Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, September 18, 2024)| Word of the Day | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
smug
| |||||||
| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
|---|---|
Forming the Zero ConditionalA zero conditional sentence uses the present simple tense to talk about what is always or generally true. It is classified as a conditional because it creates a hypothetical situation to describe what would be true each time something happens. What is the general structure for the zero conditional? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
|---|---|
 Wish TreesIdentified by the faithful as possessing special spiritual value, wish trees are individual trees which have been distinguished—often by species, position, or appearance—as the objects of wishes. Visitors commonly offer up coins, liquor, and other gifts in order to gain fulfillment of their desires. Among the most famous wish tree visitors was Queen Victoria, whose 1877 visit to an oak in the Scottish Highlands brought it much fame. How are Christmas trees connected to the concept of wish trees? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
|---|---|
 Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) Is Formed (1998)ICANN is a nonprofit corporation that manages domain name systems, the assignment of IP addresses and protocol parameters, and root server systems. The original mandate for ICANN came from a US government proposal to privatize the management of Internet names and addresses to allow for the development of competition and to facilitate global participation in Internet management. Its functions are now performed under US Government contract. What are some criticisms of the organization? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
|---|---|
 Samuel Johnson (1709)Johnson was a British man of letters and one of the outstanding figures of 18th-century England. In 1755, after eight years of work, he published his monumental Dictionary of the English Language, considered the first great English dictionary. His aphorisms helped make him one of the most frequently quoted English writers. His biography, written by his contemporary James Boswell, is one of the most admired biographies of all time. How many entries did Johnson's dictionary include? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
|---|---|
 By a curious confusion, many modern critics have passed from the proposition that a masterpiece may be unpopular to the other proposition that unless it is unpopular it cannot be a masterpiece.Gilbert Chesterton (1874-1936) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
|---|---|
need (something) (about) as much as (one) needs a hole in the head— To have absolutely no need or use for something. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
|---|---|
 Fiestas Patrias (2024)Fiestas Patrias is the great national two-day holiday in Chile celebrating Independence Day, September 18, and Army Day, September 19. In the days preceding the holiday, fondas (fairs) pop up throughout Chile, and it is a popular time for Chilean rodeos. Huasos (cowboys) compete against one another by attempting to pin a calf against the wall of the medialuna, or arena, with their horse, and are awarded points based on which part of the horse is touching the calf. Because September marks the beginning of spring in Chile, Fiestas Patrias is also a popular occasion for kite flying. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
|---|---|
Today's topic: mailpost road - One with a series of post-houses or stations for post-horses; a road on which mail was carried. More... nixie - Any piece of mail that is unable to be forwarded because it is illegibly or incorrectly addressed. More... post - Latin posita, "placed," gave us Italian posta, "station on a road," and became French poste, "a station for mail"—from the series of stations that fast horsemen traversed to deliver messages, giving us post, as in "mail system." More... blackmail - The "mail" in blackmail is Scottish for "tax, tribute," referring to the tribute demanded by rebel chiefs in return for their protection. More... | |