Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, January 6, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
rebuff
| |||||||
| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
|---|---|
Punctuating Direct SpeechDirect speech refers to the direct quotation of something that someone else said. When we use direct speech in writing, how do we indicate it? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
|---|---|
 Brood ParasitesBrood parasites are organisms—usually birds—that manipulate a host, either of the same or a different species, into raising their young. The parasitic parent avoids the effort of rearing young by abandoning its eggs in the nest of a host bird. After hatching, the parasitic nestlings may kill or crowd out the host’s own offspring. The host will often continue to feed and care for the invasive chicks even when they do not resemble its young and may physically dwarf the host itself. Why? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
|---|---|
 Samuel Morse Successfully Tests the Electrical Telegraph (1838)In 1832, Morse, an American painter-turned-inventor, began working on a system for transmitting messages as electrical pulses across a wire. Five years later, he was granted a patent for his electromagnetic telegraph, and he successfully tested the device a year after that. Public use of Morse's telegraph system, as well as the code he developed to represent letters and numbers as electrical pulses, began in 1844 and lasted over 100 years. What was the first message sent on the public system? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
|---|---|
 Richard II of England (1367)Richard II was perhaps the most enigmatic of the English kings, reigning from 1377 to 1399. He inherited the throne as a boy, but his uncle John of Gaunt and other nobles dominated the government, limiting his power. Taking revenge, he banished John's son, Henry, and confiscated his vast Lancastrian estates. Not long after, while Richard was away on an expedition, Henry returned and seized power. Forced to abdicate, Richard was imprisoned and died in captivity. What likely caused his death? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
|---|---|
 To those who view the voyage of life from the port of departure the bark that has accomplished any considerable distance appears already in close approach to the farther shore.Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
|---|---|
good job— An informal expression of praise for having done something well. (It can also be used sarcastically to mean the opposite.) More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
|---|---|
 Carnival in Hungary (Farsang) (2020)This is the time of year when most weddings are celebrated in Hungary, and when dances, parties, and festivities are held. In southern Hungary, masks known as busó that are passed down from one generation to the next are worn during Mardi Gras. They are made out of carved wood painted with ox blood, with animal skins covering the top and ram's horns emerging from either side. Young men wear them, shaking huge wooden rattles, shooting off cannons, and teasing women with long sticks topped by sheepskin gourds. The Busó parade in Mohács is said to be the biggest carnival event in Hungary. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
|---|---|
Today's topic: wanderingevagation - Means mental wandering or digression, also a digression in speech or writing. More... mundivagant - Means "wandering around the world." More... vagation - The action of wandering, straying, or departing from the proper or regular course. More... wanderjahr - Literally German for "wander year," it refers to a year of wandering or travel. More... | |