Playing For Leaps.

Leap Year-A year when an extra day is added to the month of February. Leap Years occur every four years, with an exception added for years that are multiples of one-hundred that do not leave a remainder of two-hundred or six-hundred when divided by nine-hundred. The next non-leap year will be 2100, causing confusion for anyone born on February 29th, 2020, since they’ll be unable to celebrate their 20th birthday. The extra day is added to account for the fact that the Earth’s orbit around the sun takes approximately 365.25 days, requiring the addition of an extra day quadrennially to prevent football season from starting too early.

Leap Second-An extra second added to keep atomic time and solar time in sync due to the regular loss of approximately 3 milliseconds per year on atomic time.

Leap Minute-Small variations in the Earth’s orbit occasionally necessitate adjustments of more than a second. These variations can result in adjustments anywhere from thirty to more than seventy seconds but because they’re multiple seconds they’re conventionally referred to as “minutes”.

Leap Month-Originally a term for February with 29 days a Leap Month is also sometimes necessary to adjust the calendar to keep baseball season in sync with the natural seasons. Leap Months are added very irregularly and one hasn’t been needed since the 33rd of Cunegonde, 1843.

Leap Day-An entire extra year added to the calendar to account for variations in the current Western Julian calendar. Everyone agrees it would have made more sense to call this a “Leap Year” but that term was already taken so everyone just shrugged and went on. Among conspiracy theorists this is widely regarded as a marketing ploy by calendar companies. Leap Days are also the reason the birthdays of many historic figures are no longer marked on their actual birthdays but “observed”. The ghosts of George Washington and Arthur Schopenhauer engage in an annual fight over whether they actually share a birthday; Washington wins by default for being both better known and having more candles on his cake.

Leap Deprivation-Alteration of seasons according to months (i.e. December falling in midsummer) resulting from absence or misplacement of leaps.

Leap Frog-Allegedly a child’s game in which one child would crouch down while the other would leap over the first child’s back, then assume a crouching position. Leap Frog was actually only played from May 11th, 1893-August 28th, 1893, but resulted in horrendous injuries to an entire generation.

Leap Birthday-When you forget a friend’s birthday and only remember to call or send them something a week later. It’s also known as your friend’s birthday “observed”.

Leap Of Faith-When you accept your friend’s claim that they really were thinking of you on your birthday even if they forgot to get you something.

Daylight Savings Time-A seasonal adjustment of the clocks when we spring forward, fall back, leap into summer, or winter in Miami.

As you sow so shall you leap.

Facebook Comments

15 Comments

  1. Kenneth T.

    A leap blanket (no such thing) is when you cut 1 foot off one end of a blanket and sew it on the other end – to create a longer blanket. ? ?

    Reply
  2. Arionis

    Nice leaps, but your forgot a Quantum Leap. When you accidentally travel within your own lifetime and have to say “Oh boy” every time you arrive.
    Arionis recently posted…Where Have All The Chat Rooms Gone?My Profile

    Reply
    1. Christopher Waldrop (Post author)

      Damn, how could I forget Quantum Leap? I’d love to travel through time with Dean Stockwell.

      Reply
  3. Tom

    I appreciate that you looked before you did this …

    Reply
    1. Christopher Waldrop (Post author)

      Contrary to W.H. Auden’s suggestion I think it’s better to look before leaping.

      Reply
  4. Bookstooge

    Daylight Savings, an abomination of epic proportions. I propose we march on Washington and Protest like the world is ending!!!
    Bookstooge recently posted…Monster Hunter Guardian (MHI #7) ★★★★☆My Profile

    Reply
    1. thehuntress915

      I second that motion! ?

      Reply
    2. Christopher Waldrop (Post author)

      Daylight Savings is a terrible abomination and I’d be happy to join a protest march on Washington but I can’t seem to find the time.

      Reply
  5. mydangblog

    There’s also Leap Anniversary, where you arrive home empty-handed and see, to your horror, a vase of flowers, a gift, and a card waiting for you…

    Reply
    1. Christopher Waldrop (Post author)

      It sounds like that’s the voice of experience. I hope Ken didn’t tell you to take a leap in the lake.

      Reply
  6. Ann Koplow


    Ann Koplow recently posted…Day 2653: What I foundMy Profile

    Reply
    1. Christopher Waldrop (Post author)

      I’m so glad I don’t have to wait another four years to enjoy that song.

      Reply
  7. rivergirl

    Now you’ve got me wondering if leaping lizards only leap every 4 years.

    Reply
    1. Christopher Waldrop (Post author)

      And why do leaping lizards leap in the first place? And what about Mexican jumping beans? So many mysteries of the universe remain unanswered.

      Reply
  8. Kristine Laco

    As a one-armed person of interest, I wonder if leaping is even wise…
    Kristine Laco recently posted…Wait, I Still Need ThatMy Profile

    Reply

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badge