Word: scarlet
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...Nathaniel Hawthorne's fictional Massachusetts, Hester Prynne wore the scarlet A to betoken her adultery. In 17th century New Hampshire, however, the transgression brought "two sets of 40 lashes" and the letters AD worn on upper garments. Today, adultery in the Granite State can bring a $1,000 fine or up to a year in prison. Soon it may not be a crime at all. The state house has passed a measure that would decriminalize adultery. If the senate follows suit, Republican Governor John Sununu is expected to sign the bill into...
...everything was extreme, of course. A long scarlet dress opens to reveal a white lace swimsuit. Playing games with proportion has often been done by designers. There were also lyrical bare-midriff gowns and little silk frocks that will be widely copied. One elegant fantasy had a delicate jeweled top and what looked to be an ordinary eyelet skirt, until one realized that the eyelet was sumptuous taffeta instead of the familiar cotton. Even the most flagrant creation can be tamed by omitting the hat or discarding a pound or so of accessories...
...localities have resorted to the most low-tech deterrent of all: shame. Sarasota County, Fla., is trying the "scarlet letter" approach, by requiring motorists convicted of drunk driving to paste bumper stickers on their cars announcing the fact. In Lincoln County, Ore., a few felons have even been given a choice between prison and publishing written apologies, accompanied by their photographs, in local newspapers. Roger Smith, 29, paid $294.12 to announce his contrition in two papers after a guilty plea growing out of a theft charge. A published apology "takes the anonymity out of crime," insists Ulys Stapleton, Lincoln County...
...looking a day older than when he ended his career, Sherlock Holmes celebrated his centennial last week, as well as his 133rd birthday. Confused? It's elementary. Back in 1887, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle published A Study in Scarlet, the first of 60 works to feature the world-famous detective. Sherlockians figure Holmes was 33 when the story was published. They have also divined that Jan. 6 was his birthday. That conveniently provided Holmes' exact age -- and a date to launch centennial celebrations this year on four continents...
...Switzerland's Reichenbach Falls. Holmes enthusiasts in Australia and Japan will hold dinners and writing forums. In the U.S., plans include a horse race honoring Silver Blaze, the title . character in a popular Holmes mystery, and a dinner featuring all the foods mentioned in A Study in Scarlet...