Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, May 11, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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long-suffering
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Defining Predicative AdjectivesPredicative adjectives that describe the subject of the clause will follow a linking verb. In such cases, they are known as subject complements. When predicative adjectives describe the direct object of non-linking verbs, what are they called? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 DazzlersA dazzler is a type of a directed-energy weapon that employs intense visible light to temporarily blind its target. Compact enough for an individual to carry, dazzlers were initially developed for military use and were possibly first used in combat by the British to thwart low-level Argentinean air attacks during the 1982 Falklands War. Non-military models are now becoming available for use in law enforcement and security applications. How are dazzlers being used by US troops in Iraq? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Siam Is Renamed Thailand (1949)Thailand's origin is traditionally tied to the short-lived kingdom of Sukhothai founded in 1238. After contact with the west in the 16th century, adroit diplomacy enabled Siam to remain independent of European colonization, the only country in Southeast Asia able to do so. A mostly bloodless revolution established a constitutional monarchy in Siam in 1932. Seven years later, under Pibul Songgram's military dictatorship, the name Thailand was adopted. What does the word thai mean? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Hieronymus Carl Friedrich von Münchhausen (1720)Münchhausen was a German baron who became legendary for his fantastic stories about his adventures as a hunter, sportsman, and soldier. Sent in his youth to serve as a page, he later joined the Russian military and served until 1750, taking part in two campaigns against the Ottoman Turks. Returning home, Münchhausen acquired a reputation as an honest businessman but also as a teller of tall tales. His stories included his account of having ridden a cannonball and what other outrageous claims? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 There is an old-time toast which is golden for its beauty. "When you ascend the hill of prosperity may you not meet a friend."Mark Twain (1835-1910) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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kids will be kids— Kids behave childishly or immaturely by nature, so it is unrealistic to expect otherwise. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Frost Saints' Days (2024)These three consecutive days in May mark the feasts of St. Mammertus, St. Pancras, and St. Servatus. In the wine-growing districts of France, a severe cold spell occasionally strikes at this time of year, inflicting serious damage on the grapevines; some in rural France have believed that it is the result of their having offended one of the three saints, who for this reason are called the "frost saints." French farmers have been known to show their displeasure over a cold snap at this time of year by flogging the statues and defacing the pictures of Mammertus, Pancras, and Servatus. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: scentbreath - From an Old English word meaning "scent, smell." More... flair - Comes from Latin fragrare, "smell sweet," and was first the ability to detect the "essence" or "scent" of something and know how to act accordingly. More... red herring - Something intended to be misleading or distracting, so named from the practice of using the scent of red herring in training hounds. More... relish - First meant "odor, scent," then "taste, flavor." More... | |