Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, April 3, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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congee
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Intensive PronounsIntensive pronouns add emphasis to the sentence by reiterating the subject (known as the pronoun’s antecedent). When an intensive pronoun is used to add emphasis, where is it generally placed in the sentence? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 BoffinsIn British slang, a boffin is a scientist, especially one engaged in research, who possesses extensive skill or knowledge in a particular field, often to the exclusion of all non-academic interests. The word "boffin" was originally used as military slang for a technician or research scientist, but since WWII, the affectionate nickname has taken on a negative connotation. However, its etymology is otherwise obscure. What is its closest American slang equivalent? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Oscar Wilde's Libel Case Begins (1895)When the marquess of Queensbury became convinced that his son, Alfred Douglas, was having an affair with Wilde, he began to rail against the author and playwright, publicly accusing Wilde of sodomy, a crime at the time. At Douglas's urging, Wilde sued the marquess for libel. He not only lost the case, but was in turn charged with homosexual offenses and arrested. Wilde was convicted in an internationally notorious trial and served two years hard labor. What did he write while in prison? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Henry Robinson Luce (1898)One of the most powerful—and controversial—figures in the history of US journalism, Luce founded Time magazine in 1923 with former Yale classmate Briton Hadden. It was the first news-weekly in the US and is now the largest. Luce went on to launch a number of other highly successful magazines, including Fortune, Life, and Sports Illustrated. What was the estimated value of his share of Time stock at the time of his death? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 It is not difficult to be unconventional in the eyes of the world when your unconventionality is but the convention of your set.W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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have had (one's) chips— To be defeated; to fail completely; to die or be killed. A reference to chips (small plastic disks) used to make wagers when gambling. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Royal Easter Show (2020)The largest and best-attended of the Australian agricultural fairs, the Royal Easter Show was first held in 1822 as a way of promoting the country's agricultural industry and helping people sell their products. Now it attracts more than a million visitors each year and has expanded to include sports competitions, fashion and flower shows, and celebrity performances. It attracts more than 600 exhibitors each year and is similar to some of the larger American state fairs, such as the Iowa State Fair and the Eastern States Exposition. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: pondlake - First meant pool or pond. More... nursery - Can be a pond in which fry are reared. More... tank - May have come from Gujarati tanku, or Marathi tanke, "underground cistern," from Sanskrit tadaga, "pond." More... pond - To pond is to accumulate water in a pond, which is really a small lake. More... | |