Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, June 20, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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insouciance
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Restrictive and Non-Restrictive Relative ClausesLike relative pronouns, relative adverbs can introduce a restrictive relative clause, or a non-restrictive relative clause. Non-restrictive clauses simply give us additional information that is not essential to the sentence. What do restrictive relative clauses do? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 EcdysisIn order for certain insects, crustaceans, and reptiles to grow, they must periodically shed, or molt, their outer layer of skin or other covering in a process known as ecdysis. Prior to shedding, a new soft and expandable layer is laid down underneath the existing one. Then the inner layers of the old cuticle are digested by a molting fluid secreted by the epidermal cells, the animal emerges from the old covering, and the new cuticle hardens. How often do insects undergo ecdysis? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Battle of Chalons (451 CE)Perhaps one of the most important battles of late antiquity, the Battle of Chalons is known only from written records and its exact location remains a mystery, though it probably took place in northeastern France. In this battle, the Romans and Visigoths stopped the advance of the Huns under Attila and, some say, preserved Western civilization. The battle was brutal, and legend holds that the ghosts of the dead continued to fight for days. By some accounts, the battle was fought over what woman? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Chester Burton "Chet" Atkins, Mister Guitar (1924)Atkins got his first guitar by making a trade with his brother, and it was arguably the best deal he ever made. Although he struggled with shyness and suffered from severe asthma—he had to sleep sitting up and often fell asleep still holding his guitar—he became an accomplished guitarist and went on to release several hit records, develop a signature line of guitars, and help create country music's "Nashville sound." What did "Mr. Guitar," as he came to be known, trade to get that first guitar? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 The bow cannot always stand bent, nor can human frailty subsist without some lawful recreation.Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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a lean patch— A period of failure, decline, or poor performance or results. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Gorilla Naming Ceremony (Kwita Izina) (2023)In Kinyarwandan, a language spoken primarily in Rwanda, Kwita Izina means "to give a name," referring to a long-standing ceremony for naming newborn Rwandan babies. In the 21st century, the tradition has extended to naming newborn mountain gorillas. First launched in 2005, the ceremony is a jubilant affair that includes traditional Rwandan dance and music. Each animal is publicly named by a notable figure from Rwanda or another country, and a fundraising gala dinner often accompanies the Kwita Izina to raise additional funds for gorilla conservation campaigns. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: inherentimminent, immanent - Imminent is "about to happen" and immanent is "inherent" or "pervading the material world." More... intrinsic - Latin intrinsecus, "on the inside," came to be the English intrinsic, "inner, internal" and "inherent." More... proper - First meant "inherent, intrinsic." More... innate, inherent - The word innate means "inborn" and should apply to living things; inherent is "essential, intrinsic" and applies best to nonliving things like ideas. More... | |