The Actor's Studio is an acting school in New York that taught an Americanised version of Stanislavsky's Method and was very influential in 1950s and 60s American drama. It was founded in 1947-1948 either by Lee Strasberg or by Elia Kazan and Cheryl Crawford, depending on which source one consults. Strasberg served as artistic director of the school until his death in 1982. Many notable American actors of the 1950s and 1960s were graduates, including Marlon Brando, Rod Steiger, James Dean, Montgomery Clift and Eva Marie-Saint. Research Actor's Studio
Properly, angling is the art of catching fish with a baited hook or angle. The basic equipment for angling is a rod, a line and a hook. But many anglers supplement the basics with other equiment such as reels, weights, floats and nets etc. Research Angling
In England, black-rod is the usher belonging to the order of the Garter, so called from the black rod which he carries. His full title is Gentleman-usher of the Black Rod, and his deputy is styled the Yeoman-usher. They are the official messengers of the House of Lords; and either the gentleman- or the yeoman-usher summons the Commons to the House of Lords when the royal assent is given to bills or royal speeches read, takes into custody parties guilty of breach of privilege and contempt, etc. Research Black-Rod
A caduceus was originally an enchanters wand, and later a herald's staff. It is most familiar in the hands of Hermes. Its first form was three shoots, of which two were intertwined, while the third formed the handle. The fully- developed form has, besides the rod itself, a pair of wings either at the top or in the middle, and two serpents intertwined. Research Caduceus
A dasher is a contrivance, such as a rod, found inside a butter churn for agitating milk to separate the fat from the liquid and produce butter. Research Dasher
A divining rod is a rod, usually of hazel, with two forked branches, used by persons who profess to discover minerals or water under ground. The rod, if carried slowly along by the forked ends, dips and points downwards, it is affirmed, when brought over the spot where the concealed mineral or water is to be found. The use of the divining-rod is still common in many parts, and during the Victorian era various wonderful instances of its efficacy in discovering water were published in respectable prints. Research Diving Rod
A mahlstick is a wooden rod with a round padded end, used as a rest by decorative artists and sign writers upon which to steady the hand holding the paint brush. Research Mahlstick
The nut and bolt is a common method of fastening pieces of metal or wood together. The nut consists of a small block (usually metal) with a threaded hole in the centre for screwing on to a threaded rod or pin (called a bolt or a screw). The method came into use at the turn of the 19th century, following Henry Maudslay's invention of a precision screw-cutting lathe. Research Nut and Bolt
The Order of the Garter (originally known as the Order of St George) is a British dignitary awarded for chivalry. The origin of the order, though sometimes assigned to Richard I, is generally attributed to Edward III, the legend being that the Countess of Salisbury having dropped her garter while dancing, the king restored it, after putting it round his own leg, with the words, which became the motto of the order, 'Honi soit quimal y pense' - Shame be to him who thinks evil of it. The date of the foundation or restoration by Edward III of the order, as given by Froissart, is 1344, while other authorities, founding on the statutes of the order, assign it to 1350.
The statutes of the order have been repeatedly revised, more particularly in the reigns of Henry V, Henry VIII, Edward VI, and George III in 1805. Ladies are said to have been admitted up until the reign of Edward IV. Until the reign of Edward VI the common title of the order was the Order of St George, and it still bears this title, as well as that of the Garter. The original number of knights was twenty-six, including the sovereign, who was its permanent head; and this number is still retained, except that by a statute passed in 1786 princes of the blood are admitted as supernumerary members.
The peculiar emblem of the order, the garter, a dark-blue ribbon edged with gold, bearing the motto and with a gold buckle and pendant, is worn on the left leg below the knee. The mantle is of blue velvet, lined with white taffeta, the surcoat and hood of crimsonvelvet, the hat of black velvet, with plume of white ostrich feathers, having in the centre a tuft of black heron's feathers. The collar of gold consists of knots alternating with garters inclosing roses, with the badge of the order, called the George pendent from it. This consists of a figure of St George on horseback fighting the dragon. The lesser George is worn on a broad blue ribbon over the left shoulder. The star, formerly only a cross, is of silver, and consists of eight points, with the cross of St George in the centre, encircled by the garter. A star is worn by the knights on the left side when not in the dress of the order.
A pace is the length of a step in walking or marching. It is reckoned from the heel of one foot to the heel of the other and was formerly sometimes used as a unit in measuring distances. Ordinarily the pace was estimated at two and one half linear feet; but in measuring distances be stepping, the pace was extended to three feet or to three and three tenths feet (one fifth of a rod). The regulation marching pace in the English and United States armies was thirty inches for quick time, and thirty-six inches for double time. The Roman pace (passus) was from the heel of one foot to the heel of the same foot when it next touched the ground, being five Roman feet. In 1888, the pace was described as 5 feet in length.
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Actor's Studio
