Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, September 5, 2021)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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obeisance
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Regular and Irregular AdverbsRegular adverbs are formed by adding "-ly" (or a variation) onto the end of an adjective. Irregular adverbs are not formed from standard spelling conventions. What are the most common irregular adverbs? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Planned ObsolescencePlanned obsolescence is a policy of deliberately limiting the life of a product in order to encourage the purchaser to replace it, thereby stimulating sales. Now applied to many different products, notably computer software, the concept first emerged in the 1920s when companies began to analyze every aspect of mass production. Planned obsolescence can refer to both technical failures and to "style" obsolescence. What are some examples of modern products that are designed to become obsolete? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Soviet Embassy Cipher Clerk Igor Gouzenko Defects to Canada (1945)Considered by some to be the first major international event of the Cold War, the defection of Soviet cipher clerk Igor Gouzenko radically transformed the way the West regarded and approached Soviet espionage. The authorities at first dismissed Gouzenko's reports of Stalin's efforts to steal nuclear secrets and of Soviet spy rings operating in Canada and the US, but he soon convinced them of the truth behind his allegations. The information he revealed helped lead to the apprehension of whom? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Jesse James (1847)James was an outlaw who became a legendary figure in American folklore. After the Civil War, he and a number of other former Confederate guerillas banded together to rob banks, trains, and stagecoaches across several states. He was later betrayed by fellow bandit Robert Ford, who shot him to death in 1882 in order to receive a $10,000 reward. Despite James's reputation as a murderous thief, his exploits led to a number of romanticized legends, including rumors that he survived until when? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Traveling is a fool's paradise. Our first journeys discover to us the indifference of places.Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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make (someone's) ears burn— To make someone uncomfortable, embarrassed, or disconcerted by what is being said. Alludes to the ears growing red from blushing. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Ginseng Festival (2021)This festival is a celebration of ginseng in Fusong, a county in the Changbai Mountains of China and the largest ginseng grower in the country. The people of Fusong have traditionally celebrated the ginseng harvest, and, in 1987, the government officially set aside three days for both a festival and a trade fair of ginseng products. The festival features performances of yangko, dragon, and lion dances; story-telling parties with a ginseng theme; art and photo exhibits; and a fireworks display. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: insertiongraft, splice - A graft is one thing attached to another by insertion or implantation so it becomes part of it; a splice is the joining of two things end-to-end to make a new whole. More... pilot hole - A small hole drilled or hammered for the insertion of a nail or screw, or for drilling a larger hole. More... punctuate, punctuation - Punctuate—which first meant "point out"—and punctuation are from Latin punctus, "prick, point"; the present-day meaning comes from the insertion of "points" or dots into written texts to indicate pauses (once called "pointing"). More... insert, insertion - The Latin elements in- and serere, "to join, plant," are part of insert and insertion. More... | |