Lexbuzz Edition #23: Wonders of the Week
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Hello, word lovers!
This week we're celebrating two very different artists of motion — penguins who have mastered the art of flying through water, and dancers who turn movement into poetry. Grace comes in many forms, and so does this edition's word.
Word Wonder: MEAGRE
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Definition: Lacking in quality or quantity; thin, lean, or barely sufficient
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Pronunciation: /ˈmiːɡər/
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Part of Speech: Adjective
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Origin: Middle English, from Anglo-French megre, from Latin macer (lean, thin)
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Usage sentences:
- "Despite a meagre clue and a ticking clock, she solved the cryptic puzzle in under two minutes."
- "The penguin chick survived on a meagre supply of fish during its first weeks, waiting patiently for its parents to return."
World Penguin Day — April 25
Every April 25, the world pauses to celebrate one of nature's most charming, resilient, and frankly hilarious birds. Here are some facts worth waddling over:
- There are 18 species of penguins in the world — and despite the popular image, they don't all live in frozen polar regions. The Galápagos penguin lives right on the equator, making it the only penguin species found in the Northern Hemisphere.
- The Emperor penguin holds the record for depth: they can dive to 565 metres (1,850 feet) and hold their breath for over 20 minutes. That's deeper than most submarines go.
- During brutal Antarctic winters, thousands of Emperor penguins huddle together in massive colonies — and they rotate. Birds on the cold outer edge slowly work their way toward the warm centre, and then back out again. It is a perfectly cooperative, almost democratic system of shared survival.
- Penguins are birds that cannot fly — but underwater, they are extraordinary. They "fly" through the water using their flippers, reaching speeds of up to 25 km/h.
International Dance Day — April 29
Every April 29, the world celebrates dance in all its forms — from classical ballet to street dance, from traditional folk to competitive ballroom. The date marks the birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre (1727–1810), the French choreographer whose groundbreaking work on ballet technique and storytelling laid the foundation for modern dance as we know it. International Dance Day was created in 1982 by the International Theatre Institute (ITI), a UNESCO partner, to celebrate dance as a universal language.
Community Puzzle: Cryptic Clues
Three cryptic clues this week — can you solve all three?
1. "Move to the music — an energetic art form revealed when you scramble CANED (5)"
2. "A planet's looping path, quietly tucked inside 'for biting cold' (5)"
3. "Penguins drift on this — rearrange LEOF (4)"
Post your answers in the comments! All three solutions revealed in Edition #24.
Last Week's Answers (Edition #22)
Cryptic Clues — Whispers, Wonders & the World Beneath Our Feet:
- "Fungi's tiny traveller — scramble ROPES to find it (5)" → SPORE
- "A climbing plant quietly hiding inside 'divine energy' (4)" → VINE
- "A velvety green plant, hiding inside 'cosmos stars' (4)" → MOSS
Well done to everyone who guessed correctly!
Until next week — keep your tiles high and your curiosity higher.
— The Lexulous Team
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