Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, January 4, 2024)| Word of the Day | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
farrier
| |||||||
| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
|---|---|
Focusing AdverbsFocusing adverbs are used to draw attention to a particular part of a clause. They frequently point to verb phrases. Where can focusing adverbs be placed in a sentence? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
|---|---|
 The Golden Age of WhodunitBeginning in the 1920s, the complex, plot-driven, whodunit genre of detective fiction experienced a 30-year Golden Age. In these stories, the puzzle takes center stage, and readers, who are provided with clues throughout the book, are challenged to deduce the perpetrator's identity before it is revealed in the mystery's final pages. Wilkie Collins' The Moonstone (1868) is widely regarded as one of the first true whodunits. What famed children's author also penned a whodunit in 1922? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
|---|---|
 Sofia Liberated from Ottoman Rule (1878)Sofia was established as a Thracian settlement around the 8th century BCE and has since developed into a major world city and the capital of Bulgaria, due in part to its central position in the Balkans. Today it is home to attractions like the 6th century Church of St. Sofia and 15th century Banya Bashi mosque. During its long history, the city passed through the hands of the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman empires. After nearly 500 years of Turkish rule, Sofia was liberated by what country? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
|---|---|
 Sir Isaac Newton (1643)Widely considered the greatest scientist who ever lived, Newton was an English physicist and mathematician. His most famous publication, Principia Mathematica, regarded as the seminal work of modern science, includes his works on the laws of motion, tidal theory, and the theory of universal gravitation. Newton also worked out the fundamentals of calculus, though this work went unpublished for more than 30 years. How might Newton's study of alchemy have influenced his theory of gravity? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
|---|---|
 A man's character may be learned from the adjectives which he habitually uses in conversation.Mark Twain (1835-1910) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
|---|---|
horse-trade— To negotiate, trade, or bargain in a shrewd, judicious manner. Primarily heard in US. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
|---|---|
 Myanmar Independence Day (2024)The southeast Asian country of Burma (renamed Myanmar in 1989 by its military government), was given independence in 1948, when it refused to rejoin the British Commonwealth following Japanese occupation in World War II. The former capital, Yangon (formerly Rangoon), is decorated for Independence Day festivities, and the day is marked by sports and fairs in most cities. Burmese people dress in their national costume, which consists of an aingyi (blouse or shirt) and a longyi (skirt); panthay khowse (noodles and chicken) is traditionally served on this day, as is nga sak kin (curried fish balls). More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
|---|---|
Today's topic: pillargnomon, gnomonics - A gnomon is the pillar or rod that casts a shadow on a sundial; gnomonics is the art or science of dialing or of constructing dials to show the hour of the day by the shadow of a gnomon. More... pilaster - First referred to a square or rectangular column or pillar. More... pillar - From Latin pila, "pillar," the source of compile, pilaster, and pile. More... column - Its underlying notion is of "height, command, extremity," and it comes from Latin columna, "pillar," which probably came from columen/culmen, "top, summit." More... | |