286. Scroll down...

Historically it refers to a scroll that is a deed delivered to a third person to hold until a future condition is satisfied.

In real estate transactions, it refers to the period during which a third party holds the proceeds from the sale of a home until both the buyer and seller sign their documents.

What be it?

285. El Hor...

They are the oldest known of their kind and dates back to pre-biblical times. The Muslims believe that they were a gift to them by Allah for amusement and benefit and in contrast to the disdain that others of their ilk suffer from, they are referred to as El Hor (the Noble One) or El Baraha (the Blessed One)

Amongst the Arabs they are never sold, and only given as a gift from a friend to a friend, which is the highest form of compliment from one person to another.

If a Knight had been to the holy Land, he would bring a X home as proof of his Crusade and people believe this was how they entered Europe.

What be X?

284. Sorry Mr. Sobieski this is not for you...

Contrary to common legend, it was not created in the shape of a stirrup to commemorate the victory of Poland’s King Jan Sobieski over the Ottoman Turks in 1683. It was actually invented much earlier in Kraków, Poland, as a competitor to the obwarzanek, a lean bread of wheat flour designed for Lent.

There was a tradition among many observant Jewish families to make them on Saturday evenings at the conclusion of the Sabbath. Due to Jewish Sabbath restrictions, they were not permitted to cook during the period of the Sabbath and, compared with other types of bread, it could be baked very quickly as soon as it ended.

The name orginates both from the similarities of the word to an old word meaning 'bow' and because traditionally they are not handmade perfectly circular but rather slightly stirrup-shaped.

What am I talking about?

283. Horny Heave ho!

In old navy ships, high ranking officers would be lifted onto the ships instead of climbing on board. The artifact shown in the top picture would be attached to a block on the davit with a line. The officer would have the chair put under him, and then sideboys would lift him onto the deck of the ship on the command of the instrument shown in the bottom picture.

It is from the instrument that the artifact gets its name. Identify.

PS: Nowadays you might run into one of these when someone is trying to paint or clean a multi-storey building et al....

282. 10 Ideas changing the world right now....

Catherine Mayer writing in a Time Article entitled “10 Ideas changing the World Right now” in March 2009:

You may not have heard of X before—mainly because I’ve just coined the term. It’s about more than just the ripple effect of baby boomers” resisting the onset of age. It is a stranger, stronger alchemy, created by the intersection of that trend with a massive increase in life expectancy and a deep decline in the influence of organized religion—all viewed through the blue haze of Viagra. In their teens and 20s, they may seem preternaturally experienced. In later life, they often look young and dress younger. They have kids early or late—sometimes very late—or not at all. Their emotional lives are as chaotic as their financial planning. Their defining characteristic is to live in the same way, at the same pitch, doing and consuming much the same things, from late teens right up until death.

What is the term X that Ms Mayer coined?

281. Incestuous relationships...

What is this a genealogical chart of?

And yes, you can make out the complicated nature of the relationships if you take some time to observe the details..

280. Pride, Prejudice and then some more...

Just fill in the blanked out portion in the title of this recent "creation"....