Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, April 11, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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soothsayer
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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"There" as a Dummy Pronoun"There" is primarily used as a dummy pronoun in circumstances where the sentence is explaining that a person, place, or thing exists. When the word "there" is being used in this manner, it is often referred to as what? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Operation GladioIn 1990, Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti exposed a clandestine NATO "stay-behind" initiative in which cells of agents secretly remained in various nations after WWII, purportedly to conduct sabotage and organize and arm resistance groups in the event of a Soviet invasion. Implicated in multiple bombings, murders, and false-flag operations across Europe, the CIA-backed Operation Gladio was condemned by European Parliament and disbanded. What activities may have been sponsored by Gladio? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Brixton Riot (1981)In the early 1980s, south London's Brixton neighborhood was plagued by severe social and economic problems, including high rates of unemployment and crime and poor housing conditions. In 1981, in an effort to reduce street crime, police began stopping and searching anyone they deemed suspicious—a policy that many residents of the predominantly black community found discriminatory and heavy-handed. Eventually, the angry residents rioted. How many people were injured during the clash? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Septimius Severus (145 CE)Severus became emperor of Rome in 193 CE, also known as the "Year of the Five Emperors." In the months before he ascended the throne, two emperors were assassinated and a third—Didius Julianus—earned the position by buying it from the Praetorian Guard. With the empire in disarray, Severus marched on Rome, ousted Julianus, and was proclaimed emperor. He then built himself a strong army that would protect both him and his empire. It is said that he gave what advice to his sons before his death? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 No man can ever feel his own identity aright except his eyes be closed; as if darkness were indeed the proper element of our essences, though light be more congenial to our clayey part.Herman Melville (1819-1891) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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in the view of (someone)— In someone's or some group's opinion. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Galveston Island FeatherFest (2024)Begun in 2002, the Galveston Island FeatherFest is intended to celebrate the "birds and natural heritage of the Upper Texas Coastal area." Some 300 species of birds are found on Galveston Island in the springtime as they stop off during their migration north. The FeatherFest allows bird enthusiasts the chance to go on field trips to photograph and watch the birds. Prominent environmental writers, naturalists, and artists are the leaders of these field trips. Seminars, workshops, and lectures on the wildlife in the community are also available, and a FeatherFest Photo Contest is held. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: squeezeanguish, anxious, anxiety - Anguish, anxious, and anxiety come from Latin angere, "to choke, squeeze, strangle." More... kvetch - To complain chronically or habitually, from Yiddish kvetshn, "pinch, squeeze; complain." More... squash - As a verb, it is an alteration of quash, and means, generally, to "crush, squeeze, or suppress." More... tapioca - Comes from Tupi-Guarani tipi, "residue," and ok/og, "squeeze out." More... | |