Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, December 5, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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ascendancy
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Using the Present Continuous Tense with AdverbsWhen using the present continuous tense, we can add adverbs relating to time between "be" and the present participle. What do such adverbs serve to specify or clarify? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Energy WeaponsDirected-energy weapons are those that transfer energy to a target without the use of a projectile. Types of energy used or proposed for such weapons include sound, radio, light, particles, and plasma—all of which could be used for a number of different applications, including destroying targets, causing disorientation, or disabling machinery. Although many so-called energy weapons are the stuff of science fiction, some are in development or even in limited use. What are some examples? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Christopher Columbus Becomes the First European on Hispaniola (1492)Soon after landing on the island now known as Hispaniola—home to the Dominican Republic and Haiti—Columbus returned to Spain with news of the New World, leaving behind a group of colonists. On his second expedition, he discovered that the colony had been destroyed, and he established another one. The new colony soon fell into a state of disorder, which he tried to quell with strict discipline. The colonists appear to have disliked Columbus's tyrannical leadership. What did they do about it? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Walter Elias "Walt" Disney (1901)Disney began his career as a cartoonist in 1920. By the time he died in 1966, he had built an entertainment empire. His enormously successful cartoons and films—both animated and live-action—employed groundbreaking technology and introduced now-famous characters such as Mickey Mouse. A skilled businessman as well as an innovator, Disney oversaw his company's expansion into theme parks and mass merchandising. According to legend, what were the mysterious last two words Disney wrote? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 A national debt, if it is not excessive, will be to us a national blessing.Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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be in for a surprise— To be guaranteed to receive or experience an unexpected outcome, especially a negative one. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Chester Greenwood Day (2020)Chester Greenwood (1858-1937) made his first pair of "ear protectors" when he was 15 years old. He was granted a patent in 1877 and established an entirely new industry in his hometown of Farmington, Maine, where he continued to refine the design and manufacture of what we now know as earmuffs. Farmington residents celebrate Chester Greenwood Day on the first Saturday in December (Greenwood was born on December 4) with a parade, flag-raising ceremony, and a foot race. Everyone is encouraged to wear earmuffs for the festivities, including pets. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: puzzlerebus - A puzzle in which one must decode a message consisting of pictures representing syllables and words. More... puzzle - Comes from Old French opposaile, "thing set before one," "bewildering thing"; as a verb, it first meant "be beset by difficulties." More... cabobble - To mystify, puzzle, or confuse. More... word search - A puzzle consisting of letters arranged in a grid which contains a number of hidden words written in various directions. More... | |