Rhubarb is not just a Vegetable

Rhubarb is not just a Vegetable Rhubarb is not just a Vegetable Rhubarb is not just a Vegetable By Maeve Maddox Reader Nancy was puzzled by a headline in her local paper: Colton code stirs ethics rhubarb. †¦ I have never seen rhubarb used this way. Any thoughts? NOTE: Colton is a town in California. It has a new ethics code for City Council members, one of whom has refused to sign it. My mother was a baseball fan so I knew the term rhubarb in the sense of a an argument between a player and the umpire before I ever tasted the vegetable. The figurative use of rhubarb also occurs in contexts outside baseball. Here are three definitions from the OED. rhubarb: n. A murmurous background noise, an indistinct conversation, esp. the repetition of the word ‘rhubarb’ by actors to represent such a conversation or the noise of a crowd. Usu. reduplicated. rhubarb: n. slang. Nonsense; worthless stuff. rhubarb: n. U.S. slang (orig. Baseball). A heated dispute, a row. Here are some examples from the web: Wedge, umpire Davidson laugh off Fridays rhubarb Its Rhubarb Time at the Ballpark Camera and Science Settle the Old Rhubarb (headline for an article about the disputed trajectory of a curve ball.) [a baseball player] and his 22-year-old brother were allegedly involved in a rhubarb in the lounge area of U.S. Airways Center †¦ The Dickson Baseball Dictionary offers several possible etymologies for the term, some more fanciful than others. Sports announcer Garry Schumacher is credited with its first use in a baseball context, but Red Barber (1908-1992) is the one who popularized it, both on the radio and in the title of the book Rhubarb in the Catbird Seat. In the context of background noise to suggest the presence of a crowd, rhubarb has a rival: walla, According the the Wikipedia article on the word, In American radio, film, television, and video games, walla is a sound effect imitating the murmur of a crowd in the background. A group of actors brought together in the post-production stage of film production to create this murmur is known as a walla group. Miles Kington: I say rhubarb, you say walla walla walla Apart from its baseball and theatrical uses, rhubarb is widely used in the general sense of dispute, disagreement, or altercation. Central Park Safari for Tasty Weeds Stirs Up Rhubarb (Park officials object to human foragers harvesting the vegetation [the woman] rushed to retrieve it, and a rhubarb ensued. Police hauled away both individuals from the meeting†¦ Chicago Tribune columnist Eric Zorn runs a feature called the Rhubarb Patch in which controversial social topics are argued by opposing advocates. A much-repeated explanation that traces rhubarb meaning background noise to Shakespearean stage practice seems to be an urban legend. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Synonyms for â€Å"Leader†Try to vs. Try andPredicate Complements

Canadian Employment Insurance - Online Application

Canadian Employment Insurance - Online Application If you have paid Canadian Employment Insurance (EI) premiums and are unemployed, you may be able to apply for Canadian Employment Insurance benefits using the EI Online Application from Service Canada. EI Online Application - Frequently Asked Questions Before you attempt the EI online application, please read through the Frequently Asked Questions from Service Canada. EI Online Application - Personal Information The EI online application takes about 60 minutes to complete, but if you are disconnected during the process, your information will not be saved. Be sure to have all the information youll need close at hand before you begin the EI online application. If you do not have all the information listed below, or if you have any questions, then it is better to file your Employment Insurance application in person at the nearest Service Canada office to make sure your Employment Insurance benefits are not delayed. For the EI online application you will need: Your postal codeSocial Insurance Number (SIN)Date of birthMothers maiden nameAddress and postal code of residenceGross salary - total earnings before deductions including tips and commissionsGross salary for your last week of work - from Sunday to your last day of workVacation pay - received or to be receivedSeverance pay - received or to be receivedPension - received or to be receivedPay in lieu of notice - received or to be receivedOther money - specifyName, address, dates of employment and reason for separation for all your employers in the last 52 weeks.Dates for the weeks in the last 52 weeks when you did not work, did not receive money and whyDates for the weeks (Sunday to Saturday) in the last 52 weeks when you did not work and did not receive money, and reasons whyDates and amounts for weeks in the last 52 weeks when your earnings were less than $225.00 before deductionsBand number if applying for Status Indian tax exemptionBanking information to arrange a direct deposit of E mployment Insurance benefits. If applying for Employment Insurance parental benefits, you will also need the SIN of the other parent. If applying for Employment Insurance sickness benefits, you will need your doctors name, address, and telephone number. You may also need your expected date of recovery. If applying for Employment Insurance compassionate care benefits, you will need information about the ill family member. Note: When submitting an EI application online, you must also submit the paper copy of your Record of Employment by mail or in person to a Service Canada office as soon as possible. EI Online Application - Confirmation Once you submit your EI online application, a confirmation number will be generated. If you do not receive a confirmation number or wish to make changes to your application, do not apply again. Instead, call the following number during regular business hours and press o to talk to an agent: 1 (800) 206-7218