Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, December 17, 2022)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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stevedore
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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ApostrophesAn apostrophe is a punctuation mark that primarily serves to indicate either grammatical possession or the contraction of two words. What is a proclitic? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Japanese Cherry BlossomsOrnamental cherry trees and their blossoms are a major symbol of Japan, where they are called sakura and are considered a metaphor for the ephemeral nature of life. As such, they are frequently depicted in art and are associated with both the samurai and kamikaze. In 1912, Japan gave 3,000 sakura as a gift to the US to celebrate the two nations' growing friendship. These trees have since lined the shore of the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC. What is the practice of hanami? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Prime Minister of Australia Disappears (1967)Harold Holt was an Australian political leader who served in a number of cabinet positions before becoming prime minister in 1966, upon the retirement of Robert Gordon Menzies, whom Holt succeeded as Liberal party leader. During his short tenure, he increased the number of Australian troops in South Vietnam, a policy that caused controversy. He disappeared while swimming in rough surf in 1967 and is believed to have drowned. What Australian urban legends are based on Holt's disappearance? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 John Greenleaf Whittier (1807)Whittier was an American Quaker poet and reformer. He had little formal education but was an avid reader, and he published his first volume of poems in 1831. He declared himself an abolitionist in 1833 and worked to promote the cause as a politician, poet, and editor of antislavery periodicals. After slavery was abolished in the US, he turned his focus to writing poems that vividly portray rural New England life. Which of his poems was mistakenly attributed to Ethan Allen for nearly sixty years? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Democracy ... arises out of the notion that those who are equal in any respect are equal in all respects; because men are equally free, they claim to be absolutely equal.Aristotle (384 BC-322 BC) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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hit the rocks— To encounter an especially difficult, troubled, or low point, as in a relationship or some pursuit. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Saturnalia (2023)This Ancient Roman Winter Solstice festival began on December 17 and lasted for seven days. It was held in honor of Saturn, the father of the gods, and was characterized by the suspension of discipline and reversal of the usual order. Grudges and quarrels were forgotten; businesses, courts, and schools closed down; and masquerading or change of dress between the sexes often occurred. The festivities were characterized by various kinds of excesses—giving rise to the modern use of the term saturnalian, which is used to describe "unrestrained license and revelry." More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: notchcrenelation, crenelle - A crenelation (from Latin crena, "notch") is a series of indentations or loopholes around the top of a castle, battlement, or wall—with each indentation being a crenelle (or crenel). More... carf, kerf - A cut or notch in timber is a carf or kerf—which are also used to describe the width of such a cut. More... dent - As in "notch," it comes from the French word for tooth; its original meaning was "blow, stroke" in general. More... score - First a notch used to keep count, as on a stick. More... | |