Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, December 23, 2023)| Word of the Day | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
criterion
| |||||||
| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
|---|---|
"Just as … so"We use the correlative conjunction "just as … so" to indicate that the two elements being joined are similar. Usually, "just as" begins an independent clause, and "so" is followed by a second independent clause. Traditionally, what happens to the clause after "so"? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
|---|---|
 Shire HorsesThis breed of draft horse native to central England is known for the long, white, silky hair on the lower parts of its legs. Widely used as a war horse during the Middle Ages, the Shire was well adapted to carry the excessive weight of armor worn by both horse and rider. It was also originally the staple breed used to draw ale delivery carts. The tallest of the modern draft breeds, a Shire stallion may stand how many hands high? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
|---|---|
 Rutan Voyager Completes First Nonstop Flight around the World without Refueling (1986)Piloted by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, who first conceived of the craft and sketched it on the back of a napkin in 1981, the Rutan Voyager was the first aircraft to fly around the world without stopping or refueling. It took off from Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert on December 14, 1986, and landed there nine days later. The aircraft more than doubled the previous record of un-refueled flight set by a US Air Force B-52 in 1962. How much does the Rutan Voyager weigh? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
|---|---|
 Joseph Smith, Jr. (1805)Smith was the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. In 1827, he claimed that an angel directed him to buried golden plates containing God's revelation, which he translated as the Book of Mormon. He led converts to Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois, and introduced the custom of polygamy. When in 1844 he announced his candidacy for the presidency of the US, he and his brother were thrown in jail, where they were killed by a lynch mob. What happened to the church after his death? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
|---|---|
 The end of the human race will be that it will eventually die of civilization.Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
|---|---|
on the long finger— In a state of postponement or procrastination. (Used especially in the phrase "put something on the long finger.") Primarily heard in Ireland. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
|---|---|
 Night of the Radishes (2023)Night of the Radishes is a festival dating from the 19th century that combines art, agriculture, and religion. It is held in the zócalo, or main square, in Oaxaca, Mexico. The radishes grow to yam-size here and are each uniquely shaped by growing through the rocky soil. Families harvest these vegetables, and combine and sculpt them into elaborate forms depicting biblical scenes, especially the nativity of Jesus. Historical and Aztec themes are also represented. After the awarding of cash prizes and ribbons, a fireworks display caps the night. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
|---|---|
Today's topic: rubberawareness band, awareness bracelet - An awareness band or awareness bracelet is made of rubber or fabric on which a slogan is written, usually sold to raise awareness for charitable causes. More... Macintosh - A raincoat, named for Charles Macintosh (Scottish inventor, 1766-1843), who discovered how to waterproof fabric with rubber. More... rubber - In the sense of the latex of the rubber plant, it is so called because you can rub out pencil marks with it, not the other way around. More... amorphous - Something amorphous has no real shape or is irregularly shaped—like pudding; an amorphous solid lacks the perfect ordered structure of crystals. Other examples are glass, polymers, and rubber. More... | |