Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, September 16, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
greenhorn
| |||||||
| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
|---|---|
Comparative Adverbs with Two FormsThere are a few adverbs that have two generally accepted forms. In these cases, they also have two commonly used comparative forms. What are some examples? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
|---|---|
 The Alfred JewelThe Alfred Jewel is a 9th-century Anglo-Saxon ornament made during the reign of King Alfred the Great. Discovered in 1693, the teardrop-shaped ornament consists of a colorful enamel image of a man covered with a clear, polished piece of crystal and set in gold. Its purpose is unknown, but it was probably attached to a rod at one time. Words around the edge read "AELFRED MEC HEHT GEWYRCAN"—meaning "Alfred ordered me made"—yet the man portrayed in the center of the object is not Alfred. Who is it? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
|---|---|
 Montreal Protocol Signed to Protect the Ozone Layer (1987)The Montreal Protocol was enacted in response to the discovery that the ozone layer—which shields life on Earth from harmful radiation—was diminishing. Signed by the majority of the world's nations, the treaty mandates the decreased use of ozone-depleting substances such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and has been amended several times based on new scientific data. By 1993, CFC production had dropped dramatically. If the agreement is followed, the ozone layer is expected to recover by what year? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
|---|---|
 B.B. King (1925)A singer and guitarist born into a sharecropping family in the Mississippi Delta region of the US, King began playing guitar at 12. He worked as a radio DJ in Memphis before coming to prominence as a guitarist in 1952. He has toured widely, averaging over 300 shows a year for nearly 30 years. King famously named his guitar Lucille after a woman who inspired a fight at one of his concerts that ended with the venue burning down. King's first name is Riley. What does B.B. stand for? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
|---|---|
 Exuberance is better than taste.Gustave Flaubert (1821-1880) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
|---|---|
be sick to death of (something)— To be or become exceedingly wearied by, bored of, or exasperated with something. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
|---|---|
 Mexico Festival of Independence (2025)At 11 o'clock on the night of September 15 in Mexico City, the president appears on the balcony of the National Palace and proclaims the famous Grito de Dolores ("cry of Dolores")—the "call to freedom" that the priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla used to rouse the peasant population to fight for their independence in 1810. The people respond by cheering Viva México! and shooting off fireworks. The following day is Independence Day, which is celebrated with fireworks, the ringing of cathedral bells, and a huge military parade. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
|---|---|
Today's topic: leadercoryphaeus - A Greek word meaning "chief," for the leader of a party, sect, school of thought, etc. More... herald - Etymologically, a "leader of an army," from Germanic kharjaz, "army." More... hegemon - A Greek word for "leader." More... nestorian, nestor - Nestorian means wise and aged, and a nestor is a senior figure or leader in one's field. More... | |