Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, February 1, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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egoism
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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The Nine Reflexive PronounsThe reflexive pronouns are "myself," "ourselves," "yourself," "yourselves," "herself," "himself," "itself," "themselves," and "oneself." The last of these is formed from the gender-neutral indefinite pronoun "one." Is "one" a personal pronoun? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Dung BeetlesAs their name suggests, dung beetles feed partly or exclusively on feces. Many dung beetles roll manure into balls—sometimes as large as apples—which they then use as food sources and brooding chambers. They can eat more than their own weight in 24 hours and are considered helpful because they convert manure into substances usable by other organisms. According to estimates, how many millions of dollars do dung beetles save the US cattle industry each year by burying above-ground livestock feces? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Director Skips Bail and Flees to France (1978)The films of renowned director Roman Polanski are marked by dramatic situations presented with irony and a cool lack of sentimentality. Born in Paris and educated in Poland, he moved to Hollywood in 1968 to pursue his filmmaking career. His pregnant wife was murdered by the Manson "family" shortly thereafter. In 1978, he fled to France to avoid sentencing after pleading guilty to statutory rape. A survivor of the Holocaust, he recently received an Academy Award for what World War II film? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Langston Hughes (1902)Hughes was an American poet and a central figure of the Harlem Renaissance. His writing is largely concerned with depicting African-American life, particularly the experience of the urban African American, and often uses dialect and jazz rhythms. Along with several collections of poetry, Hughes published numerous other works, including several plays, books for children, and novels. While working as a busboy, Hughes launched his literary career by presenting his poems to what poet as he dined? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 It is the stillest words which bring the storm. Thoughts that come with doves' footsteps guide the world.Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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harrowing experience— An experience that is frightening, chilling, or disturbing, either due to an implied or actual element of danger, or from being physically or emotionally unpleasant. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Imbolc (2023)One of the "Greater Sabbats" during the Wiccan year, Imbolc celebrates the coming of spring and the recovery of the Earth Goddess after giving birth to the Sun God at Yule. The Greater Sabbats (or Sabbaths) take place four times a year, at the Cross-Quarter Days of February 1, May 1, August 1, and November 1. In ancient days, some of these were huge get-togethers that involved dancing, singing, and feasting all night. Revolving around the changing of the seasons and the breeding of animals, they served as a way to give thanks for the bounties of the earth. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: sacrificeoffer - Originally meant "to present or sacrifice something to a religious entity." More... sacrifice - From Latin sacrificium, related to sacrificus, "sacrificial," from sacer, "holy, sacred." More... oblation - Something offered to God or a god, like a sacrifice or donation, can be called an oblation. More... victim - Originally denoted a person or animal killed as a sacrifice. More... | |