Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, April 13, 2021)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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antecede
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Using "Might"The modal verb "might" is most often used to express an unlikely or uncertain possibility. "Might" is also used to very formally or politely ask for permission. In what situation is "might" used as the past-tense form of "may"? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Terra NulliusSandwiched between Egypt and Sudan is a sparsely inhabited parcel of desert claimed by neither country. Known as Bir Tawil, it is one of the few examples of terra nullius—land that legally belongs to no one. Historically, much land has been taken from indigenous peoples under the pretense of declaring it terra nullius, as happened in Australia. Today, almost all land is recognized as being under the jurisdiction of someone, except for Bir Tawil and what other place? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 George Frideric Handel's Oratorio Messiah Debuts (1742)Composed by Handel, the great master of baroque music, Messiah is one of the most popular choral works in the Western world. Its immense popularity has resulted in the erroneous conception of Handel as primarily a church composer. In truth, the contemplative, English-language oratorio stands apart from the rest of his 32 oratorios, which are dramatically conceived. How did it become tradition for audiences to stand during the performance of Messiah's "Hallelujah" chorus? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Alfred Mosher Butts (1899)In the 1930s, Butts, an unemployed architect, invented a game called Lexiko, in which players drew lettered tiles from a pool and then attempted to form words. After unsuccessful attempts to sell the game to board-game makers, Butts sold the rights to entrepreneur James Brunot, who made a few minor adjustments and renamed the game Scrabble. More than 150 million sets have been sold in multiple languages since. How did Butts determine how many tiles of each letter should be included in the game? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 People who love downy peaches are apt not to think of the stone, and sometimes jar their teeth terribly against it.George Eliot (1819-1880) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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follow (someone or something) in stride— To follow the direction, lead, or guidance (of someone or something); to act in accordance (with someone or something); to follow suit. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 French Quarter Festival (2024)The French Quarter Festival celebrates Louisiana's distinctive musical and culinary traditions. Held in New Orleans, the festival features performances by local and other Louisiana musicians as well as those foreign musicians influenced by Louisiana's musical traditions. Scores of bands perform at various sites throughout the French Quarter (also called the Vieux Carré). Sixty local restaurants operate food booths on the festival grounds, offering spectators the best in Louisiana cooking. In recent years, close to 300,000 people have attended this three-day event. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: lightsday - One of the perpendicular divisions or "lights" of a mullioned window. More... blackout - Originally a theatrical term for the extinguishing of all lights on the stage when scenery was shifted. More... taps, last post - Taps, the bugle call for lights out, was originally a drum roll and got its name from the tapping of the drums; taps are also called last post. More... twilight - The time of two lights, the fading sunset and the emerging light of the moon and stars; there are three sequential stages of twilight: civil twilight, nautical twilight, and astronomical twilight. More... | |