Daily Content Archive

(as of Tuesday, May 30, 2023)
Word of the Day

arriviste

Definition:(noun) A person who has recently attained high position or great power but not general acceptance or respect; an upstart.
Synonyms:nouveau-riche, parvenu, upstart
Usage: The arriviste tried to gain acceptance into society through ostentatious displays of his newfound wealth, but his actions only inspired resentment.
Daily Grammar Lesson

Forming Complex Sentences

The order of the independent and dependent clause in a complex sentence is flexible. We can structure complex sentences with the independent clause first or with the dependent clause first. When the dependent clause is placed first, what do we generally follow it with? More...
Article of the Day

Mount Everest

The peak of Mount Everest is 29,035 ft (8,850 m) above sea level, making it the highest point on earth. It is called Chomo-Lungma, or "Mother of the Universe," by the Tibetans, and Devgri in Sanskrit, meaning "Holy Mountain." The first confirmed ascent of the mountain took place in 1953, by Hillary of New Zealand and Norgay of Nepal; however, whether George Mallory had successfully ascended the mountain in 1924 before dying is a matter of controversy. What is the Death zone? More...
This Day in History

Andrew Jackson Kills Charles Dickinson in a Duel (1806)

In 1806, nationally famous duelist and expert marksman Charles Dickinson—whose dueling career included 26 kills—was goaded by political opponents of future US President Andrew Jackson to insult Jackson's wife. A duel was arranged between the men, and Jackson took a shot to the ribs before firing what would be a fatal shot at Dickinson—the only man Jackson ever killed in his 13 duels. Jackson's wife died in 1828, two weeks after Jackson was elected president. Whom did Jackson blame for her death? More...
Today's Birthday

Peter Carl Fabergé (1846)

Famed for the decorative eggs that bear his name, Fabergé was a Russian goldsmith and jeweler. After inheriting his father's jewelry business, Fabergé decided to expand its scope to include the production of objects made with precious materials like silver, gold, and gems. His studio's opulent, intricate, and ingenious Easter eggs, which were often commissioned as gifts by tsars Alexander III and Nicholas II, are perhaps his most enduring legacy. Why did Fabergé eventually flee Russia? More...
Quotation of the Day
One does not jump, and spring, and shout hurrah! at hearing one has got a fortune, one begins to consider responsibilities, and to ponder business; on a base of steady satisfaction rise certain grave cares, and we contain ourselves, and brood over our bliss with a solemn brow.

Charlotte Bronte (1816-1855)

Idiom of the Day

amount to nothing

To result in no tangible or appreciable difference. More...
Today's Holiday

Feast Day of St. Joan of Arc (2023)

The second patron saint of France and one of the best known of all the saints, Joan of Arc was a young, pious peasant girl from the village of Domrémy. In 1428, she heard voices she identified as St. Michael, St. Catherine, and St. Margaret telling her to help the dauphin, Charles VII, recover his kingdom from the British. Her mission was accomplished within 15 months, but Joan was captured by the king's enemies, tried for witchcraft and heresy, and burned at the stake in Rouen on May 30, 1431. More...
Word Trivia

Today's topic: ruin

confuse - Originally meant "rout" or "bring to ruin." More...

naufrage - An old word for shipwreck or ruin. More...

defeature - The undoing or ruin of something. More...

fordo - "To do away with," "to destroy, ruin." More...

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