Daily Content Archive

(as of Thursday, June 30, 2022)
Word of the Day

perturbing

Definition:(adjective) Causing distress or worry or anxiety.
Synonyms:distressful, disturbing, worrisome
Usage: The kindergarten teacher found her student's erratic behavior to be perturbing, and she resolved to consult with the child's parents.
Daily Grammar Lesson

Defining Subordinating Conjunctions

Subordinating conjunctions are used to create complex sentences containing one independent clause and one dependent clause. What is the independent clause also known as? More...
Article of the Day

Irish Step Dance

Irish step dance is a type of recreational and competitive folk dance whose tradition probably grew in tandem with Ireland's rich tradition in music. It may be performed as a solo dance or in groups and is generally characterized by a stiff upper body and quick, precise footwork. Though it originated in Ireland, this style of dance has become popular around the globe, thanks in large part to the recent productions Riverdance and Lord of the Dance. Where did Riverdance debut? More...
This Day in History

Einstein Introduces Special Relativity (1905)

In physics, the theory of special relativity generalizes Galileo's principle of relativity—that all uniform motion is relative and that there is no absolute state of rest. Though physicists Hendrik Lorentz and Henri Poincaré had made contributions to the theory already, Einstein provided a radically new interpretation in his 1905 paper "On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies." In it, Einstein redefines the concepts of space and time and abolishes the concept of "aether," which is what? More...
Today's Birthday

Lena Horne (1917)

An iconic American singer and actress, Horne began dancing at Harlem's Cotton Club as a teen and, with the help of her stunning voice and good looks, was soon singing with popular bands. She went on to record and perform extensively and appeared in a number of musicals and films, including Stormy Weather, whose title song became her signature. Her one-woman show, Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music, was hailed as her masterpiece. Why was Horne blacklisted in the 1950s? More...
Quotation of the Day
An invasion of armies can be resisted, but not an idea whose time has come.

Victor Hugo (1802-1885)

Idiom of the Day

a good turn

An action that is beneficial to another person in some way. More...
Today's Holiday

Joust of the Saracens (La Giostra del Saracino) (2023)

The most famous of the Italian jousting festivals, La Giostra del Saracino originated during the Crusades (11th-13th centuries), when it was used as propaganda to support the fight to recover the Holy Land from the Muslims. Eight knights representing the four quarters of Arezzo, where the festival takes place, march to the piazza, where an effigy of a Moor or Saracen has been set up. The effigy is armed with a heavy flail, and the knights must try to hit it in the center with their lances without being touched by the flail. The winner is rewarded with a golden lance on behalf of his district. More...
Word Trivia

Today's topic: sled

bobber - A person who rides a bobsled or bobsleigh (meaning "short sled"). More...

pung - Once the name for a one-horse sled or wagon. More...

skate, ski, sled - The word skate was originally plural and comes from Dutch schaats, which derived from an Old French word for "stilt," but the connection is unclear. Skate appeared in English in the mid-17th century. Ski, in English by 1755, was borrowed from Norwegian, and ultimately from Old Norse for "snowshoe." Sled came from Flemish and Germanic sledde, between 1325 and 1388, for a "vehicle for transporting heavy goods," and is related to sledge and sleigh. More...

toboggan - Comes from Canadian French from Micmac tobakun or Abnaki udabagan, "sled, sleigh." More...

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