Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, August 26, 2015)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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decrepitude
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Infinitives as Non-Finite VerbsAn infinitive is the most basic form of a verb. It is "unmarked" (which means that it is not conjugated for tense or person), and it is preceded by the particle "to." Infinitives are also known as non-finite verbs. What does that mean? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Ibn al-HaythamAlso known as Alhazen, Ibn al-Haytham was an Arab mathematician, astronomer, and physicist. Optics, perhaps his most significant work, introduced the idea that light rays emanate in straight lines in all directions from every point on a luminous surface. Latin translations of this work influenced both Kepler and Descartes. Alhazen is considered the “father of optics” for his experiments with lenses, mirrors, refraction, and reflection. What lunar phenomenon was named in his honor? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 National Assembly of Quebec Adopts the Charter of the French Language (1977)In 1976, the Parti Québécois, a party of French-Canadian nationalists formed in 1970, won control of the provincial parliament. Among its first acts was the passage of La charte de la langue française—the Charter of the French Language. Also known as Bill 101, the controversial legislation made French the official language of Quebec and prohibited the use of English on signs and in most commercial transactions. What effect did the charter have on businesses in Quebec? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Robert Walpole, First Earl of Orford (1676)Walpole was an English statesman. Elected to the House of Commons in 1701, he later served as secretary of war. With the accession of George I, he rose rapidly to become first lord of the treasury and chancellor of the exchequer. With his consolidation of power, he effectively became the first British prime minister. He avoided foreign entanglement and kept England neutral until 1739, when he was forced into the War of Jenkins' Ear against Spain. How did the conflict get its name? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Thieves respect property. They merely wish the property to become their property that they may more perfectly respect it.Gilbert Chesterton (1874-1936) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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beauty queen— A woman who has won, or looks as if she could win, a beauty pageant. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Nariyal Purnima (Coconut Day) (2018)Nariyal (or Narali) Purnima, Coconut Day, is celebrated by Hindus in western India in the union territory of Daman and Diu and in the nearby state of Maharashtra at the end of the monsoon season. This is the time of year when the fishing and water-trade season begins again, and, in thanks, people gather at the shores and throw coconuts into the Arabian Sea as offerings to Varuna, the sea god. Because the nut of the coconut appears to have three eyes, it is associated with the god Shiva. Many consider breaking a coconut to bring good luck to any new venture, such as the beginning of the trade season. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: small roomaedicule - A small room or structure used as a shrine—or a niche for a statue. More... cove - Comes from Old English cofa, "small room," from the Germanic root kubon, and came to mean "small hollow place in coastal rocks," and then "small bay." More... cabinet - Originally meant a small room and came to apply to the group of politicians who met in the room. More... conclave - Based on Latin con- and clavis, "key," as it was first an inner chamber or private room to which one would have needed a key, literally a "place that can be locked up," or a room or set of rooms that can be opened with only one key. More... | |