Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, December 29, 2023)| Word of the Day | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
remunerate
| |||||||
| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
|---|---|
Concrete and Abstract NounsConcrete nouns name people, places, or things with physical properties. Abstract nouns name intangible things, such as concepts, feelings, characteristics, etc. Gerunds are verbs that end in "-ing" and function as nouns. Are they concrete or abstract? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
|---|---|
 Eartha KittKitt, whose career as an actress, singer, and cabaret star has spanned nearly 6 decades, was born to an African-American and Cherokee mother and a Caucasian father during a time when laws prohibiting miscegenation, or interracial marriage, were still in place. Kitt's first starring role was in Orson Welles' production of Dr. Faustus, but she is best known for her role as Catwoman in the 1960s TV series Batman. What oft-covered Christmas song is Kitt famous for having recorded? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
|---|---|
 Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, Assassinated (1170)Becket was a brilliant administrator and diplomat who served as chancellor of England under Henry II. In a bid to reinforce royal control of the church, Henry appointed Becket archbishop of Canterbury in 1162. However, Becket embraced his duties devoutly and opposed royal interference in the church. This led him to be denounced as a traitor, whereupon he fled to France to live in exile. Upon his return in 1170, he once again drew the ire of the king and was murdered by whom soon after? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
|---|---|
 William Ewart Gladstone (1809)Gladstone, a British statesman, served as prime minister four times between 1868 and 1894, a period in which he was the Liberal party's dominant personality. A great orator and master of finance, he was deeply religious and brought a highly moralistic tone to politics. To many, he represented the best qualities of Victorian England, but he was also passionately disliked, most notably by Queen Victoria and his chief political rival, Benjamin Disraeli. What famous quips resulted from the rivalry? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
|---|---|
 The principal thing in this world is to keep one's soul aloft.Gustave Flaubert (1821-1880) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
|---|---|
home, James (, and don't spare the horses)— A humorous directive for a driver to take one home directly and without delay. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
|---|---|
 Fiesta of the Black St. Benito (2023)This fiesta is celebrated by a number of locales in the state of Zulia, Venezuela, and is especially popular in Bobures. After early morning mass, the chimbángueles, or vassals of the saint, put St. Benito's statue on a litter and surround it with flowers. They then carry it through the streets while performing an unusual bouncing kind of dance, in which they continually move forward and backward to the accompaniment of seven drums. Throughout the long procession, St. Benito's image is sprinkled with perfumes and presented with drinks of homemade whiskey. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
|---|---|
Today's topic: purposesall intents and purposes - A redundant phrase, created for emphasis. More... blamestorming - An intense discussion for the purposes of placing blame or assigning responsibility for a misdeed or failure. More... celebrant, celebrator, reveler - Celebrants take part in religious ceremonies; celebrators or revelers gather for purposes of revelry. More... teleology - The study of design in nature; the word's basic meaning is "the study of ends or purposes"—attempts to understand the purpose of a natural occurrence by looking at its results. More... | |