Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, August 4, 2021)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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cacophony
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Adverbs of Manner and AdjectivesAdverbs of manner can also be used to describe adjectives, giving them an extra depth or dimension of character. Where must an adverb of manner be positioned in relation to the adjective it modifies? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Lost FilmsWhen not a single copy of a film is known to exist in any archive, it is considered lost. An estimated 90% of all American silent films and 50% of American sound films made before 1950 are believed to have been lost, in part because early nitrate film was chemically unstable and prone to rapid decomposition. Early film was highly flammable too, and fires claimed more than a few archives. While many of Charlie Chaplin's films survived, he sought to destroy his own A Woman of the Sea. Why? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Battle of Evesham (1265)In 1258, English nobleman Simon de Montfort joined other barons in forcing King Henry III to accept the Provisions of Oxford—often considered England's first written constitution—which limited the power of the monarchy. When Henry renounced the Provisions, Montfort led a force against him, defeating the royalist army at the Battle of Lewes and becoming England's de facto ruler. Less than a year later, he was killed by Henry's son Edward at the Battle of Evesham. What happened to his body? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Sir Pherozeshah Mehta, the "Lion of Bombay" (1845)Mehta was a leading Indian lawyer, politician, and activist during the time of British rule in India. Though he was not directly opposed to the crown, he advocated for greater Indian autonomy and self-government. He is considered the father of municipal government in Bombay and promoted education, sanitation, and healthcare reforms in the city and around India. In 1885, he helped found the Indian National Congress, and he later served as its president. What was his opinion of English culture? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Now this is the Law of the Jungle—as old and as true as the sky;And the Wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the Wolf that shall break it must die. Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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guilt complex— A very strong and persistent feeling of guilt regarding something or some event. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Dog Days (2023)The Dog Days are known as the hottest days of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, and usually occur in July and early August. In ancient times, the sultry weather in Rome during these months often made people sick, which they blamed on the fact that this was when Sirius, the Dog Star, rose at about the same time as the sun. There are many different ways of calculating which days in any given year are the dog days, but it is impossible to be precise; nowadays it is generally assumed that they fall between July 3 and August 11—slightly later than they occurred in ancient times. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: mysterybags of mystery - Slang for sausage. More... mystery - Traces back to Greek mustikos, "secret," and musterion, "secret rites"; the lesser-known meaning of mystery as "handicraft; art" is part of the phrase "mystery play." More... mystify - Derived from mystery or mystic. More... rune - An ancient alphabet letter, it is from Old English run, "secret, mystery." More... | |