Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, September 28, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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presumptuous
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Defining Coordinating ConjunctionsCoordinating conjunctions are used to join two or more words, phrases, or independent clauses. The two elements being joined must be grammatically equal or similar in both importance and structure. How many coordinating conjunctions are there? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The FlâneurDerived from the French verb flâner, meaning "to stroll," a flâneur is one who walks without a destination. Refined by French poet Charles Baudelaire, the idea of the flâneur as a person who travels a city on foot in order to experience it has been embraced by thinkers in fields such as photography and urban planning. Disengaged yet aware, the flâneur wanders without any purpose except to observe without interacting. In Canadian French, what negative connotation does flâner carry? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Second Intifada Begins (2000)In 2000, Israeli politician Ariel Sharon visited the Al-Aqsa Mosque—a site holy to Muslims and Jews—in Jerusalem. Accompanied by soldiers, he claimed that Israel had sovereignty over this and other holy sites. His visit sparked riots that escalated into a new cycle of violence in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Israel. Israelis blamed Yasir Arafat—leader of the Palestinian Liberation Organization—for Palestinian attacks on Israeli civilians. What is the estimated death toll from the violence? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Ed Sullivan (1901)Famed American TV host Ed Sullivan started out as a journalist and gossip columnist but was hired by CBS to host the variety program that eventually became The Ed Sullivan Show because of his talent for discovering interesting performers. The program, featuring diverse entertainment, became a national institution for over 20 years, while Sullivan's terse introductions of guests and distinctive mannerisms made him a popular target for comedians. What acts were banned from Sullivan's show? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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a line in the sand— A figurative boundary that someone or some group refuses to cross or beyond which no further advance or compromise is accepted. (Used especially in the phrase "draw a line in the sand.") More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Czech Statehood Day (St. Wenceslas Day) (2024)Czech Statehood Day marks the assassination of Duke Vaclav Wenceslas of Bohemia by his brother on September 28, c. 929-935. Wenceslas was canonized as a saint due to his martyr's death. Czech Statehood Day is a public holiday celebrated throughout the Czech Republic. Every year, the Czech president awards St. Wenceslas medals to people who contributed to Czech statehood. This ceremony takes place at Prague Castle, where a memorial wreath is placed on the statue of St. Wenceslas. In addition, a pilgrimage takes place at Stara Boleslav, the site of his murder. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: orchestrawind band - A band of wind instruments or a collective term for the wind instruments of an orchestra. More... first chair - The premier musician playing a particular instrument in an orchestra—seated closest to the audience, taking the lead for that instrument's movements, and playing any solos. More... first violin - Leads the orchestra and plays notes in a higher range than second violins; parts for the first violin usually have more of the main tune and are technically more difficult to play. More... orchestra - The earliest senses of orchestra were "the semicircular area for the chorus to dance in an ancient Greek theatre" and the art of dancing itself (from Greek orkheisthai, "to dance"). More... | |