Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, November 11, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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adduce
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Using Predicate NounsPredicate nouns are a subset of a larger category known as "subject complements," which rename or re-identify the subject. What type of verb do subject complements follow? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 AerosansUsed by the Soviet Red Army during the Winter War and World War II, the aerosan is a type of propeller-powered snowmobile that runs on skis. First developed early in the 20th century, aerosans were valued for their high mobility in deep snow and on frozen water bodies and came to be used for a number of functions, including communications, mail deliveries, medical aid, and border patrolling in northern Russia. Some of the first aerosans may have been built by what famous aircraft designer? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Highwayman Joseph "Blueskin" Blake Hanged (1724)In the early 18th century, English criminal Jonathan Wild maintained a highly organized gang of thieves and long escaped punishment by posing as an instrument of justice and helping the authorities catch other criminals independent of, or rebellious to, his control. One such criminal was Blake, who was arrested after a burglary. He was tried, convicted, and hanged. What other notorious criminal—Blake's partner in crime—escaped from prison when Blake attacked a witness at his trial? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Alessandro Moreschi (1858)Moreschi was the late 19th century's most famous castrato—a male singer who undergoes castration before puberty and, as a result, retains a soprano or alto voice that becomes extraordinarily powerful as he develops the lung capacity and physical bulk of an adult. He was first soprano in the Sistine Chapel choir for 30 years and was the only castrato of the bel canto tradition to make solo sound recordings. What do modern music critics say about the singing featured in these recordings? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 The accumulation of all powers, Legislative, Executive, and Judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, self-appointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny.James Madison (1751-1836) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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Up to (one's) neck in alligators— business adage The full expression is some variation of: "When you are up to your neck in alligators, it's easy to forget that the goal was to drain the swamp." It is easy to be so overcome or preoccupied by various tangential worries, problems, or tasks that one loses sight of the ultimate goal or objective. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Independence of Cartagena City Day (2018)On November 11, 1811, Cartagena, Colombia, declared its independence from Spain. The holiday is officially celebrated in Colombia on November 11; however, festivals and street fairs traditionally take place for days around the actual holiday. There are many parades, including the large and colorful parade through the city of Cartagena, which ends at Plaza Trinidad, where the independence of the city was declared. The culmination of the festivities is the National Beauty Contest, when Miss Colombia is chosen from winners of local beauty pageants around the country. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: navelomphalos - From the Greek word meaning "navel"—for the round stone in the temple of Apollo at Delphi supposed to mark the center of the earth—it describes the center, heart, or hub of a place, organization, or sphere of activity. More... omphaloskepsis - Contemplation of one's navel as an aid to meditation. More... navel, umbilicus, belly button, omphalodium - The navel is also the umbilicus, belly button, or omphalodium; navel and umbilicus share the same Indo-European root. More... | |