Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Shibboleth

A shibboleth is any distinguishing practice that is indicative of one's social or regional origin. It usually refers to features of language, and particularly to a word whose pronunciation identifies its speaker as being a member or not a member of a particular group...


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Friday, March 25, 2011

Reb

Reb (Yiddish: רעב) is a Yiddish honorific traditionally used for Orthodox Jewish men. It is not a rabbinic title; it is the equivalent of the English "mister". In writing it is abbreviated as 'ר.


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Monday, March 14, 2011

Algonquin Round Table

The Algonquin Round Table was a celebrated group of New York City writers, critics, actors and wits. Gathering initially as part of a practical joke, members of "The Vicious Circle," as they dubbed themselves, met for lunch each day at the Algonquin Hotel from 1919 until roughly 1929. At these luncheons they engaged in wisecracks, wordplay and witticisms that, through the newspaper columns of Round Table members, were disseminated across the country.


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Monday, March 7, 2011

GEDCOM

GEDCOM, an acronym for GEnealogical Data COMmunication, is a proprietary and open de facto specification for exchanging genealogical data between different genealogy software. GEDCOM was developed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as an aid to genealogical research.


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Monday, February 28, 2011

Smörgåsbord


Smörgåsbord (Swedish pronunciation: [ˌsmœrɡɔsˈbuːɖ]) is a type of Scandinavian meal served buffet-style with multiple dishes of various foods on a table, originating in Sweden. In Norway it is called koldtbord, in Denmark it is called kolde bord, in Finland seisova pöytä and in Estonia rootsi laud. Smörgåsbord became internationally known as Smorgasbord at the 1939 New York World's Fair when it was offered at the Swedish Pavilion's "Three Crowns Restaurant." It is typically a celebratory meal and guests can help themselves from a range of dishes laid out for their choice. In a restaurant, the term refers to a buffet-style table laid out with many small dishes from which, for a fixed amount of money, one is allowed to choose as many as one wishes.


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Sunday, February 27, 2011

Nadar (photographer)



Félix Nadar was the pseudonym of Gaspard-Félix Tournachon (6 April 1820, Paris – 21 March 1910), a French photographer, caricaturist, journalist, novelist and balloonist.


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Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Uncombable hair syndrome

Uncombable hair syndrome, also known as Pili trianguli et canaliculi, Spun-glass hair, and Cheveux incoiffables, is a rare structural anomaly of the hair with a variable degree of effect. It was discovered in the 1970s. It becomes apparent from as little as 3 months to up to 12 years.


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Monday, February 21, 2011

Frikadeller, aka Frikadella



Frikadeller are flat, pan-fried dumplings of minced meat, often likened to the Danish version of meatballs. They are a popular dish in Denmark, Poland and Germany. In Sweden, poached quenelles are called frikadeller and are usually served in soup.

Many variations of frikadeller exist but traditionally they are made of minced pork, veal, or beef; chopped onions; eggs; milk (or water); bread crumbs (or oatmeal or flour); salt; and pepper; then formed into balls and flattened somewhat. They are then pan-fried in pork fat, or more commonly in modern times in butter, margarine or even vegetable oil.


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At the deli where my bother worked, they would take all of the ends of the slicing meats that were two small to slice more, grind them up, mix in eggs and deep fry them.