Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, December 20, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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valuate
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Subordinating ConjunctionsSubordinating conjunctions are used to create complex sentences containing one independent clause, or main clause, and one dependent, or subordinate, clause. What two things does a subordinating conjunction do in a sentence? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 LampworkingUnlike the technique of glassblowing, in which a blob of molten glass is made hollow by blowing into it through a tube, lampworking involves heating small rods of colored glass over a lamp or torch, then shaping the glass with handheld tools. It is used to make glass beads, paperweights, and other small items. The practice developed in Italy during the Renaissance, and in later centuries was used to produce popular trinkets in France. Fumes from vaporized gold can give the glass what color? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Electricity Generated for First Time at Nuclear Power Plant (1951)Now a US National Historic Landmark, the Experimental Breeder Reactor I in Idaho became the world's first electricity-generating nuclear power plant in 1951, when it produced enough electricity to illuminate four light bulbs. After the initial test, it subsequently generated sufficient electricity to power its building and continued to be used for experimental purposes until it was decommissioned in 1964. Today, the site is open to the public during what times of the year? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Sir Robert Gordon Menzies (1894)A successful lawyer, Menzies gave up his practice to pursue a career in politics and eventually became Australia's longest continuously serving prime minister. He started out in the House of Representatives in 1934 and served as attorney general until 1939, when he became leader of the United Australia party and prime minister. In 1941, his party lost the election, but in 1949 he again became prime minister and this time remained in office until his retirement in 1966, on what national holiday? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Even in a minute instance, it is best to look first to the main tendencies of Nature. A particular flower may not be dead in early winter, but the flowers are dying; a particular pebble may never be wetted with the tide, but the tide is coming in.Gilbert Chesterton (1874-1936) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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hoist by (one's) own petard— To be injured, ruined, or defeated by one's own action, device, or plot that was intended to harm another; to have fallen victim to one's own trap or schemes. (Note: "hoist" in this instance is the simple past-tense of the archaic form of the verb, "hoise.") More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Newport Harbor Christmas Boat Parade (2023)Newport Harbor Christmas Boat Parade is a nightly parade of boats at Newport Beach, California. More than 150 boats of all kinds, wildly decorated with lights depicting Santa Claus, snowmen, and other symbols of winter, join the parade. Some boats carry huge inflated figures and many play music. The floating parades started in 1908 as a Fourth of July spectacular. In 1946, the city put a tree and carolers on a barge and towed it around the harbor, and that began the current December parades. Today, about a million spectators watch them during the festival. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: nourishmentfoster - Comes from the Germanic base for "food" and it originally meant "food, nourishment." More... inanity, inanition - Inanity is intellectual or spiritual emptiness; inanition is the lack of nourishment. More... meat - First meant "food, nourishment"—especially solid food as opposed to drink. More... nourishment - Wine or spirits given medicinally can be called nourishment. More... | |