Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, May 2, 2017)Word of the Day | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
juggernaut
|
Daily Grammar Lesson | |
---|---|
Domain AdverbsWe use specific viewpoint adverbs to delimit, or specify, what part or aspect of something we are talking about. These adverbs are often called domain adverbs, and are almost limitless. "Officially" is an example of a domain adverb. What are some others? More... |
Article of the Day | |
---|---|
The Potsdam ConferenceHeld in Potsdam, Germany, from July 17 to August 2, 1945, the Potsdam Conference was a meeting between the three principal Allies in World War II—the US, UK, and USSR. Although the summit was largely devoted to establishing post-war order after the surrender of Nazi Germany, the Allies also used it to issue a statement outlining terms for Japan's surrender and threatening "prompt and utter destruction" if Japan failed to comply. Who represented the UK along with Winston Churchill? More... |
This Day in History | |
---|---|
First Ascent of Shishapangma (1964)Located in south-central Tibet near the border of Nepal, Shishapangma is the fourteenth highest mountain in the world and the lowest of the eight-thousanders—peaks in the Himalayan and Karakoram mountain ranges that exceed a height of 8,000 m (26,247 ft). Scaled in 1964, it was the last eight-thousander to be climbed because China imposed severe travel restrictions on foreigners at the time. It is considered one of the easiest eight-thousanders to summit; nevertheless, how many have died trying? More... |
Today's Birthday | |
---|---|
Athanasius Kircher (1601?)One of history's great polymaths, Kircher was a German archeologist, mathematician, biologist, astronomer, musicologist, and physicist who knew Hebrew, Aramaic, Coptic, Persian, Latin, Greek, and various modern languages. He tried to decipher one of the most ancient writing systems—Egyptian hieroglyphics—but most of his thoughts on the subject proved incorrect. An avid inventor, he built playful devices including a talking and eavesdropping statue that used a primitive intercom, and what else? More... |
Quotation of the Day | |
---|---|
Sweet is the memory of distant friends! Like the mellow rays of the departing sun, it falls tenderly, yet sadly, on the heart. Washington Irving (1783-1859) |
Idiom of the Day | |
---|---|
fork over the dough— To pay, generally unwillingly, a certain amount of money. More... |
Today's Holiday | |
---|---|
Land Diving (Nagol) (2023)On Pentecost Island in Vanuatu, land diving, or Nagol, is a centuries-old fertility ritual and the precursor of bungee jumping. Tree branches, trunks, and vines from the forest are used to create a tower—about 85 feet tall. Facing a test of resolve and courage, island men and boys ascend the tower with liana vines. After the diver leaps off the tower, the vines stretch nearly to the ground and the diver ducks his head out of the way and lets his shoulders touch the land. During the ritual, the entire village assembles under the tower to dance, sing, and encourage the divers. More... |
Word Trivia | |
---|---|
Today's topic: nimbleagile - Means having quick motion and being nimble, from Latin agere, "to do." More... flippant - Once meant "flexible, nimble, pliant." More... chopsticks - In Chinese, the word for chopsticks originally meant "quick sticks" or "nimble ones." More... wieldy - Means "easily controlled or handled," and once meant "agile, nimble." More... |