Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, September 13, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Function of Reciprocal PronounsReciprocal pronouns are used to refer to two or more people who are or were the subject of the same verb, with both or all parties mutually receiving or benefiting from that action in the same way. How do reciprocal pronouns always function in a sentence? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Renaissance FairsRenaissance fairs, outdoor gatherings in which historical periods—generally the Elizabethan Era—are recreated, were initially intended to be accurate historical reenactments but have since taken on a more theme park-like quality, particularly in the US. At these fairs, visitors may test their archery or axe-throwing skills, interact with costumed entertainers, and take in musical and theatrical acts, including jousting competitions. What debates exist within the Renaissance fair community? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Oslo Accords Officially Signed (1993)The Oslo Accords, providing for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the West Bank and Gaza and for limited Palestinian self-government, resulted from the first direct negotiation between Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). Though talks were conducted in secret in Oslo, Norway, the agreement was signed publicly in Washington, DC. It was signed in the presence of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader Yasser Arafat, yet neither signed it. Who did? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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.jpg) Sherwood Anderson (1876)After serving briefly in the Spanish-American War, Anderson became a successful advertising man and then manager of a paint factory before suffering a nervous breakdown. Dissatisfied with his life, he abandoned both his family and his job to devote himself to writing. His best-known work is the short story collection Winesburg, Ohio, and his prose style, based on everyday speech, influenced writers Ernest Hemingway and William Faulkner. He died after accidentally swallowing what object? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Sweet are the uses of adversity which, like the toad, ugly and venomous, wears yet a precious jewel in his head.William Shakespeare (1564-1616) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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shifty-looking— Having or of an untrustworthy, dubious, or deceptive appearance. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Avening Pig Face Day (2020)A number of explanations have been offered for the custom of eating pig's face sandwiches on the Sunday nearest Holy Cross Day (September 14) in the Cotswold village of Avening, England. One involves Matilda of Flanders (d. 1083), the wife of William the Conqueror. She built a church there that was completed on September 14, and the Queen is said to have held a boar's head dedication feast. Today there is an evening anniversary service, after which the villagers participate in an 11th-century banquet headed by Queen Matilda and other historic characters in period costume. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: tuneaccordion, concertina - Accordion derives from Italian accordare, "to tune," and both it and the concertina operate on the same basic principle; however, the accordion has a pianolike keyboard and is rectangular and bulky, while the concertina has buttons in headboards and is hexagonal and more portable. More... carol - A term which originally referred to a non-religious ring dance accompanied by singing. Eventually it came to mean a merry song with a tune that could be danced to. The Italian friars who lived with St. Francis of Assisi were the first to compose Christmas carols, c. 1410. More... lilt - Comes from a word meaning "pipe," and the noun originally meant "song, tune." More... perseveration - The recurrence of a tune or thought in the mind. More... | |