Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, July 6, 2021)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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abominable
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Defining Adverbs of FrequencyAdverbs of frequency tell us how often something happens or is the case; they can describe verbs and adjectives, but they do not modify other adverbs. What are adverbs of frequency also called? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Airline MealsFood service on commercial flights became the norm after 1936, when United Airlines installed the first onboard kitchen. Typically reheated on board, in-flight meals are often the butt of jokes due to their reputedly poor taste—though the food may not be to blame, as some studies suggest that high altitude and cabin pressure interfere with taste buds. In recent years, many airlines have cut back on meal service in order to cut costs. How much did one airline save by eliminating free pretzels? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Louis Pasteur Successfully Tests His Rabies Vaccine (1885)Pasteur was a pioneer in the field of germ theory. In 1881, the inventor of pasteurization perfected a way to isolate and weaken germs, and he went on to develop a vaccine against anthrax in sheep. He soon turned his attention to researching rabies. In 1885, he inoculated a 9-year-old boy who had been badly mauled by a rabid dog. The vaccine likely prevented the boy from contracting rabies, which then meant certain death. How did Pasteur's chickens accidentally get vaccinated against cholera? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Merv Griffin (1925)Originally a singer and nightclub performer, Griffin first achieved wider fame in the early 1950s with the hit song I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts. He then shifted his focus to television, hosting The Merv Griffin Show from 1965 to 1986. He created the popular game shows Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! and wrote the latter's famous theme song. Later, he invested in casinos, resorts, and hotels. What humorous epitaph was inscribed on his gravestone? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 The founders of a new colony, whatever Utopia of human virtue and happiness they might originally project, have invariably recognized it among their earliest practical necessities to allot a portion of the virgin soil as a cemetery, and another portion as the site of a prison.Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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through the grapevine— Through or via an informal means of communication or information, especially gossip. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Lithuania Statehood Day (2025)Lithuania Statehood Day is a national holiday observed on July 6. On this day, Lithuanians honor the coronation of Mindaugas, who became the first and only king of a unified Lithuania in 1253, bringing the Baltic people together under his leadership. In 2003 Lithuanians celebrated the 750th anniversary of his crowning with a series of cultural activities, including operas, folk music concerts, parades, and festivals. Mindaugas founded the first independent Lithuanian state in 1240, and he is generally credited with bringing Christianity to the country for the first time. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: lemonpip - An apple seed or lemon seed is a pip. More... citrus, citron - Latin citrus signified the citron, an Asian tree with lemonlike fruit; citron is a French derivative of citrus, coined on the model of French limon, "lemon." More... lemon sole - Actually a type of flounder—not sole—it has nothing to do with lemon other than it is pale-yellow in color; the name derives from French limande, "flatfish." More... muddle - To muddle a lemon is to lightly mash slices to release the essential oils. More... | |