Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, March 22, 2021)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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cognoscente
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Idioms that Start with "Out Of"A number of idioms start with the prepositional phrase "out of." Some examples include "out of the blue" and "out of order." What are some others? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 YariThe yari is a traditional Japanese spear consisting of a pointed blade affixed to the end of a lengthy pole. It came into common use after the attempted Mongol invasions of Japan in the 13th century. Confronted by hordes of Mongols bearing spears, the Japanese—who had traditionally engaged in highly-skilled, ritualized combat involving swords—were forced to adopt the yari. In the modern era of firearms, the yari is largely a ceremonial weapon. What variations of yari were once used? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Great Britain Passes the Stamp Act (1765)Intended to help pay British debts from the French and Indian War, the Stamp Act established the first direct tax levied on the American colonies. It required all newspapers, pamphlets, legal documents, commercial bills, advertisements, and other papers issued in the colonies to bear a tax stamp. The act was vehemently protested by the colonists, and the Stamp Act Congress—the first significant joint colonial response to any British measure—petitioned for its repeal. How did Parliament respond? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Adam Sedgwick (1785)One of the founders of modern geology, Sedgwick coined the term Cambrian to describe the earliest geologic period of the Paleozoic era, and, in his most important work, he and geologist R. I. Murchison named the Devonian Period—after the rock formations they studied at Devonshire. Sedgwick was outspoken in asserting the consistency between his scientific findings and his religious beliefs. How, then, did he respond when his former student Charles Darwin published Origin of Species? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Experience, n.: The wisdom that enables us to recognize as an undesirable old acquaintance the folly that we have already embraced.Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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damn the torpedoes— To press on with a task or current course of action regardless of apparent risks or dangers. Attributed to David Farragut of the United States Navy during the American Civil War, usually paraphrased as "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!" The actual order (if it ever existed) was: "Damn the torpedoes! Four bells. Captain Drayton, go ahead! Jouett, full speed!" More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 World Day for Water (2023)In 1992, the United Nations declared March 22 World Day for Water. Programs associated with the day draw attention to the ways in which proper water resource management contributes to a nation's economic and social vitality. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: researchdisquisition - A diligent or systematic search, a thorough investigation or research. More... primary source - A direct source of information or research, a document not emended by a third party. More... secondary source - Information or research that is derivative, such as a comment by a historian, an encyclopedia article, or a critical essay. More... Rh factor - Named for the rhesus monkeys used in research to identify blood types. More... | |