Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, March 13, 2021)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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protract
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Using Subordinating ConjunctionsA subordinating conjunction does two things: it introduces and subordinates the dependent clause (telling the reader that it's less important than the independent clause), and it explains what relationship it has to the independent clause. When we use subordinating conjunctions to join two clauses, does it matter which clause comes first? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The HermitageOne of the oldest and largest museums in the world, the Hermitage was founded by Catherine the Great in 1764 but was not opened to the public until nearly a century later. It occupies a complex of historic buildings and palaces in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and is home to more than three million artifacts and works of art—including the largest collection of paintings in the world. In 1985, what bizarre incident befell Rembrandt's painting Danaë, necessitating years of restoration work? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Phoenix Lights: Aliens or Air Force? (1997)In 1997, thousands of people reported a series of optical phenomena—since known as the Phoenix Lights—taking place in the skies over the US states of Arizona and Nevada. The sightings consisted of two events: a triangular formation of lights observed passing overhead and a series of stationary lights seen in the Phoenix area. Although the US Air Force identified the second group of lights as flares, many believe the first set of lights were those of a UFO, including what notable politician? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Daniel Lambert (1770)Lambert is famous for having been recognized, in his own time, as the fattest man in England. An active and athletic youth, he began his dramatic weight gain after taking over his father's job as keeper of a prison in Leicester. Though he initially led a quiet life and was well liked by his prisoners, he eventually—and reluctantly—went on tour. By then, he weighed more than 700 pounds (318 kg), and spectators paid a shilling each to see him. What complication arose when he died at Stamford? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 The doctrine of innate ideas is one of the most admirable faiths of philosophy, being itself an innate idea and therefore inaccessible to disproof...Among innate ideas may be mentioned the belief...in the greatness of one's country, in the superiority of one's civilization, in the importance of one's personal affairs, and in the interesting nature of one's diseases.Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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wash (someone's) mouth out (with soap)— To punish someone for using rude, vulgar, or obscene language by cleaning their mouth with soap (usually used merely as a threat). More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Omizutori Matsuri (2024)Omizutori Matsuri is marked by religious rites that have been observed for 12 centuries at the Buddhist Todaiji Temple in the city of Nara, Japan. During this period of meditative rituals, the drone of recited sutras and the sound of blowing conches echo from the temple. On March 12, young monks on the temple gallery brandish burning pine-branches, shaking off burning pieces. Spectators below try to catch the sparks, believing they have magic power against evil. On March 13, the ceremony of drawing water is observed to the accompaniment of ancient music. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: noticeadvertisement - From advertir, Old French for "to notice," and ultimately from Latin advertere, "to turn toward." More... emit, emission, emissary - Emit, emission, and emissary come from Latin emittere, "send out," and emit once meant "publish a book or notice." More... notable, noticeable - Notable means "worthy of notice" and noticeable means "readily observed." More... remark - From an intensified French word marquer, "observe, notice," i.e. "making a verbal observation." More... | |