Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, January 7, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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hardihood
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Defining MoodGrammatical mood refers to the way in which a verb is used to express certain meaning by the speaker or writer. In linguistics, moods are broken down into two main categories: realis moods (expressing what is real or true) and irrealis moods, which express what? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 CartomancyCartomancy is a form of divination, or fortune-telling, involving playing cards. Cards made their way to Europe in the 14th century, probably from Egypt. By the 15th century, cards with allegorical illustrations, or tarots, began appearing in Europe. Divination using these cards is in evidence as early as 1540, but it appears that the cards themselves were only later assigned specific divinatory meanings. Clubs in cartomancy signify power and are associated with what fiery mythical creature? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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.jpg) First Crossing of the English Channel by Air (1785)In the dangerous, early days of balloon flight, French inventor Jean-Pierre Blanchard became the first person to travel across the English Channel by air. Not long after, another pair of balloonists attempted to repeat this feat, but the two were killed when their balloon exploded. Blanchard himself eventually died in a ballooning accident, and his widow suffered a similar fate about a decade later. With what useless objects did Blanchard attempt to steer his balloon during early flights? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Millard Fillmore (1800)Born in a log cabin in rural New York, Fillmore was compelled to work at an early age to help support his large, impoverished family. Despite his limited education, he became a lawyer and was elected vice president under Zachary Taylor. Upon Taylor's death in 1850, Fillmore was sworn in as president. His attempt to take a moderate stance on the highly contentious issue of slavery ended his political career. While being fed soup, a dying Fillmore made what remark that turned out to be his last? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 In the bosoms of this people, thus heterogeneously composed, there was burning, kindled at different furnaces, but all furnaces of affliction, one clear, steady flame of liberty.John Quincy Adams (1767-1848) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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jet-setter— A wealthy individual who travels globally, especially by private jet, to frequent fashionable resorts, social events, and the like. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Ganna (2021)The Christmas celebration in Ethiopia (observing the Coptic Orthodox calendar), which is officially called Leddat, is more popularly known as Ganna, after the game that is traditionally played on this day by boys, young men, and occasionally elders. According to legend, the shepherds were so happy when they heard about the birth of Jesus that they used their hooked staffs to play ganna—a game similar to field hockey. Pilgrims gather in the spectacular medieval churches in Lalibela for services, music, and food. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: retreatretreatant - A person taking part in a retreat. More... anabasis, catabasis - An anabasis is a military expedition and a catabasis is the retreat of an army. More... ivory tower - Suggests elegant detachment in a cool, white aerie, where a poet or philosopher might retreat to think and write. More... resile, arsle - To resile or arsle is to recoil, retreat, or draw back. More... | |