Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, May 19, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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The Two Reciprocal PronounsThe two reciprocal pronouns in English are "each other" and "one another." In more traditional grammar, "each other" is used to identify only two people who are engaged in the mutual action, while "one another" describes how many people? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Colored Rains of KeralaIn July 2001, red-colored rain began falling in the Indian state of Kerala. For the next two months, it returned intermittently. A number of theories explaining the origins of the coloration were proposed, including that it was contamination from a dust cloud, debris from a volcanic eruption, and even extraterrestrial cells. The Indian government initially speculated that the red rain was caused by an exploding meteor but later issued an official report asserting that it had been caused by what? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Catherine of Aragon Married by Proxy to Arthur, Prince of Wales (1499)Catherine of Aragon is known as the first of King Henry VIII's six wives, but before they were wed, she was married to his older brother Arthur. Catherine was the youngest daughter of Spain's Ferdinand II and Isabella I, and her marriage to Arthur was primarily political. In fact, Arthur and Catherine were married by proxy before they had even met, in a ceremony attended by their representatives. The marriage was short-lived, as Arthur died young. When did Arthur and Catherine finally meet? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Malcolm X (1925)Malcolm X was an African-American activist. His home was burned by the KKK when he was a child, and he joined the Nation of Islam in prison as an adult. Upon his release in 1952, he renounced his "slave name," Little, and took the surname X, representing his lost African ancestral surname. He became a minister and soon rose to prominence campaigning for black separatism, but he publicly broke with the militant Black Muslims in 1964 after a pilgrimage to Mecca. Who assassinated him the next year? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Now this is the Law of the Jungle—as old and as true as the sky;And the Wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the Wolf that shall break it must die. Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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to (one's) heart's desire— As much as or to the point that one wants; to the point of contentment, satiety, or surfeit. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Pied Piper Open Air Theater (2025)This dramatization of the Pied Piper of Hamelin is presented on an open-air stage in Hamelin (or Hameln), Germany. According to the legend, in 1284 Hamelin was infested with rats. A stranger promised to free the town of vermin if they would pay him. The town agreed, and the piper led the rats to the Weser River where they were drowned. When the citizens refused to pay the piper, he led 130 children out of the town and they disappeared forever. Today, the children of Hamelin are the principal performers in the play, and their number is limited to 130 in keeping with the legend. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: mashed potatoeschampit tatties - Scottish for mashed potatoes. More... mashed potato, creamed potato, whipped potato - Creamed potato and whipped potato are synonyms for mashed potato. More... mashed potatoes - Used to be called Dutch potatoes or German potatoes. More... potato bread - A type of bread made with mashed potatoes. More... | |