January 18, 2023 - National Thesaurus Day | National Winnie The Pooh Day

Welcome to January 18th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate having a way with words and silly old bears. You may not immediately recognize the name Peter Mark Roget, but chances are you’ve read his book. Or at least parts of it. In 1852, he published his Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases, which is still in use today. Over the years, Roget’s publication has been a lifesaver for writers trying to avoid overusing the same words. And oddly enough, the word “thesaurus” is derived from the Greek word for “treasure.” Others have published thesauri over the years, but on National Thesaurus Day we celebrate the original tome. Marlo: Did you say tomb? Anna: No, no, no, no; "tome." You know, like the writing or the publication. Marlo: Oh, okay I got you. John: Is a "thesauri" a kind of dinosaur? Marlo: I wonder if anyone ever went up to Peter said, "Hey, I've read your entire book!" Anna: What's another word for cretin? Marlo: Good question. Alan Alexander Milne was born on this day in 1882. His father ran a private school where one of Alan’s teachers was H.G. Wells. The boy would grow up to be an author himself, though not in the science fiction genre favored by his teacher. Alan tried his hand at playwriting but found his true calling in children’s books. Inspired by visits to the London Zoo, he discovered his most loveable character through a black bear named Winnie. His son, Christopher Robin named his own teddy bear Winnie and the charm of this 1926 series was born. Today the books have been translated into more than 50 languages! On National Winnie the Pooh Day we celebrate the classic legacy of the gentle adventures in the Hundred Acre Woods. I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices