Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, August 20, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
avocation
| |||||||
| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
|---|---|
Nominal AdjectivesNominal adjectives perform the function of a noun in a sentence. They are preceded by the word "the" and can be the subject or object of a sentence or clause. What are some nominal adjectives that are used to refer to groups of people? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
|---|---|
 The DeipnosophistaeWritten in the 3rd-century by the Greek writer Athenaeus, the Deipnosophistae professes to be an account of three banquets held at the house of a scholar and wealthy patron of the arts. The work is invaluable for providing information about the Hellenistic leisure class of the Roman Empire, particularly in terms of food and sexuality. In the course of conversation, the banqueters quote about 700 authors, many of them otherwise unrecorded, and discuss the story behind what famous statue? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
|---|---|
 Infamous Menendez Brothers Murder Their Parents (1989)The trials of Lyle and Erik Menendez for the cold-blooded murders of their parents in their Beverly Hills mansion captivated the nation. The "bereaved" sons initially escaped suspicion, but in the months after the murders, they went on a spending spree with their parents' money, to the tune of over $1 million, that raised a few eyebrows. Still, the pair might never have been arrested, and ultimately sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, had not who come forward? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
|---|---|
 Raymond Poincaré (1860)A career statesman, Poincaré ascended to the highest echelons of French government, serving as prime minister on several occasions and as president from 1913 to 1920. In the lead-up to World War I, Poincaré, a conservative and nationalist, worked to prepare France for possible hostilities, strengthening its military and its alliances with Russia and Britain. His efforts paid off, and Germany was defeated by the Allied Powers in 1918. What prompted him to send French troops into Germany in 1923? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
|---|---|
 There will be little rubs and disappointments everywhere, and we are all apt to expect too much; but then, if one scheme of happiness fails, human nature turns to another; if the first calculation is wrong, we make a second better: we find comfort somewhere.Jane Austen (1775-1817) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
|---|---|
be made of sterner stuff— To be very strong, determined, or of uncompromising character, especially in comparison to others. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
|---|---|
 St. Stephen's Day (Hungary) (2021)The founding of Hungary is commemorated on August 20, which is also the feast day of the founder of the country, St. Stephen of Hungary (c. 975-1038). He assumed the kingship in 1000 and worked to unite the various clans into a single Christian state. In 1950, the day was changed to Constitution Day by the communist regime, but it began celebrating St. Stephen again in 1990. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
|---|---|
Today's topic: slaughterfatstock - Livestock fattened for slaughter. More... massacre - Comes from Latin mazacrium/masacrium, "slaughter." More... slaughter - From Old Norse, meaning "butcher's meat." More... homicide, murder, manslaughter - The general term for the killing of a person by another is homicide; murder is either the intentional killing or the malicious killing of another, while manslaughter is the unintentional, accidental killing of another through carelessness. More... | |