Daily Content Archive

(as of Saturday, May 8, 2021)
Word of the Day

inanity

Definition:(noun) Total lack of meaning or ideas.
Synonyms:mindlessness, pointlessness, senselessness, vacuity
Usage: My classmates' inanity forced me to seek intelligent conversation elsewhere.
Daily Grammar Lesson

Using Possessive Determiners

Possessive determiners, also known as "possessive adjectives," are a class of determiners that are used to modify nouns to denote possession. Where are possessive determiners usually placed in relation to the noun they modify? More...
Article of the Day

The Amygdalae

Nestled deep within the human brain are two almond-shaped masses of gray matter known as amygdalae. They are part of the limbic system, a group of interconnected brain structures associated with olfaction, emotion, motivation, behavior, and various autonomic functions. Though small, the amygdalae play a key role in our experience of anxiety, distress, and fear as well as the formation and storage of memories of emotional experiences. What might having enlarged amygdalae indicate about a person? More...
This Day in History

Soviet Union Announces Boycott of Summer Olympics (1984)

In response to the US boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, 14 Eastern Bloc countries, including the USSR, Cuba, and East Germany, boycotted the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, California. The USSR cited US "chauvinistic sentiments and anti-Soviet hysteria" in its announcement of its decision not to participate. Thanks, in part, to the Soviet boycott, the US won 83 gold medals and 174 medals overall in Los Angeles. How did the US's unexpected success cost McDonald's millions? More...
Today's Birthday

Petrus Canisius (1521)

Canisius was a 16th century Jesuit preacher who fought against the spread of Protestantism in Germany, Austria, Bohemia, and Switzerland. His catechism, Summa Doctrinae Christianae, authorized in 1566, was one of the earliest popular expositions of the faith. The reestablishment of Roman Catholicism in Germany after the Reformation was largely due to his zeal, and he was canonized and declared a Doctor of the Church in 1925. What line is he credited with adding to the Hail Mary prayer? More...
Quotation of the Day
Long ago, before I had ever seen a diamond, I read about them and I tried to imagine what they would be like ... When I saw a real diamond in a lady's ring one day I was so disappointed I cried. Of course, it was very lovely but it wasn't my idea of a diamond.

Lucy Maud Montgomery (1874-1942)

Idiom of the Day

be kicked upstairs

To be promoted to a higher role or position in a company that has little actual responsibility or authority. More...
Today's Holiday

Helston Flora Day (2024)

According to legend, there was a large stone that blocked off the entrance to hell. One night Satan tried to steal the stone; on his way through Cornwall, England, he was intercepted by the Archangel Michael, who forced him to drop the stone and flee. The town where he dropped it was called Helston (from Hellstone). The people of Helston continue to celebrate the Archangel's victory with the Helston Flora Day. The day's festivities include the "Furry dance," which is performed in the streets by men in top hats and women in fancy dresses, and a trip to the woods in search of flowers and leaves. More...
Word Trivia

Today's topic: rind

crust - From French crouste, from Latin crusta, "rind, shell; incrustation." More...

pith - First referred to the spongy cellular tissue in the stems and branches of many plants, and also the spongy white tissue lining the rind of citrus fruits. More...

rind, peel - The rind is the hard or tough covering on oranges, grapefruit, and watermelon; once removed, skin or rind is usually known as peel. More...

sward - The rind of bacon or pork. More...

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