Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, December 29, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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indiscretion
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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"Both … and"We use the correlative conjunction "both … and" when we want to put emphasis on two elements that are true in a sentence. Why do we use this instead of just using "and"? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Bicycle CarsThough bicycles have many advantages over automobiles—they are less expensive, more energy-efficient, and easier to maintain—they offer little protection from the elements. For some people, this disadvantage makes bicycles impractical for daily use. Enter the bicycle car, also known as the velomobile. Similar to a recumbent bicycle, the velomobile boasts an aerodynamic shell that offers the potential for added speed and protection from bad weather. Why do some velomobiles have parachutes? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Ashtabula River Railroad Disaster (1876)As the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway train plowed ahead through deep snow on December 29, 1876, a bridge over Ohio's Ashtabula River fractured with a loud crack, plunging every train car except the lead engine into the river about 70 ft (21 m) below. The wooden cars, equipped with kerosene lamps and stoves, became an inferno. Ninety-two people died, many burned beyond recognition. The accident initiated the standardization of bridge inspection. What became of the bridge's designers? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Mary Tyler Moore (1936)Although she began her career as a dancer, Moore's success came from her TV roles, first as the secretary on Richard Diamond, Private Detective and then as Laura Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show. She is best known, however, as the star of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, the most popular sitcom of the 1970s and the first show to center on a happily unmarried career woman. Over the years, she has won multiple Emmys and Golden Globes. What film role earned her an Oscar nomination? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 I'm not a bit changed—not really. I'm only just pruned down and branched out. The real me—back here—is just the same.Lucy Maud Montgomery (1874-1942) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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be a long shot— To be very risky, uncertain, or unlikely to succeed. (Of an attempt, proposition, or guess.) More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Cali Fair (2024)The rich cultural identity of Santiago de Cali, Colombia, has been celebrated each year since 1957 at the Cali Fair. The Fair is a major event that draws thousands of local residents and tourists from around the world. There are numerous artisans selling their crafts, street performers, and other forms of entertainment. A Bullfighting Festival is also part of the celebration, and a salsa marathon is one of many dance events held each year. It is said that during Fair time, Cali is the home of the best salsa dancing in the world. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: hoghog - A pig weighing more than 120 pounds. More... high on the hog - An allusion to the upper portions of a pig being the best for eating. More... swine, hog, pig - Swine is the collective (and ancestral) term for domesticated pigs and hogs; a hog is 120 pounds or more and ready for market, while a pig is immature and weighs less. More... hog on ice - Known mainly from the title of the book by Charles Earle Funk (1948); it is from the expression "as independent as a hog on ice," in which hog refers to the stone in the game of curling when it comes to rest. More... | |