Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, August 27, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Defining Prepositional PhrasesA prepositional phrase is made up of at least a preposition and its object, which can be a noun, pronoun, or a noun phrase. Often times, the object will have a modifier or modifiers. Where do these appear in the prepositional phrase? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 AssassinAssassin is a real-life role-playing game that is particularly popular on college campuses. Though rules vary, the game usually begins when a host assigns targets to the players. The goal is for players to track down and eliminate their targets—acquiring the eliminated victim's target each time—until only one player remains. Targets are pursued around the clock, so to be successful, players must remain vigilant at all times. What are some of the "weapons" used to eliminate targets? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 IRA Bomb Kills British Statesman and Naval Commander Louis Mountbatten (1979)A British statesman and former naval commander, Mountbatten often spent his summers in Mullaghmore, Ireland, an area also frequented by members of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). In the summer of 1979, IRA member Thomas McMahon planted a bomb in Mountbatten's boat, and it exploded as Mountbatten and some family members left on a fishing trip. Mountbatten was killed along with his grandson and another boy working on the boat. What other IRA incident happened the same day? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Charles Stewart Rolls (1877)A member of the British aristocracy, Rolls developed an interest in engines and cars while studying at Cambridge. He became the first person there to have a car—a Peugeot—and, in 1902, he went into the automobile sales business. Striking a deal with manufacturer Frederick Royce in 1906, he co-founded the Rolls-Royce automobile company, which quickly earned a reputation for its engineering. In 1910, at the age of 32, Rolls became the first Briton to die in what unusual way? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Who has not remarked the readiness with which the closest of friends and honestest of men suspect and accuse each other of cheating when they fall out on money matters?William Makepeace Thackeray (1811-1863) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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with reckless abandon— With rash, unrestrained impulsiveness, enthusiasm, or zeal. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Dai-Chochin Matsuri (Lantern Festival) (2025)Chochin are cylindrical lanterns made out of paper stretched over a split bamboo frame. One of the best-known Chochin festivals is held on August 26-27 in Isshiki, Aichi Prefecture. The primary attractions are 12 huge chochin, each about 30 feet high and 18 feet across, that are hoisted by means of pulleys up three huge pillars at the Suwa Shrine. As night nears, priests begin to illuminate the lanterns—a process that may take several hours. At the end of the festival the lanterns are lowered after religious dances and songs have been offered. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: pronebellicose, belligerent - Bellicose orients "prone to fighting" toward an individual, while belligerent refers to an organized body, a national or political entity—a person is bellicose, a nation is belligerent. More... grovel, groveling - Grovel is a back-formation from groveling—which first meant "face downward in a prone or prostrate position." More... prone, prostrate, supine - Prone is lying on your face—facing downwards—which is also true for prostrate, but only in expressing adoration or begging for protection; supine is lying on your back. More... kratogen - The dormant area of land lying next to one that is prone to earthquakes. More... | |