Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, March 17, 2023)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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"Short" Adjectives and Degrees of ComparisonFor "short" (one-syllable) adjectives, we generally form the comparative degree by adding the suffix "-er" to the end of the adjective. To form the superlative degree, what suffix do we add to the end of the adjective? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 BagelsA bagel is a yeast-raised, doughnut-shaped roll with a hard crust. The dough, sometimes flavored, is chilled, then dropped briefly into nearly boiling water, and then baked. A 1610 document from Krakow mentions “beygls” given as gifts to women in childbirth, but the document is not clear as to what a “beygl” is. Ashkenazi immigrants brought the bagel to New York City in the 1880s, but it didn't become popular in North America until when? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Rubber Band Patented (1845)In 1845, Stephen Perry, a British inventor and businessman, patented what is now a staple office supply—the rubber band. While their intended function is to hold items together, rubber bands have been used in a number of other capacities; they can be wrapped around one another to form a bouncy ball or used as "ammunition" in rubber band guns. Though many modern rubber products are commonly made with synthetic rubber, rubber bands are still primarily manufactured using natural rubber. Why? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Nat King Cole (1919?)Originally a jazz pianist, Nat King Cole performed in Los Angeles nightclubs with his trio in the 1930s but did not achieve commercial success until he began singing. His warm, velvety voice brought a personal touch to his ballads, and he became internationally popular for his broodingly romantic hits, such as "Unforgettable." He went on to become one of the first African-American artists to star in a radio show and to host a network television show. How did he get the nickname "King"? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 In spite of illness, in spite even of the archenemy sorrow, one can remain alive long past the usual date of disintegration if one is unafraid of change, insatiable in intellectual curiosity, interested in big things, and happy in small ways.Edith Wharton (1862-1937) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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party crasher— One who attends a party without having been invited. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Liberalia (2023)Liber and Libera were ancient Roman fertility deities, worshipped along with Ceres. The triad of Ceres, Liber, and Libera was identified with the Greek deities Demeter, Dionysus, and Persephone. At the festival held in honor of Liber and Libera on March 17, young Roman boys who had come of age wore the toga virilis for the first time. In the ancient Italian town of Lavinium, a whole month was consecrated to Liber. The various rituals carried out during this time were designed to ensure the growth of newly planted seeds. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: hoodapartheid - From Dutch apart, "separate," and -heid, "-hood," it is pronounced uh-PAHR-tayt or uh-PAHR-tight. More... chaperone, chaperon - Chaperone comes from French chaperon, meaning "hood" or "cowl, head covering," which was worn from the 16th century by ladies who served as guides and guardians; chaperon is the standard spelling and chaperone is a variant resulting from pronunciation. More... cobra - From Portuguese cobra de capello, "snake with hood"—based on Latin colubra, "snake." More... hood - Etymologically, hood and hat are the same word, ultimately both meaning "head-covering." More... | |