Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, May 3, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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parapraxis
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Personal Pronouns and InflectionPersonal pronouns have specific inflections (different forms of the word) depending on whether they are singular or plural. For the most part, only the first-person and third-person personal pronouns have plural forms. What is the only plural second-person pronoun? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Touch PiecesTouch pieces are coins and medals—especially those with special designs or features—whose superstitious owners believe the items have supernatural powers. Thought to be imbued with the power to cure disease, bring good luck, influence behavior, or carry out a specific action if touched or held close, many touch pieces have been treasured by families for generations. The Lee Penny, taken from the Holy Land during a crusade, is still owned by the crusader's family. What power is it said to have? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Sport of Geocaching Begins (2000)Geocaching is an outdoor treasure-hunting game in which participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) to hide and seek watertight containers filled with trinkets, hoards known as "geocaches" or simply "caches." The improved accuracy of GPS devices allowed the pastime to develop, since the specific locations of the small containers could finally be logged and shared. Geocaches are now hidden in more than 100 countries and on all seven continents. What did the world's first geocache contain? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 James Brown, the Godfather of Soul (1933)One of the original inductees of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and one of the most influential entertainers of the 20th century, "Godfather of Soul" James Brown evolved a highly personal style that combined gospel and blues elements with a spectacular stage presence. During his five-decade career, "the Hardest-Working Man in Show Business" had numerous chart-topping singles and albums. What trademark feature of Brown's stage shows was inspired by professional wrestler Gorgeous George? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 A man that is born falls into a dream like a man who falls into the sea. If he tries to climb out into the air as inexperienced people endeavor to do, he drowns.Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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freak flag— Any unconventional, nonconformist, or uninhibited behavior, convictions, opinions, or lifestyle choices that are unique to an individual. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Día de la Santa Cruz (2023)The Day of the Holy Cross, known elsewhere as the Exaltation of the Cross, is an important one throughout Latin America. Crosses that are normally found in the churches are repaired and repainted, or carried in procession through the streets. In Venezuela, the celebration is known as Velorio de Cruz. People set up special altars in their homes that include crosses, lighted candles, and images of the saints. Musicians and poets from all over the country come to perform in front of these altars. While playing their instruments, they improvise rhymed couplets and other poetic forms. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: smokingstogie, stogy - A stogie (or stogy) is named for the Conestoga wagon—as drivers of the wagons rolled tobacco into thin ropes for smoking on long trips; stogies are now long, thin cigars. More... cigar - Comes from Spanish cigarro, from the Mayan verb sik'ar, "to smoke" or "smoking." More... dottle - Any tobacco left in a pipe after smoking. More... pipe dream - Originated with opium smoking. More... | |