Word: backwardness
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Dates: during 1930-1939
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...system of forts and ramparts is called "The Permanent Fortified Positions." In physical terms, the commentary meant that these positions have now been lengthened at both ends, and also increased in depth, on the same principle as the Siegfried Position-a network of strong points capable of being extended backward indefinitely should they be cracked in front. In psychological terms, the mention of "maneuvering" and "beyond the defensive phase" seemed to mean: "Germans, not only can you neither crack nor flank us, but we are now so strong we can move out to meet you in Belgium or The Netherlands...
...pantomime of Charlie Chaplin and the rubber legs of Leon Errol, they take the elements of figure skating, distort them into crazy positions to create some of the most astonishing feats ever performed on skates. Frick's specialty: a cantilever Spread Eagle in which his body, bent backward from the knees, is almost horizontal with the ice. Frack's specialty: a rocking-chair Spread Eagle (gliding in circles in a sitting position...
Most spectacular Afghan ruler was Reformer-King Amanullah, who got his throne after his father had been assassinated and his uncle ousted. Amanullah had bright ideas about westernizing his backward, picturesque kingdom, but unfortunately for him he also accepted millions of dollars in gifts from the British while playing ball with the Russians. In 1929 His Majesty, "out of patriotic and friendly feelings and of his own free will," abdicated and hastily caught a plane for points west. Since then Afghanistan has changed its rulers three times. Present Afghan ruler is Amanullah's cousin, 25-year-old Mohammed Zahir...
Fortnight ago, in the fourth play of the game against Brown, Don Herring, big Princeton tackle, son of one of Princeton's football immortals, was badly hurt. A Brown blocker crashed into him, and his left knee snapped backward so violently the main blood vessel was torn. For six days doctors did what they could, finally told him they would have to amputate his leg just above the knee. "O. K.," said Don Herring, "go ahead." Next day he listened to the play-by-play account of the game in which his teammates nosed out Harvard...
...afraid is he of being considered high-hat that he waves to everyone he meets on campus, never misses football practice, belittles his own talents, bends over backward to praise his teammates. After he scored all 27 points in the Iowa game three weeks ago, he said: "Anybody could have done it with that Evashevski [200-pounder who once said he didn't want to-play football if he couldn't "crack 'em"] and those others in there blocking like that. They don't make them any better than that Evashevski...