Word: outdo
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Dates: during 1950-1959
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...Heads. The lavish display of pot-latching carried over even into the religious ceremonies. Indian artists were called on to outdo themselves in carving masks, staffs and rattles. Each symbol and convention had its meaning. The double-profiled portrayals of totem gods were apparently adapted from images first painted on both sides of the prow of a war canoe. Totem gods like Killer Whale were sometimes pictured with their entrails revealed to show lesser animals which they had swallowed. Even the massive totem poles were meant as seriously as medieval coats of arms to display family crests and famous ancestors...
...pastor's goal should be to outdo previous pastors. Since "there is no difference between selling insurance and selling religion," there is no excuse for not increasing the church's rolls, even if it means luring people from other denominations ("Can you imagine the representatives of General Motors suffering any qualms over taking customers away from Studebaker?"). In asking for money ("this is primarily what you are concerned with"), the wise pastor will remind his people that "if you trust the Lord and put in ten dollars, you will get twenty in return...
...record. The Socialists have also had to make some new promises. Among them is a rather radical proposal on housing. The Conservative's policy of allowing private individuals to construct their own homes, instead of waiting their turn for publicly built ones, has succeeded moderately well. In order to outdo the Tories, Labourites have promised to urge that all houses rented for profit by individuals be purchased by local municipal authorities. The result would be equalized rents. They have also urged equality of educational opportunity by proposing that everyone who passes the entrance examination to a university receive an automatic...
...once poverty-stricken, return to visit their native land flush with the prosperity of half a lifetime in the U.S. They call them heelobowie, a rough approximation of "hello boy." In many a Greek village, the returning heelobowie ranks almost as a patron saint; each village strives to outdo its neighbors in providing a lavish welcome for him, and even after his return to the land of his adoption, legends of his largesse live on among the villagers...
Characteristically, too, Massachusetts Senatorial campaigns are fought much more on strictly local issues than in most states. Each candidate tries to outdo the other in promising lucrative chunks from the federal pork barrel. Yet pork barrel politics are a relatively minor part of the role the winner would play as a U.S. Senator. Since he will then help shape policy for the whole country, he should be elected on the basis of his past positions on national affairs...