Sunday, July 22, 2012

Spoonerism Day, Pi Approximation Day, Penuche Fudge Day, more

July 22nd, 2012, is Lion's Share Day, Spoonerism Day, Parents' Day, Auntie's Day, Rat-Catchers Day, Pied Piper Day, Pi Approximation Day, Hammock Day, and National Penuche Fudge Day.

Lion's Share Day is your opportunity to take more than your share, evidently, if you have the brawn and temperament to do so. The expression, "the lion's share," comes to us from one of Aesop's fables:

The Lion, the Fox, and the Ass

The Lion, the Fox and the Ass entered into an agreement to assist each other in the chase. Having secured a large booty, the Lion on their return from the forest asked the Ass to allot his due portion to each of the three partners in the treaty. The Ass carefully divided the spoil into three equal shares and modestly requested the two others to make the first choice. The Lion, bursting out into a great rage, devoured the Ass. Then he requested the Fox to do him the favor to make a division. The Fox accumulated all that they had killed into one large heap and left to himself the smallest possible morsel. The Lion said, "Who has taught you, my very excellent fellow, the art of division? You are perfect to a fraction." He replied, "I learned it from the Ass, by witnessing his fate."

Happy is the man who learns from the misfortunes of others.

July 22nd is Spoonerism Day, commemorating the birth date of William Archibald Spooner, accidental inventer of the spoonerism. A spoonerism is the swapping of consonants or syllables in two words, creating runny feasults, er, funny results. Here's a good one, from the British scholar Mr. Spooner himself: During World War I he stated, "When our boys come home from France, we will have the hags flung out."

The fourth Sunday in July is Parents' Day. The National Parents' Day Coalition states, "Parents' Day provides an opportunity to recognize and promote parenting as a central vocation for our families and communities. More than just a time to celebrate, it is an occasion to make a statement about what is important in our society. It is a chance to create a positive tradition based on a core axiom - that the role of parents is crucial in the nurturing and development of children, and thus requires investment, focus, and commitment."

Today is the 4th annual Auntie's Day, honoring all of the wonderful Aunts out there!

Today is Rat-Catchers Day, sometimes called Pied Piper Day, celebrating those who catch rats or drive them out of town. I'm in favor of that.

Here's a day for all of you math geeks out there - Pi Approximation Day. Today's date, written in the date/month format, is 22/7. That's an approximate value for pi. Don't confuse today with Pi Day, observed on March 14th.

Are you sleepy from reading too many blog posts? Rejoice, for today is Hammock Day. Have a wonderful nap.

National Penuche Fudge Day is a time to enjoy a sweet New England treat, also popular in parts of the Southern United States. Penuche is made from brown sugar, butter, milk, and vanilla, sometimes with maple syrup added for flavor. I could probably eat a lion's share of that.


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