Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, February 7, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
madcap
| |||||||
| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
|---|---|
Relative Pronouns and Relative ClausesA relative pronoun is a type of pronoun used to connect a relative clause to the main clause in a sentence. What two purposes do relative clauses serve in a sentence? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
|---|---|
 Parietal EyesLizards, frogs, lampreys, and some fish species possess a unique organ known as a third, or parietal, eye. Though referred to as an "eye," this photoreceptive organ does not "see" in the same way that a standard eye does. Instead, it uses a different biochemical method of detecting light than normal eyes and helps regulate circadian rhythms and hormone production for thermoregulation. The parietal eye is associated with what gland that humans, too, possess? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
|---|---|
 The Dreadnought Hoax (1910)Nearly four years after the HMS Dreadnought entered service, the revolutionary battleship was "honored" with a visit from Abyssinian royalty. Though the ship's commanders only received last-minute notice of the Abyssinian delegation's impending arrival, they managed to arrange for their guests to be greeted with pomp and circumstance and then given a tour of the vessel. The royal visitors were later revealed to be mere pranksters in blackface. What now-famous author took part in the hoax? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
|---|---|
 Charles Dickens (1812)When Dickens was a boy, his father was placed in debtors' prison. As a result, he was withdrawn from school and forced to work in a factory—an experience that deeply influenced his future writings. Now regarded as one of the world's most popular, prolific, and skilled novelists, Dickens began his literary career as a reporter, developing an encyclopedic knowledge of London and the ability to vividly describe people and everyday life. How long did it take him to write A Christmas Carol? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
|---|---|
 Family likeness has often a deep sadness in it. Nature, that great tragic dramatist, knits us together by bone and muscle, and divides us by the subtler web of our brains; blends yearning and repulsion; and ties us by our heart-strings to the beings that jar us at every movement.George Eliot (1819-1880) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
|---|---|
pester (someone) for (something)— To continually annoy someone with requests for something. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
|---|---|
 Grenada Independence Day (2022)This is a national holiday commemorating Grenada's independence from Britain on this day in 1974. Britain had held the island since the 18th century, when France ceded it under the Treaty of Paris. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
|---|---|
Today's topic: movieart movie - A movie intended to be an artistic work rather than a commercial movie of mass appeal. More... longueurs - Boring periods of time or parts of a book, play, music, or movie are longueurs. More... horse opera - A slang term for a western (movie). More... vamp - Theda Bara's performance in the movie The Vampire brought us this word, meaning "seductive woman." More... | |