Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, October 5, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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discombobulate
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Forming the Future TenseAlthough English has no future tense in the strict sense (i.e., it has no verb form specific to future meaning), we commonly refer to several structures that are used for future meaning as belonging to the "future tense." The most common of these structures begin with what word? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Speakers' CornerOften a scene of lively debate, a speakers' corner is an area designated for public speech-making. The northeast corner of London's Hyde Park may be the most famous speakers' corner, having hosted such orators as Karl Marx and George Orwell. However, speakers' corners exist—with varying degrees of freedom—around the world, including countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, and Trinidad and Tobago. One location in the Netherlands, the Spreeksteen of Amsterdam, was created after what notable murder? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 First Episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus Airs on BBC (1969)A highly influential British sketch comedy show, Monty Python's Flying Circus ran until 1974 and subsequently spawned four movies and several live shows. With scenes such as "The Dead Parrot Sketch" and "The Spanish Inquisition," the innovative, disjointed, non-traditional show became a cult favorite noted for its surreal, sarcastic, innuendo-laden humor. Interspersed throughout the show were Terry Gilliam's iconic animations, including a giant, crushing foot taken from what painting? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Larry Fine (1902)Fine was just a toddler when his left arm was badly burned by acid used in his father's Philadelphia jewelry store. To help strengthen his damaged arm, Fine learned to play violin, which led him to a career in vaudeville. In the 1920s, he joined the comedy act that would become The Three Stooges, catapulting him—and his trademark unruly hair—to fame in several feature films and hundreds of shorts. As a young man, what else did he do to strengthen his arm until his father made him stop? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Diplomacy, n.: The patriotic art of lying for one's country.Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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win (something) in a walk— To win (something) easily, handily, or without much or any effort. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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.svg.png) Fiestas de Octubre (October Feasts) (2020)The October Feasts have been held every year in the city of Guadalajara in the state of Jalisco, Mexico, since 1965. Throughout the month, residents and visitors enjoy a variety of cultural events that celebrate local and international culture, including opera, jazz and other musical performances, art exhibits, folk dances, ballet, theater, and food. Attendees can also find amusement park rides, bungee jumping, and a haunted house billed as "one of the largest in Latin America." More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: swinegruntle - Can be used for swine, meaning "to make a little grunt." More... pig - Originally meant just "young pig" until the 16th century—the word in Old and Middle English for the animal was swine. More... swine - The collective (and ancestral) term for domesticated pigs and hogs; a hog is 120 pounds and ready for market, while a pig is immature and weighs less. More... | |