Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, January 2, 2023)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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scaremonger
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Writing Compound NounsWriting compound nouns is a bit complicated due to the fact that they can take three different forms. What are "open compound nouns"? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Ticker-Tape ParadesTicker-tape parades were originated in New York City by Grover Whalen, the city's official greeter from 1919 to 1953. The welcome ceremonies he staged for Charles Lindbergh and returning soldiers from both world wars, among others, featured a festive snow of confetti—originally ticker-tape from stockbrokers' offices in lower Manhattan—thrown onto the parade from the tall buildings along the route. Today the parades most often fete sports champions. What is the "Canyon of Heroes"? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Second "Palmer Raid" Takes Place (1920)During the "Red Scare" that followed World War I, US Attorney General Alexander Mitchell Palmer attempted to deport political radicals, dissidents, and aliens in the notorious "Palmer Raids." The first raid took place in late 1919. The second series of raids began in January 1920. In total, some 3,000 allegedly subversive aliens were rounded up for deportation. A few hundred were deported, but the vast majority were released. The raids were preceded by bombings targeting what officials? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Ernst Barlach (1870)Barlach was an outstanding German expressionist sculptor, graphic artist, and writer. Through the power of his simple, angular, and compact forms, he communicated intense emotion and compassion. From clay modeling he turned to wood carving and woodcutting, which imbued his work with a rough-hewn quality. He achieved fame in the 1920s and 30s with the execution of several war memorials for the Weimar Republic. Why were many of Barlach's works destroyed or confiscated as "degenerate art"? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 I saw a creature, naked, bestial,Who, squatting upon the ground, Held his heart in his hands, And ate of it. Stephen Crane (1871-1900) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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look for a dog to kick— To seek out someone to blame or castigate, especially someone who is not at fault. (Usually said in the continuous tense.) More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Cape Town Minstrels' Carnival (2023)The Annual Minstrels' Carnival in Cape Town, South Africa, was inspired by the animated singing and dancing of African-American musicians and singers of the United States. Bands are organized during the year, money is raised to purchase the materials needed for their costumes, and on Second New Year (January 2), and the week or so that follows, the bands take over the city, displaying their costumes and performing their music in the streets. This roisterous carnival is offset by string bands, the members of which are decorously dressed and parade with great dignity. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: poleboom - From Dutch, originally a long beam or pole. More... pogo stick - Came onto the scene around 1921, but is of uncertain etymology, possibly from "pole" and "go." More... pole position - Refers to pole as the term for the inside fence on a racecourse. More... trolley pole - The pole sticking up from a bumper car. More... | |