Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, July 27, 2024)| Word of the Day | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ungainly
| |||||||
| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
|---|---|
Defining Irregular VerbsIrregular verbs, by their very definition, do not have spelling rules that we can follow to create the past simple tense and past participles. This means that the only way of knowing how to spell these forms is to memorize them for each irregular verb individually. What are some examples of irregular verbs? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
|---|---|
 Cargo CultsFirst appearing in the late 19th c. but particularly prevalent after WWII, when many Pacific Islanders witnessed airdrops of supplies, cargo cults are the unorthodox religious movements that appeared in tribal societies after interaction with Westerners. Believing fallen cargo came from divine spirits who would send more upon seeing rituals based on the foreigners' behavior, the tribes built straw airplanes, radios made of coconuts, and other pseudo-Western items. Do any cargo cults exist today? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
|---|---|
 Bugs Bunny Makes His Debut (1940)Though an unnamed bunny appeared in Merrie Melodies cartoons in the 1930s, the true Bugs Bunny was born with the 1940 release of "A Wild Hare," in which a clever, mischievous Bugs plays pranks on his hapless nemesis, a hunter named Elmer Fudd. Bugs went on to become one of the most well-known and beloved cartoon characters of all time, perhaps second only to Mickey Mouse. "A Wild Hare" was nominated for an Oscar the same year that another cartoon introduced what pair of cartoon rivals? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
|---|---|
 Vladimir Galaktionovich Korolenko (1853)Korolenko was a Ukrainian-Russian writer. Arrested for revolutionary activities in 1879, he was sent to various places of exile where he wrote many of his lyrical short stories, notable for their descriptions of desolate nature and the lives of the poor. After 1895, he devoted himself to liberal journalism. Greatly honored in Russia, he reservedly welcomed the 1917 revolution but later opposed the Bolsheviks. His most famous story, "Makar's Dream," describes a dying peasant's dream—of what? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
|---|---|
 How quick come the reasons for approving what we like!Jane Austen (1775-1817) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
|---|---|
penguin suit— slang A man's formal evening wear, i.e., a tuxedo. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
|---|---|
 Marlboro Music Festival (2025)It was the noted violinist Adolf Busch who came up with the idea of establishing a community for musicians that would free them from the pressures and restrictions of concert life. Every summer since 1951, artists from all over the world have gathered in Marlboro, Vermont, to exchange musical ideas. The Marlboro Music School, which holds an eight-week session each summer, is primarily a place where students can study contemporary and classical chamber music. During the festival, the general public has an opportunity to hear the results of their collaborations. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
|---|---|
Today's topic: revolutiongyre - A circular movement or revolution; to cause to spin around or whirl. More... rebellion, revolution - Rebellion is open resistance to a government or authority; revolution is a rebellion that succeeds in overthrowing the government and establishing a new one. More... rev - An abbreviation of revolution. More... young Turk - Term for a tyrannical or unmanageable man, based on the members of a party of Turkish agitators that brought about the revolution of 1908. More... | |