Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, May 26, 2025)| Word of the Day | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
tailing
| |||||||
| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
|---|---|
Defining Abstract Countable NounsEven though abstract nouns, such as "emergency" and "conversation," are not tangible, many of them can still be counted as separable units. Like concrete nouns, they can take the indefinite articles "a" or "an." Can they be made plural? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
|---|---|
 Iris RecognitionIris recognition, not to be confused with retinal scanning, is a type of biometric authentication that uses pattern recognition techniques to analyze the irises of an individual's eyes. Iris recognition is rarely impeded by glasses or contact lenses and has a staggering accuracy rate when it comes to yielding unambiguous identifications. In fact, the eyes have been described as the ideal human body part for biometric identification. What advantages does iris recognition have over fingerprinting? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
|---|---|
 Vauxhall Bridge Opens in London (1906)Vauxhall Bridge is an arch bridge over the River Thames in central London. Despite its public garden and location, the Vauxhall area was sparsely populated before the 19th century, and a plan for a bridge there was hatched in 1809 to help develop the area. The resulting bridge was in terrible shape by the end of the century, however, and construction on a new, richly decorated, steel-and-granite replacement began in 1898. A major transport artery today, the bridge is adorned with what statues? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
|---|---|
 Al Jolson (1886)Jolson was one of the most popular entertainers in the US in the 1930s. The son of a rabbi, he had planned to be a cantor but instead became a singer and comedian. By the age of 15, he was touring in vaudeville and minstrel shows. His 1909 blackface performance of "Mammy" was a hit, and he performed on Broadway and the radio. In 1927, he starred in the first feature-length "talkie," The Jazz Singer. How do scholars differ in their analysis of Jolson's use of blackface in his performances? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
|---|---|
 Great minds have purposes; others have wishes. Little minds are tamed and subdued by misfortune; but great minds rise above them.Washington Irving (1783-1859) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
|---|---|
have a mind like a sieve— To be exceptionally forgetful or absentminded. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
|---|---|
 Guyana Independence Day (2025)This public holiday marks Guyana's independence from Britain on this day in 1966. Republic Day, or Mashramani, is another national holiday, commemorating February 23, 1970, when Guyana became a republic. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
|---|---|
Today's topic: strangerextranean - An outsider or stranger, a person not belonging to a household. More... barbarian - Based on Greek barbaros, "stranger" or "enemy." More... stranger - Originally a foreigner, from Old French estrangier, from Latin extraneus, "person outside." More... pilgrim - Its basic meaning was "traveler, homeless wanderer," from Latin peregrinum, "foreigner, stranger." More... | |