Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, October 1, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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fretful
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Using Multiple Sets of Quotation MarksIf a sentence already uses quotation marks, then we have to differentiate between the quoted speech and the rest of the sentence. If we are using double quotation marks, then we have to put the quoted speech in single quotation marks; if it is in single quotation marks, then the quoted text is put into double quotation marks. What happens to the rest of the punctuation in the sentence? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The First Fatality in the Age of FlightUS Army First Lieutenant Thomas Selfridge was the first person killed in a powered airplane. The accident that caused his death occurred during a demonstration of the Wright Flyer for the US Army in September 1908. After a few successful circuits around Virginia's Fort Myer, the craft's right propeller broke, causing it to nose-dive into the ground. Selfridge, a passenger on the flight, sustained major head injuries and died that night. What happened to the pilot, Orville Wright? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Thrilla in Manila (1975)Frequently rated among the greatest boxing matches of all time, the Thrilla in Manila saw world heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali meet rival Joe Frazier for the third—and final—time. Leading up to the match, Ali had publicly taunted Frazier, calling him a "gorilla." Because many believed Frazier to be past his prime, Ali—though older—was expected to win. However, the fight went on for 14 brutal rounds in the sweltering Manila heat, and neither man was able to knock out the other. Who won? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Vladimir Samoylovich Horowitz (1903)A Russian-American virtuoso pianist, Horowitz made his debut in Russia at 17. Within years, he was touring internationally, with much success. He eventually settled in the US, where his extraordinary technical virtuosity made him one of the most popular pianists of his time. Always susceptible to nervous strain, in 1953 he decided to quit performing publicly. He returned to the stage in 1965 and occasionally thereafter until his death. Why did Horowitz's father lie about his son's birthday? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Fear is sharp-sighted, and can see things underground, and much more in the skies.Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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when pigs can fly— At a time that will never come to pass. (Used to show skepticism or cynicism over someone's hypothetical remark.) More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Mid-Autumn Festival (Singapore) (2020)The Mid-Autumn Festival, sometimes known as the Mooncake Festival, is observed by Chinese communities around the world. The cakes are often sold along with lanterns and are filled with either a sweet bean paste or with melon and lotus seeds, and may be flavored with orange peels, egg yolks, or other spices. On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, children all over Singapore have parades so they can show off their lighted lanterns. There are also lantern-making contests, Chinese costume-making competitions, lion and dragon dances, and concerts. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: pillargnomon, gnomonics - A gnomon is the pillar or rod that casts a shadow on a sundial; gnomonics is the art or science of dialing or of constructing dials to show the hour of the day by the shadow of a gnomon. More... pilaster - First referred to a square or rectangular column or pillar. More... pillar - From Latin pila, "pillar," the source of compile, pilaster, and pile. More... column - Its underlying notion is of "height, command, extremity," and it comes from Latin columna, "pillar," which probably came from columen/culmen, "top, summit." More... | |