Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, March 6, 2016)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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palpitation
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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ParticlesA particle is a word that does not have semantic meaning on its own, but instead relies on the word it is paired with to have meaning. What are the only two things that a particle is used to create? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Chekhov's GunChekhov's gun is a literary technique in which a seemingly insignificant element is introduced early in a story and later becomes crucial to the plot. It is named for famed Russian dramatist Anton Chekhov, who felt strongly that any object introduced in a story must be used, or it should not be featured in the first place. The technique has remained popular and is widely used in modern literature, film, and television. What popular fantasy novels frequently feature this plot device? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Walter Cronkite Signs off CBS Evening News (1981)During his career as a broadcast journalist, "Uncle Walter," as Cronkite was affectionately known, was identified in public opinion polls as the most trusted man in America. He was managing editor and anchorman of The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite for almost 20 years and covered the first televised US presidential election, the 1969 moon landing, and the assassination of US President John F. Kennedy. In 1981, he signed off for the last time with what famous phrase? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Louis Francis "Lou" Costello (1906)Costello was an American comedian who, along with Bud Abbott, formed the comedic duo of Abbott and Costello. From 1931 to 1957, Costello played a bumbling, cheery dimwit alongside Abbott's "straight man" in various stage, radio, and TV routines, the most famous of which was their "Who's on First?" skit. Regarded as the archetypal team of burlesque comedy, the pair starred in movies such as Buck Privates and Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein. Why did the two eventually part ways? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Wit is the sudden marriage of ideas which before their union were not perceived to have any relation.Mark Twain (1835-1910) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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harp on the same string— To dwell tediously and repeatedly upon a single subject or topic, especially in complaint. Likened to playing the same note over and over again on a harp. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Amalaka Ekadashi (2020)Among Hindus, who respect all animate and inanimate things because they are manifestations of the Universal Spirit, this is a day for worshipping the Amalaka tree, where Vishnu is believed to live. An Amalaka tree is ceremonially bathed and watered, a fast is observed, and Brahmans are given gifts. Amalaka Ekadashi also marks the beginning of the Holi or spring festival in India, where people splash each other with colored water and red powder and indulge in eating and drinking. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: swordsheath - Seems to have first been a split stick that a sword could be inserted into. More... spades - As a suit in a deck of cards, it has nothing to do with spades as tools, but comes from Spanish espada, "sword." More... spay - A shortening of a French word espeer, meaning "cut with a sword." More... gladiator, gladiate - The main Latin word for sword was gladius, from which came gladiator; gladiate is an adjective meaning sword-shaped. More... | |