Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, May 17, 2023)| Word of the Day | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
vainglory
| |||||||
| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
|---|---|
Coordinate AdjectivesWhen multiple adjectives are used in a sentence, they are sometimes separated by commas. What are "coordinate adjectives," and why are they separated by commas? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
|---|---|
 CobaltCobalt is a silver-white, lustrous, hard, brittle metal that is chemically active and rarely occurs uncombined in nature. It is, however, often found in meteoric metal. Cobalt compounds have been used for centuries to impart a rich blue color to glass, glazes, and ceramics. The element has been detected in Egyptian sculpture and Persian jewelry from the third millennium BCE. The word cobalt is derived from the German word for "goblin." Why was the element thus named? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
|---|---|
 The First Kentucky Derby (1875)The Kentucky Derby is a classic US thoroughbred horse race. Established in 1875, it is run annually on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs track in Louisville, Kentucky. The field is limited to three-year-old Thoroughbreds, and the track distance is 1.25 mi (2,000 m). With the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes, it makes up US racing's coveted Triple Crown. In front of an estimated crowd of 10,000 people, the inaugural derby was won by jockey Oliver Lewis riding a colt named what? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
|---|---|
 Bartholomew Roberts (1682)Now infamous as "Black Bart," Roberts was a Welsh pirate who raided ships off the coasts of the Americas and West Africa in the 18th century, during the period known as the "Golden Age of Piracy." Considered the most successful pirate of the era, he is estimated to have captured more than 400 vessels in a matter of a few years—far more than some of the best-known pirates of his day, such as Blackbeard or Captain Kidd. Roberts is one of the pirate captains mentioned in what famous pirate story? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
|---|---|
 If one sticks too rigidly to one's principles, one would hardly see anybody.Agatha Christie (1890-1976) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
|---|---|
have a yen for (something)— To have a very strong and persistent desire or craving for something. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
|---|---|
 Norway Constitution Day (Syttende Mai) (2024)May 17, 1814, marks both Norway's declaration of independence from Sweden and the day on which its constitution was signed. This day remains the great spring festival in Norway, and today it is celebrated primarily by young people. The children's procession in Oslo, the capital city, is the largest of many school parades throughout the country. Marching behind their school bands and banners, the children pass under the balcony of the Royal Palace in salute to the king. Everyone joins in the procession, waving Norwegian flags. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
|---|---|
Today's topic: idlenesshonky-tonk - May come from the New England dialect word honk, "to idle about," and is a rhyming duplication. More... libberwort - Food or drink that makes one idle and stupid, food of no nutritional value, i.e. junk food. More... ignavia, ignavy - Idleness or sloth can be described as ignavia or ignavy. More... | |