Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, January 13, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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regnant
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Defining VerbsVerbs are used to indicate the actions, processes, conditions, or states of beings of people or things. They constitute the root of the predicate, which, along with the subject, forms a full clause or sentence. When we discuss verbs' role in the predicate, we usually divide them into what two fundamental categories? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Henry Percy, 9th Earl of NorthumberlandPercy was an English aristocrat who inherited his title from his father when he was in his early 20s. Under James I, Percy was imprisoned in the Tower of London for suspicion of involvement in the Gunpowder Plot, which was undertaken in part by his relative Thomas Percy. While in prison, he made the acquaintance of Sir Walter Raleigh, who was also confined there, and earned the sobriquet "The Wizard Earl" for his scientific experiments. What luxurious amenities did Percy have while imprisoned? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Survivor of British Retreat from Kabul Reaches Jalalabad (1842)During the First Anglo-Afghan War, a group of 4,500 British soldiers and 12,000 British civilians left Kabul for Jalalabad. Beset by murderous bands, their numbers quickly dwindled. A few were captured alive and later released, but army surgeon William Brydon was the sole person to escape the final ambush by Afghan tribesman and reach the British camp at Jalalabad that day. Part of Brydon's skull had been sheared off by a sword, but he survived thanks to what object stuffed inside his hat? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Horatio Alger, Jr. (1832)Alger was an American author who wrote more than 100 children's books. Highly formulaic, each taught that through honesty, perseverance, and hard work, poor but virtuous lads could prevail in life. Published in 1868, the first of those books, Ragged Dick, was an immediate success. Despite the weaknesses of Alger's writing, his books ultimately sold more than 20 million copies, making him one of the most popular writers of the 19th century. What ended Alger's previous career as a minister? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 All the learnin' my father ever paid for was a bit o' birch at one end and the alphabet at th' other.George Eliot (1819-1880) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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a juggling act— A difficult and/or precarious situation in which several things are being attempted or must be maintained at the same time. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 St. Knut's Day (2021)The feast day of King Canute (or Knut), who ruled Denmark, England, and Norway in the 11th century, marks the end of the Yuletide season in Sweden. Rather than letting the holidays fade quietly, Swedish families throughout the country hold parties to celebrate the final lighting (and subsequent dismantling) of the Christmas tree. After letting the children eat the cookies and candies used to decorate the tree, and after packing the ornaments away in their boxes, it is customary to hurl the tree through an open window. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: stimulateaperitif, appetizer - An aperitif is a drink to stimulate the appetite and an appetizer is a food that does this before a meal. More... condiment - From Latin condimentum, from condire, "to pickle, preserve"; condiments are food substances used to heighten the natural flavor of foods, to stimulate the appetite, to aid digestion, or preserve certain foods. More... innervate, enervate - Innervate means "to stimulate or give nervous energy," the opposite of enervate. More... stimulate - From Latin stimulus, "pointed stick for goading animals." More... | |