Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, September 29, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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red-blooded
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Forming the Third ConditionalThird conditionals are used to establish a hypothetical situation in the past, followed by a hypothetical outcome that did not really happen—typically, the outcome is the opposite of what actually happened. How do we form the third conditional? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Gastropod ShellsKnown as a univalve shell, the shell of gastropods like snails, periwinkles, conches, whelks, limpets, and abalones is usually coiled or spiraled. This exoskeleton protects them from predators and defends land snails against the sun and drying out. Most gastropod species have shells that coil clockwise. Rarely, a member of one of these species produces a shell that coils in the opposite direction. Such shells are prized by collectors. What has the largest shell of any living gastropod? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II Is Excommunicated (1227)Prior to being excommunicated the first of several times, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II had planned to go on a crusade. However, an epidemic waylaid him and a large part of his army, delaying the conquest. As a result, he was excommunicated by Pope Gregory IX. He eventually went on the postponed crusade and became king of Jerusalem. With Italy as the center of his power, Frederick, a religious skeptic, was in frequent conflict with the papacy. Frederick wrote the first book on what subject? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Gene Autry (1907)Probably the most successful "singing cowboy" in American film, Autry began performing on the radio during the 1920s in Oklahoma. He moved to Hollywood in the early 30s and went on to star in nearly 100 films, becoming America's top Western star from 1937 to 1943. He usually played a singing hero astride his famous horse, Champion. He wrote and recorded hundreds of songs, including his signature song, "Back in the Saddle Again." What well-known Christmas song was Autry's biggest hit? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Is it not better...to lead a good fashion than to follow a bad one?Anna Sewell (1820-1878) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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a spring in (one's) step— A happy, energetic, and excited mood or manner, as indicated by the carefree way one walks. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Election of the Lord Mayor of London (2022)Since 1546, Michaelmas has been the day on which the Lord Mayor of London is elected each year. Two candidates are chosen from among the city aldermen who have already served a term of office as sheriff. The ceremony begins when the current Lord Mayor, two sheriffs, and 26 aldermen walk from the Mansion House to Guildhall. The candidates proceed to the Aldermen's Court, a body of 13 aldermen whose job it is to select the mayor. Once the voting is over, an ornate horse-drawn coach carries the new mayor to the Mansion House, the Lord Mayor's official residence since 1753. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: melancholyelegiac - Can mean "melancholy, mournful." More... brown study - Gloomy meditation or melancholy is known as being in a brown study. More... hypochondria - First referred to the upper abdomen and the organs under the ribs (liver, gall bladder, spleen)—thought to be the source of melancholy. More... | |