Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, November 6, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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imperium
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Using "Should" to Describe ExpectationsThe modal auxiliary verb "should" can be used in affirmative (non-negative) sentences to express an expected outcome. If we use the negative of "should" ("should not" or "shouldn't"), what does it imply? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Circular BreathingCircular breathing is a technique for sustaining a tone on a wind instrument without interruption. When a musician's lungs are nearly out of air, he or she uses the cheeks to force air out of the mouth while quickly breathing in through the nose, and then resumes exhaling from the lungs. For some instruments, such as the Australian didgeridoo or the Cambodian sralai, circular breathing is an integral part of the playing technique. How long is the world record for holding a single note? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Green March Begins (1975)Extremely arid and almost entirely sand and gravel, the sparsely populated territory of Western Sahara was a protectorate of Spain until the 1970s. Despite internal calls for independence, the king of neighboring Morocco led a march of more than 300,000 unarmed Moroccans into the territory as a show of support for annexation. Known as the Green March, the mass demonstration led to Spanish withdrawal, but control of the region is still contested. What other group claims the territory? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Joanna the Mad (1479)Joanna was the first queen regnant of both Castile and Aragon, which would become modern Spain. Though Joanna likely suffered from depression, the extent of her mental illness may have been exaggerated for political reasons. Throughout much of Joanna's reign, her father, husband, and son vied for power, each ruling on her behalf by attesting to her insanity. Joanna remained confined for much of her life. How old was she when she died? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 The men who create power make an indispensable contribution to the Nation's greatness, but the men who question power make a contribution just as indispensable, especially when that questioning is disinterested, for they determine whether we use power or power uses us.John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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take no notice of (something or someone)— To not pay any attention to someone or something; to ignore or disregard someone or something. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Sitka Whalefest (2022)Gray whales are native to the northern Pacific Ocean. They spend their summers in the Bering Sea but migrate every year to the waters off the coast of Mexico. Since the whales prefer to hug the coast, they are often visible to those living in seaside towns. Several towns along the migration route celebrate the whales' yearly appearances by hosting whale festivals. In Alaska, the town of Sitka holds a whale festival in November. Festival organizers coordinate a program of whale-watching tours, special presentations by marine biologists, and performances by Native and Russian dance troupes. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: roomspied-a-terre - A small town house or rooms used for short residences (1829), from French "foot on the ground." More... party wall - A wall common to two adjoining buildings or rooms. More... lobby - One of its early meanings was "monastic cloister," from Latin lobia, "covered way," before it came to mean the passage or waiting area between rooms in a building. More... enfilade - A suite of rooms with doorways in line with each other—or a vista between rows of trees. More... | |