Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, February 17, 2016)| Word of the Day | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
putsch
| |||||||
| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
|---|---|
ParticiplesParticiples are words formed from verbs that can function as adjectives or gerunds or can be used to form the continuous tenses and the perfect tenses of verbs. There are two participle forms—what are they? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
|---|---|
 GroupthinkIn order to minimize conflict and avoid embarrassment, group members often refrain from promoting viewpoints that deviate from the apparent group consensus. This mode of thinking is known as "groupthink" and is characterized by extensive self-censorship among group members who unquestioningly believe in the morality of the group. Striving for unanimity without appraising alternative courses of action can often have dire consequences. What fiasco inspired the study of the concept of "groupthink"? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
|---|---|
 First Issue of Newsweek Magazine Is Published (1933)Originally News-Week, the magazine debuted 10 years after Time, for which Newsweek founder Thomas J.C. Martyn had been an editor. It evolved into a full spectrum of news material, from breaking news and analysis to reviews and commentary. In 1961, it was purchased by Philip Graham, publisher of The Washington Post. In 2010, it was sold for $1 to American businessman Sidney Harman. Today, Newsweek is the second largest newsweekly in the US. What is the largest? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
|---|---|
 Ruth Barbara Rendell, Baroness Rendell of Babergh, CBE (1930)Born in London, Rendell became an author of murder mysteries and psychological thrillers in the 1960s. She has since published dozens of award-winning novels—many featuring her Chief Inspector Wexford—and has been recognized for her sharp prose and psychological insight by both critics and audiences. Originally a journalist, Rendell was fired after writing about a society dinner she did not attend. What notable misfortune, which was absent from Rendell's article, befell the speaker of the event? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
|---|---|
 The land of literature is a fairy-land to those who view it at a distance, but, like all other landscapes, the charm fades on a nearer approach, and the thorns and briars become visible.Washington Irving (1783-1859) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
|---|---|
half-pint— Any small, weak, and/or insignificant person. Alludes to a pint, a unit of liquid measurement. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
|---|---|
 Holetown Festival (2018)The Holetown Festival, which takes place in the historic town of the same name in Barbados, marks the approximate date of English settlement and has been an annual event since 1977. The opening celebrations are held at the Holetown Monument, which commemorates the settlers' landing. There are fashion shows, beauty contests, exhibitions, an antique car parade, and a carnival. Along with music concerts showcasing authentic Caribbean music and dancing, there are traditional hymns, folksongs, and a music festival at the historic St. James Church. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
|---|---|
Today's topic: uniformman of the cloth - Originally applied to anyone who wore a uniform or livery for work. More... mufti - Civilian clothes worn by a person who usually wears a uniform. More... uniform - Something that is uniform has literally only "one form," from Latin unus, "one," and forma, "form." More... doughboy - The small round doughnuts served to sailors in the 19th century were called doughboys—and they resembled the round buttons on the sailors' uniforms—so the sailors came to be known as this. More... | |