Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, January 16, 2021)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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imposture
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Using Prepositions with VerbsCertain verbs require prepositions in order to connect to their sentences' objects. These combinations, known as "prepositional verbs," allow the prepositions to act as necessary links between verbs and nouns or gerunds. What are the prepositions used in these combinations sometimes called? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 InariThough its origin is unclear, worship of Inari, the Shinto god of rice and prosperity, dates to at least the 8th century BCE. Today, shrines to Inari are among the most numerous in Japan. Throughout history, Inari has been variously depicted as a woman with long hair carrying sheaves of rice or as a bearded old man riding a fox, which is sometimes identified as his messenger. As an offering to the fox statues at Inari's shrines, worshippers leave a dish known as Inari-zushi. What is it? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Miguel de Cervantes's Don Quixote Is Published (1605)A founding work of modern Western literature, Cervantes's Don Quixote presents a profound picture of the divide between idealistic and realistic world views. A burlesque of chivalric romances, it was an immediate success. In 1614, a spurious Part II was published by an unidentified author who insulted Cervantes in his prologue. Offended, Cervantes responded by publishing his own Part II, which some literary critics consider superior to Part I. What is Don Quixote's real name in the book? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Dian Fossey (1932)Fossey was an occupational therapist when, on a trip to Africa in 1963, she met famed anthropologist Louis Leakey, who encouraged her to pursue her dream of studying gorillas. In 1966, she began living a solitary life in the mountains of central Africa, gradually gaining the acceptance of the gorillas she observed and building a vast body of knowledge about their habits, communication, and social structure. In 1985, she was found hacked to death in her Rwandan forest camp. Who murdered her? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 I pay very little regard...to what any young person says on the subject of marriage. If they profess a disinclination for it, I only set it down that they have not yet seen the right person.Jane Austen (1775-1817) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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lose (one's) bearings— To lose sight of or become unable to determine one's orientation, position, or abilities relative to one's surroundings or situation. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Harbin Ice and Snow Festival (2025)This extravaganza of ice sculptures takes place from January 5 to February 4 in the port city of Harbin, the second largest city of northeast China, located in Heilongjiang Province. The sculptures, using themes of ancient legends and stories and modern historic events, depict pavilions, temples, and mythic animals and persons. Located in Zhaolin Park, they shimmer in the sun by day, and at night are illuminated in a rainbow of colors. Theatrical events, art exhibitions, and a photo exhibition mark festival time, and wedding ceremonies are often scheduled at this time in the ice-filled park. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: messaddled, muddled - Addled refers to mental confusion; muddled is anything confused or in a mess. More... dog's breakfast, dog's dinner - Meaning a mess or muddle, a dog's breakfast or dog's dinner originally may have referred to a cooking mishap with results fit only for a dog's consumption. More... higgledy-piggledy - Probably formed from pig and the animal's suggestions of mess and disorder. More... kettle of fish - Meaning "mess, muddle," the phrase is from "a pretty kettle of fish," a corruption of "kiddle of fish," in which a kiddle is a basket set in the opening of a weir for catching fish. More... | |