atomic number of the chemical element hydrogen, symbol H.
badge number of Alexander Waverly, played by Leo G. Carroll, on the ABC-TV series, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964–68).
Beaufort number for wind force of 1-3 miles per hour, called “light air.”
dental chart designation for the right third molar (wisdom tooth).
the first digit in the series 1, 2, 3, 4 . . .
gauge (number) of a wood screw with shank diameter 5/64 of an inch.
in astrology, the number 1 is ruled by the Sun.
in baseball, 1 represents the pitcher’s position.
in Hebrew, the numerical value of the letter aleph.
in mineralogy, Mohs Hardness Scale level characterized by talc; can be crushed by a fingernail.
in the card game Casino, the value of an ace or the two of
ISBN group identifier for books published in English-speaking areas: Australia, English-speaking Canada, Gibraltar, Ireland, New Zealand,
Puerto Rico, South Africa, Swaziland, U.S., UK, and Zimbabwe (shared with 0).
number of decimal places in the inverse multiple designated by the International System prefix deci-, written “d-”.
number of seats in the House of Representatives allotted to each of the states of Alaska, Delaware, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota,
Vermont, and Wyoming (as of the 2000 Census).
number of sides on a Möbius strip.
number of 0s in the multiple designated by the International System prefix deca-, written “da-”.
only one satellite of the dwarf planet Pluto, named Charon, discovered in 1978.
retired baseball uniform number of:
➱ outfielder Richie Ashburn, retired by the Philadelphia Phillies.
➱ second baseman Bobby Doerr, retired by the Boston Red Sox.
➱ manager Fred Hutchinson, retired by the Cincinnati Reds.
➱ second baseman/manager Billy Martin, retired by the New York Yankees.
➱ manager Billy Meyer, retired by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
➱ shortstop Pee Wee Reese, retired by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
➱ shortstop Ozzie Smith, retired by the St. Louis Cardinals.
retired basketball jersey number of:
➱ Nate Archibald, retired by the Sacramento Kings.
➱ Walter A. Brown, retired by the Boston Celtics.
➱ Frank Layden, retired by the Utah Jazz.
➱ Oscar Robertson, retired by the Milwaukee Bucks. Robertson’s number 14 with the Sacramento Kings has also been retired.
➱ Larry Weinberg, retired by the Portland Trail Blazers.
➱ Gus Williams, retired by the Seattle SuperSonics.
retired football jersey number of:
➱ Ray Flaherty, retired by the New York Giants.
➱ Warren Moon, retired by the Tennessee Titans.
retired hockey shirt number of:
➱ The Fans, retired by the Minnesota Wild.
➱ Ed Giacomin, retired by the New York Rangers.
➱ Glenn Hall, retired by the Chicago Blackhawks.
➱ Bernie Parent, retired by the Philadelphia Flyers.
➱ Jacques Plante, retired by the Montreal Canadiens.
➱ Terry Sawchuk, retired by the Detroit Red Wings.
➱ Wendell Young, retired by the Chicago Wolves.
value of the medieval Roman numeral J.
value of Roman numeral I.
“All for one, one for all”
motto of the Three Musketeers, in the novel by Alexandre Dumas (1844).
back to square one
a phrase meaning “having to start all over again.”
Bell X-1
the plane, named. Glamorous Glennis, in which Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier on October 14, 1947. The first supersonic flight, at
Mach 1.06, was achieved over Muroc Air Base in the Mojave Desert in southern California.
Berlioz’s Symphony No. 1
Symhonie Fantastique
Big Red One
the U.S. Army’s 1st Infantry Division, officially born in New York in June, 1917, as part of the American Expeditionary Force to France, to fight
in World War I.
The Big Red One
World War II film, released in 1980, directed by Samuel Fuller and starring Lee Marvin, Mark Hamill, and David Carradine, that attempted to
portray the war through the daily experience of the foot soldier. A good film, its title trading on the respected nickname of the Army’s First
Division, it was released whe, such movies were becoming passé.
birdie
a golf score of one stroke under par on a hole.
bogey
a golf score of one stroke over par on a hole.
Canon 1 of the American Bar Association Code of Professional Responsibility
A lawyer should assist in maintaining the integrity and competence of the legal profession.
draw one
(a) barroom code for a glass of tap beer.
(b) lunch counter code for a cup of coffee.
Dvorak’s Symphony No. 1
“The Bells of Zlonice” symphony (in C minor).
FIFO
first in, first out: inventory system ensuring that the oldest stock will be the first sold.
first aid
emergency medical help applied at the scene of an accident.
First Amendment to the Constitution
establishes freedom of religion, of speech, of press, of the right to assemble and to petition.
First Arrondissement
section of central Paris containing the Louvre museum.
firstborn
the oldest child in the family.
first-class
highest level of service or performance, usually the most expensive.
first-class mail
class of mail in the U.S. postal system, including letters, postcards, and all mailable matter sealed against inspection.
first come, first served
handling clients or issues in the order of their arrival.
First Commandment
Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.
First Crusade
called by Pope Urban II in 1095 to subdue the Turks. The crusader forces took Nicaea in 1097 and Antioch in 1098, then captured Jerusalem
in 1099, where they massacred the Muslims and the Jews. As a result of the First Crusade, several small Crusader states were created,
among them the Kingdom of Jerusalem. This was the only Crusade that ended in substantial victory.
first-day cover
a stamped envelope postmarked on the day of the stamp’s issue, posted from the city where it was issued.
first-degree burn
a relatively undamaging burn in which the skin is reddened but not broken.
first edition
the total first print run of a book. Within the first edition, however, minor corrections or changes may be made in the text, thus creating a
sequence of printings (or impressions).
First Empire
the empire (1804 to 1814) established in France by Napoleon Bonaparte, replacing the First Republic.
first estate
the first of the three classes of society, the clergy.
First Family
the family with the highest social rank; (capitalized) the family of the President of the United States, or of a state governor or a city mayor.
First Folio
the first compilation of plays by Shakespeare, published in 1623, seven years after his death. Containing thirty-six plays, omitting only
Pericles, it was collected by his fellow actors, John Heminges and Henry Condell.
First French War of Religion
the first of eight related wars (1562 to 1589) pitting the established Catholiic monarchy and commoners (“one faith, one law, one state”)
against the new Reformation Protestats (in France, called Huguenots), among whom were many French nobles. Hostilities began in 1562,
when servants of the Duc de Guise, a prominent Catholic, killed several Huguenot parishoners in the town of Vassy and set their church afire.
The national Huguenot leadership mobilized under the Bourbon Prince de Condé and captured several strategic towns. The war ended with
thke Edict of Amboise in March 1563, which restricted some Protestant freedoms but permitted Huguenot nobles to worship as they wished
on their own estates, a resolution that did not sit well with many Catholics.
first-hand
(adj.) new, of, or from the original source.
First House
in astrology, represents self-awareness and self-expression.
first impression
the first run of printed material off press for the first edition of a work. Also called first issue.
First International
International Workingmen’s Association, organized in London in 1864 by Karl Marx, with the aim of uniting the trade unions around the world.
Dissolved in 1974.
first in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen
an epithet for George Washington.
First Lady
the wife of the President of the United States or of a state governor or city mayor.
First Lateran Council
Roman Catholic council, called by Pope Callistus II in 1123, at which the Concordat of Worms was ratified, ending the Investiture Conflict.
This council also forbade the marriage of clergymen and it annulled the ordinances of the antipope, Gregory VIII.
First Law of Thermodynamics
(the law of conservation of energy): can be converted from one state to another, but cannot be created or destroyed.
first light
dawn.
first mate
a ship’s ranking officer just below the captain.
first-nighter
a person who attends a performance on opening night.
first of Aries
the vernal equinox; the point at which the sun crosses the plane of the Earth’s equator from south to north, making day and night
approximately the same length.
first offender
a person convicted of an offense for the first time.
first-of-May
in circus slang, (n.) a novice; a new or inexperienced employee; (adj.) inexperienced.
First Order of St. Francis
the Friars Minor, dating from 1209; priests and lay brothers who live in a community or friary, who have sworn to lead a celibate life of prayer,
preaching, and penance. May be called friars, or simply Franciscans.
first papers
in the U.S., the documents filed by an alien declaring the intention to become a citizen.
first person
in grammar, the speaker.
first position
in ballet, the position in which the heels are back to back and the toes point out to the sides, the feet forming a straight line.
first president
George Washington, April 30, 1789 to March 3, 1797.
first print
an early printed copy of a published work, usually at the proofing stage, before it is ready for general publication.
first-rate
(adj. of top quality, first-class, exellent.
First Reich
The Holy Roman Empire until its dissolution in 1806, when Francis I, Emperor of Austria, gave up the old imperial crown.
First Republic
the French Republic declared in September 1792 with the abolition of the monarchy following the French Revolution, replaced by the First
Empire in 1804.
first run
in its initial set of performances; not seen previously.
first running
the first fraction collected from a fractional distillation, ordinarily carrying low boiling impurities.
first state of the Union
Delaware ratified the Constitution on December 7, 1787.
first string
the primary set of players, excluding replacements.
First Triumvirate
in ancient Rome, the governing alliance of three men—Julius Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus—formed in 60 BC.
first watch
(Navy use) : the watch standing from 8:00 p.m. (2000 hours) to midnight (2400 hours).
first water
highest degree of quality, with the best attributes.
first wedding anniversary gift
paper is customary.
first weight
in mining, the first measurement of roof pressure after removal of coal from a seam.
First Wives Club
predictable 1996 film about three wives who have been dumped by their husbands, starring Goldie Hawn, Bette Midler, and Diane Keaton,
with a first-rate supporting cast.
first-word entry
a system of cataloging that utilizes the first word of the item name, ignoring any definite or indefinite article, such as “the” or “an,” which may
precede.
First World
collectively, the major industrialized nations of the world, including the U.S., Canada, those in Western Europe, and Japan.
Group 1 elements (of the Periodic Table)
the alkali metals: hydrogen (1), lithium (3), sodium, (11), potassium (19), rubidium (37), cesium (55), francium (87).
hang one on
(a) punch with the fist.
(b) get drunk.
It Happened One Night
blockbuster film comedy of 1934, directed by Frank Capra, starring Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable. The first of the so-called “screwball
comedies,” it swept the Oscars, winning Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay (by Robert Riskin).
a hot one
a good joke.
H1N1
designation for the virus associated with swine flu.
Leonard Bernstein’s Symphony No. 1
“Jeremiah” symphony.
Mahler’s Symphony No. 1
“Titan” symphony (in D major).
Mount Singleton
name of a small mountain in the southwestern part of the Northern Territory, Australia, and one in Western Australia, near Lake Moor, about
200 miles north of Perth.
Newton’s First Law of Motion
(the principle of inertia): a body at rest tends to stay at rest, and a body in motion tends to stay in motion at a uniform velocity in a straight line
unless acted upon by an external force.
number one
a child’s euphemism for urination.
number 1 billiard ball
the ball that is conventionally solid yellow.
Once More, With Feeling
directed by Stanley Donen, from a screenplay by Harry Kurnitz (based on his play), this very funny 1960 film has Yul Brynner as a
temperamental orchestral conductor and Kay Kendall, in her last film, as his protective wife. One high moment is supplied by Mervyn Johns,
as the symphony’s major supporter, when he comes in looking for Brynner and says to one of the musicians, “Take me to your leader.”
once-over
a visual inspection; a quick look.
Once Upon a Time in America
1984 gangster film from Sergio Leone traces the rise and fall of two New York City street kids, with outstanding performances by Robert De
Niro and James Woods.
Once Upon a Time in the West
Sergio Leone’s monumental 1969 take on the film Wesrn, with Henry Fonda as the epitome of the malevolent villain, and Charles Bronson,
who has an unnamed score to settle. Ennio Morricone provides a memorable score.
1 A
skylight photographic filter, of pale magenta tint, that reduces blue and ultraviolet light.
one and only
one’s sweetheart.
1 April
April Fools’ Day.
one-arm bandit
slot machine.
one-arm joint
a cheap restaurant, the kind that once had chairs with a wide right armrest that served as a table for the diner’s plate of food.
one-at-one wheel
in lace making, a small machine that winds a length of yarn on a bobbin, keeping a uniform tension.
one-bagger
in baseball, a one-base hit.
one bell
time check on-board ship; signifies 12:30 or 4:30 or 8:30, AM or PM.
1 Cranch 137
citation for the Supreme Court decision in Marbury v. Madison (1803), in which the Court ruled that Congress exceeded its authority when it
passed the Judiciary Act of 1789 and declared that legislation void, thereby establishing the Court’s authority to invalidate acts of Congress
that it finds inconsistent with the Constitution.
One Day at a Time
CBS-TV situation comedy featuring Bonnie Franklin, Mackenzie Phillips, Valerie Bertinelli, and Pat Harrington. First telecast December 15,
1975; ran through May 1984.
1 December, 1955
in Motgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks refuses to move to the back of the bus, thereby setting off an unstoppable drive for racial equality in the
U.S.
one dollar
denomination of U.S. paper money that bears the portrait of George Washington.
one dollar per hour
minimum wage effective March 1, 1956.
one down
lunch-counter code for an order of toast.
one-end straight
in the game of poker, a sequence of four cards either ace-high or ace-low.
one-eyed monster
TV set (CB slang).
1 February
National Freedom Day, commemorating Lincoln’s signing of the thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution on this day in 1865, abolishing
slavery.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Milos Forman directed this disturbing 1975 film about a rebellious inmate of a mental institution (Jack Nicholson) who challenges its
restrictive dictates to the consternation of steely Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher). In addition to Best Picture and Best Director, Oscars went
to Nicholson and Fletcher for Best Actor and Best Actress, and to the screenplay by Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman (based on the novel
by Ken Kesey).
one foot in the graveyard
lunch-counter code for an order of soup (probably derives from soup being a popular food for invalids).
one for the road
a last drink before leaving.
one from manhattan
lunch-counter code for an order of clam chowder.
one-horse town
a small, insignificant town where nothing interesting happens.
One in a Million
1936 film introducing ice skater Sonja Henie, with Adolphe Menjou, Don Ameche, and Ned Sparks in supporting roles. Humor by the Ritz
Brothers; music by Borah Minevich and his Harmonica Rascals.
1-iron
golf club called a driving iron, equivalent to the earlier cleek.
1 January
New Year’s Day; marked by the Orange Bowl and Rose Bowl football games.
1 July
Canada Day, which commemorates the creation of the Dominion of Canada in 1867 by terms of the British North America Act.
One Life to Live
soap opera on ABC-TV since July 15, 1968. Originally a half-hour, it went to fourty-five minutes in 1976, then to a full hour in 1978. The cast
has included over 250 different performers. At this writing, the show is still on the air.
One Man’s Family
TV soap opera on nighttime NBC from November 4, 1949 to June 21, 1952, switching to daytime in March 1954, and finally cancelled in April
1955. Originally a radio serial, it debuted on a local NBC affiliate in California on April 29, 1932, and went to network NBC on May 17, 1933.
Aired 3,256 episodes, in various formats, through May 8, 1959, the longest running serial drama in American radio.
1 May
(a) May Day; observed as a holiday by workers in several countries.
(b) Lei Day in Hawaii.
(c) Bird Day in Oklahoma.
One More Spring
Robert Nathan’s 1933 parable of Christian charity, set in New York City during the Great Depression.
1 November
All Saints’ Day, Christian feast day.
One of Our Aircraft Is Missing
RAF plane is forced down in the Netherlands and its crew works its way back to England in this 1942 British film with Godfrey Tearle, Eric
Portman, Hugh Williams, and Bernard Miles.
One of Our Girls
1885 play by Bronson Howard; a social comedy contrasting American and French standards.
One of Ours
Willa Cather’s 1922 Pulitzer Prize–winning novel on the short life of Claude Wheeler, a boy from the West who is killed in World War I.
one of the boys
a popular fellow who fits in well.
one on
lunch-counter code for a hamburger on a bun.
one on the city
lunch-counter code for a glass of water.
one on the country
lunch-counter code for a glass of buttermilk.
one on the house
lunch-counter code for a glass of water.
one penny
one cent; U.S. coin in circulation since 1793.
1 Place de la Concorde
Paris address of the Jeu de Paume, once the Impressionist museum, now primarily a venue for photography exhibits.
One Sided Lake
a natural lake in southwestern Ontario Province, Canada.
one silver star
insignia of a brigadier general of the U.S. Army.
“One singular sensation . . .”
first line from the song “One,” a hit tune from the 1975 smash Broadway show, A Chorus Line.
one-striper
in the navy, an ensign; in the army, a private first class, whose rank is shown by a single stripe.
one too many
describes having had enough whiskey to be drunk.
one-track mind
an attribute of focusing on one idea or task to the exclusion of all others.
One Tree Hill
a section of the city of Auckland, New Zealand.
one-two
a boxing strategy in which the first blow is followed immediately by a second with the other hand.
one-two punch
a decisive blow.
One, Two, Three
a frantic comedy with James Cagney as a Coca-Cola company manager in Germany charged with squiring the ditzy daughter (Pamela Tiffin)
of a home-base exec when she visits West Berlin. But she marries an East Berlin Communist hippie (Horst Buchholz) just before her
blustering father (Howard St. John) is due to arrive, the situation threatening Cagney’s expected promotion. Billy Wilder produced and
directed this 1961 rapid-fire farce.
one up
(a) bartender code for a glass of beer.
(b) lunch-counter code for a cup of hot chocolate.
One Upmanship
a humorous book explaining how to stay one-up on (i.e., one foot ahead of) neighbors or competitors, by Stephen Potter (1952).
one with
lunch-counter code for a hamburger with onion.
One Woman’s Life
Robert Herrick’s 1913 novel follows the business and romantic life of Milly Ridge, an ambitious, self-centered woman intent on propelling
herself into a social career.
1-wood
golf club called a driver.
“a partridge in a pear tree”
the gift on the first day of Christmas in the carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas.”
Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 1
“Classical” symphony (in D major).
a quick one
(a) a single shot of whiskey.
(b) an abbreviated sexual encounter.
Schumann’s Symphony No. 1
“Spring” symphony (in B-flat major).
single
(a) in baseball, a one-base hit.
(b) a one-dollar bill.
(c) (adj.) unmarried.
single-action
(adj.) describes a type of gun for which the hammer must be cocked before each shot is fired.
single-blind
refers to a type of experiment in which the researchers, but not the subjects, know who is receiving the active treatment and who is receiving
the placebo. The purpose is to eliminate the anticipatory reaction, known as the placebo effect, among the subjects.
single-breasted
(adj.) describes a jacket or coat that closes with only one row of buttons.
single entry
a simple accounting system which records only amounts to be received and amounts due to be paid by a business.
single-measure
describes a wooden joint which is square on both sides.
single-minded
(adj.) sincere, honest; having only one all-consuming purpose.
single-name paper
a promissory note with no cosigning guarantor other than the borrower.
single-phase
(adj.) relating to a circuit operated by a single alternating electric current.
singles
(a) a sports match with only one player on each side.
(b) small roofing tiles, about 8 x 12 inches.
single-spaced
(adj.) typed or printed with no blank spaces between lines.
single-sticker
a vessel with only one mast, as a sloop or a cutter.
single tax
a tax that provides the one and only source of public revenue.
singleton
in several card games, a card that is the only one of a suit in a hand.
Singleton
name of towns in: Texas (northwest of Houston); Lancashire, England; Sussex, England (few miles north of Chichester); New South Wales,
Australia (about 80 miles north of Sydney); and in the central part of the Northern Territory, Australia.
square one
the beginning; e.g., “back to square one,” start over.
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
an exciting 1974 film about a sybway and its passengers held for ransom with Walter Matthau as the good transit cop, and Robert Shaw as
the cold-blooded leader of the hijackers. Remade in 2009 with Denzel Washington in the Matthau role and John Travolta in the Shaw role;
directed by Tony Scott, with a modified title, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3. Also a made-for-TV version in 1998 with Edward James Olmos
and Vincent D’Onofrio.
Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 1
“Winter Daydreams” symphony (in G minor).
Tiger 1
The main tank of German forces in World War II.
Vaughan Williams’s Symphony No. 1
A “Sea Symphony” (in D major), a choral symphony set to poems by Walt Whitman.
“The Wonderful ‘One-Hoss Shay’ ”
also calle “The Deacon’s Masterpiece”; this Oliver Wendell Holmes poem with its odd rhythmic structure, first published in 1858, is a parable
of the breakdown of Calvinism.
You Only Live Once
Fritz Lang’s 1937 filmed tragedy of a Depression-era couple, portrayed by Sylvia Sidney and Henry Fonda, who were turned into criminals by
bad luck and the hardships of the times.
