Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, October 2, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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brusque
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Subjunctive Mood - Expressing WishesOne of the most straightforward ways of using the subjunctive mood is when we want to describe a wish for something to be different than it is or was. How do we generally construct these sentences? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Bride KidnappingAlmost always illegal, but still prevalent in parts of Asia, the Caucasus, and elsewhere, bride kidnapping is a custom in which a man abducts a woman for the purpose of marriage. The two may or may not be acquainted, and the man sometimes has help with the abduction. In some cases, the process includes rape. In others, the kidnapper apologizes to the woman's family. In Kyrgyzstan, the man's family may gather to convince the kidnapped woman to marry her captor. How does she signal her acceptance? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Twilight Zone Premieres on CBS (1959)A classic science-fiction show that ran for just five years, The Twilight Zone was created by veteran television writer Rod Serling. More than half of its 155 unrelated episodes were written or co-written by Serling, who also narrated each half-hour episode with his trademark deadpan. The show often starred soon-to-be-famous actors such as William Shatner and Robert Redford. Many episodes featured frightening or ironic plot twists. What were some of the show's most celebrated episodes? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Charles Albert of Sardinia (1798)The complex and controversial king of Sardinia-Piedmont from 1831 to 1849, Charles Albert helped inspire the growing drive for Italian independence. In 1848, the spread of revolutionary ideas forced him to grant a constitution. Seeking to lead the liberation of Italy, he went to war with Austria that same year, and again in 1849, but was twice defeated. After abdicating in favor of his son, he went into exile and soon died. Charles was called the "number one enemy" of what? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Experience is the only thing that brings knowledge.L. Frank Baum (1856-1919) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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have (one's) head in the sand— To refuse to acknowledge or deal with problems, danger, or difficulty, especially in the hopes that they will resolve themselves. The phrase is a reference to ostriches, which were believed (incorrectly) to hide their heads in the ground at the sight of approaching danger. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Guinea Independence Day (2023)Guinea became an independent republic on this day in 1958, after having been a French colony since the late 19th century. Independence Day is a national holiday celebrated all over the country with parades, dances, and sports competitions, especially in the capital city of Conakry. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: trickssnow park - An area of a piste, or ski trail, created for snowboarders and skiers to do tricks. More... intricate - From Latin in-, "into," and tricae, "tricks, perplexities." More... monkeyshines - A combination of monkey and shines, "capers, tricks." More... whist - The game was originally called whisk, from "whisking away" the cards after the tricks had been taken. More... | |