Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, September 8, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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groggy
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Stative Verbs and TenseStative verbs can be in the present, past, or future tense; however, because they describe static conditions, they are usually unable to progress through time, and they therefore cannot be used when forming the continuous or progressive forms of verb tenses. However, some stative verbs can be used in a continuous tense in what situations? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Daffy's ElixirDaffy's Elixir was a name used by several patent medicines from the 17th to the 19th century. The original tonic was reputed to have been invented in 1647 by clergyman Thomas Daffy, who named it Elixir Salutis—"Elixir of Salvation"—and promoted it as a panacea. It was later imitated and remained a popular cure-all in the UK and later the US. Chemical analysis of an early recipe for Daffy's Elixir showed it to be a laxative that was made mostly from what? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Star Trek Premieres (1966)Though the original Star Trek series was cancelled in its third season, the groundbreaking show—in which William Shatner's memorable Captain Kirk leads the crew of the starship Enterprise—developed a cult following of "Trekkies." Over the next four decades, the influential science-fiction franchise spawned five more Star Trek series, more than 10 feature films, and myriad conventions. Its motto, "to boldly go where no man has gone before," may have been partially copied from what source? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Alfred Jarry (1873)Jarry was a French writer. After exhausting the inheritance that had allowed him to move to Paris at 18, he led a life of calculated buffoonery. His 1896 farce, Ubu Roi, is considered a forerunner of theatre of the absurd and of Surrealism. It featured the grotesque Père Ubu, a repulsive and cowardly hero based on one of his former teachers. The brilliant imagery and wit of his works usually lapse into unintelligible symbolism. A heavy drinker, he died at 34. What was his last request? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 The way to love anything is to realize that it might be lost.Gilbert Chesterton (1874-1936) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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beer muscles— An inflated notion of one's strength, ego, or bravado due to excess consumption of alcohol (not necessarily beer). More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 St. Giles Fair (2020)The St. Giles Fair, held in Oxford, England, dates back even further than Oxford University. It is the only one remaining of the five great fairs once held in Oxford, and it still occupies its original site on St. Giles Street. Today it features sports and popular amusements, including "dodgem" cars, swing-boats, and gaily painted roundabouts. Booths sell holiday foods and other merchandise, and visitors flock to the fair from throughout Oxfordshire and the surrounding counties. The Fair is held on the Monday and Tuesday after the Sunday following St. Giles' feast day, September 1. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: variegatedchintz - Comes from the plural of Hindi chint, a printed Indian calico, from earlier Sanskrit chitra, "variegated." More... moire - Having a variegated or clouded appearance, like that of watered silk. More... variegated - Can mean "having variety in character, form, etc." More... vary - From Latin varius, "speckled, variegated; changeable." More... | |