Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, April 5, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
encumbrance
| |||||||
| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
|---|---|
Using Conjunctive Adverbs of PurposeWe often use conjunctive adverbs to indicate a relationship of reason or purpose between two independent clauses. When we join two independent clauses with a conjunctive adverb, they are traditionally separated with what? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
|---|---|
 The Arab RevoltBy the time it aligned with the Central Powers during WWI, the Ottoman Empire had ruled much of the Middle East—and beyond—for centuries. In the war's aftermath, the British sought to weaken the powerful empire, and did so by aiding the long-simmering Arab sovereignty movement. Led by Sherif Hussein of Mecca and advised by British officer T. E. Lawrence, the revolt succeeded against the empire, though the goal of establishing a unified Arab kingdom was not realized. What did the British gain? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
|---|---|
 "Who Shot Phil?" Episode of EastEnders Airs (2001)After five weeks of speculation and frenzied betting, Phil Mitchell's would-be assassin was finally revealed in a much-hyped episode of EastEnders, one of the longest running and most popular soap operas in the UK. Nearly 20 million people tuned in to watch the culmination of the "Who shot Phil?" storyline, causing the UK's third-largest power surge on record until that time. What major sporting event was postponed to accommodate the special episode's extended running time? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
|---|---|
 Louis Spohr, "The Forgotten Master" (1784)A highly respected German composer and violinist in the 19th century, Spohr has been largely neglected since then. After touring Europe, he became kapellmeister—leader of the orchestra—in Kassel, Germany, in 1822 and remained there for the rest of his life, eventually directing all of the city's music. Highly prolific, he wrote 15 violin concertos, nine symphonies, and many operas. Sometimes considered "forgotten," Spohr is said to have been as famous as which of his contemporaries? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
|---|---|
 Edible, adj.: Good to eat, and wholesome to digest, as a worm to a toad, a toad to a snake, a snake to a pig, a pig to a man, and a man to a worm.Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
|---|---|
be like oil and water— To be incompatible or unable to interact or coexist easily, as due to fundamental differences in personality, opinions, beliefs, etc. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
|---|---|
 Thay Pagoda Festival (2021)This Vietnamese festival is held in honor of Buddhist monk Dao Hanh, who lived during the Lý Dynasty (1009-1225 CE). Dao Hanh was said to have invented what is known as mua roi can, "water puppetry," an activity that plays an important part in the festival. In addition to water puppet performances, the festival features firecracker competitions, folk singing, rowing contests, and mountain-climbing events. It is held in the village of Thay (or Thuy Khe village) in the Quoc Oai District of Ha Tay Province. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
|---|---|
Today's topic: tortureordeal - From Old English ordel, "judgment," figuratively, an experience testing endurance, patience, courage, etc.—also a test of guilt or innocence that was one of severe pain or torture. More... torment - Comes from a Latin word, tormentum, for an instrument of torture. More... tortuous, torturous - Tortuous is "winding, crooked, full of twists and turns," and torturous, based on "torture," is "painful, characterized by suffering." More... travel - From Latin trepaliare, "torture," it evolved into "journey" from the allusion to the inevitable trouble of medieval travel. More... | |