Daily Content Archive

(as of Saturday, December 22, 2018)
Word of the Day

minibar

Definition:(noun) Sideboard with compartments for holding bottles.
Synonyms:cellaret
Usage: Kevin pulled several bottles of wine from his minibar to serve to his guests.
Daily Grammar Lesson

Reported Speech (Indirect Speech)

When we tell other people what someone else told us, it is called indirect speech or reported speech. We use reporting verbs to introduce the information that was spoken previously. What are the most common reporting verbs? More...
Article of the Day

The Aureus

The aureus, Latin for "golden," was a gold coin of ancient Rome. It initially consisted of about 8 grams of nearly pure gold and was valued at 25 silver denarii. It was regularly issued from the 1st century BCE to the beginning of the 4th century CE, when Constantine replaced it with the solidus to account for runaway inflation: in the 23 years between 301 CE and 324 CE, the relative value of the aureus jumped from about 833 to 4,350 denarii. By 356 CE, one solidus was worth how many denarii? More...
This Day in History

Man Shoots Four Would-Be Robbers on NYC Subway (1984)

Dubbed the "Subway Vigilante" by the tabloids, Bernard Hugo Goetz became a symbol of New Yorkers' frustrations with rampant crime when he shot four men intending to rob him on a city subway train, paralyzing one of them. The publicity following the incident and his ensuing trial for attempted murder, assault, reckless endangerment, and firearms offenses divided the public. While some believed Goetz rightly acted in self-defense, others felt he had overreacted. What was the result of the trial? More...
Today's Birthday

Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Taylor Johnson (1912)

Taylor married future US President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1934. In 1943, she bought a debt-ridden radio station and built it into a multimillion-dollar broadcasting company, later helping to finance her husband's first election campaign. As first lady, she played an active role in politics while supporting the "war on poverty," environmental causes, early education, and national beautification projects. She later wrote A White House Diary. How did she get the nickname "Lady Bird"? More...
Quotation of the Day
One's past is what one is. It is the only way by which people should be judged.

Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)

Idiom of the Day

hold on to your hat

Get ready for what's coming or about to happen! More...
Today's Holiday

Toji (2023)

The earliest mention of Winter Solstice celebrations in Japan dates back at least to 725 CE and comes from records left by Emperor Shomu. It is an especially happy time for farmers, because it marks the time of year when the days begin to grow longer and the sun nearer. Many of the customs associated with Toji are still observed in rural areas—they include enjoying citrus baths, eating foods made from pumpkins (which is believed to bring good luck), and offering gifts to one's ancestors. Servants and workers are often given a day off, and many shrines sponsor bonfires. More...
Word Trivia

Today's topic: whip

flail - Based on Latin flagellum, "whip." More...

lash - The flexible part of a whip. More...

scourge - Based on Latin ex-, "thoroughly," and corriga, "whip." More...

crack - The "crack" of a whip is the miniature sonic boom that occurs as the tip breaks the sound barrier. More...

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