Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, May 1, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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abhorrence
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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NounsNouns are words that indicate a person, place, or thing. In a sentence, nouns can function as the subject or the object of a verb or preposition. Nouns can also follow linking verbs to rename or re-identify the subject of a sentence or clause. These are known as what? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The HakaThe haka is a traditional dance of the Maori of New Zealand, performed by a group in unison and incorporating rhythmic shouting, foot stamping, and contorted facial expressions. It was traditionally performed when two groups met, whether for war or diplomacy. Many people today are familiar with this type of dance because it is performed by New Zealand's international rugby team, the All Blacks, while facing the opposing team before each match. How is the haka said to have originated? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Minamata Disease Officially Discovered in Japan (1956)Minamata disease is a degenerative neurological disorder characterized by a loss of coordination and peripheral vision, poor articulation of speech, and numbness of the extremities. It was first encountered in 1956, when numerous cases of the then-unknown disease were observed in Minamata, Japan. Investigations showed that the consumption of seafood contaminated by a local chemical factory's mercury-laden wastewater caused the disorder. What brought more attention to the disease in 1965? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 John Woo (1946)Woo is a Chinese film director known for the balletic violence of his movies. His films belong to a genre originating in Hong Kong called "heroic bloodshed" and have inspired American filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino. Woo first gained international recognition with his 1989 Hong Kong thriller The Killer. During the 1990s, he became one of the first Asian directors to achieve mainstream success in Hollywood. He has since directed several American films, including what 1997 blockbuster? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 To attain happiness in another world we need only to believe something, while to secure it in this world we must do something.Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860-1935) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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a sore loser— Someone who complains, becomes upset, or otherwise reacts very negatively when he or she fails or loses at something competitive. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 The Game of St. Evermaire (2022)The Spel van Sint Evermarus, or the Game of St. Evermaire, is a dramatic reenactment of the slaying of eight pilgrims in Rousson (Rutten), Belgium, on their way to the Holy Land in 699. This event is portrayed by the townspeople of Rousson each year on the first day of May in the meadow near the Chapel of St. Evermaire. Following a procession around the casket believed to contain the saint's bones, costumed villagers representing St. Evermaire and his companions are attacked by 50 "brigands" led by Hacco, the legendary assailant. By the end of the drama, the saint and the seven pilgrims lie dead. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: notchcrenelation, crenelle - A crenelation (from Latin crena, "notch") is a series of indentations or loopholes around the top of a castle, battlement, or wall—with each indentation being a crenelle (or crenel). More... carf, kerf - A cut or notch in timber is a carf or kerf—which are also used to describe the width of such a cut. More... dent - As in "notch," it comes from the French word for tooth; its original meaning was "blow, stroke" in general. More... score - First a notch used to keep count, as on a stick. More... | |