Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, September 8, 2025)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Modal Verbs Used to Make an OfferBecause modal auxiliary verbs can be quite similar in how they are used, it is sometimes unclear when it's more appropriate to use one instead of another. For instance, "can," "may," and "shall" can all be used to offer to do something for someone. Which of these verbs is used as a polite suggestion? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Amboyna MassacreThe Amboyna massacre involved the torture and killing of 20 men—including 10 British East India Company employees—by agents of the Dutch East India Company in 1623. The companies were intense rivals who competed for dominance in the Maluku Islands spice trade. When the Dutch at the Amboyna trading post began to suspect the British of planning an attack, they tortured several men until they obtained confessions and then beheaded the accused for treason. What torture methods did the Dutch employ? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Star Trek Premieres (1966)Though the original Star Trek series was cancelled in its third season, the groundbreaking show—in which William Shatner's memorable Captain Kirk leads the crew of the starship Enterprise—developed a cult following of "Trekkies." Over the next four decades, the influential science-fiction franchise spawned five more Star Trek series, more than 10 feature films, and myriad conventions. Its motto, "to boldly go where no man has gone before," may have been partially copied from what source? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Alfred Jarry (1873)Jarry was a French writer. After exhausting the inheritance that had allowed him to move to Paris at 18, he led a life of calculated buffoonery. His 1896 farce, Ubu Roi, is considered a forerunner of theatre of the absurd and of Surrealism. It featured the grotesque Père Ubu, a repulsive and cowardly hero based on one of his former teachers. The brilliant imagery and wit of his works usually lapse into unintelligible symbolism. A heavy drinker, he died at 34. What was his last request? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Anarchy is the sure consequence of tyranny; for no power that is not limited by laws can ever be protected by them.John Milton (1608-1674) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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salt in the/(one's) wound(s)— An aggravation that makes something unpleasant, difficult, or painful even worse. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Pardon of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios (2025)Both religious and secular activities play a part in the Pardon of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios, a pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Remedies in Lamego, Portugal. Great numbers of pilgrims climb the monumental staircase up to the baroque church, but the highlight of the festival is the triumphal procession on the last day, in which thousands of country people in local costume participate. There is also a battle of flowers, a folklore festival, fireworks, sports contests, and handicraft exhibitions. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: sailscrab-skuit - A small, open fishing boat with sails. More... haul - Originally had the nautical meaning of "to trim the sails to sail closer to the wind." More... sail - Once meant specifically "to travel on a ship with sails," and, later, "to travel on any ship"; figuratively, it means "to go through effortlessly," as in, "to sail through the exam." More... three sheets to the wind - Pertains to chains that regulate the angle of sails; if the sheets were loose, the boat would become unstable and tipsy. More... | |
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