Daily Content Archive as of Friday, November 29, 2019
(as of Friday, November 29, 2019)
fire-eater
Definition: (noun) A belligerent grouch.
Synonyms: hothead
Usage: That old fire-eater next door is always screaming at me to keep my dog off of his lawn.
Forming the Second Conditional
We use the second conditional to speak about a hypothetical situation or outcome resulting from the condition. Unlike the first conditional, we use the second conditional to talk about things that cannot or are unlikely to happen. How do we create the second conditional?	More...
Yoruba Twins
While the birth rate of monozygotic—identical—twins is relatively constant worldwide, the rate for dizygotic—fraternal—twins varies widely. Fraternal twins are most common among persons of African ancestry, and the highest incidence of fraternal twins is among the Yoruba peoples of Nigeria, with a frequency of more than 40 per 1,000 births. This has made twins an important part of Yoruba culture, in which twins are said to share one soul. What traditions do the Yoruba follow regarding twins?	More...
Natalie Wood Drowns (1981)
At the age of 43, actress Natalie Wood, who first won acclaim as a child for her role in Miracle on 34th Street and went on to become a successful film star, drowned after apparently falling overboard following a night of drinking on her yacht. Though the death was ruled an accident, a woman on a nearby boat reported hearing cries for help that night. Wood had been spending a holiday weekend aboard the yacht with her husband, actor Robert Wagner. Who else was aboard the yacht that night?	More...
Clive Staples "C. S." Lewis (1898)
Lewis was an Irish-British scholar noted for his witty explorations of Christianity, as well as for his classic series of children's fantasy novels, The Chronicles of Narnia, which includes The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. He also wrote The Screwtape Letters, a satirical novel in which an experienced devil teaches his young charge about temptation. During World War I, Lewis made a pact with a fellow soldier before the man was killed. How did Lewis keep his promise?	More...
Capital, n.: The seat of misgovernment.
Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914)
have done with (someone or something)
— To be finished with someone or something; to cease being involved with someone or something. More...
Grey Cup (2020)
The best teams from the Eastern and Western Conferences of the Canadian Football League play against each other in an annual event similar to the Super Bowl in the United States. It is called the Grey Cup after the trophy that is awarded to the winning team—a cup donated by former Canadian Governor-General Earl Grey in 1909. Parties are held throughout the country so that fans can get together to watch the big game on television. In sports and social clubs, it is not uncommon to set up two televisions so that rival supporters can each watch their own team.	More...
Today's topic: ships
nauscopy - The ability to sight land or ships at a distance. More...
spring a leak - First referred to ships, describing the way the timbers sprang out of position and let in water. More...
square meal - May derive from the square platters used for serving meals on ships. More...
longshoremen - When sailors passed goods from the ships to men along the shore, those men came to be called longshoremen. More...