Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, November 10, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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blather
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Using "Can Do"In response to a request or an instruction, it is common (especially in American English) to use the idiomatic phrase "can do." This usually stands on its own as a minor sentence. We can also make "can do" negative, by doing what to it? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The SphinxThe sphinx was a mythical beast of ancient Egypt, usually represented in sculpture in a recumbent position with the head of a man and the body of a lion. The most famous of these is the Great Sphinx at Giza, built around 2500 BCE and considered by the ancients as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. In Greek mythology, a sphinx poses a version of this famous riddle to Oedipus: "What walks on four feet in the morning, on two at noon, and on three in the evening?" What is the answer? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Sesame Street Premieres (1969)Today, Sesame Street is an American institution. However, at the time of its debut, the show was revolutionary. Developed by the Children's Television Workshop, Sesame Street was the first educational children's show to base its content on laboratory research. Much of that research went into determining what would capture the attention spans of young viewers, and Muppets—such as Elmo and Oscar the Grouch—were found to be particularly effective. Which US state once banned the show? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Vachel Lindsay (1879)Lindsay was an American poet who, in an attempt to revive poetry as an oral art form of the common people, traveled the country reciting his poems in return for food and shelter. He first received wider recognition for 1913's "General William Booth Enters into Heaven," about the founder of the Salvation Army. His works are known for their strong, musical rhythms and vivid imagery. Despite his popularity, he was crushed by personal and financial worries and committed suicide by drinking what? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 God...doth hang the greatest weights upon the smallest wires.Francis Bacon (1561-1626) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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talk a mile a minute— To speak in a very quick or hurried manner; to talk very fast. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 St. Martin's Eve (2025)Traditionally, children in Estonia go from door to door at dusk on St. Martin's Eve in much the same way that American children trick-or-treat on Halloween. If they are not welcomed into the house and given treats, they retaliate by singing rude and uncomplimentary songs. Usually, they are ushered into the kitchen, where such delicacies as apples, nuts, cookies, and raisin bread are handed out. Turnips are another prized gift, as is viljandi kama, a kind of meal comprised of grains and dried vegetables mixed with sour milk, sugar, and cream that is regarded as a special treat. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: strivecompete - Comes from Latin competere, "come together," but in later Latin, it developed the sense "strive together," which was the basis for the English term. More... repugn, repugnant - Repugn means "to strive against" or "be contradictory or inconsistent," giving us repugnant. More... strive - Seems to be from Old French estriver, "quarrel, strive." More... win - Its Germanic base gave it its first meaning, "to labor, strive, work." More... | |