Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, March 1, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
sepulcher
| |||||||
| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
|---|---|
Forming the Past Perfect TenseThe past perfect tense expresses the idea that something occurred before another action. Because we use the past perfect to highlight two separate points in the past, what do we often use to specify the order in which they occurred in time? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
|---|---|
 The ManticoreWith the body of a lion, the tail of a scorpion or dragon, the head of a human, and three rows of sharp teeth, the legendary manticore bears several similarities to the Egyptian sphinx. A mythical creature of Persian origin whose name derives from the Persian word for "man-eater," the manticore is rumored to kill its victims instantly with only a single bite or scratch and then fully devour them. The manticore was said to roam the jungles of what country? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
|---|---|
 The Wellington Avalanche (1910)During a multi-day blizzard in February 1910, a passenger train and a mail train got stuck in Wellington, Washington, high in the Cascade Mountains. Once the snow finally let up, it changed to rain—with tragic consequences. Early on March 1, an avalanche threw the two trains off the tracks and into a valley below, killing 96 people. It was not the only deadly avalanche in the area that year—one struck British Columbia three days later. How did the disaster change railroading in the Cascades? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
|---|---|
 Marcus Valerius Martialis, AKA Martial (c. 38 CE)Born in what is now Spain, Martial went as a young man to Rome, where he associated with prominent figures and won fame for his wit and poetry. He is renowned for his 12 books of epigrams—short, pithy sayings, often with a satiric or paradoxical twist. Pointed and often obscene, the poems provide a picture of Roman society during the early empire that is remarkable for its accurate portrayal of human foibles. In one verse, he accuses a man of burning down his own house for what reason? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
|---|---|
 If a governor comes out of his government rich, they say he has been a thief; and if he comes out poor, that he has been a noodle and a blockhead.Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
|---|---|
call it even— To acknowledge or consider a situation or exchange as being equal or equitable, as regarding debt, status, ability, a contest, etc. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
|---|---|
 Chalanda Marz (2023)In Engadine, located in the Inn River valley of eastern Switzerland, the arrival of spring is celebrated with the ringing of bells. Young people put on herdsmen's costumes with wide leather belts from which they hang as many cowbells as they can collect. Smaller bells hang from their necks or are strapped across their chests. They go from house to house, clanging their bells to scare off winter and serenading people with traditional spring songs; often, they are rewarded with cakes, apples, or eggs. An evening feast is made out of the food. Afterward, there are games and dancing. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
|---|---|
Today's topic: ignoranceagnosy, agnoiology - Agnosy is another word for ignorance and agnoiology is the study of human ignorance. More... ignotism - A mistake due to ignorance. More... nescience, inscience - Nescience and inscience both mean "ignorance." More... sophomoric - Includes the roots soph-, "wise," and moros, "fool"—so the contrast between wisdom and ignorance is built right into the word. More... | |