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A sack was a British baker's unit of measurement equivalent to 20 stones or 2.5 hundred weight.
A sack was a British measure of clover equivalent to between 2 and 3.5 hundred weight.
Cocoon is the name given to the silken case enveloping the chrysalis of several Lepidoptera, especially the silk moths. The term is also applied to the silk sack in which spiders wrap their eggs.
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The Battle of Salamis during the Persian Wars, was a Greek naval victory over the Persians in 480 BC in the Strait of Salamis south-west of Athens. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the Greeks inflicted a crushing defeat on the invading Persians which effectively destroyed their fleet. After the sack of Athens by the Persians, the commanders of some 370 Greek war galleys then lying off the island of Salamis debated what action they could take; their debate was ended by the appearance of the Persian fleet in the Bay of Phalerum.
Themistocles, the Athenian commander of the Greek fleet, sent a fake message, ostensibly from a spy, to the Persians warning that the Greek fleet was about to withdraw and that the Persians should blockade the entrance to the Bay of Eleusis. The Persians fell for the ruse and spread their 1,000 ships thinly across the bay. The Persians were so confident they could deal with a mere 370 vessels that they had a throne prepared for their king, Xerxes, on nearby Mount Aegaleus so that he would have a grandstand view from which to watch the anticipated crushing of the Greek fleet. Unfortunately, the Greeks came out into the bay at full speed, broke the Persian line, and then sowed mayhem in all directions, sinking over 500 Persian ships for the loss of only about 40 of their own. Xerxes, disgusted at this humiliation, returned to Asia, leaving a subordinate; Mardonius, to continue the land campaign.
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The-fourth Crusade was set on foot by Pope Innocent III, who commissioned Fulk of Neuilly to preach it in 1198. Among its chief promoters was Godfrey of Villehardouin, seneschal of Champagne; Baldwin, count of Flanders and Hainaut; Daudolo, the aged doge of Venice; and the Marquis of Montferrat, who was chosen leader. The Crusaders assembled at Venice in the spring of 1202, but were diverted from their original purpose first by the capture of the Dalmatian town of Zara, and then by the expedition which ended in the sack of Constantinople and the establishment of a Latin empire there in 1204.
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A Paper-Chase is a variation of cross-country running which originated in the eighteenth century. One or two runners carrying a sack of paper pieces lay a trail for other competitors to follow who start off some 15 minutes later, and attempt to overtake the trail layers.
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An aba is a loose, sack-like, usually brown and white striped, outer garment worn by Arabs.
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A sack coat is a loosely hanging coat not shaped to the back.
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Sack is a dry sherry, which first found favour with the nobles in England during the Tudor period.
The Principality of Liechtenstein is a country in west Europe. It has a total area of 160 km2, making it one of the world's smallest independent states. The climate is temperate with cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow or rain and cool to moderately warm, cloudy, humid summers. The terrain is mostly mountainous (the Alps) with the Rhine Valley in the western third of the country.
Natural resources are a hydroelectric potential, but Liechtenstein generates its revenue through international banking, much of it nefarious. The religion is 82.7% Roman Catholic, 7.1% Protestant, and 10.2% others. The official language is German with an Alemannic dialect (Swiss-German) also spoken.
Liechtenstein became a sovereign state in 1342 and its boundaries have remained unchanged since 1434, though the current nation dates from 1719 when it acquired its current name and ruling monarchy from the union of the counties of Vaduz and Schellenberg. Liechtenstein was represented abroad by Austria until 1919, then by Switzerland - with whom it maintains a customs union and close ties - until it was admitted to the United Nations in 1990. The currency of Liechtenstein is the Swiss franc. Liechtenstein is the only absolute monarchy in Europe, with the ruler able to dissolve parliament, sack ministers and the judiciary as he or she desires.
In the 21st century Liechtenstein became infamous as a tax haven, providing bank accounts for international criminals where funds could be hidden, Liechtenstein's laws forbidding the disclosure of account details to investigators from other countries seeking tax evaders etc.
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Big Mac is London Cockney rhyming slang for dismissal from employment (sack).
Big Mac is London Cockney rhyming slang for bed (sack).
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The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
©1993 - 2009 The Probert Encyclopaedia
Southampton, United Kingdom
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