---------------------------------------------------------------------- The Learning Kingdom's Cool Word of the Day for October 26, 1999 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ragtime [adj., n. RAG-tym] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- In the early years of the 20th century, a new form of music emerged in the southern U.S. Ragtime was a happy combination of folk tunes with African and Creole elements. Typically, there was a complex main melody and a steady, accented accompaniment. One of ragtime's most obvious features is the complex, syncopated rhythms of the main melodies. The name of the musical style was probably a reduction of "ragged time," a description of the unconventional rhythm. A further reduction led to the noun for one song: a rag. Ragtime was a popular style before jazz music swept it into obscurity. In the 1970s, it enjoyed a popular revival, spurred in part by the use of Scott Joplin's piano rags in the movie "The Sting." Today ragtime music has legions of devoted fans: http://www.ragtimers.org/~ragtimers/ Today's sponsor: iPrint.com Make this holiday season memorable by sending personalized greeting cards to family and friends. Over 100 cards to choose from at iPrint.com - your leading online print shop! Looking for an affordable gift? Place your favorite photo on an ornament they'll use year after year! Click here to get started: http://www.iprint.com/cgi-shl/index.cgi?shop=2700 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Cool Word of the Day list membership: 159,073 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To send a free gift subscription: http://www.tlk-lists.com/giftsub/ Subscribing, unsubscribing, address changes: Existing subscribers: http://www.tlk-lists.com/change/ To join as a new subscriber: http://www.tlk-lists.com/join/ To become a sponsor: http://www.tlk-lists.com/sponsor/ Feedback: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright (c) 1999, The Learning Kingdom, Inc. http://www.LearningKingdom.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------