Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, August 4, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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declamatory
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Aspects of Verb TensesTraditionally, each verb tense is said to have four aspects, or temporal structures. What are they? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Sexual CannibalismSexual cannibalism is the phenomenon in which an organism—typically a female arachnid, insect, or amphipod—kills and eats another member of the same species before, during, or after copulation. By consuming her partner, the female may gain certain nutritional benefits, and by staying long enough to allow himself to be eaten, the male may increase his chances of reproducing. Still, the practice is not entirely advantageous, so some males have developed what clever techniques to avoid being eaten? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The 4th of August Regime Established in Greece (1936)Political instability coupled with economic unrest undermined the Greek government for much of the 1920s and 30s and finally brought parliament to a standstill in 1936. On August 4 of that year, Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas declared a state of emergency, suspended parliament, and made himself dictator—with the blessing of the king. Though his 4th of August Regime suppressed political opposition, it also carried out beneficial economic and social reforms. What brought the regime to an end? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Raoul Wallenberg (1912)In 1944, as Nazi troops rounded up hundreds of thousands of Jews in Hungary, Wallenberg—a Swedish citizen who had previously worked for a company run by a Hungarian Jew—asked to be posted there as a diplomat. Once there, he worked relentlessly to save tens of thousands of Jews by sheltering them on Swedish property and distributing counterfeit Swedish passports. He was arrested by the Soviets in 1945, and his death while in their custody is shrouded in mystery. What might have happened to him? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Giving comfort under affliction requires that penetration into the human mind, joined to that experience which knows how to soothe, how to reason, and how to ridicule; taking the utmost care never to apply those arts improperly.Henry Fielding (1707-1754) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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barrel of laughs— Fun, funny, and pleasant. Often used sarcastically to indicate that someone is unpleasant or not enjoyable to be around. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Antigua Carnival (2020)In Antigua and Barbuda, to coincide with the already established celebration of the slaves' emancipation, Carnival is celebrated in late July and continues until the first Tuesday in August. Music, competitions, and pageantry dominate the proceedings. Calypso music can be heard throughout the celebration, and the annual calypso competition produces a Calypso Monarch. Other contests include two beauty pageants, which crown Caribbean Queen and Miss Antigua. Every Carnival also features street parades that are famous for their elaborate glittering costumes. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: spoilbilk - A term originally used in cribbage, meaning "spoil one's opponent's score." More... corrupt - Comes from Latin corrumpere, "destroy completely," and first meant "to destroy or spoil the flesh, fruit, or organic matter by dissolution or decomposition." More... infect - From Latin inficere, "put in" or "dip in," which came to mean "stain, taint, spoil." More... | |