Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, March 18, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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peachy
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Defining Irrealis MoodsThe term irrealis means "unreal," and it refers to grammatical moods that reflect what is not actually the case. What are the two irrealis moods in English? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Umm KulthumKnown as the "Star of the East," Kulthum was one of the Arab world's most famous singers in the 20th century. For decades, her live concerts were broadcast from Cairo on the first Thursday of each month, and while she sang, the Arab world was said to stand still. Her concerts could last several hours and were described as enchanting, highly emotional, and fueled by interaction with the audience. Her funeral was one of the largest gatherings in Egyptian history. How many people were there? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Peace of Riga between Poland and Soviet Union (1921)When Poland declared its independence in 1918 in the aftermath of WWI, its borders—like many at that time—were not formally determined. By 1920, war had broken out over conflicting expansionist attempts between Soviet Russia and Poland, which wanted its 1772 border restored. The Peace of Riga treaty split contested land between Poland and the Soviets, setting the border and effectively halting Russian expansion into Europe. Where were Poles left on the wrong side of the border sent in the 1930s? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 John Hoyer Updike (1932)Updike was a prolific American author whose novels and stories usually deal with the tensions and frustrations of middle-class life. Published between 1961 and 1990, his four famous "Rabbit" novels follow an ordinary American man through the latter decades of the 20th century. Updike is one of the few authors to have won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction more than once. He was also a respected literary critic who championed young authors and espoused what five rules for literary criticism? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Childhood shows the man, as morning shows the day.John Milton (1608-1674) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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have a (good/solid/sound/etc.) grasp of/on (something)— To have a firm, clear understanding or determination of something. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Haru no Higan (2020)Higan is a week of Buddhist services observed in Japan at the spring and autumn equinoxes. Higan means the "other shore," and refers to the spirits of the dead reaching Nirvana after crossing the river of existence. Thus, Higan is a celebration of the spiritual move from the world of suffering to the world of enlightenment and is a time for remembering the dead, visiting, cleaning, and decorating their graves, and reciting sutras, Buddhist prayers. O-hagi, rice balls covered with sweet bean paste, and sushi are offered. It is traditional not to eat meat during this period. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: sleepingcubicle - Originally a small room for sleeping—from Latin cumb, "lie down"—that was separated from a larger room. More... breakfast - Literally means "breaking the fast"—of the night, as it is the first meal after sleeping. More... dormition - A peaceful and painless death, as well as the act of sleeping or falling asleep. More... incubate, incubation - Latin incubare, the source of incubate, literally meant "lie down on"; incubation once had the sense of sleeping in a sacred place or temple for oracular purposes. More... | |