Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, January 19, 2015)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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perfidy
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Prepositional PhrasesA prepositional phrase is made up of at least a preposition and its object, which can be a noun, pronoun, or a noun phrase. What is an adjectival prepositional phrase? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The ThylacineThe last captive thylacine—or Tasmanian wolf—died in Tasmania's Hobart Zoo in 1936. Though the species is believed to have become extinct in the 20th century, sightings have persisted. The large carnivorous marsupial looks like a wolf or dog, but it evolved independently of those animals. About the size of a collie, the thylacine has a long tail, short ears, and a brownish coat with black stripes. Its extinction was caused largely by overhunting. Why were thylacines hunted so aggressively? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Apple Lisa Launched (1983)In 1983, after five years of development, Apple released the Lisa, the first personal computer with a graphical user interface. Although the Lisa was a commercial failure—due in part to its initial price tag of $9,995—it had a significant impact on the computer industry. It is often rumored to have been named after the first daughter of Apple's Steve Jobs, though several acronyms have been ascribed to the name. What project did Jobs join after being forced out of the Lisa project? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 James Watt (1736)A largely self-taught Scottish engineer and inventor, Watt greatly impacted the Industrial Revolution with his development of the Watt engine. Asked to repair a model of Thomas Newcomen's steam engine, he instead made improvements to it that resulted in a new type of engine. One such design enhancement, the separate condenser, radically improved the power, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness of steam engines. The watt, a unit of power, is named for him. What other unit of power did he develop? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Rash indeed is he who reckons on the morrow, or haply on days beyond it; for tomorrow is not, until today is past.Sophocles (496 BC-406 BC) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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hang on (someone's) words— To listen very closely, intently, or with obsequious attention to what someone is saying. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 World Religion Day (2020)This day was initiated in 1950 by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'i faith in the United States. The purpose was to call attention to the harmony of the world's religions and emphasize that the aims of religion are to create unity among people, to ease suffering, and to bring about peace. The day is observed with gatherings in homes, public meetings and panel discussions, and proclamations by government officials. 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... | |