Latest news with #Merriam-Webster
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- General
- Daily Mirror
'My friend gave their baby worst name ever and people think it's criminal'
Naming a child is a huge responsibility as whatever you choose has to suit both a sweet, innocent baby and an adult making their way in the world. One man was floored when his friend named their child after a crime A man shared the name of his friend's baby which left many people astounded - because the choice is a crime. It's not an easy job to select a name for a new baby, with parents tasked with the challenge of finding a viable option that'll suit their offspring while they're a sweet, innocent infant through to being a fully fledged adult with a job and other responsibilities. Some parents opt for honouring a friend or relative with their choice of baby name, while others are inspired by their favourite books or films, and others simply hear a name in passing and fall in love with it. For some parents though, the most important thing when deciding on a name is its perceived 'uniqueness'. This can often lead to unusual or quirkier choices being given to babies, or it can see traditional names distorted by illogical spellings that defy the rules of phonics. In some cases, parents may decide on a well known noun or adjective instead of a standard name, which seems to be the case for one man's friend, who settled on Arson Synyster for their new child. Arson is a noun used to describe the criminal act of deliberately setting a building or other structure on fire. It's incredibly dangerous crime and can lead to major damage and, if people are inside the burning space, life-changing injuries or death. The adjective 'sinister' appears to have been deliberately misspelled for the child's middle name. According to Merriam-Webster, sinister means something which is 'singularly evil or productive of evil', or 'accompanied by or leading to disaster', or 'presaging ill fortune or trouble'. It can also mean 'of, relating to, or situated to the left or on the left side of something'. The man, called Ben, shared the baby's name on Facebook in the popular group, 'That name isn''t a tragedeigh, it's a murghdyrr'. The group's title mocks the ongoing trend of parents warping the spelling of established names and words to create a 'unique' name, even though the pronunciation remains the same. Many members often share names they spotted online or encountered in real life. Captioning his post, Ben simply penned: 'One of my [girlfriend's] friends named their baby Arson Synyster." In the comments section, fellow Facebook users were keen to share their thoughts. One person said: 'This is the worst one I've seen on this page." Another said: 'Let's hope this kid doesn't become some kinda supervillain with a name like that." A third asked: 'What the heck is wrong with your friend?' A fourth said: 'Awful name for a sweet baby.' Someone else commented: 'That poor unfortunate child, why would a parent want to make their child's life any harder than it has to be?!' Another person said: 'They want the kid to end up a criminal? That is just wrong.' And a user quipped: 'Sounds like a villain from Batman.'
Perth Now
02-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Anthony Mackie hails 'beautiful human' Malcolm-Jamal Warner
Anthony Mackie remembers Malcolm-Jamal Warner as a "beautiful human being". The actor died, aged 54, from accidental drowning on July 20, and Anthony has now paid a glowing tribute to his showbiz pal, who was best known for playing Theodore Huxtable on The Cosby Show. The Hollywood star told People: "I'm proud to say Malcolm-Jamal Warner was a friend of mine." Anthony recalled having lots of memorable conversations with the late actor. Anthony - who is, perhaps, best-known for playing Sam Wilson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe - said: "He's somebody that I knew and spent time with, and just was such a beautiful human being. "And every time I was around him, I was able to take full advantage of those conversations and that time. That, for me, is the most important thing." In July, Stevie Wonder admitted that his "heart is broken" following the actor's death. The 75-year-old singer admitted to feeling devastated by the news. He told TMZ: "My heart is broken because not only was he a talented man growing up and doing The Cosby Show, but even more important his commitment was telling the story, the truth. "And for me, in a time where we have so many in high places telling low-down lies, we need the truth. So yeah, I miss him. "I hope that the writers, the singers, rappers will begin to spread messages of positivity, of hope, and us moving this world forward. I'm quiet, but my heart is hurting." The music icon went on to make a cultural comparison between the late actor and West African traditions. He said: "I don't know if you know what a 'grio' is, a 'griot.' It's like the African who told the stories in the various villages would have the griot. Whenever a griot would die, it would be like a whole library of information burning." According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary: "An African tribal storyteller and musician is called a griot. The griot's role was to preserve the genealogies and oral traditions of the tribe."
India.com
01-08-2025
- India.com
What is the secret behind the missing Row 13 on airplanes? Why do most airlines skip it? Reason is...
Have you ever booked a flight and looked at the seat map closely, and realized that there isn't a row 13? You might think, at first, that it's some sort of technical error or random design choice, but that's not the case. It's not an error, a lost seat, or a coincidence. Many airlines across the globe make a conscious decision not to use row number 13, skipping from row 12 to row 14. But why? The answer stems from a somewhat unique combination of ancient superstitions and cultural beliefs. Just like some buildings don't have a 13th floor, airplanes do not have row 13 for a variety of reasons. What is the secret behind the missing Row 13 on airplanes? Since a lot of travellers are nervous about traveling, airlines typically do not use the number 13 to help minimize stress and facilitate comfort on their flight. This is considered an insignificant action; however, it is designed to keep passengers relaxed during their trip. Why is Number 13 considered unlucky? For centuries, many cultures have deemed the number 13 as unlucky. Because of this widespread superstition, many airlines purposely exclude row 13 from their seating charts. According to the Merriam-Webster report, the fear of the number 13 is called triskaidekaphobia. This fear varies from culture to culture and is common even in the sky. Well-known airlines like Emirates, Ryanair, Cathay Pacific, and Singapore Airlines reportedly deliberately avoid the number 13 as an expression of respect for passengers' beliefs and comfort. One widely accepted theory is the reference to the Last Supper of Jesus Christ in the Bible. According to tradition, there were 13 guests at the table for this last meal. Judas, the betrayer of Christ, is believed to be the 13th guest who took a seat at the table, and this began the superstition of the unlucky number 13. Another theory is based on Norse mythology. In this version of events, there is a feast of 12 gods. Loki, the trickster god, came as the 13th uninvited guest, and he tricked the god Hoor to kill Baldr, causing grief and chaos in the world. This version also contributes to the superstition of bad luck associated with the number 13. Other than superstition, there is a more pragmatic reason to skip row 13. Airlines are very concerned about customer satisfaction, and even if only a few passengers express discomfort about sitting in row 13, it could lead to complaints, requests to change seats, or, in the worst-case scenario, make them lose customers to competing airlines. In an industry where competition is fierce, the comfort of passengers will always be a priority, even if it means disregarding the numbering of seats. Interestingly, as per the media reports, Lufthansa skips row 17 instead of row 13. The Chinese and other Asian cultures consider the number 4 to be unlucky due to its pronunciation ( 'si' ) , which is similar to the pronunciation of death. Therefore , not surprisingly , many buildings will not have a fourth floor.
Mint
01-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
National Girlfriends Day 2025: Top 20 wishes, messages to celebrate your friends, besties, sister, mother and partner
National Girlfriends Day, observed on August 1, celebrates the special bond of friendship between girls, sisters, mothers, classmates or co-workers. According to Merriam-Webster, the word 'girlfriend' first appeared in 1859 and was initially defined as female friends. It has evolved ever since and in the 1920's, the term girlfriend took on a second meaning as it began being used to refer to a romantic relationship between a boyfriend and a girlfriend. Although the origin of this day is debated but some sources appear to credit Mistress Susan around 2004 while other suggest its origin in 2006, attributing its creation to Allie Savarino Kline and Sally Rodgers who are believed to have created National Girlfriends Day, as per National Day Archives. Happy National Girlfriends Day! You're not just my love, you're my best friend and biggest cheerleader. To the queen of my heart—thank you for being my person. Happy National Girlfriends Day! You're the sunshine in my cloudy days. Love you more every day. Happy National Girlfriends Day! You make love look so easy. Grateful to call you mine. Happy National Girlfriend Day! Life feels like magic with you in it. Cheers to us on National Girlfriends Day! You're the reason I smile a little wider, laugh a little louder, and live a lot better. Happy National Girlfriends Day! Happy National Girlfriend Day to the one who completes me—emotionally, spiritually, and fashionably! Here's to love, laughter, and a lifetime with you. Happy National Girlfriends Day! You're my today and all of my tomorrows. Happy National Girlfriends Day, love. Thank you for making love feel like home. Happy National Girlfriends Day!
Mint
01-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
National Girlfriends Day 2025: Top 10 wishes, messages to celebrate your friends, besties, sister, mother and partner
National Girlfriends Day, observed on August 1, celebrates the special bond of friendship between girls, sisters, mothers, classmates or co-workers. According to Merriam-Webster, the word 'girlfriend' first appeared in 1859 and was initially defined as female friends. It has evolved ever since and in the 1920's, the term girlfriend took on a second meaning as it began being used to refer to a romantic relationship between a boyfriend and a girlfriend. Although the origin of this day is debated but some sources appear to credit Mistress Susan around 2004 while other suggest its origin in 2006, attributing its creation to Allie Savarino Kline and Sally Rodgers created National Girlfriends Day, as per National Day Archives. Happy National Girlfriends Day! You're not just my love, you're my best friend and biggest cheerleader. To the queen of my heart—thank you for being my person. Happy National Girlfriends Day! You're the sunshine in my cloudy days. Love you more every day. Happy National Girlfriends Day! You make love look so easy. Grateful to call you mine. Happy National Girlfriend Day! Life feels like magic with you in it. Cheers to us on National Girlfriends Day! You're the reason I smile a little wider, laugh a little louder, and live a lot better. Happy National Girlfriends Day! Happy National Girlfriend Day to the one who completes me—emotionally, spiritually, and fashionably! Here's to love, laughter, and a lifetime with you. Happy National Girlfriends Day! You're my today and all of my tomorrows. Happy National Girlfriends Day, love. Thank you for making love feel like home. Happy National Girlfriends Day!
