Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, February 13, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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enamor
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Superlative AdverbsSuperlative adverbs, like superlative adjectives, are used to describe differences among three or more people or things. What ending is added to the base adverb to form a superlative adverb? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Fat TaxA fat tax, also known as "Twinkie tax," "junk food tax," and "snack tax," is a tax on calorie-dense, nutrient-poor foods. The concept was pioneered in the early 1980s by Kelly D. Brownell, PhD, who proposed that revenue from such a tax be used to subsidize more healthful foods and fund nutrition campaigns. Proponents believe that the increased cost of junk food might also deter buyers and thereby curb consumption. Where have fat taxes been introduced? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Nashville Sit-Ins Begin (1960)Just before it became first major Southern US city to begin integrating public spaces, Nashville was the scene of a months-long peaceful protest at the lunch counters of the city's department stores. Scores of African-American college students calmly occupied seats at the counters while employees refused to serve them. Some protesters were assaulted or jailed. That May, the counters were desegregated. The protesters' code of conduct became a model for other demonstrations. What did it say? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Sarojini Naidu (1879)Known as "the Nightingale of India," Naidu was an Indian child prodigy who began writing poetry as a young girl. She went on to pursue politics and became the first Indian woman to serve as president of the Indian National Congress and the first female governor of Uttar Pradesh. She enjoyed a close relationship with Mohandas Gandhi, and her participation in passive disobedience campaigns landed her in jail on multiple occasions. What humorous nickname did she bestow upon Gandhi? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 That was a memorable day to me, for it made great changes in me. But, it is the same with any life. Imagine one selected day struck out of it, and think how different its course would have been.Charles Dickens (1812-1870) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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the lady of the house— A woman who looks after and runs the house; the matriarch of a family or household. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Parentalia (2021)This was an ancient Roman festival held in honor of the manes, or souls of the dead—in particular, deceased relatives. It began a season for remembering the dead, which ended with the Feralia on February 21. This week was a quiet, serious occasion, without the rowdiness that characterized other Roman festivals. Everything, including the temples, closed down, and people decorated graves with flowers and left food—sometimes elaborate banquets—in the cemeteries in the belief that it would be eaten by the spirits of the deceased. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: sacksachet - Etymologically, a "little sack"—a small packet of perfumed matter. More... cul-de-sac - Literally French for "bottom of a sack," it also means "situation from which there is no escape"; it can be pluralized as cul-de-sacs or culs-de-sac. More... gunny - From Sanskrit goni, "sack," it is the material used for sacks, made from jute or sunn-hemp. More... haversack, knapsack, rucksack - Haversack is from German Haber, "oats," and Sack, "bag, sack"; knapsack is from German knapper, "to bite (food)" and zak, "sack"; rucksack comes from German Rucken, "back," and sack. More... | |