked, but I wanted to focus on a different aspect – like the temperature. The image of the setting sun seemed perfect, and the Conventional Wisdom section kept the continuity going by focusing on summertime and the heat.

Please read the attached pdf posting on the origin of July to see the results of my research. Of course, I also hope this stimulates your own research, and I would appreciate your feedback.

1) Did you find the posting informative?

2) How would you improve this posting?

3) Can you provide a better Moment of Zen?

Jim C Quiz – July.pdf

Tour de France = The Elite Race in Cycling

July 21, 2007

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED HOW A WORD, IDIOM OR PHRASE ORIGINATED IN THE AMERICAN LANGUAGE?

There are only a few true premiere sporting events in the world, and one of them is the Tour de France, which is held during three weeks in July. Most Americans are familiar with Lance Armstrong, the only seven time winner of this grueling event, and the long standing doping scandal surrounding the sport.

The initial research on the Tour de France turned an interesting fact – the race was basically a stunt by one Parisian newspaper to recover lost readers from a competitor. In the early 1900s, approximately thirteen newspapers competed with each other to be the biggest vendor in Paris. The biggest was Le Vélo, which benefited of the sudden rise in popularity of the cycling sport. On October 16, 1900, Desgrange founded a new paper: L’Auto-Vélo.

Le Vélo reacted by taking Desgrange to court, where they won a lawsuit forcing him to reduce the name of the newspaper to simply L’Auto. In retaliation, Desgrange made plans to organize the first Tour de France - an immense task for the cyclists (professional or amateur) those days. The detailed plans were actually drawn up by Géo Lefèvre, who announced the Tour in a small article on the front page of L’Auto, on January 19, 1903.

The reactions were mostly enthusiastic – sponsors offered prizes immediately, the race was well attended by paying spectators, and the Tour became a success. The number of copies of L’Auto (now L’Equipe) increased from 30,000 to 65,000 per day.

Please read the attached pdf posting on the origin of the Tour de France to see the results of the stunt and what happened to the newspaper competitor. Of course, I hope this stimulates your own research, and I would appreciate your feedback.

1) Did you find the posting informative?

2) How would you improve this posting?

3) Can you provide a better Moment of Zen?

Jim C Quiz – Tour de France.pdf

Birthstones = A Modern Day Talisman

July 14, 2007

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED HOW A WORD, IDIOM OR PHRASE ORIGINATED IN THE AMERICAN LANGUAGE?

Being a very curious individual, I have a habit of researching a vast number of items each day just to see if my limited understanding came even close to the actual facts.  While looking for an appropriate July topic, it was interesting to note that July is the hottest month of the year in the northern hemisphere.  But that didn’t really grab me.

As the panorama of potential topics unfolded, only one – birthstones raised its pretty face or should I say facets.  Everyone is aware of their birthstone, because the jewelers have been very good marketers over the past century.  The current list of birthstones is as follows:

January	Garnet
February	Amethyst
March	Aquamarine or Bloodstone
April	Diamond
May	Emerald
June	Pearl, Moonstone or Alexandrite
July	Ruby
August	Peridot
September	Sapphire
October	Opal or Tourmaline
November	Topaz or Citrine
December	Turquoise or Zircon

That was easy, but what about the origin of birthstones?  That’s a lot harder, because the origin is shrouded in folklore, tradition, and mystery as demonstrated below:

•  Since ancient times colored stones have been thought to possess certain magical and curative powers, and endow the wearer with certain abilities
• Early gem buyers may have sought advice from astrologers before approaching the jeweler. 
• There was no formal classification of gemstones, a gem was assigned each sign of the zodiac based on a color system. Color was thought to unleash the power attributed to the stone.
• They were used as predictors of the future, therapeutic aids, and essential elements to many religious practices for pagan, Hebrew, and Christian alike.

The Conventional Wisdom and Moment of Zen sections are always the hardest – they require some wit and charm.  I’m happy with the attached pdf on the origin of Birthstones.  As always, I hope this stimulates your own research, and I would appreciate your feedback.

1) Did you find the posting informative?

2) How would you improve this posting?

3) Can you provide a better Moment of Zen? 

Jim C Quiz - Birthstones.pdf 

Ice Cream = I scream, You scream

July 10, 2007

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED HOW A WORD, IDIOM OR PHRASE ORIGINATED IN THE AMERICAN LANGUAGE?

In 1984 President Ronald Reagan designated July as National Ice Cream Month, and he also appointed the third Sunday in July as National Ice Cream Day. President Reagan apparently wanted to formally recognize the popularity of ice cream in the United States, where 90% of the population consumes ice cream. He stated that these two events should be observed with “appropriate ceremonies and activities.”

The initial research into the origin of ice cream provided the following information:

• Indulgence always came first
• Julius Caesar and the Emperor Nero of Rome both took credit for the idea to mix snow with nectar, fruit pulp and honey.
• Marco Polo is said to have brought with him from the Far East the recipes for water ices.
• Our nation’s first ice cream parlor reportedly opened in New York City in 1776.
• Dolly Madison served ice cream as a dessert in the White House at the second inaugural ball in 1812.

Drinking soda water was considered improper during the Victorian age, and many towns banned its sale on Sundays. One druggist in Evanston, IN, reportedly concocted a legal Sunday alternative without the soda that contained ice cream and syrup. To show respect for the Sabbath, he named his creation the “sundae.”

Brain Freeze or “Ice Cream Headache:” The best way to avoid getting this is to keep the ice cream on the side of your mouth and away from the roof of your mouth.

To create the attached posting for ice cream, I wanted to use a vintage image of a little girl licking her ice cream cone – the one I found seemed perfect.  The Conventional Wisdom and Moment of Zen sections are always the hardest – they require some and charm.  I’m happy with the attached pdf on the origin of Ice Cream – it seems right. As always, I hope this stimulates your own research, and I would appreciate your feedback.

1) Did you find the posting informative?

2) How would you improve this posting?

3) Can you provide a better Moment of Zen?

Jim C Quiz – Ice Cream.pdf