Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, October 11, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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ParticlesA particle is a word that does not have semantic meaning on its own, but instead relies on the word it is paired with to have meaning. What are the only two things that a particle is used to create? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 SmokeasiesJust as prohibition in the US led to speakeasies—establishments where alcohol was sold in contravention of the law—so too have smoking bans led to smokeasies—businesses, especially bars, that allow smoking despite a legal prohibition. To combat an expected loss of patrons, many bar owners have chosen to openly allow customers to smoke and regard the fines they incur as a cost of doing business. Others, however, employ stealth tactics to avoid penalties. What are some of their covert methods? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Morant Bay Rebellion (1865)Jamaica was once a leading sugar producer, but the 1833 abolition of slavery there along with unfavorable British tax reforms led to the industry's decline. The resulting economic hardship was one of the prime motives behind the Morant Bay rebellion, which began as a gathering of several hundred black protesters but became a violent riot after a volunteer militia fired upon them. The British ruthlessly quelled the uprising and forced the legislature to surrender its powers, making Jamaica what? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Eleanor Roosevelt (1884)Eleanor Roosevelt, niece of US president Theodore Roosevelt, was an active worker in social causes before she married future US president Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1905. When her husband was stricken with polio in 1921, she took a more active interest in public issues in order to restore his links with the world of politics, playing a leading role in humanitarian causes such as child welfare, equal rights, and social reforms. How was she related to her husband? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 I believe that Virtue shows quite as well in rags and patches as she does in purple and fine linen.Charles Dickens (1812-1870) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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have the courage of (one's) convictions— To have the confidence to act or behave in accordance with one's beliefs or ideologies, especially in the face of resistance, criticism, or persecution. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Macedonian National Uprising Day (2023)October 11 marks the anniversary of the beginning of the Macedonian people's uprising against fascism during World War II. This holiday is observed through formal ceremonies at which the prime minister and other dignitaries deliver addresses acknowledging the significance of this revolt to the spirit of Macedonian independence. In conjunction with this holiday, the Macedonian Parliament recognizes accomplishments in the areas of science, culture, art, and journalism through the "October 11" life achievement awards. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: plowacre - Old English aecer, now acre, was originally the amount of land a yoke of oxen could plow in a day; the Old English word came from Latin ager, "fertile field," and became acre, which first meant any field. More... plow - Borrowed from Old Norse plogr. More... | |