Daily Content Archive

(as of Thursday, September 2, 2021)
Word of the Day

vacillate

Definition:(verb) To swing indecisively from one course of action or opinion to another.
Synonyms:hover, oscillate, vibrate
Usage: I vacillated about what to say for so long that the man on the phone asked if I was still there.
Daily Grammar Lesson

Common Errors with Compound Sentences

Compound sentences are made up of at least two independent clauses expressing closely related ideas of equal or similar importance that are joined using a comma and a conjunction or just a semicolon. What are the two most common errors that occur with compound sentences? More...
Article of the Day

Phage Therapy

Bacteriophages, complex viruses that infect bacteria, were first discovered in the early 20th century. Phage therapy soon emerged as a possible treatment for bacterial infections, including epidemic diseases, but this approach was largely abandoned after the advent of antibiotics in the 1940s. More recently, the increasing threat posed by drug-resistant bacteria has led to renewed interest in phage therapy. For what use did the US Food and Drug Administration approve bacteriophages in 2006? More...
This Day in History

Paddy Roy Bates Founds His Own Nation (1967)

The Principality of Sealand is a purported micronation located on Roughs Tower, a World War II-era British sea fort located in the North Sea six miles (10 km) off the coast of Suffolk, England. Since 1966, the installation has been occupied by the associates and family of Paddy Roy Bates, a former British Army major and pirate radio broadcaster who claimed it as a sovereign and independent state in 1967. What is the international community's position on the fort's status as a sovereign nation? More...
Today's Birthday

Frederick Soddy (1877)

Working with Ernest Rutherford, Soddy developed a theory of the disintegration of radioactive elements. In 1912, the British chemist was among the first to conclude that elements might exist in chemically indistinguishable forms—now known as isotopes—of different atomic weights. In his 1920 book Science and Life, he described the use of isotopes in determining geologic age. He later applied his scientific background to economic theories. What H.G. Wells novel was inspired by his work? More...
Quotation of the Day
There are not more than five cardinal tastes (sour, acrid, salt, sweet, bitter), yet combinations of them yield more flavors than can ever be tasted.

Sun Tzu (544 BC-496 BC)

Idiom of the Day

rolling in dough

Exceptionally wealthy; having large amounts of money to spend. More...
Today's Holiday

Vietnam National Day (2025)

The Socialist Republic of Vietnam observes its declaration of independence from France as a national holiday. On this day in 1945, Ho Chi Minh (1890-1969) proclaimed the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. To celebrate Vietnam's national holiday, people gather in major cities, including Hanoi, for speeches, parades, fireworks, and other festivities. More...
Word Trivia

Today's topic: pity

alms - Goes back to Greek eleemosune, "compassion, pity," and eleos, "mercy." More...

bemoan, lament - Bemoaning is motivated when pity or grief is over an event that is joined to a consequence, whereas lamenting is motivated when the grief is over the event itself. More...

pity, piety - Pity and piety shared the meanings "compassion" and "dutifulness, reverence" for a while. More...

ruth, ruthless, ruthful - Ruth, meaning "compassion, pity," is part of ruthless and ruthful. More...

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