Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, August 24, 2015)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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cembalo
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Defining Interrogative SentencesAn interrogative sentence is simply a sentence that asks a question—that is, we use it when we interrogate someone for information. When we make sentences into questions, we almost always use auxiliary verbs that are inverted with the subject. What is this known as? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The NecktieA necktie is a narrow fabric band of varying length worn around the neck and tied in a knot or bow close to the throat. The modern tie, ascot, and bowtie are descended from the 17th c. cravat. Originally, the four-in-hand necktie was cut on the square and had square ends. The bias-cut necktie, introduced in 1926, allowed the tie to fall evenly from the knot without twisting. Using mathematical modeling, researchers have discovered 85 possible necktie knots. How many are "aesthetically pleasing"? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Forced Resignation Prompts Brazilian President to Take His Own Life (1954)President Getúlio Vargas led Brazil for 18 years, holding power from 1930 to 1945 and 1951 to 1954. Though defeated in the presidential election of 1930, he led a successful revolt that gained him the presidency. Vargas then set up the totalitarian Estado Novo—"New State"—but was overthrown in a coup d'état in 1945. He regained the presidency six years later but committed suicide under threat of impeachment as his popularity dwindled. What were the last words in his suicide note? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Sir Henry Maximilian Beerbohm (1872)A charming, witty, and elegant English caricaturist and writer, Beerbohm used his pen to parody whatever was pretentious, affected, or absurd in his famous and fashionable contemporaries. His works include A Christmas Garland, a collection of parodies on such authors as Joseph Conrad and Thomas Hardy; Zuleika Dobson, an amusing satire on Oxford and his only novel; and Caricatures of Twenty-five Gentlemen, his first book of drawings. Who dubbed him "the incomparable Max"? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 If all the world hated you and believed you wicked, while your own conscience approved of you and absolved you from guilt, you would not be without friends.Charlotte Bronte (1816-1855) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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publicity hound— Someone who seeks to have the attention of the public constantly focused on him- or herself, typically by means of attracting media coverage. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Liberia Flag Day (2018)The Liberian flag bears a striking resemblance to the American flag, a reminder of the historical ties between this West African country and the United States. Eleven horizontal stripes represent the signers of the Liberian Declaration of Independence, while the single white star signifies Liberia's former position as the sole free black state in Africa. Flag Day, a patriotic day paying homage to Liberia's national emblem, is an official public holiday. Citizens and public buildings display their flags, and parades often feature schoolchildren and military units. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: lakedemersal - Describing a fish that lives close to the floor of the sea or a lake. More... eyot, ait - A small island in a river or lake is an eyot or ait. More... benthos - The flora and fauna at the bottom of a sea or lake. More... lagoon - Derived from Latin lacuna, "pool, lake" or "hole, gap." More... | |
| In the News | |
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From Pebble to Planet: Researchers Find Humble Beginnings of Gas GiantsNew research suggests that massive planets like Saturn and Jupiter started out with just a few small building blocks – more accurately building rocks – just half an inch or so across. In the spinning, swirling brew of the early solar system, surrounded by ... More... | |