Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, January 11, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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lavabo
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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How to Conjugate "Be"The verb "be" is unique among verbs for having a huge variety of conjugations. Not only does it have irregular inflections for the past simple tense and past participle, but it also has specific forms depending on what two things? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Charan CasteThe members of the Charan caste living in the Gujarat and Rajasthan states of India are revered for their willingness to die for their beliefs and for their bravery in war. Though caste members are taught to respect bravery, loyalty, and truth more than life, they also value the literary arts. Poetry is an integral part of Charan identity, and some caste members are addressed as Kaviraj, a title meaning "Great Poet." The practice of self-immolation is common in Charan culture. What is it? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Grand Canyon Designated a National Monument (1908)Arizona's Grand Canyon, the great gorge of the Colorado River, is one of the natural wonders of the world. The canyon reaches depths greater than 1 mile (1.6 km), and its multicolored rock layers and steep rims are renowned for their beauty. After visiting the Grand Canyon in 1903, US President Theodore Roosevelt—an avid conservationist—became a major proponent of its preservation and designated it a US National Monument on January 11, 1908. Who fought against his efforts? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Parmigianino (1503)Girolamo Francesco Maria Mazzola was an Italian Mannerist painter and etcher commonly known by his nickname Parmigianino, meaning "the little one from Parma." His works possess remarkable grace and sensuality, and he is regarded as one of the period's finest draftsmen. He was one of the first artists to practice etching, and through this medium his style became influential in Italy and beyond. One of his most curious works is a self portrait in which his image has been distorted by what? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 You never know what peace is until you walk on the shores or in the fields or along the winding red roads of Prince Edward Island in a summer twilight ... You find your soul then. You realize that youth is not a vanished thing but something that dwells forever in the heart.Lucy Maud Montgomery (1874-1942) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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on Carey Street— euphemism Bankrupt; in severe or crippling debt. Named for the street in London where the bankruptcy court for the United Kingdom was at one time located. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Juturnalia (2022)According to Virgil, Juturna is the sister of Turnus, king of the Rutuli. In return for her virginity, Jupiter gave her immortality. Afterward, she was turned into a fountain of the same name near the Numicus, the river where Aeneas' dead body was found. The waters from this fountain were used in sacrifices, particularly those in honor of the Roman goddess Vesta, and were believed to have curative powers. On January 11, a festival in honor of Juturna was observed by men working on aqueducts and wells. She was also celebrated at the Vulcanalia on August 23 as a protectress against fire. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: knightesquire - At its root, it means "shield bearer (in service to a knight)," from Latin scutarius. More... forget-me-nots - May have gotten their name from the last words of a knight who drowned while trying to pick these flowers by a riverside. More... heart on one's sleeve - Comes from chivalry, when a knight wore a scarf or other item from his lady tied to his sleeve. More... | |