Daily Content Archive

(as of Monday, December 4, 2017)
Word of the Day

imprimatur

Definition:(noun) Formal and explicit approval.
Synonyms:countenance, endorsement, sanction, warrant
Usage: The candidate's campaign was bolstered by the imprimatur of New York's governor.
Daily Grammar Lesson

Collective Nouns

Collective nouns are nouns that refer to a collection or group of multiple people, animals, or things. They usually function as singular nouns in a sentence, but they are occasionally used as plurals, too. What are some examples of collective nouns that can only be plural? More...
Article of the Day

Amaranth

Found in warm regions, especially in the Americas and Africa, the herbs, trees, and vines of the Amaranthaceae family are characterized by stems and leaves colored by a lasting red pigment. With a name derived from amarantos, the Greek word for "unfading," plants of this genus have been a poetic symbol of immortality from the time of ancient Greece. They can be preserved dry and are often used in everlasting bouquets. What other uses have been found for these plants? More...
This Day in History

McGurk's Bar Bombing (1971)

One of the first major atrocities of "the Troubles," a period of political violence in Ireland that began in the late 1960s, the bombing of Belfast's predominantly Roman Catholic Tramore Bar—better known as McGurk's—killed 15 people and injured 17. The first major attack on civilians by any of the region's paramilitary organizations, the bombing provoked widespread political and public reaction. After losing both his wife and daughter in the bombing, the bar's owner made what televised request? More...
Today's Birthday

Thomas Carlyle (1795)

Carlyle was a Scottish historian and writer. His adherence to Calvinist values despite his loss of faith in traditional Christianity proved appealing to many Victorians, and he gained notice with his first major work, Sartor, Resartus. Simultaneously factual and fictional, the work forces the reader to confront the problem of where "truth" is to be found and was initially considered bizarre and incomprehensible by some. It had some success in the US, however, where it was admired by whom? More...
Quotation of the Day
Where peace
And rest can never dwell, hope never comes
That comes to all.

John Milton (1608-1674)

Idiom of the Day

heavy-hearted

Sorrowful; melancholy; depressed. More...
Today's Holiday

Pilgrimage to Adam's Peak (2023)

A footprint preserved in stone is a sacred site at the top of a mountain in Dalhousie, Sri Lanka. Depending on one's religious tradition, the footprint belongs to Adam (Muslim), the Buddha, St. Thomas (Christian), or Lord Shiva (Hindu). Pilgrims have made the climb for over 1,000 years to the summit of Adam's Peak. Though the terrain is rugged, many pilgrims make the ascent by the light of lanterns so they can arrive at the break of dawn and catch a spectacular view of the western coastline. According to local tradition, a woman who reaches the top will be reincarnated as a man. More...
Word Trivia

Today's topic: knights

on one's high horse - At one time, knights, kings, and other VIPs rode on chargers, while ladies and others rode on smaller saddle horses, begetting the phrase "on one's high horse." More...

full tilt - Meaning "full speed," it is from the encounter at full gallop of knights in a tilt (lance combat). More...

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