Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, May 2, 2021)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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sententious
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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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 | |
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 Queen Catherine de' MediciA member of the powerful Medici family, Catherine married Henry II in 1533, and together they had 10 children. She became queen when Henry inherited the crown in 1547. Though he largely excluded her from state affairs, she was thrust into the political arena upon his death in 1559. As regent for her young sons, first Francis II and then Charles IX, she determined state policy to a considerable extent. For that reason, she is generally blamed for what massacre carried out under Charles IX's rule? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 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 | |
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 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 | |
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 If you know what a man's doing, get in front of him; but if you want to guess what he's doing, keep behind him.Gilbert Chesterton (1874-1936) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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fork over the dough— To pay, generally unwillingly, a certain amount of money. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 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 | |
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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... | |