Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, September 7, 2015)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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witless
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Using Adverbial PhrasesAn "adverbial phrase" (also known as an "adverb phrase") is a group of words that functions as an adverb in a sentence. What do adverbial phrases typically give descriptions of? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Piazza San MarcoSt. Mark's Square, or Piazza San Marco, is Venice's principal plaza. Originating in the 9th c as a small area in front of St. Mark's Basilica, the Piazza was enlarged to its present shape and size in 1177. As Venice's central gathering place, it is extremely popular with tourists, pigeons, and photographers. The Piazza is surrounded by a number of historic structures, including the Doge's Palace, Procuraties, and Biblioteca Marciana. What was the purpose of the paved pattern on the Piazza floor? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Tupac Shakur Is Shot (1996)In 1996, Shakur, an American rap star and actor, was fatally wounded in a drive-by shooting while stopped at a red light on the Las Vegas strip. He died six days later. The 25-year-old Shakur had been involved in a violent rivalry between the East and West Coast rap scenes and had survived another shooting less than two years earlier. His killer has never been identified. However, some suspect that it was a man who had been in a public altercation with Shakur hours before the shooting—who? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Laura Ashley (1925)Ashley was a British fashion designer and manufacturer. After serving in the Women's Royal Naval Service during WWII, she founded a company with her husband to produce silkscreened placemats, scarves, and tea towels. Her romantic and old-fashioned look carried over into women's clothing, home furnishings, children's wear, fabrics, wall coverings, and decorative accessories. What actress is credited with popularizing the style of headscarf that Ashley designed early in her career? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 People only see what they are prepared to see.Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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clout list— A secret list of people who, through advantageous connections and relationships with people of affluence, authority, or political influence, are given preferential consideration during an admissions or appointments process. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 International Camel Races (2019)The International Camel Races, the only camel races in the United States, have been held since 1954 in Virginia City, Nevada, the one-time mining town considered the richest place on earth in the 1860s. It was thought that camels could work like mules in the mines, but they didn't last long; their hoofs didn't adapt to the rocky terrain. There are some camels kept in town today, though, and others are imported for the races. The three-day race weekend now includes a Camel Hump Ball; a parade, including belly dancers and bagpipe players; and a race of ostriches pulling chariots. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: wastewastrel - Pronounced WAYS-trul, it is either a wasteful or worthless person, derived from the verb "waste," from Latin vastus, "desert, waste." More... bratwurst - From German Brat, "meat without waste," and Wurst, "sausage." More... eat your heart out - Goes back as far as Diogenes Laertius, who credited Pythagoras with saying "Do not eat your heart"—meaning "Don't waste your life worrying about something"—2,500 years ago. More... sullage - Waste from household sinks, showers, and baths—but not toilets; it also figuratively means filth or refuse. More... | |