Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, December 31, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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lying-in
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Perfective and Imperfective AspectThe perfective aspect highlights actions, states, or events as a whole. The imperfective aspect is used when we focus on the internal structures of an action. What is the continuous aspect? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Jean Eugène Robert-HoudinConsidered the father of modern conjuring, Houdin was a French magician after whom Harry Houdini named himself. Originally a clockmaker, he was celebrated for his optical illusions and mechanical devices. He was the first to use electromagnetism for his effects, and attributed his magic to natural instead of supernatural means. In 1856, he was sent to Algeria by the French government to counter the influence of the dervishes by outdoing their feats. What are some of his famous illusions? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Vandals Invade Gaul (406 CE)An ancient Germanic tribe that originated in North Jutland, the Vandals began a decades-long migration in the early 5th century. The violent path they cut through Europe made their name synonymous with senseless destruction. Crossing the Rhine in 406 CE, they invaded their first stop, Gaul. The Roman-allied Franks refused to allow them to settle there, so the Vandals devastated the region and kept moving. By the time they sacked Rome in 455 CE, they had established a kingdom of their own—where? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Henri Matisse (1869)One of the premier artists of the modern period, Matisse left his law career after taking up painting during an illness in 1890. He explored Impressionism but instead began to use vivid primary color as a structural element. He became a leader of the short-lived Fauvist movement, and by 1909, he had achieved worldwide fame. After 1939, he became increasingly active as a graphic artist. His contribution to 20th-century art is inestimable. Which of his paintings was burned in effigy in 1913? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 He did each single thing, as if he did nothing else.Charles Dickens (1812-1870) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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up to (one's) eyeballs (in something)— Extremely busy (with something); deeply or overly involved (in something); possessing, filled up with, or overwhelmed by an excessive amount (of something). More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 First Night (2025)First Night originated in Boston as an annual New Year's Eve celebration of the arts. This citywide festival was first held in 1976 to change the drinking and partying that have traditionally marked New Year's Eve celebrations in most American cities into a night of family entertainment. To bring both inner city and suburban communities together, 1,000 artists in Boston offer a wide variety of artistic events and performances at 70 indoor and outdoor sites in Boston's Back Bay, Beacon Hill, South End, downtown, and waterfront areas. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: sitstrimmer - One who sits on the fence or remains neutral about political issues. More... insessor - One who sits in or on/upon something. More... nest - From Indo-European nizdos, literally "(place where the bird) sits down." More... soot - Etymologically, something that "sits" on something else—like film settling on a surface. More... | |