Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, April 16, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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waffle
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Evaluative Adverbs that Indicate JudgmentThere are several types of evaluative adverbs, which can be classified according to their function. We can use evaluative adverbs to make judgments about someone's actions, including our own. "Wrongly" is an evaluative adverb that we can use in this way. What are others? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Exquisite CorpseExquisite corpse is an exercise in which a collection of words or images is assembled by several participants, each of whom adds to a composition by either following a predetermined sequence—such as adjective-noun-adverb-verb-article-adjective-noun—or by looking at the end of the previous entry. The name of the game is derived from the phrase that French Surrealists created when they first played it in 1925: "Le cadavre exquis boira le vin nouveau," which means what? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Tensions between US and USSR First Described as "Cold War" (1947)Lasting from the end of WWII until 1991, the Cold War was a period of political hostility and military tension between the Western powers, primarily the US and its allies, and the Communist bloc. Although there were a number of military conflicts during this time, including the Berlin Blockade, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Cold War was waged mainly on political, economic, and propaganda fronts. Who first used the term "Cold War" to describe the conflict? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Jules Hardouin Mansart (1646)Mansart was a French architect and town planner who completed the Palace of Versailles. Favored by Louis XIV, he was made the chief architect for royal buildings. After enlarging the château of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, he began work at Versailles. Much of his work was executed in Roman baroque style, but some of his designs at Versailles point toward the lightness and elegance of the rococo. The impressive Dôme des Invalides in Paris is considered his greatest achievement. Who was his great-uncle? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 How is it that the poets have said so many fine things about our first love, so few about our later love? Are their first poems their best? Or are not those the best which come from their fuller thought, their larger experience, their deeper-rooted affections?George Eliot (1819-1880) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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have skin in the game— To have a personal investment, usually monetary, in the pursuit of some goal or achievement, especially in business and finance. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Emancipation Day (Washington, D.C.) (2024)In Washington, DC, April 16th is celebrated as Emancipation Day, commemorating the day in 1862 when President Abraham Lincoln signed into law the District of Columbia Emancipation Act, nine months prior to the Emancipation Proclamation. More than 3,000 slaves were freed under this agreement. Since 2005, the date has been a legal holiday in the District. Events are scheduled throughout the preceding week, and the observance culminates on the 16th in a day of festivities and entertainment, beginning with a parade down Pennsylvania Avenue in the morning. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: protectedgeneric word - One referring to a commercial product, formerly a brand name that is no longer protected by trademark. More... patent leather - Got its name from the U.S. Patent Office, as the leather's finish was once protected by patent. More... shelter - May come from Middle English sheltron, a body of troops that protected itself in battle with a covering of joined shields. More... patron - Derives from Latin patronus, which means "protector of clients" or "defender." More... | |