Word of the Day

rubicund \ROO-bih-kund\, adjective:

Inclining to redness; ruddy; red.

The men are second cousins, around forty, resembling each other not very much, one taller and leaner, less rubicund than the other, who has just returned from California.
-- John Lukacs, A Thread of Years

Rubicund from his cocktail, big, broad, lustrous with power, he exuded what Walter Pater called the "charm of an exquisite character, felt in some way to be inseparable from his person."
-- Edmund Morris, Dutch: A Memoir of Ronald Reagan

Rubicund comes from Latin rubicundus, "red, ruddy," from rubere, "to be red."

halcyon \HAL-see-uhn\, noun:

1. A kingfisher.
2. A mythical bird, identified with the kingfisher, that was fabled to nest at sea about the time of the winter solstice and to calm the waves during incubation.

adjective:
1. Calm; quiet; peaceful; undisturbed; happy; as, "deep, halcyon repose."
2. Marked by peace and prosperity; as, "halcyon years."

It seems to be that my boyhood days in the Edwardian era were halcyon days.
-- Mel Gussow, "At Home With John Gielgud: His Own Brideshead, His Fifth 'Lear'", New York Times, October 28, 1993

It is a common lament that children today grow up too fast, that society is conspiring to deprive them of the halcyon childhood they deserve.
-- Keith Bradsher, "Fear of Crime Trumps the Fear of Lost Youth", New York Times, November 21, 1999

It was a halcyon life, cocktails and bridge at sunset, white jackets and long gowns at dinner, good gin and Gershwin under the stars.
-- Elizabeth M. Norman, We Band of Angels

Halcyon derives from Latin (h)alcyon, from Greek halkuon, a mythical bird, kingfisher. This bird was fabled by the Greeks to nest at sea, about the time of the winter solstice, and, during incubation, to calm the waves

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Posted in: Learning English

Three killed in Tunisian anti-government protests

Three people have been killed in clashes between hundreds of demonstrators and security forces in the Tunisian capital, authorities say.

Police used tear gas, batons and live ammunition to disperse demonstrators outside the interior ministry in Tunis.

Police and masked men in civilian clothes, armed with sticks, moved through streets looking for protesters.

The protest comes a day after police cleared huge crowds from the streets demanding the prime minister resign.

That was the biggest rally since President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali fled after weeks of unrest.

The fighting went on for several hours on Saturday, as protesters tried to storm the interior ministry, right in the centre of Tunis, and police repeatedly repelled their attacks, says the BBC's Paul Moss in Tunis.

In a statement, the interior ministry said: "Three people died from the dozen who were wounded during clashes and were transferred to hospital for treatment... Several members of the security forces were wounded to different degrees," it said without giving a number.

The statement added more than 100 people were arrested on Saturday and almost 90 had been arrested on Friday.

That follows one reported death in Friday's clashes, during which police fired tear gas and warning shots to disperse demonstrators.

Sudden trouble

Police used tear gas as well as batons and live ammunition to disperse demonstrators

The stench of tear gas again filled the main shopping street in Tunis on Saturday, our correspondent said.

The trouble flared very suddenly - people out shopping found themselves caught up in the confrontation, women carrying heavy bags running for cover with handkerchiefs clutched to their mouths, he added.

Several members of the security forces ran into the lobby of a hotel, yelling at startled customers drinking coffee to return to their rooms or leave the hotel immediately, he said.

The interim government of PM Mohammed Ghannouchi, who had served under ousted President Ben Ali since 1999, has promised elections by mid-July.

Although Mr Ghannouchi has introduced some reforms and removed a number of controversial cabinet members, protesters remain angry that figures from Mr Ben Ali's authoritarian government remain in the interim cabinet.
From BBC

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Posted in: Politics