Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, February 27, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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well-disposed
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Modal Verbs and TenseA modal verb must always be used with a main verb—they cannot stand completely on their own. But because we cannot use modal verbs with main verbs that are in a past-tense form, the verb that follows a modal must always be in what form? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Argumentum ad IgnorantiamArgument from ignorance is an informal logical fallacy that asserts that an argument is necessarily true because it has not been proven false or vice versa. Instead of providing evidence to support a claim, the argument simply demonstrates that others cannot provide evidence to the contrary. For example, to say that ghosts exist because no one has proven otherwise would be a case of argumentum ad ignorantiam. Usually trickery, this argument is used in what highly esteemed legal principle? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Reichstag Fire (1933)The 1933 fire at the German Parliament building known as the Reichstag was a pivotal event in the establishment of Nazi Germany. Allegedly set by a Dutch communist, the fire was used by Adolf Hitler to turn public opinion against his opponents, especially the communists. Immediately after the fire, he enacted a decree suspending constitutional protection of personal rights, effectively establishing the Nazi Party dictatorship. Why do some believe the fire was set by the Nazis themselves? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Hugo LaFayette Black (1886)Black was a US Supreme Court Justice for 34 years. A prominent supporter of the New Deal, he was also in the majority that struck down mandatory school prayer and guaranteed the availability of legal counsel to suspected criminals. He was known for an absolutist belief in the Bill of Rights, and his last major opinion supported the right of The New York Times to publish the Pentagon Papers, which revealed improper government conduct. To what secret society did Black once belong? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 I meant to write about death, only life came breaking in as usual.Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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pull a U-ie— To make a U-turn. Primarily heard in US, Australia. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Ecuadoran Civicism & National Unity Day (2020)Public displays of patriotism are commonplace for Ecuadorans on this national holiday, observed on the anniversary of the Battle of Tarqui in 1822. The flag of Ecuador is prominently featured during the day's celebrations. Along with receiving a public display at government and private buildings, the flag also appears in the traditional ceremonies at schools throughout the country. Students with exemplary academic records will have the honor of being flag bearers in official parades, and all students are expected to deliver an oath and kiss the flag as a symbol of their allegiance. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: interpretationeisegesis - The interpretation of a word or passage by reading into it one's own ideas. More... hermeneutic - An adjective meaning "concerned with interpretation," especially of scripture. More... case-sensitive - If something is case-sensitive, there is a different meaning or interpretation based on upper- and lower-cased letters. More... semiotics - The study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation. More... | |