Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, February 2, 2023)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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endothermic
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Understanding Demonstrative AdjectivesLike all adjectives, demonstrative adjectives modify nouns or pronouns. We use demonstrative adjectives to specify what we are referring to, to indicate whether the person or thing is singular or plural, and to give the listener information about that person or object's proximity to the speaker. There are four common demonstrative adjectives in English. What are they? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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BicyclesThe first bicycle, probably created by the German Baron Karl de Drais de Sauerbrun in the early 1800s, was a form of hobby-horse that was propelled by the rider's feet pushing against the ground. The first treadle-propelled cycle was designed by the Scottish blacksmith Kirkpatrick Macmillan around 1839. By the end of the 19th century, bicycles had wire wheels, metal frames, and pneumatic tires. What did 19th-century suffragists and feminists call the bicycle? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Alexander Selkirk Rescued after Four Years Stranded on a Desert Island (1709)Selkirk was an unruly Scottish sailor who quarreled with his captain and asked to be put ashore on an island in the Pacific. Tired of Selkirk's troublemaking, the captain granted him his wish. Selkirk promptly regretted his decision and chased after the boat, but to no avail. He survived on the desert island by eating shellfish and goats and domesticated feral cats to keep himself safe from rats. When he was rescued four years later, his story became the inspiration for what fictional character? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 James Joyce (1882)Joyce was an Irish novelist—perhaps the most influential and significant novelist of the 20th century. After publishing his story collection, The Dubliners, and the autobiographical novel Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, he spent seven years writing Ulysses, which is now widely regarded by many as the greatest English-language novel of the 20th century. It embodies a highly experimental use of language and exploration of new literary methods such as what? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 It is the nature of the artist to mind excessively what is said about him. Literature is strewn with the wreckage of men who have minded beyond reason the opinions of others.Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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be shown the ropes— To be taught how to do or perform a job, task, or activity; to have explained or demonstrated how something is done. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Candlemas (2024)After observing the traditional 40-day period of purification following the birth of Jesus, Mary presented him to God at the Temple in Jerusalem. According to a New Testament gospel, an aged and devout Jew named Simeon held the baby in his arms and said he would be "a light to lighten the Gentiles". It is for this reason that February 2 has come to be called Candlemas and has been celebrated by the blessing of candles since the 11th century. In both the Eastern and Western churches, it is now known as the Feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: thiefjilt - A female accomplice to a thief. More... furtive - Someone who is furtive literally "carries things away like a thief." More... ferret - Its name comes from Latin furritus, "little thief"—alluding to the animal's affinity for stealing hens' eggs. More... thief - Has the underlying meaning of "crouching, furtive person." More... | |