Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, June 13, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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FractionsFractions are a type of pre-determiner that divides the quantity of the noun. What word do we usually use between the fractional expression and the other determiner? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Black ObeliskThe most complete Assyrian obelisk yet discovered, the Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III is a black limestone Neo-Assyrian bas-relief sculpture. Found in 1846 in what is now northern Iraq, the sculpture was originally erected as a public monument in 825 BCE, at a time of civil war. It features 20 reliefs depicting 5 kings bringing tribute and prostrating before the Assyrian king. The obelisk is particularly significant because it contains the earliest surviving image of a member of what kingdom? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 "The Cinderella Man" Becomes World Heavyweight Champion (1935)For budding boxer James J. Braddock, 1929 was a bad year. The promising pugilist narrowly lost a 15-round championship fight and, months later, the Great Depression struck. Braddock, struggling to support his family and losing many more bouts than he won, eventually gave up boxing to work the docks. In 1934, he returned to the ring, and a year later, he landed a title shot against Max Baer. Braddock was a 10-to-1 underdog but won in a stunning upset. Who beat Braddock for the title in 1937? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Dorothy L. Sayers (1893)Sayers, an English writer, is considered one of the masters of the detective story. In 1915, she became one of the first women to graduate from Oxford University. In her first major work, Whose Body?, she created the witty and dashing detective Lord Peter Wimsey, who would be featured in several later novels and short story collections. She later concentrated on theological works and scholarly translations. Which of Sayers's previous jobs provided a setting for one of her novels? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 One of the greatest and simplest tools for learning more and growing is doing more.Washington Irving (1783-1859) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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go to the mattresses— To enter into or prepare for a lengthy war, battle, or conflict; to adopt a combative or warlike position. While the true origin is uncertain, the phrase was popularized in English by The Godfather novel and films, where it referred to warring mafia families housing their soldiers in small, secure apartments to await orders. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Feast of St. Anthony of Padua (2023)St. Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) was born in Lisbon, Portugal, in 1195, and is the patron saint of Portugal. The festivities held here in his honor begin on the evening of June 12 with an impressive display of marchas, walking groups of singers and musicians, who parade along the Avenida da Liberdade. The celebration continues the next day with more processions and traditional folk dancing. Another custom of the day is for a young man to present the girl he hopes to marry with a pot of basil concealing a verse or love letter. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: zeroaught - Another word for "nothing, zero." More... zero, cipher - Zero and cipher come from Arabic sifr, "nought, zero," from Sanskrit sunya, "empty." More... lay an egg - The egg in "to lay an egg" refers to "zero." More... googol - Coined when mathematician Edward Kasner asked his nephew to create a word for the number 1 followed by 100 zeros. More... | |