Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, November 5, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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affiance
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Indefinite Pronouns: People and ThingsQuite a few indefinite pronouns can be used to refer to either people or things. In such cases, we rely on context or other elements of the sentence to know which. What are some indefinite pronouns that can refer to both things and people? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The BunyipThe bunyip is a legendary monster said to inhabit swamps and lagoons of the Australian interior. Its name comes from a word meaning "evil-spirit" in Wemba-wemba, an Aboriginal language of southeast Australia. Descriptions of the bunyip vary widely. In most stories, it appears as a giant starfish-like creature, but it is also described in many accounts as having a dog-like face, dark fur, a horse-like tail, flippers, and walrus-like tusks. What phenomena could have given rise to the bunyip myth? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Hither Green Rail Crash (1967)The Sunday evening express train from Hastings to London was traveling 70 miles per hour (113 km/h) when it struck a stressed and fractured rail not far from London's Hither Green depot. The packed train derailed and partially overturned, killing 49 people in one of the worst rail disasters in British history. Several other trains may have successfully passed over the broken rail earlier. What safety feature, present on the particular train that derailed, may have triggered the accident? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Mahmud Ghazan (1271)One of the most prominent Mongol leaders of Persia, Ghazan was raised Buddhist but converted to Islam in 1295 before inheriting his father's throne. Well educated and fluent in several languages, he tasked his vizier with composing a history of the Mongols. In Syria, he successfully fought his family's enemy, the Mamluks, but they reoccupied the area upon his departure. What European nation became so fascinated with Mongol culture in the 13th century that many children were named for Ghazan? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 A most paradoxical mixture of sound and silence pervades the shady parts of the wood. The noise from the insects is so loud...; yet within the recesses of the forest a universal silence appears to reign.Charles Darwin (1809-1882) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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in (one's) dotage— In a state of senility or mental decline due to old age. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Return Day (2020)In the early 19th century, the rural residents of Sussex County, Delaware, had to travel to Georgetown to cast their ballots on Election Day, and the results were read two days later from the courthouse. Farmers in the surrounding areas would travel to Georgetown with their families to hear the announcement and to join in the festivities. Residents continue the tradition today, which includes a formal announcement of the results, parades, picnics, and military displays. Street vendors sell roast oxen, and there is a parade down Market Street. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: wonderadmire - Can mean "to wonder at, to be slightly surprised." More... marvel - Traces to Latin mirabilia, from mirari, "wonder at." More... nine days' wonder - An old term (c. 1325) for an event or phenomenon that attracts enthusiastic interest for a short while, but is then ignored or forgotten. More... Wonder Bread - Got its name from a vice president who watched a hot-air balloon race shortly before the bread needed a name—"wonder" is how he described the event and then the bread. More... | |