Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, July 16, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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colewort
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Declarative SentencesA declarative sentence makes a statement or argument about what is, was, or will be the case. What are some variations of declarative sentences? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Sumptuary LawsSumptuary laws are laws directed against overindulgence or extravagance in diet, drink, and dress based on social, religious, or moral grounds. Historically, these statutes often varied according to rank and were mainly used to mark class distinctions and prevent people from assuming the appearance of a superior class. They were also used to stigmatize disfavored groups, who could be required to wear identifying apparel. How rich did one need to be to wear a belt in the Massachusetts Bay Colony? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 District of Columbia Established as US Capital (1790)Adopted in 1787, the US Constitution allowed for the establishment of a capital city that could govern itself, but it did not stipulate a location. While it was agreed that the capital should not be in any one state, its placement was hotly debated. In 1790, Congress struck a compromise between the North and South, establishing a capital on the Potomac River. The exact location was chosen by President George Washington. District residents were unable to vote in presidential elections until when? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Ginger Rogers (1911)Rogers was an Oscar-winning American actress and dancer—most notably as Fred Astaire's partner. Their first appearance together was in 1933's Flying Down to Rio. Though they were not given star billing, they stole the show and went on to make nine more films together. Rogers also starred in several non-musical roles and, by 1945, was one of the highest paid performers in Hollywood. She was honored by the Kennedy Center in 1992. Why were parts of the event prohibited from being televised? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Falsehood is so easy, truth so difficult.George Eliot (1819-1880) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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horse-trade— To negotiate, trade, or bargain in a shrewd, judicious manner. Primarily heard in US. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Feast of the Giglio (Brooklyn) (2020)The feast days of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (July 16) and Paulinus of Nola (June 22) are celebrated together by Italian Americans at the parish of Shrine Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Brooklyn, New York. The highlights of the festival are the two processions of the giglio (Italian for "lilies"), a huge tower about six stories high and decorated with lilies. On July 16, the statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is placed atop the giglio and paraded through the parish streets accompanied by a marching band and the singing of the Giglio Song ("O' Giglio 'e Paradiso"). More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: joiningapse - From Latin apsis, meaning "fastening together," it is based on the notion that a vaulted space seems to be the joining together of arcs to form a circle. More... syssarcosis - The joining of two or more bones by muscle. More... couple - Its underlying notion is of "joining," coming from Latin copula, "connection, tie." More... conjugal - From Latin conjugare, "join together (in marriage)"—from com-, "together," and jugare, "yoke"—it has an underlying notion of "joining together." More... | |