Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, February 8, 2021)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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confection
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Possessive Determiners vs. Possessive Personal PronounsPossessive determiners are often confused with possessive personal pronouns ("mine," "yours," "his," "hers," "its," "ours," "theirs") since some of the forms overlap. How do possessive pronouns differ from possessive determiners? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 PhonofilmPhonofilm was an early system of synchronizing sound with film. It was used in the 1920s as one of the first methods for playing sound with movies, but it never caught on, particularly in the face of competing formats such as Vitaphone and Movietone. The Phonofilm system recorded photographic sound waves directly onto film—parallel to the picture—then translated them back into sound when the film was played. Thanks to Phonofilm, who became the first US president to appear in a non-silent film? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The "Devil's Footprints" Appear in Devon, England (1855)In February 1855, the Devil, perhaps consumed with wanderlust, apparently took a 40- to 100-mile stroll across Devon, England. His outing might have passed unnoticed, except that it was snowing heavily at the time. When residents awoke, they were dismayed to find unusual cloven hoofprints all over the place—not just on the ground but also on obstacles like walls and even roofs. Of course, it is possible that something other than the Prince of Darkness made these tracks. What are some theories? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Il Guercino (1591)Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, better known as Il Guercino ("The Squinter"), was an Italian painter whose work had a profound impact on the development of 17th-century Baroque decoration. One of the outstanding draftsmen of his age, he was known for his frescoes, altarpieces, oils, and drawings. When he was 30, he was called to Rome by Pope Gregory XV and spent a productive two years there. Later, he moved to Bologna and was its leading painter until his death. How did he get his nickname? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 The sacred rights of mankind are not to be rummaged for among old parchments or musty records. They are written, as with a sunbeam, in the whole volume of human nature, by the hand of the divinity itself; and can never be erased or obscured by mortal power.Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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like piffy on a rock bun— Conspicuous but ignored or left out, especially from a group or activity. (A "rock bun" or "rock cake" is a type of hard cake with currants; what "piffy" refers to is unknown.) Primarily heard in UK. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Yaya Matsuri (2022)The Yaya Matsuri, held in Owase, Japan, during the first five days in February, features mikoshi (portable shrines) carried through the streets by groups of young men who meet and deliberately crash into each other. The festival takes its name from their shouts—"Yaya! Yaya!"—as they run into one another. Several special events, including dances, are held during the five-day festival. On the last night, there is a ceremony at the Owase Shrine to determine who will participate in the festival the next year. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: silenceobmutescence, obmutescent - Obmutescence is the act of becoming mute or silent—usually a stubborn, willful act; if you are inclined to silence, you are obmutescent. More... oyez - Meaning a call for silence and attention, it descends from Anglo-Norman oyez/oiez, "to hear" or "hear ye." More... silential - Describing something performed in silence. More... omerta - The code of silence in the Mafia, from the Italian word for "humility." More... | |