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Umarell
Umarell (; Italian revisitation of the Bolognese dialect, Bolognese Emilian dialects, Emilian word ''umarèl'', plural ''umarî'') are men of retirement age who spend their time watching construction sites, especially roadworksstereotypically with hands clasped behind their back and offering unwanted advice to the workers. Its literal meaning is "little man" (also ). The term is employed as lighthearted mockery or self-deprecation. The modern term was popularised in 2005 by local writer Danilo Masotti through three books and an associated blog. In 2021, the word was included in the ''Zingarelli'' dictionary. Instances of use In 2015, the city of Riccione, approximately southeast of Bologna, allocated an €11,000 budget to pay a wage to ''umarell''s to oversee worksites in the city – counting the number of trucks in and out to ensure materials were delivered/removed according to the receipts, and guarding against theft when the site was otherwise unattended. The town of San Laz ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Umarell
Umarell (; Italian revisitation of the Bolognese dialect, Bolognese Emilian dialects, Emilian word ''umarèl'', plural ''umarî'') are men of retirement age who spend their time watching construction sites, especially roadworksstereotypically with hands clasped behind their back and offering unwanted advice to the workers. Its literal meaning is "little man" (also ). The term is employed as lighthearted mockery or self-deprecation. The modern term was popularised in 2005 by local writer Danilo Masotti through three books and an associated blog. In 2021, the word was included in the ''Zingarelli'' dictionary. Instances of use In 2015, the city of Riccione, approximately southeast of Bologna, allocated an €11,000 budget to pay a wage to ''umarell''s to oversee worksites in the city – counting the number of trucks in and out to ensure materials were delivered/removed according to the receipts, and guarding against theft when the site was otherwise unattended. The town of San Laz ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gongoozler
A gongoozler is a person who enjoys watching activity on the canals of the United Kingdom. The term is also used more generally to describe those who harbour an interest in canals and canal life, but do not actively participate. Etymology "Gongoozler" may have been canal workers' slang for an observer standing apparently idle on the towpath. Though it was used derisively in the past, today the term is regularly used, perhaps with a little irony, by gongoozlers to describe themselves and their hobby. The word may have arisen from words in Lincolnshire dialect: ''gawn'' and ''gooze'', both meaning to stare or gape. It might be presumed that such an expression would date from the nineteenth century, when canals were at their peak, but the word is only recorded from the end of that century or the early twentieth. It was given wider use by the late L. T. C. Rolt, who used it in his book about canal life, ''Narrow Boat'', in 1944. A ''gawn'' is also a small ship of lading, such as a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Armchair General
"Armchair general" is a derogatory term for a person who regards themselves as an expert on military matters, despite having little to no actual experience in the military. Alternatively, it can mean a military commander who does not participate in actual combat. Conventional usage The most common usage of the term refers to "[a] person without military experience who regards himself as an expert military strategist." This person may be a civilian whose only exposure to the military or military history is through academic or self-study, or a former member of the military, who was of low rank and/or has no experience with planning or strategic decision-making. In both cases, these individuals claim to be more capable of analyzing combat conditions and making strategic judgments than past military commanders who have been responsible for such analysis and decisions (''see also'' Armchair theorizing''). Examples of usage *In 1967, ''The New York Times'' correspondent Max Fra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Palazzo Re Enzo
Palazzo Re Enzo is a palace located on Piazza del Nettuno, 1 in the historic center of Bologna, northern Italy. The palace takes its name from Enzio of Sardinia, Frederick II's son, who was prisoner here from 1249 until his death in 1272. The palace is presently used to sponsor cultural events and exhibitions. History The palace was built between 1244 and 1246 as an extension of the nearby Palazzo del Podestà, which had proven insufficient for the exigences of the Commune of Bologna. It was therefore initially known as ''Palatium Novum'' ("New Palace"). Three years after the palace completion, Enzio was captured by the Guelphs at the Battle of Fossalta, and after a short stay in Anzola he was moved here, where he remained until his death. Enzio was allegedly left free within the palace by day, but by night he was kept into a cage hanging from the ceiling. He was also allowed to meet women: in his will he mentions three natural daughters, but a legend talks about a fourth son h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Calendar (stationery)
A calendar is used to display dates and related information, usually in a table format. Calendars are used to plan future events and keep track of appointments, and so a typical calendar will include days of the week, week numbering, months, public holidays and clock changes. Printed calendars also often contain additional information relevant for specific groups – for instance, a Christian liturgical calendar will show holy days and liturgical colours, while a calendar for amateur astronomers will highlight phases of the moon, conjunctions and eclipses. Alongside their practical uses, calendars have taken on a decorative purpose, offering an easy way to introduce regularly changing artwork to a space, and have even influenced art and sexuality by popularizing the pin-up style. History Ancient documents and inscriptions, such as those from Rome and China, include early forms of calendars. Printing gave rise to many related types of publication which track dates, of which ca ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Slang Terms For Men
Slang is vocabulary (words, phrases, and linguistic usages) of an informal register, common in spoken conversation but avoided in formal writing. It also sometimes refers to the language generally exclusive to the members of particular in-groups in order to establish group identity, exclude outsiders, or both. The word itself came about in the 18th century and has been defined in multiple ways since its conception. Etymology of the word ''slang'' In its earliest attested use (1756), the word ''slang'' referred to the vocabulary of "low" or "disreputable" people. By the early nineteenth century, it was no longer exclusively associated with disreputable people, but continued to be applied to usages below the level of standard educated speech. In Scots dialect it meant "talk, chat, gossip", as used by Aberdeen poet William Scott in 1832: "The slang gaed on aboot their war'ly care." In northern English dialect it meant "impertinence, abusive language". The origin of the word is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Culture In Bologna
Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups.Tylor, Edward. (1871). Primitive Culture. Vol 1. New York: J.P. Putnam's Son Culture is often originated from or attributed to a specific region or location. Humans acquire culture through the learning processes of enculturation and socialization, which is shown by the diversity of cultures across societies. A cultural norm codifies acceptable conduct in society; it serves as a guideline for behavior, dress, language, and demeanor in a situation, which serves as a template for expectations in a social group. Accepting only a monoculture in a social group can bear risks, just as a single species can wither in the face of environmental change, for lack of functional responses to the change. Thus in military culture, valor is counted a typical be ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Urban Dictionary
''Urban Dictionary'' is a crowdsourced English-language online dictionary for slang words and phrases. The website was founded in 1999 by Aaron Peckham. Originally, ''Urban Dictionary'' was intended as a dictionary of slang or cultural words and phrases, not typically found in standard English dictionaries, but it is now used to define any word, event, or phrase (including sexually explicit content). Words or phrases on ''Urban Dictionary'' may have multiple definitions, usage examples, and tags. As of 2014, the dictionary contains over seven million definitions, while around 2,000 new entries were being added daily. History The site was founded in 1999 by Aaron Peckham while he was a freshman computer science major at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. He launched the site to compare urban slang used by university students in different parts of California. He had previously created a spoof version of the Ask Jeeves web search engine while studying at ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rubbernecking
Rubbernecking is a derogatory term primarily used to refer to bystanders staring at accidents. More generally, it can refer to anyone staring at something of everyday interest compulsively (especially tourists). The term ''rubbernecking'' derives from the neck's appearance while trying to get a better view, that is, crane one's neck. Rubberneck is associated with morbid curiosity. It is often the cause of traffic jams, sometimes referred to as "gapers' block" or "gapers' delay", as drivers slow down to see what happened in a crash. ''Rubberneck'' is considered as of 2007 unconventional English or slang. Etymology The term ''rubbernecking'' was a term coined in America in the 1890s to refer to tourists. H.L. Mencken said the word ''rubberneck'' is "almost a complete treatise on American psychology" and "one of the best words ever coined". By 1909, ''rubbernecking'' was used to describe the wagons, automobiles and buses used in tours around American cities, and through their Chi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kibitzer
Kibitzer is a Yiddish term for a spectator, usually one who offers (often unwanted) advice or commentary. The term can be applied to any activity, but is most commonly used to describe spectators in games such as contract bridge, chess and Schafkopf. In card games, a kibitzer simply refers to a spectator watching a player's hand; kibitzers are expected to remain silent and not impact the game. Kibitz and kibitzer are derived from German kiebitzen, to look over a card-player's shoulder, perhaps derived from Kiebitz, a lapwing or peewit. Other uses The verb kibitz can also refer to idle chatting or side conversations. In computer science the term is the title of a programming language released by NIST, as a sub-project of the Expect programming language, that allows two users to share one shell session, taking turns typing one after another. There is a 1930 film called ''The Kibitzer'' which is based on the 1929 three-act comedy play by the same name. Jane Jacobs describes a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Railfan
A railfan, rail buff or train buff (American English), railway enthusiast, railway buff or trainspotter (Australian/British English), or ferroequinologist is a person who is recreationally interested in trains and rail transport systems. Railfans often combine their interest with other hobbies, especially photography and videography, radio scanning, railway modelling, studying railroad history and participating in railway station and rolling stock preservation efforts. There are many magazines and websites dedicated to railfanning and railway enthusiasts, including ''Trains'', ''Railfan & Railroad ''Railfan & Railroad'' is an American monthly magazine that has been in publication since the 1970s. It was the first magazine title established in-house by Carstens Publications. As a magazine dedicated to trains and rail transportation, it stands ...'', ''The Railway Magazine'', ''Locomotive Publishing Company, Locomotive Magazine'', and ''Railway Gazette International''. Other n ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dutch Uncle
Dutch uncle is an informal term for a person who issues frank, harsh or severe comments and criticism to educate, encourage or admonish someone. Thus, a "Dutch uncle" is the reverse of what is normally thought of as avuncular or uncle-like (indulgent and permissive). Origins During the Anglo-Dutch Wars between England and the Netherlands in the 17th century, the English language gained an array of insults (including "Dutch uncle"), such as: These terms also gained prominence in 17th-century New England during its rivalry with New Netherland, which the Dutch captured (and later recaptured) during the Second Anglo-Dutch War. These colorful (though now incongruous) phrases became part of English usage worldwide, and some are still in use today. Alternative explanations Another proposed explanation is that the term, often expressed as "talk to one like a Dutch uncle," originated in the early 19th century as an allusion to the sternness and sobriety attributed to the Dutch peopl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
