Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, October 25, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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unguent
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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"Could" and Rhetorical Questions"Could" is sometimes used informally in sarcastic or rhetorical questions that highlight a behavior someone finds irritating, unacceptable, or inappropriate. In these situations, "could" is often (but not always) used with what as a main verb? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The St. Bartholomew's Day MassacreDuring the French Wars of Religion, Catherine de Médici plotted to have Gaspard II de Coligny—leader of the French Protestants known as Huguenots—assassinated. When the attempt failed, she convinced King Charles IX to murder all of the Huguenot leaders, who were in Paris for the wedding of the future Henry IV. The massacre began on August 24—St. Bartholomew's Day—and spread to the provinces. By October, tens of thousands of Huguenots had been killed. Why was Catherine able to influence Charles? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 George III Becomes King of Great Britain and Ireland (1760)George III ascended the throne at the age of 22, during the Seven Years' War. The war had put England in financial distress, and George supported raising funds through taxation of the American colonies. This policy proved disastrous for him, as it provoked the American Revolution and led him to be blamed in part for losing the colonies. Later in life, George's mental health declined, and his son acted as regent after 1811. It has been suggested that he suffered from what hereditary disease? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Minnie Pearl (1912)Pearl was an American country comedienne, born Sarah Colley in Centerville, Tennessee. One of the Grand Ole Opry's most iconic performers, she appeared on the show for more than 50 years, performing routines that gently poked fun at rural Southern culture. Outfitted in styleless "down home" dresses and a hat with a price tag that dangled over its brim, she also appeared regularly on the television show Hee Haw from 1969 to 1991. On whom was the Minnie Pearl character based? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 There is no explanation for evil. It must be looked upon as a necessary part of the order of the universe. To ignore it is childish, to bewail it senseless.W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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stand on the shoulders of giants— To make discoveries, insights, or progress due to the discoveries or previous work of great minds that have come before. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 St. Crispin's Day (2019)According to legend, Crispin and his brother Crispinian traveled from Rome to the French town of Soissons, where they preached and earned a living as shoemakers. The people of Soissons built a church in their honor in the sixth century, and since that time they have been known as the patron saints of shoemakers and other workers in leather. This is also the day on which the French and English armies fought the battle of Agincourt in the middle period of the Hundred Years War (1415). More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: soreangry - Describing a wound or sore that is red and inflamed. More... merry-gall - A sore produced by chafing. More... sore - As a noun, it first meant generally "physical pain and suffering." More... chafe, chaff - To chafe means to rub until sore or worn; to chaff means to tease good-naturedly. More... | |