Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, April 18, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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judder
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Defining the Past Perfect TenseThe past perfect tense expresses the idea that something occurred before another action in the past. It can also show that something happened before a specific time in the past. How do we form the past perfect tense? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Catch-22Catch-22 is a term coined by Joseph Heller in his novel of the same name to describe a situation in which a desired outcome is impossible to attain. Heller's prototypical Catch-22 concerns the sanity of military pilots. Basically, since combat missions are so dangerous, those who fly them must be insane and should be grounded. Asking to be grounded, however, shows concern for one's own wellbeing and demonstrates a pilot's sanity. He must therefore continue to fly. What are other examples? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Paul Revere's Midnight Ride (1775)American patriot Paul Revere was a member of the Sons of Liberty and a participant in the Boston Tea Party, but he is chiefly remembered for his late-night horseback ride to warn the Massachusetts colonists that British soldiers were setting forth on the mission that, as it turned out, began the American Revolution. Two others also rode out with the news, but it is Revere who is celebrated as the midnight rider, despite having been captured before reaching his final destination. Why is this? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 James McCune Smith (1813)Smith was the first African American to obtain a medical degree and operate a pharmacy in the US. Denied admission to American colleges due to racial discrimination, he studied in Scotland, obtaining a series of degrees. After returning to New York, he became the first professionally trained black physician in the country. He wrote forcefully against common misconceptions and false notions about race, science, and medicine and once used statistics to refute what argument about slaves? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 The years teach much which the days never know.Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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a shame— An unfortunate situation. The term is used either in consolation or ironically. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Zimbabwe Independence Day (2021)Like much of Africa, the area that is now Zimbabwe was long controlled by Europeans. In 1922, the 34,000 European settlers chose to become a self-governing British colony, Southern Rhodesia; in 1923, Southern Rhodesia was annexed by the British Crown. A fight for independence took place in the 1970s. An independent constitution was written for Zimbabwe in London in 1979, and independence followed on April 18, 1980. Independence Day is celebrated in every city and district of the nation with political rallies, parades, traditional dances, singing, and fireworks. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: kickcoup de savate - A kick with the flat of the foot. More... Gaelic football - A rough, football-like game mainly played in Ireland with 15 players to each side with the object of punching, dribbling, or kicking the ball into a goal. More... punt, bunt - Punt, as in "kick," may be from bunt, "push," used in baseball to mean "hit the ball softly." More... kick, punt - The dent in the bottom of a wine or champagne bottle is the kick or punt. More... | |