Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, January 7, 2021)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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corpulence
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Good vs. WellA common stumbling block for native speakers and learners of English alike is the correct usage of "good" versus "well." In most instances, good is an attributive adjective directly describing a noun. What is "well"? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 BarleyOne of the first crops domesticated by humans, barley also had the distinction of being used to make one of the first alcoholic drinks—beer. With its short growing season, barley is adaptable to a greater range of climates than any other cereal. It thus became a staple cereal of ancient Egypt, featured in ancient Greek rituals, was used as currency, and even had it grains used for measurement in England. Shoe sizes in the US and UK are based on a historic inch equivalent to how many barleycorns? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 "CQD" Distress Signal Adopted (1904)"CQD" was one of the first Morse code distress signals adopted for radio use. The Marconi Marine Communication Company began using it in 1904, but by 1908, "CQD" had largely been supplanted by "SOS," a simpler code. Contrary to popular belief, "CQD" does not stand for "Come Quick, Danger" or "Come Quickly: Distress." Rather, it combines the call "CQ"—a general call to all stations stemming from the French word sécurité—with "D" for "distress." What was its most famous use? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Ludwig III of Bavaria (1845)Ludwig III, the last king of Bavaria, took an unusual path to the crown. His father Luitpold had ruled Bavaria for his insane nephews Ludwig II—a brilliant eccentric who was ultimately confined to a château—and Otto I. Ludwig III succeeded Luitpold as regent and reigned as king from 1913 to 1918. Ludwig's brief rule was tumultuous, coinciding with World War I and the German Revolution. He was the first monarch to be deposed in the revolution and fled Munich in November 1918. Where did he die? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Two friends, two bodies with one soul inspired.Homer (900 BC-800 BC) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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be caught off (one's) guard— To be taken by surprise; to be caught when one is vulnerable, careless, or inattentive. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Nanakusa Matsuri (2022)Nanuska Matsuri is a Japanese ceremony dating back to the 9th century. It is also called Wakana-setsu ("Festival of Young Herbs"), or Jin-jitsu ("Man Day"), because it occurs on the zodiacal day for "man." After an offering to the clan deity in the morning, participants partake of nanakusa gayu, a rice gruel seasoned with seven different herbs that is said to have been served for its medicinal value to the young prince of the Emperor Saga. The herbs are shepherd's-purse, chickweed, parsley, cottonweed, radish, as well as herbs known as hotoke-no-za and aona in Japanese. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: tombepitaph - From Greek epi, "upon, over," and taphos, "tomb" or "funeral." More... lair - First meant "grave, tomb," or "place where one sleeps." More... pall, pallbearer - Pallbearer is based on pall, which was first a cloth spread over a coffin, hearse, or tomb. More... cromlech - Is Welsh for "arched stone" and means "any megalithic chamber tomb." More... | |