Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, September 12, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
hilarity
| |||||||
| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
|---|---|
Using "Must" to Convey CertaintyThe modal verb "must" can be used to indicate that something is certain or very likely to happen or be true. Generally speaking, though, we do not use the negative of must ("must not" or "mustn't") to express a negative certainty or strong disbelief. What do we use instead? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
|---|---|
 HeliamphoraHeliamphora is a genus of carnivorous pitcher plants native to South America. The plants lure insects into their deadly pitchers with their vivid pigmentation, sweet scent, and a spoon-like appendage suspended above the tube that secretes nectar. Inside the pitcher, downward-facing hairs force insects deeper inward, until they are drowned in fluid collected at its bottom and then digested by symbiotic bacteria. How do these plants keep from filling completely with water when it rains? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
|---|---|
 Nazi Commandos Rescue Imprisoned Benito Mussolini (1943)In 1943, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini was deposed by his own government. When German forces discovered that he was being held at a ski resort in the Apennine Mountains, they launched a daring rescue. Arriving on gliders, German troops overwhelmed Mussolini's captors and spirited him away without firing a shot. The operation was a major propaganda success for the Nazis. According to some accounts, what was Mussolini's reply when the paratroopers told him that Adolf Hitler had sent them? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
|---|---|
 Maurice Chevalier (1888)Chevalier was a French actor, singer, and vaudeville entertainer known for his trademark tuxedo and straw hat. While a prisoner of war during World War I, Chevalier studied English. After the war, he began acting in the US, where he appeared in movies that helped establish the musical as a film genre. Though he put on a heavy French accent while performing in English, he actually spoke the language quite fluently with only a subtle accent. Why did his popularity dwindle during World War II? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
|---|---|
 To furnish the means of acquiring knowledge is . . . the greatest benefit that can be conferred upon mankind. It prolongs life itself and enlarges the sphere of existence.John Quincy Adams (1767-1848) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
|---|---|
sit a spell— To sit down, relax, and socialize for a while at one's leisure. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
|---|---|
 Festival of St. Nichiren's Pardon (2025)At the Botamochi Temple in Kamakura, Japan, this festival honors St. Nichiren (1222-1282), considered to be Japan's most fervent Buddhist priest. He was exiled to the island of Sado in the Sea of Japan in 1271. After four years there, he returned and spent the rest of his life on Mount Minobu. The Festival of Nichiren's Pardon is observed by members of the Nichiren sect with massive demonstrations and the loud chanting of prayers attributed to Nichiren, accompanied by the beating of drums. People make offerings of botamochi, rice balls covered with sweet bean paste, in his honor. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
|---|---|
Today's topic: malesalpha male - A domineering man; the dominant member in a group of males, especially animals. More... kiva - In Native American Pueblo practices, an underground chamber used by the males for religious rites. More... mixed voices - Voices of both males and females united in the same performance. More... | |