Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, December 20, 2016)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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vagrant
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Defining the Continuous AspectThe continuous aspect is a subclass of the imperfective that emphasizes the progressive nature of the verb, looking at it as an incomplete action in progress over a specific period of time. The continuous aspect does not indicate the duration of the action, nor how often it occurs. Instead, it shows what? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 OrphanagesOrphanages have existed since the first century. Often depicted in works of fiction as cold, abusive institutions, orphanages largely fell out of favor in the 1950s, following a series of abuse and coercion scandals. Many countries then began to close such facilities in favor of foster care and accelerated adoption, leading to a dramatic rise in the number of citizens from so-called First-World countries who travel to the Third World to adopt. Where was the first orphanage in the US located? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 South Carolina Becomes the First State to Secede from the US (1860)In the 1830s, South Carolina residents, frustrated by agricultural tariffs, broached the possibility of secession. Tariff reform appeased them for some time, but following the election of President Abraham Lincoln in 1860, South Carolina seceded from the Union. The state's governor immediately demanded all federal property within the state, including Fort Sumter. The firing on Sumter by Confederate batteries in 1861 precipitated the Civil War. When was the US flag raised over Fort Sumter again? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Branch Wesley Rickey (1881)Rickey was an American baseball executive. In 1919, he devised baseball's farm system of using minor-league teams to train major-league players. In 1945, after he took over the Brooklyn Dodgers, he defied convention and broke a long-standing race barrier by hiring Jackie Robinson, the first black player in the major leagues. A deeply religious man, the "Mahatma"—as Rickey was popularly known—never played, attended, or managed games on Sundays. What protective gear did he introduce to baseball? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently?Lewis Carroll (1832-1898) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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go soft on (someone)— To treat someone delicately, gently, or leniently; to not criticize, punish, or berate someone too harshly. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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.jpg) Halcyon Days (2016)The ancient Greeks called the seven days preceding and the seven days following the Winter Solstice the "Halcyon Days." Greek mythology has it that Halcyone (or Alcyone), Ceyx's wife and one of Aeolus's daughters, drowned herself when she learned her husband had drowned. The gods took pity on her and transformed them both into kingfishers. Zeus commanded the seas to be still during these days, and it was considered a period when sailors could navigate in safety. Today, the expression "halcyon days" has come to mean a period of tranquillity, often used as a nostalgic reference to times past. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: trafficfilter lane - The lane of traffic reserved for those making a specific turn at the next junction. More... reverse commute - To travel to work opposite of the normal rush of traffic. More... traffic calming - The deliberate slowing of traffic in residential areas, with speed bumps or other obstructions. More... traffic - Can only be traced to Italian traffico and trafficare, "trade," but that is all that is known. More... | |