Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, September 27, 2021)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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clandestine
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Compound-Complex SentencesCompound-complex sentences are made up of two independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses. In a compound-complex sentence, how is the complex independent clause joined to the other independent clause? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The DeathstalkerThe deathstalker scorpion stalks the deserts and scrublands of the Middle East and North Africa. Ranging in color from bright green to straw yellow, the deathstalker lives up to its nickname—its venom is a cocktail of neurotoxins that can kill humans, especially those who are very young or old or who have pre-existing medical conditions. Despite the inherent danger, some people keep these deadly creatures as pets. How can the deathstalker's venom be used therapeutically? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Wreck of the "Old 97" (1903)The Fast Mail, a Southern Railway mail train nicknamed "Old 97," crashed near Danville, Virginia, in 1903. The derailment occurred when the train, which was being operated at a high speed in order to stay on schedule, approached a curve too quickly. It fell from the trestle to the ravine below, killing several people. The accident inspired a famous ballad that has since been recorded by Johnny Cash and Woody Guthrie among others. Why did the song become the subject of a copyright dispute? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Sophia Alekseyevna (1657)Sophia Alekseyevna seized power in Russia after the death of her father, Czar Feodor III, and became regent during the minority of her disabled brother, Ivan V, and her half-brother, Peter I. She brutally eliminated her opponents and ruled dictatorially with her lover, Vasily V. Gallitzin. She aspired to be crowned czarina, but lacked support from the nobility and clergy. When it was rumored that she intended to kill Peter to become sole ruler, he overthrew the regency and confined her where? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Oppression of the unfortunate makes one weak.Booker T. Washington (1856-1915) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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have it out (with someone)— To have an argument, verbal fight, or frank discussion (with someone), especially to settle something that has caused anger, frustration, or annoyance. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Sts. Cosmas and Damian Day (Brazil) (2023)Legend has Cosmas and Damian as twin brothers from Syria who were brought up in the Christian faith and who devoted their lives to medicine. As doctors they refused payment for their services, instead asking those who benefited from their healing to believe in Christ. In Brazil, the feast of Cosmas and Damian is celebrated on September 27 and it is traditional to give candy to children, since the saints are patrons of children. Yoruban mythology, which lives on through African Brazilians, tells of another set of holy twins, who are often associated with Cosmas and Damian. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: monkascetic - Pronounced uh-SET-ik, it is derived from Greek asketes, "monk, hermit." More... dean - Comes from Latin decanum, "chief of a group of ten," and Greek dekanos, "a monk or dignitary in charge of ten others." More... nun - Derived from Latin nonna, the feminine of nonnus, "monk," originally a title given to an elderly person. More... monk, friar - A monk stays in a monastery; a friar does not. More... | |