Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, September 22, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Adverbs of LocationAdverbs of location all indicate the location of someone or something in relation to someone or something else. They can each function either as adverbs, in which case they stand alone, or as prepositions, in which case they are followed by nouns to form what? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Jump RopeDating from the 19th century, jump rope is traditionally a sidewalk or playground game in which players hold a rope at each end and twirl it in a circle, while one or more players jump over it. There are many variations, including "double Dutch," in which two ropes are twirled in opposite directions. Single-rope jumping is a popular workout, especially with boxers, to develop the lungs and improve footwork. Ten minutes of jumping rope is roughly equivalent to running a mile in how many minutes? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Nathan Hale Is Hanged for Spying (1776)A young teacher at the start of the American Revolution, Hale joined the Continental Army and volunteered for the dangerous mission of spying on British forces. The inexperienced 21-year-old managed to penetrate the British lines but was captured and hanged without trial. His last words, reported as, "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country," became a symbol of the Revolutionary spirit. Yet, some question whether these were his exact words. What might he have actually said? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Anne of Austria, Queen of France (1601)Neglected by her husband, French King Louis XIII, Anne of Austria stirred up controversy with flirtatious indiscretions. After her seemingly treasonous correspondence with Spain, her husband's principal minister, Cardinal Richelieu, attempted to limit her influence. When Louis died, Anne was declared sole regent of their son, Louis XIV—contrary to her husband's wishes—and strove to ensure his absolute power. What did she do that was hailed at the time as "a marvel when it was least expected"? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 An aching head soon makes one forget an aching heart.Jerome K. Jerome (1859-1927) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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be smashed to smithereens— To be broken apart or otherwise destroyed into tiny, fragmentary pieces. "Smithereens," first appearing in English in 1829 as "smiddereens," is likely derived from the Irish word "smidirín" or "smidiríní," meaning "fragment." More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Mali Independence Day (2022)Mali gained its independence from France on September 22, 1960. As a colony since the 1890s, it was known as French Sudan. In ancient and medieval times Mali had a prominent role in a series of illustrious empires that spanned western Africa. Also known as Republic Day, this is an important national holiday in Mali. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: rhetoricrhetor - A teacher of rhetoric or a master of it. More... climax - First described propositions in rhetoric, one rising above the other in effectiveness; it comes from Greek klimax, "ladder." More... demagoguery, demagogy - Demagoguery and demagogy are the practices or rhetoric of a demagogue. More... scheme - From Greek skhema, "figure, form," it first referred to a figure of speech, especially a figure of rhetoric, denoting a way of deviating from the ordinary use and order of words to create special effect. More... | |