Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, July 31, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Positioning Adverbs of MannerThe position we use for adverbs of manner depends on whether they are modifying a verb, a clause, or an adjective. Adverbs of manner most commonly come directly after intransitive verbs that they modify. If the verb is transitive, then where must the adverb be positioned? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 KnucklebonesNow known as the game of jacks, knucklebones is an ancient pastime played with five small objects—originally the knucklebones of a sheep—which are thrown into the air and caught in various ways. To win, one must complete a prescribed series of throws and catches—many of which have distinctive names like "riding the elephant"—while also carrying out tasks like picking up stones from a surface. The origin of knucklebones is closely connected to that of what other game? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 K2 Is Summited for the First Time (1954)Rising 28,251 ft (8,611 m) between China and Pakistan, K2 is the second-highest peak in the world after Mount Everest. Severe storms make K2 more dangerous to climb, however, and it has never been summited in winter. Measured in 1856, it was not summited until nearly 100 years later. In 1954, Italians Achille Compagnoni and Lino Lacedelli reached the top with the help of crew members who carried oxygen to above 26,245 feet (8,000 m). What thwarted an American attempt just one year earlier? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Milton Friedman (1912)Friedman was an American economist and a leading US advocate of monetarism, the belief that a nation's money supply is the chief determinant of its economy. He wrote numerous books and was a frequent television commentator and magazine columnist, which made him one of the most publicly familiar US economists. Friedman served as an adviser to US presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan. To what South American country did he provide economic advice following a military coup? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 We love flattery even though we are not deceived by it, because it shows that we are of importance enough to be courted.Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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plastic grin— A forced, artificial smile; a smile someone wears despite having no feelings of happiness or joy. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Feast of St. Ignatius Loyola (2025)St. Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556) founded the Society of Jesus, the Roman Catholic religious order whose members are known as Jesuits. The Feast of St. Ignatius is celebrated by Jesuits everywhere, but particularly in the Basque region of Spain where he was born. The largest Basque community in North America, located in Boise, Idaho, holds its annual St. Ignatius Loyola Picnic on the last weekend in July—an event often referred to as the Basque Festival. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: rustlingsoughing - A soft rustling or murmuring sound—like the deep sigh of a sleeping baby. More... frou-frou - From French for "a rustling." More... murmur - Comes from the Latin word for "rustling," and can mean "complain, grumble about." More... psithurism - The sound of wind in the trees and rustling of leaves. More... | |