Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, December 13, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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reek
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Short vs. Long AdverbsIf we use more than one adverb to describe a verb, there is a general order in which the different categories of adverbs should appear. However, an adverb's length can also impact where it is placed in a sentence. Do short adverbs or long adverbs tend to be positioned first? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 TaphephobiaTaphephobia is the psychopathological fear of being buried alive. Before the advent of modern medicine, this fear was not entirely irrational. Throughout history, there have been many cases of people being accidentally buried alive, and the horrific prospect has been a favorite subject of urban legends and literature, including several stories by Edgar Allan Poe. During the 18th and 19th centuries, such fears led to a large number of designs for "safety coffins," which employed what safeguards? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Chinese River Dolphin Declared Functionally Extinct (2006)Found only in China's Yangtze River, the baiji was a pale, nearly blind freshwater dolphin species nicknamed the "Goddess of the Yangtze." Though it had lived there for millennia, its population declined precipitously in the late 20th century as an industrialized China made heavy use of the river. Many were injured by fishing gear and boat propellers. The species was finally declared functionally extinct after a six-week search failed to locate any baiji. When was the last baiji caught on film? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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.jpg) Talcott Parsons (1902)From 1927 until his retirement in 1974, Parsons, an American sociologist, trained three generations of students at Harvard University. He was known for his attempt to construct a single theoretical framework within which general and specific characteristics of societies could be systematically classified and was largely responsible for introducing the work of Émile Durkheim and Max Weber to American sociologists. Why was Parsons considered one of the most controversial sociologists in the world? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 One should never trust a woman who tells one her real age. A woman who would tell one that, would tell one anything.Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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go off in a huff— To leave in an angry, belligerent, or vexed mood. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Malta Republic Day (2019)On September 21, 1964, Malta was granted its independence from Britain. According to its constitution, Queen Elizabeth II would initially serve as the supreme leader of Malta. On December 13, 1974, Malta became a republic within the Commonwealth, with the President as head of state. To commemorate this day, December 13 has been declared Republic Day in Malta. A big feast is held and Malta's National Anthem is played and/or sung at the end of all masses. In addition, the President of Malta presents national awards, namely the Order of Merit and Gieh ir-Repubblika. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: hoodapartheid - From Dutch apart, "separate," and -heid, "-hood," it is pronounced uh-PAHR-tayt or uh-PAHR-tight. More... chaperone, chaperon - Chaperone comes from French chaperon, meaning "hood" or "cowl, head covering," which was worn from the 16th century by ladies who served as guides and guardians; chaperon is the standard spelling and chaperone is a variant resulting from pronunciation. More... cobra - From Portuguese cobra de capello, "snake with hood"—based on Latin colubra, "snake." More... hood - Etymologically, hood and hat are the same word, ultimately both meaning "head-covering." More... | |