We’re obviously still battling against several issues today, but seeing the things my mother and grandmother were forced to endure has really opened my eyes. I mean, I always knew things were different back in the day, but I can’t believe how long it took for a wife to not be legally classified as “subordinate” to her husband — much less, how difficult it was for a single gal to get her own bank account and credit card.

Some of these setbacks were cleared up in the 1970s and ’80s, but a few of these restrictions were still in place recently.

1. Open A Bank Account

At least, not without their husband or a male relative’s permission until the Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1974.

2. Serve Jury Duty

Slowly, states separately allowed women to sit in the jury box over the years until Mississippi finally became the last state to legalize it in 1968.

3. Practice Law

Even if they had gone through all the years of school and passed every test, women could still be denied the right to plead a client’s case until 1971.

4. Take Birth Control Pills

The contraceptive was approved in 1960, but it was still banned in several states for the next few years.

5. Go On Maternity Leave

If they were able to have a job, they most often lost it when they became pregnant until the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978.

6. Breastfeed In Public

Public areas were still able to prohibit mothers from breastfeeding until a bill was finally passed by Congress, making this discrimination illegal.

7. Attend An Ivy League University

Harvard would not allow women applicants until 1977, but Yale and Princeton were only slightly ahead by admitting their first female students in 1969.

8. Attend A Military Academy

The first female students at West Point Academy were not accepted until 1976.

9. Run The Boston Marathon

The legendary marathon was an all-male event until 1972.

10. Serve In Combat

Despite all of the hard work women have put into the military for decades, they weren’t allowed on the front lines until very recently in 2013.

11. Become An Astronaut

NASA denied women until Sally Ride broke the mold in 1978.

source: littlethings.com

What’s missing from the expressions? Can you fill in the gaps?

1. the …… of the iceberg

2. to …… a client’s case

3. birth …… pills

4. …… to vote

5. suffrage ……

6. to sit in the …… box

7. to go on maternity ……

Key

1. tip

2. plead

3. control

4. right

5. movement

6. jury

7. leave

The Cambridge Dictionary staff tracked the words that were looked up most frequently in the 24 hours from when the polls opened the morning of November 8 until the morning of November 9. All of the words in this blog post that are linked to definitions in the dictionary were looked up with unusual frequency. The full list is at the end of this post.

With no actual results to report until the evening when the polls closed, the media focused on explaining the US electoral system and whether it could really be rigged, as the Republican Party candidate, Donald Trump, claimed. And they turned their attention to the exit polls, which revealed not only voters’ perceptions of the integrity of the candidates, but also their feelings about the election itself. Voters may have been split 50-50 in their support of Mr. Trump or of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the Democratic Party candidate, but 72% of them reported feeling anxious.

As the polls began to close and the results began to be announced, users of the Cambridge Dictionary looked up phrases used to describe a race in which first one and then the other candidate seems to be winning. With the two candidates neck and neck in Florida, the race was described as a toss-up.  Later on, when the results of the bellwether state Ohio came in, Democrats began to fear that they were doomed.

Meanwhile, as it became more likely that the US was on the verge of a Trump presidency, the media reported spooked financial markets and plunging stocks.

A surge in votes for Secretary Clinton as the polls in the western states closed, and late reporting from key states where the race was very tight, meant the night continued to be a nail-biter. But in the early hours of November 9, Secretary Clinton conceded the presidential race to Mr. Trump – a result that was stunning for supporters of both candidates. Democrats are reeling from the stunning defeat, and Republicans have goosebumps from the stunning triumph.

Now, the media are talking about the implications for the country.

Here is the list of words looked up most frequently in the Cambridge Dictionary, in rough order of when they were being looked up between November 8 and November 9, 2016.

electoral– relating to an election – választási, választói

precinct– a part of a city or a town in which vehicles are not allowed, used for a special purpose, such as shopping – körzet, zóna

senate– the more important of the two groups of politicians who make laws in some countries such as the US, Australia, and France – Szenátus

incumbent– officially having the named position – hivatalban lévő

poll– the place where people vote in a political election – szavazóhelyiség

to cast – to vote – szavazatot leadni

issue– a subject or problem that people are thinking and talking about – ügy, probléma

sophisticated– having a good understanding of the way people behave and/or a good knowledge of culture and fashion – kifinomult

to anticipate – to imagine or expect that something will happen – várni, hogy valami megtörténjen

to turn out –  If people turn out for an event, they go to be there or to watch – részt venni

campaign– a planned group of especially political, business, or military activities that are intended to achieve a particular aim – kampány

endorsement– the act of saying that you approve of or support something or someone – jóváhagyás

to impeach – to make a formal statement saying that a public official is guilty of a serious offence in connection with their job, especially in the US – vádolni, bevádolni

to rig (an election) – to arrange dishonestly for the result of something, for example an election, to be changed – választást tisztességtelenül befolyásol

toss–up – If you describe a situation as a toss-up, you mean that either of two possibilities is equally likely – bizonytalan kimenetelű, nem tudni, ki fog győzni helyzet

appeal– a request to the public for money, information, or help – folyamodvány

to engage – to attack or begin to fight someone – harcba bocsátkozni

perception– a belief or opinion, often held by many people and based on how things seem – befolyás

prejudice– an unfair and unreasonable opinion or feeling, especially when formed without enough thought or knowledge – előítélet

concern– a worried or nervous feeling about something, or something that makes you feel worried – aggódás, aggodalom

enthusiasm– a feeling of energetic interest in a particular subject or activity and an eagerness to be involved in it – lelkesedés

pitch– a speech or act that attempts to persuade someone to buy or do something – rábeszélés

integrity– the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles that you refuse to change – integritás, tisztesség

anxious– worried and nervous – aggódó, szorongó

bellwether– someone or something that shows how a situation will develop or change – előrejelző, előrevetítő

neck and neck – If two competitors are neck and neck, they are level with each other and have an equal chance of winning. – fej-fej mellett

projected– planned for the future or calculated based on information already known – előre vetített

nail–biter – an event or film that is exciting because you do not know how it will end – rendkívül (körömrágásig) izgalmas dolog

down to the wire – until the last moment that it is possible to do something – az utolsó pillanatig

doomed– certain to fail, die, or be destroyed – pusztulásra, kudarcra ítélt

to evaluate – to judge or calculate the quality, importance, amount, or value of something – kiértékelni

severe– causing very great pain, difficulty, worry, damage, etc.; very serious – súlyos

impact– influence on something – hatás

to plunge – to (cause someone or something to) move or fall suddenly and often a long way forward, down, or into something – esni, zuhanni

to tumble – to fall quickly and without control – zuhanni

to spook – to frighten – megijeszteni

surge– a sudden and great increase – hirtelen megugrás

spectacular– especially great – látványos

on the verge of – If you are on the verge of something or come to the verge of something, you are very close to experiencing it – valaminek a határán

stunning– shocking or very impressive – lenyűgöző, letaglózó

to reel – If you reel, or your mind or brain reels, you feel very confused or shocked and unable to act – össze van zavarodva

to crush – to press something very hard so that it is broken or its shape is destroyed – összezúzni

to address – to speak to someone – beszélni valakihez, szólni hozzá, neki címezni valamit

triumph – a very great success, achievement, or victory – győzelem

concession– the act of admitting defeat – vereség beismerése

to concede – to admit, often unwillingly, that something is true – vonakodva beismerni valamit

goosebumps– small raised areas that appear on the skin because of cold, fear, or excitement – libabőr

implication– the effect that an action or decision will have on something else in the future – hatás, kihatás

bigot– a person who has strong, unreasonable beliefs and who does not like other people who have different beliefs or a different way of life – bigott

source: dictionaryblog.cambridge.org

And now that you know all the words it will be easy to understand the text above. Go back and give it a try.

Visitors can coast down the SkySlide, achute made of glass and affixed to the outside of the building, going from the 70th floor to the 69th.

Terrifying. Thrilling. Not for the faint of heart. Above all, it’s a way for daredevils to put their tolerance of extreme heights to the test.

SkySlide will be the main draw at the new OUE SkySpace LA observation deck atop L.A.’s landmark skyscraper, the tallest building west of Chicago.

It’s 45 feet long and hovers 1,000 feet above the pavement, inviting incredulous stares and gasps from people on the street below.

“The slide actually transports people from the inside of the 70th floor to the outside of the 69th floor. So you’re standing in the open air by the time you’re done with your ride,” said OUE Americas senior vice president John Gamboa. “We don’t know of anything else like it.”

SkySlide is made of three-ply glass, 1.25 inches thick, made to withstand hurricane-force winds of up to 110 miles per hour. Steel outriggers hold it all together.

The slide is strong enough that it could hang “two blue whales from the slide, and it won’t budge,” Gamboa said.

Inside the launch area towering over Hope Street, riders climb onto a mat and an attendant helps them inch forward to the mouth of slide. The view? Helipads atop some of the city’s tallest skyscrapers, the mountains of San Gabriel Valley and taxi cabs barely visible on the street below.

“We explored a number of different concepts, like an elevator, a zip line, a cable car,” Gamboa said. “There were so many different concepts we played with, and the slide ticked off the most boxes.”

Installing the slide onto the side of the building was a mammoth undertaking. Angelenos could see the project unfolding before their eyes, when the slide was airlifted to the 69th-floor terrace in March.

A fire department helicopter that could carry the slide’s weight and size was hired to do the job.

“From there, the process got even more complicated,” said Gamboa. “It entailed a lot of geometry and manual manipulation.”

No machines were used to attach the slide to the side of the building. Construction crews used a complex pulley system to inch the slide into the correct position.

Months of testing at each stage ensured the slide was safe for use. One crucial test involved loading the slide full of sandbags to demonstrate a maximum stress level, Gamboa said.

OUE is opening SkySpace LA as part of an effort to bring new visitors into Los Angeles’ resurgent downtown community. The observation deck is the tallest in California, and it includes an interactive portion featuring a digital topography wall of the city’s beacons.

“If you want to see Disneyland, you can go to any other country, but you cannot go anywhere to find SkySlide,” said OUE Americas President and Chief Executive Lucy Rumantir.

“It’s not for everybody,” said Gamboa. “But I think you’ll regret it if you don’t go down the slide when you come to L.A. … When people sit out on the ledge before they go down, some hesitate. It takes a while for people to warm up, but when they go down — they want to do it again.”

source: CNN

Can you match the words and their synonyms?

Key:

1. b.

2. g.

3. j.

4. a.

5. c.

6. h.

7.  d.

8. f.

9. i.

10. e.

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We live and work in the US, but how much do we really know about our country?
Here are 10 lesser-known facts about America.

Number 10. Ohio didn’t really become a state until 1953. Due to an oversight, it wasn’t made official like it should have been well over a hundred years prior. Finally, a congressman from the state asked it be approved and dated retroactively, which it was.

Number 9. Some mail is still delivered via horses and mules. It’s the only consistently reliable way to get it to Arizona residents who live at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. The trek from top to bottom is 8 miles long and is regularly taken by a team of up to 50 animals.

Number 8. Fortune Cookies are as American as supersized fries. Despite their ubiquitous presence in Chinese restaurants, they really have little, if anything, to do with China. They were invented in California. They showed up in the early 1900s and it’s widely believed they were actually based on a Japanese dessert.

Number 7. Talkeetna, Alaska has a cat for a mayor. His name is Stubbs and he has been officiating over town business — what little there reportedly is – since 1997. His tenure hasn’t been without trouble, however. "Honorary Mayor of Talkeetna Mr. Stubbs is in recovery after a reported attack by a dog." [KTVF]

Number 6. When Atlanta was established in 1837 it was simply referred to as ‘Terminus’. 6 years later, it was upgraded to Marthasville, a nod to a previous Governor’s daughter. That name didn’t take either and before long it was officially incorporated as Atlanta.

Number 5. Walmart really is everywhere. 90 percent of Americans live within 15 minutes of a store, and 96 percent of the country’s residents can get to one by travelling 20 miles or less.

Number 4. Lots of stuff made in the US is exported and some of what gets shipped to other countries is surprising. Brazil takes in 1.3 billion dollars in cereal, while around 470 million in perfumes and cosmetics goes to Australia, and nearly half a billion in food waste and animal fodder lands in Indonesia.

Number 3. When it comes to the world’s most admired companies, the US scores big. All of the top 10 spots are taken by American enterprises. Leading the list are Apple, Amazon, and Google.

Number 2. The US is more into reading than people think. Public libraries outnumber McDonald’s franchises by nearly 4 thousand.

Number 1. English is not the official language of the US. In fact, there isn’t one. Some cities and states have made moves to have one instituted, but at the federal level, such a thing doesn’t exist.

source: geobeats

lesser-known – kevésbé ismert
oversight – figyelmetlenségből származó tévedés
prior – megelőzően
retroactively – visszamenőleg
mule – öszvér
reliable – megbízható
ubiquitous – mindenütt jelenlevő
mayor – polgármester
to officiate – ténykedni
tenure – szolgálati idő, hivatalban eltöltött idő
a nod to – biccentés
to incorporate – egyesíteni, belefoglalni, tartalmazni
food waste – ételmaradék
animal fodder – takarmány
to score big – nagyot kaszálni
enterprise – vállalkozás
to be into something – érdekli valami
to outnumber – több van belőle, felülmúl
federal level – szövetségi szinten

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