Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, December 17, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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saltation
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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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 Sydney Opera HouseDistinguished by its roof of white concrete "shells," Australia's Sydney Opera House is one of the world's most distinctive and famous 20th-century buildings. Danish architect Jørn Utzon's design, which was among the first to use computers for structural analysis, was chosen in 1957 from among 233 competition entries from 32 countries. The Opera House was formally completed in 1973 at a cost of $102 million—10 years late and $95 million over budget. Why did Utzon resign from the project in 1966? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Romanos Is Crowned Co-Emperor of the Byzantine Empire (920 CE)Romanos advanced through the ranks of the Byzantine military to become an influential figure in the royal court. In May 919, he arranged for the marriage of his daughter to the teenage Emperor Constantine VII and was declared "Father of the Emperor." The next year, he was crowned co-emperor, and he then made his own sons co-emperors. However, in 944, Romanos's sons arrested him and made him become a monk to prevent him from naming Constantine VII his successor. What happened to them? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 William Safire (1929)Safire was an American journalist and a speechwriter for US President Richard Nixon, who once ordered Safire's phone be tapped. In 1973, Safire became a syndicated political columnist for The New York Times, a post he held until 2005. A master of wordplay, he also wrote regularly on language-related topics. After Safire wrote a column in which he insulted a first lady, a White House aide remarked that if the president were not the president, he would have responded in what way? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Charm and nothing but charm at last grows a little tiresome...It's a relief then to deal with a man who isn't quite so delightful but a little more sincere.W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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let it rest— To cease discussing or dwelling upon a given subject. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Saturnalia (2017)This Ancient Roman Winter Solstice festival began on December 17 and lasted for seven days. It was held in honor of Saturn, the father of the gods, and was characterized by the suspension of discipline and reversal of the usual order. Grudges and quarrels were forgotten; businesses, courts, and schools closed down; and masquerading or change of dress between the sexes often occurred. The festivities were characterized by various kinds of excesses—giving rise to the modern use of the term saturnalian, which is used to describe "unrestrained license and revelry." More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: spoonruncible spoon - A three-pronged fork curved like a spoon and used as a serving utensil. More... cochleare - A spoon or spoonful of a medical prescription. More... spoon bread - Soft cornbread served with a spoon; it is also called egg bread or butter bread. More... | |
| In the News | |
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Research on Clay Formation Could Have Implications for How to Search for Life on MarsClay minerals cannot form unless there is water available—it is an essential ingredient in their microscopic crystalline structure. Clays are found virtually nowhere on the red planet except in Mars’s most ancient terrains, dating back to an epoch about ... More... | |