Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, April 2, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Defining ClausesClauses are groups of words that contain both a subject and a predicate. There are two main types of clauses: independent clauses (which can function independently as sentences) and dependent clauses. What do dependent clauses depend on? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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| This Day in History | |
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 CN Tower Becomes World's Tallest Free-Standing Structure (1975)In 1975, the final portion of the antenna atop Canada's CN Tower was set in place, completing the tower and officially making it the tallest free-standing structure on land. At 1,815 ft (553 m) in height, the CN Tower surpassed the previous record holder, Russia's Ostankino Tower, by 43 ft (13 m) but was itself surpassed in 2007 by Dubai's Burj Khalifa. According to a study, the CN Tower is struck by lightning more than any other structure in Toronto. How many times is it struck each year? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Émile François Zola (1840)Zola was the founder of French naturalism, a literary school that maintained that novel-writing should be scientific, appraising reality in terms of natural forces such as heredity or environment. Inspired by his readings in sociology and medicine, he applied his theory in a vast series of novels in which the characters are impartially observed and presented in minute, often sordid, detail. Zola also had an ardent zeal for social reform. He died in his sleep under what suspicious circumstances? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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| Idiom of the Day | |
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have the mouth of a sailor— To have a tendency or proclivity to use coarse, rude, or vulgar language. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 International Children's Book Day (2023)This day, which is observed by countries all over the world, is held on Hans Christian Andersen's birthday, April 2, because the Danish author's stories have been favorites among children of all nationalities. Celebrations include contests in which children illustrate their favorite books. Every two years the International Board on Books for Young People sponsors the Hans Christian Andersen medals, which are awarded to a children's book author and a children's book illustrator for their contributions to children's literature. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: simpletondodo - Comes from Portuguese doudo, "fool, simpleton," from the bird's awkward appearance. More... doodle - Originally a noun meaning "fool, simpleton," from German dudeltopf, it came to mean absent-minded scribbling. More... gullible - A derivative of archaic gull, "dupe" or "simpleton." More... half-wit - Originally was "a would-be wit whose abilities are mediocre"; the sense of "simpleton" (one lacking all his wits) is attested to 1755. More... | |