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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 Elva Zona Heaster Discovered Dead (1897)Shortly after marrying drifter Erasmus Shue, Heaster was found dead and was soon buried. Her mother, who suspected foul play, claimed to have had a vision in which her daughter's ghost stated that Shue had broken her neck, killing her. When the body was exhumed, an autopsy confirmed that Heaster's neck had been broken, and Shue was tried for murder. What role did the ghost—since known as the Greenbrier Ghost for Heaster's hometown of Greenbrier County, West Virginia—play in the trial? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Édouard Manet (1832)One of the foremost French artists of the 19th century, Manet is often regarded as the father of modern painting. Rebelling against the academic tradition, he developed a realist style that was one of the founding forces of Impressionism. Although his talent is recognized today, Manet was often greeted with harsh criticism during his career, including for his paintings Le déjeuner sur l'herbe—The Luncheon on the Grass—and Olympia. Why were the paintings controversial? 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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up to (one's) eyeballs (in something)— Extremely busy (with something); deeply or overly involved (in something); possessing, filled up with, or overwhelmed by an excessive amount (of something). More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 The Australian Open (2019)The Australian Open is the year's first event in the Grand Slam of tennis. It is played on synthetic hard courts in Melbourne, Australia, and known officially as the Australian Championships. The championship for men began in 1905, and the women's championship in 1922. The matches became an "open" (to both amateurs and professionals) in 1969. Margaret Smith Court, an Australian known for her powerful serve and volley, is the all-time champion in the women's division of the open; she won the title 11 times between 1960 and 1973. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: rustlingsoughing - A soft rustling or murmuring sound—like the deep sigh of a sleeping baby. More... frou-frou - From French for "a rustling." More... murmur - Comes from the Latin word for "rustling," and can mean "complain, grumble about." More... psithurism - The sound of wind in the trees and rustling of leaves. More... | |