Daily Content Archive

(as of Friday, October 18, 2019)
Word of the Day

equitation

Definition:(noun) The sport of sitting on the back of a horse while controlling its movements.
Synonyms:horseback riding
Usage: Arthur and Jennifer debated the finer points of equitation as they rode side by side across the field.
Daily Grammar Lesson

Subordinating Conjunctions Used to Convey a Reason

We use the subordinating conjunctions "in order that," "so that," and "so" to give a reason for an action. They are interchangeable in meaning, but differ in formality. Which one is the most formal? More...
Article of the Day

The Sterile Insect Technique

The sterile insect technique is a method of biological control in which millions of sterile insects are released into the wild to reduce the population of future generations through mating that does not produce offspring. It is often used to control the populations of insects that spread disease to humans or livestock. Repeated release of sterile insects can eventually eliminate a population. The technique has been successfully used to eradicate what insect in areas of North America? More...
This Day in History

Women in Canada Finally Recognized as "Persons" (1929)

In the early 20th century, Canadian women were often prohibited from hearing court testimony deemed inappropriate. Emily Murphy protested and became the first woman magistrate in Canada—and all of the British Empire—but her rulings were often challenged because women were not legally considered "persons." Murphy and four other women, the "Famous Five," submitted a petition for constitutional clarification. The subsequent Persons Case granted Canadian women personhood. What else did it establish? More...
Today's Birthday

Jan Gies (1905)

When the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands forced Otto Frank to resign from his own company because he was a Jew, his friend Jan Gies nominally took over. Soon after, the Franks and several friends went into hiding in a secret annex on the company's premises. For the next two years, Jan and his wife, Miep, sustained eight people in hiding, including Otto's daughter Anne, bringing them food and supplies until they were betrayed to the Nazis. How were the Nazis responsible for the Gies' marriage? More...
Quotation of the Day
Ignorance is not so damnable as humbug; but when it prescribes pills it may happen to do more harm.

George Eliot (1819-1880)

Idiom of the Day

sleeping policeman

slang A bump, ramp, or hump in the road that is intended to cause cars to reduce their speed, especially in residential areas. Primarily heard in UK. More...
Today's Holiday

Azerbaijan Independence Days (2025)

Azerbaijan observes two independence days. The May 28, 1918, establishment of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan provides the occasion for one independence celebration. As Azerbaijan came under Soviet rule two years later, its new independence day commemorates the declaration of independence made by the Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan on October 18, 1991. After the USSR ceased to exist as a geopolitical entity, Azerbaijan became an official independent state on December 26, 1991. More...
Word Trivia

Today's topic: starts

ptarmic - Describing a substance that starts a sneezing bout. More...

early adopter - A person who starts using a technology or product as soon as it becomes available. More...

prolepsis - Anticipation before something starts is prolepsis. More...

start from scratch - Comes from giving handicaps to some competitors in racing; a contestant who starts from scratch (a line scratched in the turf or gravel) is the one who has no special advantage. More...

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