Maf"fi*a, Ma"fi*a, n. [It. maffia.]
Definition: A secret society which organized in Sicily as a political organization, but is now widespread among Italians, and is used to further or protect private interests, reputedly by illegal methods.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
5 November 2024
(verb) draw out a discussion or process in order to gain time; “The speaker temporized in order to delay the vote”
The Boston Tea Party helped popularize coffee in America. The hefty tea tax imposed on the colonies in 1773 resulted in America switching from tea to coffee. In the lead up to the Revolutionary War, it became patriotic to sip java instead of tea. The Civil War made the drink more pervasive. Coffee helped energize tired troops, and drinking it became an expression of freedom.