Word: portentous
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...remainder of the long line waited while King and Baron had a conversation of some minutes in fluent German. After the whole line had finally passed into the next room, His Majesty joined Baron von Neurath for a much longer conversation. The German Press was exuberant at this portent, while that of France remained grimly silent on King Edward's much-observed gesture. Of British statesmen not in the pro-German camp, none was more sorely troubled than Home Secretary Sir John Simon, who as Foreign Secretary was definitely pro-French. The prestige of Sir John, when his great...
...this country attracted more of those men and women whose upbringing and education best fit them for public office. . . . It is . . . in order to applaud a young man like Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. . . . and to see in his ambition to emulate the example of his illustrious grandfather a portent of brighter days. For Mr. Lodge, we believe, is of the kind of stuff to leaven the lump of mediocrity that burdens our national councils...
...swart, striking young Emir Saud, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia and smoldering-eyed son of that kingdom's tall, ascetic founder and autocratic ruler, His Majesty King Ibn Saud. As usual, the Buckingham presentations were of no significance, but men who know the Near East saw a sign and portent of British prestige in Arabia's great new State as its Crown Prince took his respectful stand near the Queen-Empress...
There is no graver portent in American life today than the determined effort to create a 'red' scare and exercise a censorship over our colleges and universities. If this campaign of terrorism and hysteria should succeed it would sound the death knell of academic freedom everywhere. Censorship by government, such as ruined the German universities overnight, is dreadful enough, but censorship by an irresponsible press which stops to dishonesty, trickery, and deceit to achieve its ends and by self-appointed super-patriotic guardians is worse; for that means censorship, passion, and prejudice and the beginning of an academic lynch...
...henhouse in the quiet Ozark village of Couch, Mo. (pop. 59) last week, Mrs. Henry Bennett found an egg imprinted with the phrase: "Here my word 35." Viewing this as a religious portent, Mrs. Bennett told her neighbors about it. A wave of excited piety overtook Couch. To Mrs. Bennett's home went visitor after visitor, to emit fervent prayers. When, in a fit of devout jitters, a female preacher dropped the egg and broke it, Mrs. Bennett succeeded in gluing enough pieces on another egg so that the words were still visible. Said Mrs. Bennett...