Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, February 18, 2015)| Word of the Day | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
askance
| |||||||
| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
|---|---|
Aspects of the Future TenseWe use different aspects with verbs in the future tense to describe exactly how an event is structured in relation to a future point in time. The future continuous and future perfect continuous are typically only used with what type of verb? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
|---|---|
 Diamond Head, HawaiiDiamond Head—Le'ahi in Hawaiian—is a peak along the rim of an extinct volcano in southeast Oahu. Its English name was given by 19th-century British sailors who mistook calcite crystals embedded in the rock for diamonds. A prominent point in the Honolulu skyline, Diamond Head was designated a national natural landmark to protect its slopes from the commercial development along world-famous Waikiki Beach. Why do scientists think that Diamond Head was formed by a short-lived eruption? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
|---|---|
 Republic of The Gambia Gains Independence from the UK (1965)Entirely surrounded by Senegal except for an outlet to the Atlantic, the Republic of The Gambia is a West African nation that consists of a relatively narrow strip of land that spans both banks of the Gambia River and follows the river's path inland for about 300 mi (480 km). In 1588, the territory was sold to English merchants by the Portuguese. In 1843, it became a British colony. In 1965, it gained independence, and in 1982, it joined with Senegal to form a confederation by what name? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
|---|---|
 Hans Asperger (1906)Asperger was an Austrian psychiatrist who, in 1944, published the first definition of what is now known as Asperger syndrome. Calling it "autistic psychopathy," he described a disorder characterized by severe impairment of social skills and restricted interests and behaviors, features that he himself appears to have exhibited as a child. Despite his patients' handicaps, Asperger believed that they would someday make valuable contributions to society. Which of his patients won a Nobel Prize? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
|---|---|
 The new rage is to say that the government is the cause of all our problems, and if only we had no government, we'd have no problems. I can tell you, that contradicts evidence, history, and common sense.Bill Clinton (1946-) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
|---|---|
won't budge an inch— Will not move, change, or shift in any way at all. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
|---|---|
 Gambia Independence Day (2019)Gambia gained independence from Britain on February 18, 1965, and became a constitutional monarchy. On that day, people gathered in Bathurst for music, dancing, and the replacement of the Union Jack with the Gambian flag. A public vote in 1970 made the Republic of the Gambia a British Commonwealth. Independence Day is a national holiday in Gambia. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
|---|---|
Today's topic: swinegruntle - Can be used for swine, meaning "to make a little grunt." More... pig - Originally meant just "young pig" until the 16th century—the word in Old and Middle English for the animal was swine. More... swine - The collective (and ancestral) term for domesticated pigs and hogs; a hog is 120 pounds and ready for market, while a pig is immature and weighs less. More... | |