Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, July 23, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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gallivant
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Using Exclamation Points with OnomatopoeiasWhen we use onomatopoeias (words that phonetically imitate particular sounds), we can use an exclamation point to emphasize the intensity of the sound. Where is the exclamation point placed in the sentence? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Bacterial ConjugationFirst observed in 1946, bacterial conjugation is the transfer of genetic material between bacterial cells through a bridge-like connection during direct contact between the cells. The transferred information is often beneficial to the recipient cell and can include material involved in antibiotic resistance. The process is easily interrupted—some scientists have disrupted it simply using a blender—and such breaks stop the transfer. How does the transfer of genetic material take place? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Egyptian Revolution of 1952 Begins (1952)The Egyptian Revolution was a coup d'état led by a group of army officers that overthrew Egypt's King Farouk I. Organized by Gamal Abdel Nasser, the "Free Officers Movement" decried the Egyptian monarchy as corrupt, pro-British, and ineffective and was incensed by Egypt's defeat in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Days after the coup began, Farouk abdicated and General Muhammad Naguib took over as leader of Egypt. The monarchy was later abolished, and a republic was declared. What became of the king? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 John Babcock (1900)Prior to his death in 2010, at age 109, Babcock was Canada's last known surviving veteran of World War I. He joined the army at 15 by lying about his age. When he was discovered to be too young for combat, he was given labor jobs and was later transferred to England, where he continued his training in the Young Soldiers Battalion. Because he never actually fought on the front lines, he was uncomfortable with his fame as a veteran. At what age did Babcock finally earn his high school diploma? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Misfortune, n.: The kind of fortune that never misses.Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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over the hills and far away— To or at some distant, remote point or location. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Warei Taisai (2025)This Japanese festival is held in Uwajimay in late July. Hundreds of ships dock in the harbor, all decorated with flags. In town, there is the parade of the Ushioni, a creature that looks like a combination of a whale and a dragon that is carried through the streets by 15 to 20 young people. Another festival highlight is the Hashiri-komi ceremony, a procession of young people carrying portable shrines called mikoshi into the sea while rockets explode all around them. The Warei Tasai festival dates back to the 18th century and is the highlight of the summer festival season in Ehime Prefecture. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: parentabdicate - Implies a giving up of sovereign power or the evasion of responsibility (as a parent). More... half blood - Relationship through only one parent. More... in loco parentis - Latin for "in the place of a parent." More... patrial - Means having the right to live in the UK through the British birth of a parent or grandparent. More... | |