Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, February 2, 2015)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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temerity
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Regular and Irregular InflectionRegular inflection is governed by consistent, predictable rules. Irregular inflection doesn’t seem to follow any rules or conventions at all. What are some examples of irregular inflection? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 FilibustersA filibuster is an obstructionist tactic used in legislative assemblies. It is particularly associated with the US Senate, where the tradition of unlimited debate is strong, and it has been used by conservatives and liberals for very different purposes. It was not until 1917 that the Senate provided for cloture—or ending of the debate—by a vote of two-thirds of the Senators present. Yet, despite many attempts, cloture has been applied only rarely. What is the etymology of the term "filibuster"? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Sled Dogs Reach Nome, Alaska, with Diphtheria Serum (1925)In 1925, a diphtheria outbreak threatened the small city of Nome. The town's supply of antitoxin had run out, and a mail shipment would have taken weeks to arrive. After learning of the crisis, 20 mushers and some 150 sled dogs, including the famous Balto, relayed fresh antitoxin 674 miles (1,085 km) in a record five and a half days, preventing an epidemic. Today, the heroic journey is commemorated by the annual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. How long does it take modern competitors to complete? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 George Halas, "Papa Bear" (1895)Halas was a pioneering football player, coach, and owner of one of the 11 original teams in the American Professional Football Association (APFA), the Decatur Staleys. Founded in 1920, the APFA went on to become the National Football League (NFL) in 1922—the same year Halas moved his team to Chicago and renamed it the Bears. Under his leadership, the Chicago Bears won seven NFL championships. In addition to coaching, Halas also played what position during the 1920s? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Success comes to a writer, as a rule, so gradually that it is always something of a shock to him to look back and realize the heights to which he has climbed.P. G. Wodehouse (1881-1975) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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get the knack of— To learn how to do something competently or well after a certain period of practice or development. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Groundhog Day (2015)There was a medieval superstition that all hibernating animals came out on Candlemas to check the weather. If they could see their shadows, it meant that winter would go on for another six weeks. The most famous forecaster in the U.S. is Punxsutawney Phil, a legendary groundhog in Pennsylvania believed to be nearly a century old. Thousands of people trek up to Phil's burrow on February 2 and get the news directly from him. Numerous events take place in Punxsutawney surrounding February 2, including parties, live entertainment, and a winter carnival. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: rubberawareness band, awareness bracelet - An awareness band or awareness bracelet is made of rubber or fabric on which a slogan is written, usually sold to raise awareness for charitable causes. More... Macintosh - A raincoat, named for Charles Macintosh (Scottish inventor, 1766-1843), who discovered how to waterproof fabric with rubber. More... rubber - In the sense of the latex of the rubber plant, it is so called because you can rub out pencil marks with it, not the other way around. More... amorphous - Something amorphous has no real shape or is irregularly shaped—like pudding; an amorphous solid lacks the perfect ordered structure of crystals. Other examples are glass, polymers, and rubber. More... | |