Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, October 12, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
|---|---|
Defining Viewpoint AdverbsViewpoint adverbs are often confused with evaluative adverbs. Although they are similar in form, and the specific adverbs used can overlap, the two actually serve different functions. While evaluative adverbs are used to give an opinion, viewpoint adverbs are used to indicate what? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
|---|---|
More... | |
| This Day in History | |
|---|---|
 First Oktoberfest Held in Munich, Germany (1810)The first Oktoberfest was held as a horse race celebrating the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria to Princess Therese von Saxony-Hildburghausen. In the years that followed, the race was combined with the state agricultural fair, and food and drink were offered. Since that time the 16-day festival has become, above all else, a celebration of German beer, drawing more than five million attendees annually. How many millions of liters of beer did Oktoberfest attendees consume in 2007? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
|---|---|
 Jonathan Trumbull, Sr. (1710)The only colonial governor to side with the colonists in the American Revolution, Trumbull made Connecticut a principal source of supplies for the Continental army. It is said that the name "Brother Jonathan," a humorous designation for the American people collectively, arose from an affectionate nickname George Washington gave to Trumbull during the war. How did Trumbull reply to a request for assistance from British General Thomas Gage after the Battles of Lexington and Concord? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
|---|---|
| Idiom of the Day | |
|---|---|
scare story— A story or rumor that makes something seem more serious, dreadful, or terrifying than it really is. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
|---|---|
 Equatorial Guinea Independence Day (2022)On this day in 1968, Equatorial Guinea became independent from Spain after being one of its colonies for nearly 300 years. On October 12—the same day on which Columbus Day is celebrated elsewhere in the world—Equatorial Guinea celebrates its autonomy with a national holiday. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
|---|---|
Today's topic: railwayMain Line - The principal line of a railway (1841), it also has the meaning "affluent area of residence" (1930s), originally that of Philadelphia, from the "main line" of the Pennsylvania Railroad, which added local stops to a string of backwater towns west of the city in late 19th century that helped turn them into fashionable suburbs. More... one-track mind - Is a reference to the railway. More... railway - The word was first recorded in 1776, but the first actual railway opened nearly 50 years later, in 1825. More... sidetrack - First used for a railway siding or a minor track or path. More... | |