Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, September 7, 2023)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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contraption
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Present Perfect Continuous TenseThe present perfect continuous tense is formed by using a form of the auxiliary verb "have" along with "been" and the present participle of the "main" verb. The present perfect continuous is very close in meaning to how we use the present perfect tense. How do they differ? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Silly PuttyWhen scientists tried to find a rubber substitute for the US during WWII, they stumbled upon a product that would entertain children for generations. Silly Putty is silicone plastic “clay” sold in an egg-shaped plastic container and marketed as a children's toy. As an inorganic polymer, it can pick up ink when pressed against a newspaper; the imprint can then be stretched in any direction. It also bounces, breaks, and “melts” into a puddle. What causes these unusual flow characteristics? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Last Captive Thylacine Dies in Hobart Zoo (1936)The thylacine, known also as the Tasmanian wolf and Tasmanian tiger, was a carnivorous marsupial once found on the Australian mainland, New Guinea, and Tasmania. Often cited as an example of convergent evolution, it was superficially similar to a wolf or dog, though it evolved entirely independently of these animals. It was hunted to probable extinction in the 1930s, and the last captive thylacine died in the Hobart Zoo in 1936. How many thylacine sightings have been reported since then? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Buddy Holly (1936)An early rock 'n' roll star, Holly began as a country-and-western singer and gradually added rhythm-and-blues elements to his innovative style. With his band, the Crickets, he established the standard rock instrumentation of two guitars, bass, and drums, and toured the US extensively for two years before his death in a plane crash. He became one of rock's most enduring cult figures and much of his material was released posthumously. Who else died in the plane crash that killed him? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 There are some cases in which the sense of injury breeds—not the will to inflict injuries and climb over them as a ladder, but—a hatred of all injury.George Eliot (1819-1880) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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have a handle on (something)— To have a firm, clear understanding or determination of something. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Toronto International Film Festival (2023)Second in size only to the Cannes Film Festival in France, the Toronto International Film Festival is considered one of the world's most prestigious artistic events; it features some of the year's most anticipated films, attracts leading stars in the movie business, and serves as a networking and educational opportunity for industry professionals. Festival organizers pride themselves on creating a public festival, which means film submissions from all over are accepted and screenings are open to the public as well as to the media and the film industry. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: literarycenacle - A discussion group or literary clique—also, a small dining room where a literary or philosophic group eats and talks (from Latin cena, "dinner"), such as the room in which the Last Supper was held. More... literary - A painting or sculpture that depicts a story can be described as "literary." More... opuscule - A diminutive of opus, meaning a minor or small work, literary or musical. More... copyright - Literally, "the right to reproduce" one's own work or authorize others to do so; copyright protects original artistic, literary, dramatic, musical, and intellectual work in a tangible medium. More... | |