Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, May 13, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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AdverbialsSingle-word adverbs, adverbial phrases, and adverbial clauses are sometimes grouped together under the umbrella term "adverbials," which simply means any word or group of words used as an adverb in a sentence. However, because the term is so broad in meaning, it is very common to refer to any adverbial element with what term? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Locked-In SyndromeLocked-in syndrome is a condition in which a patient is conscious and aware but cannot move or speak due to complete paralysis of nearly all voluntary muscles in the body. Unlike a persistent vegetative state, in which upper portions of the brain are damaged and lower portions are spared, locked-in syndrome is caused by damage to specific portions of the lower brain and brainstem with no damage to the upper brain. What is the one way that those with locked-in syndrome can sometimes communicate? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Children Report Visions of the Virgin Mary in Fátima, Portugal (1917)In 1917, three children were herding sheep in Fátima when, according to their story, the Virgin Mary appeared to them. They claimed that she continued to appear to them on the 13th of every month, relaying messages and prophesies. Word of the visions spread, and at one point, the children were arrested. Then, on October 13, thousands reported seeing the sun spin in the sky near Fátima, which became a pilgrimage site. Two of the children died before the age of 12. What happened to the third? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Jim Jones (1931)An influential Indianapolis preacher, Jones formed the People's Temple in 1955. After he became the subject of criminal investigations, particularly regarding his alleged diversion of cult members' donations for his personal use, he and about 1,000 followers relocated to Jonestown, Guyana, in 1977. In 1978, cult members killed US Representative Leo Ryan and four others during an investigatory visit. The next day, Jones orchestrated the mass murder-suicide of how many of his followers? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 What I know about myself isn't really worth telling ... If you'll only let me tell you what I imagine about myself you'll think it ever so much more interesting.Lucy Maud Montgomery (1874-1942) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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of no account— Of no or very little importance, significance, or worth. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Lemuralia (2025)In ancient Rome, the lemures were the ghosts of the family's dead, who were considered to be troublesome and therefore had to be exorcized on a regular basis. The Lemuralia, or Lemuria, was a yearly festival held on the 9th, 11th, and 13th of May to get rid of the lemures. Participants walked barefoot, cleansed their hands three times, and threw black beans behind them nine times to appease the spirits of the dead. On the third day of the festival, a merchants' festival was held to ensure a prosperous year for business. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: loafbread bag - A plastic wrapper in which a loaf of bread is sold, intended to keep the bread fresh for longer than it would be if unwrapped. More... loaf - A head on a cabbage. More... bread - In Old English, it meant "piece, morsel," while actual bread was known as "loaf." More... crumb - The soft inner part of a bread roll, slice, or loaf. More... | |