Manhattanhenge / Man·hat·tan·henge / mænˈhæt.ən henj, manˈhatnˌhenj,mənˈhatnˌhenj/

: phenomenon where the sun aligns with New York City’s grid at sunset.

Etymology

“Manhattanhenge” is quite obviously a blend of the words “Manhattan,” meaning the city, and “henge.” The word “henge” comes from Stonehenge, a historical assemblage of upright Bronze Age monuments on Salisbury Plain, near Salisbury, England. Dating back to a Neolithic civilization 4,000 years ago, there are many mysteries and theories as to the origins and purposes of Stonehenge (Source: English Heritage). One of the more popular theories is that farming communities used it to observe the sun, based on the shadows and alignment of the stones. Stonehenge was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986. Read more about the timeline of Stonehenge at the British Museum.

Then, in the early 21st Century, we get the term, “Manhattanhenge.” In a recent article in the Washington Post, the link is confirmed:

Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson coined the term in a 1997 article in the magazine Natural History. Tyson, the director of the Hayden Planetarium at New York’s American Museum of Natural History, said he was inspired by a visit to Stonehenge as a teenager. (Washington Post, their emphasis)

Similar to how Stonehenge has been used to celebrate the Summer Solstice, “Manhattanhenge” to local New Yorkers can represent either the opening or the peak of summer. Rays of sunlight create vibrant colors when the sun goes down, and the skyscrapers of New York City add more allure. Typically, the best views can be seen in Manhattan when looking down from 14th Street, 23rd Street, 34th Street, 42nd Street, or 79th Street. However, there is no need to run to those streets if it’s an inconvenience to your current path. Manhattanhenge often creates a fantastic glow that can be seen across the city.

If you are in New York, add the following days to your calendar to see the next Manhattanhenge!

• Saturday, July 12 at 8:22 pm ET
• Friday, July 11 at 8:20 pm ET

Source: ABC News

hos·pi·tal·i·ty

/ˌhäspəˈtalədē/

Noun

1.

: friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers.

: act of making people feel comfortable and welcome while they are in your sphere.

: being solicitous about people’s well-being and interested in what they have to say, as well as charismatic and accommodating. Generate: FEEDBACK, QUALITATIVE.

2.

: relationship between a host and guest, mediated through various forms of exchange.

: activity, business, or industry that focuses on providing accommodations, entertainment, food and beverage, and sports and recreational activities to meet the demands of different target audiences and provide them with the utmost convenience possible. Generate: DATA, QUANTITATIVE.

Etymology

The first known use of “hospitality” dates back to the 14th Century, according to Merriam-Webster.

• hospitalite / Middle English / “reception of guests, provision of lodging”
• ospitalité, hospitalité / Anglo-French / “hospitality, hospital”
• hospitālis / Latin / “of a guest, hospitality, hospitable”

Future Uses

We can tell the AI to generate a structure for collecting feedback from guests and to analyze the data. I will take joy in doing the rest.

New word! Typically for my word poems, I will use Merriam-Webster and other dictionaries before expanding upon them to create new definitions. Today, I am announcing a new word to add to our popular culture lexicon.

Natasha Bedingfielding is a new term submitted by Christa Chance. The creative denotations of this term are made available below.

Nəˈtɑʃə ˈbɛdɪŋ fēldɪŋ| verb

1:

The sublime (and feel-good cringe) emotion conveyed by the popular song “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield from 2004 when you hear the chorus that begins with the line, “feel the rain on your skin.”

2:

The act of users filming themselves singing “Unwritten” on social media platforms, notably TikTok.

3:

The act of standing in the rain in order to feel the rain on your skin.

Christa Chance, content writer, previously created the clever underground term Malkoviching. Malkoviching is the action of attempting to pass another person on the sidewalk from both the left and right, similar to John Malkovich’s character in a scene with Michelle Pfeiffer in the 1988 film, Dangerous Liaisons. In the event it rains on Memorial Day, you can make the most of the holiday and stand outside to feel the rain on your skin. We recommend it. Thank you, Christa, for a very useful new word for the start of summer!