Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, April 11, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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soothsayer
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Using Ellipses When Omitting Text from a QuotationThe most formal way ellipses are used is to indicate that some text has been omitted from a quoted sentence or passage. For what reasons would we omit text from a quotation? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Operation GladioIn 1990, Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti exposed a clandestine NATO "stay-behind" initiative in which cells of agents secretly remained in various nations after WWII, purportedly to conduct sabotage and organize and arm resistance groups in the event of a Soviet invasion. Implicated in multiple bombings, murders, and false-flag operations across Europe, the CIA-backed Operation Gladio was condemned by European Parliament and disbanded. What activities may have been sponsored by Gladio? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Brixton Riot (1981)In the early 1980s, south London's Brixton neighborhood was plagued by severe social and economic problems, including high rates of unemployment and crime and poor housing conditions. In 1981, in an effort to reduce street crime, police began stopping and searching anyone they deemed suspicious—a policy that many residents of the predominantly black community found discriminatory and heavy-handed. Eventually, the angry residents rioted. How many people were injured during the clash? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Leo Calvin Rosten (1908)Rosten was an American teacher, screenwriter, and humorist. He is best remembered for his stories about a night-school "prodigy" named Hyman Kaplan, which debuted in The New Yorker in the 1930s and were later published in book form under a pseudonym. His The Joys of Yiddish is a humorous guide to the Yiddish language and Jewish culture. Rosten is quoted as having once said that "any man who hates dogs and babies can't be all bad!" To whom was he referring when he made this remark? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 No man can ever feel his own identity aright except his eyes be closed; as if darkness were indeed the proper element of our essences, though light be more congenial to our clayey part.Herman Melville (1819-1891) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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a spring in (one's) step— A happy, energetic, and excited mood or manner, as indicated by the carefree way one walks. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Galveston Island FeatherFest (2022)Begun in 2002, the Galveston Island FeatherFest is intended to celebrate the "birds and natural heritage of the Upper Texas Coastal area." Some 300 species of birds are found on Galveston Island in the springtime as they stop off during their migration north. The FeatherFest allows bird enthusiasts the chance to go on field trips to photograph and watch the birds. Prominent environmental writers, naturalists, and artists are the leaders of these field trips. Seminars, workshops, and lectures on the wildlife in the community are also available, and a FeatherFest Photo Contest is held. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: leftoverspick-up, pick-up dinner - A pick-up or pick-up dinner is one made up of leftovers. More... ort, orts - An ort is a morsel or remaining scrap; orts is another name for leftovers. More... leftover, relic, relief - Before leftovers were called leftovers, they were called relics, and, before that, relief. More... gallimaufry - A medley or confused jumble, especially a dish made of leftovers, from French gallimaufry, "ragout, hash." More... | |