Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, May 7, 2016)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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raring
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Personal Pronouns - NumberGrammatical number in English simply means whether something or someone is singular or plural—i.e. whether there is one (singular) or more than one (plural). For nouns, we usually just add an "-s" to the end of the word to signify that it is plural. Why can't the same be done to pronouns? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 AyahuascaAyahuasca, or "vine of the soul," is a South American hallucinogenic brew made from the bark and stems of a tropical vine, generally Banisteriopsis caapi, mixed with other psychotropic plants. Many indigenous Amazonian peoples use the brew in their folk medicines and shamanistic rituals. In addition to its hallucinogenic properties, ayahuasca helps protect the body from tropical parasites and worms by inducing vomiting and diarrhea. What dietary restrictions surround ayahuasca use? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 World War II: Germany Signs Unconditional Surrender (1945)By the beginning of 1944, air warfare had turned overwhelmingly in favor of the Allies, who wrought unprecedented destruction on many German cities and on transport and industries throughout German-held Europe. German collapse came after the meeting of the Western and Russian armies at Torgau in Saxony, and after Hitler's death amid the ruins of Berlin, which was falling to the Russians. The unconditional surrender of Germany was signed at Reims on May 7. When did it take effect? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Robert Browning (1812)Browning was a leading Victorian poet known for his dramatic monologues. In 1846, he secretly married Elizabeth Barrett, whisking her away from her despotic father to Italy. Barrett was already a famous poet, but Browning's poems—such as "Fra Lippo Lippi" and "The Bishop Orders His Tomb"—gained recognition slowly. Long after his beloved wife's death, his novel in verse about a murder, The Ring and the Book, finally earned him wide acclaim. In 1890, he became the first dead man to do what? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Clairvoyant, n.: A person, commonly a woman, who has the power of seeing that which is invisible to her patron, namely, that he is a blockhead.Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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get this show on the road— To promptly begin or get something started. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Calendimaggio (2020)According to legend, St. Francis of Assisi used to walk through the streets of Assisi, Italy, at night, singing. In early May each year, long processions of messeri (gentlemen) and madonne (ladies), escorted by knights and esquires, compete with each other in singing and music at the Piazza del Comune. In addition to commemorating the town's patron saint, these singing contests serve as an official welcome to May, which is known as the month of love. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: messengerapostle - Comes from Greek apostolos, "messenger." More... bode - Boda is messenger in Germanic, hence "bode"; at first, a bode was a command—then an omen or premonition. More... enunciate - Derives from Latin nuntius, "messenger." More... angel - The word angel was one of the earliest Germanic adoptions from Latin; originally from Greek aggelos, "messenger," it first meant "hireling" or "messenger." More... | |
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