Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, January 23, 2016)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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abdicate
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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The PredicateThe predicate is, essentially, everything in the sentences that follows the subject. It is made up of at least one finite verb. What is a compound predicate? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 RubiesRubies are precious gemstones that range in color from light pink to blood red and are second only to the diamond in hardness. They are found chiefly in Myanmar, Thailand, and Sri Lanka and are classified among the most valuable of gems. The rare star ruby, which shows an internal star-shaped formation when cut into a cabochon, is an example of a gemstone whose value is actually increased by an inclusion. Why can rubies be found beneath building foundations in some Asian countries? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inducts Its First Members (1986)The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a museum dedicated to archiving the history of rock music. It was created in 1983 but did not have a home until 1995, when it opened its Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, after civic leaders pledged $65 million in public money to fund its construction. The first group of inductees included Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, and James Brown, to name a few. What band inducted into the Hall in 2006 refused to attend the induction ceremony? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Ernie Kovacs (1919)Kovacs was an American comedian. He turned to television after studying acting and writing, and he did much of the performing, writing, and producing for his three series—Time for Ernie, The Ernie Kovacs Show, and Kovacs Unlimited. He utilized the television format imaginatively, employing sight gags and zany improvisations, and showed off his wacky personality in 10 movies before dying prematurely in a car crash. Why did he once give a taxi driver the key to his apartment? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 We must eat to live and live to eat.Henry Fielding (1707-1754) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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happy as a lark— Very happy; contented. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Wakakusayama Yaki (2016)This event, held near the Japanese city of Nara, is one of the ancient capital's most thrilling spectacles. It takes place on Mt. Wakakusa—fireworks are ignited, and at six o'clock in the evening, priests from the temples of Todai-ji and Kofuku-ji set fire to the dry grass on the slopes. The whole mountain turns into a flaming beacon that lights up the night sky and can be seen for miles. The festival commemorates the historic burning of the hill 10 centuries ago during a friendly disagreement about the boundaries of the two major temples and a shrine in Nara. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: sakeeristic - Means "enjoying argument for its own sake," or "of or pertaining to controversy." More... fine art, commercial artwork - Fine art is any art created for its own sake, as opposed to commercial artwork. More... heaven's sake - It is heaven's sake (not heavens' sake, heaven's sakes, etc.). More... sensuous, sensual - Sensuous usually implies gratification of the senses for the sake of aesthetic pleasure; sensual usually describes gratification of the senses or physical appetites as an end in itself. More... | |