Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, November 22, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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histrionic
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Defining the CommaThe comma ( , ) is one of the most commonly used punctuation marks in English. Generally speaking, commas are used to connect two or more elements in a sentence, but the way in which they do this varies widely, depending on what? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 FencesIn the criminal world, a fence is someone who knowingly buys stolen property and later sells it in a legitimate market. Fences often earn large profits because thieves, unwilling to shoulder the risk and time commitment involved in selling stolen goods themselves, are willing to "fence" them for small sums. The use of the word as a verb is first attested to in about 1700 as thieves' slang for selling something under "defense of secrecy." Where do fences often sell their goods today? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Juan Carlos I Becomes King of Spain (1975)Juan Carlos was groomed for the role by his predecessor Francisco Franco, the Spanish leader who abolished the republic and declared Spain a representative monarchy. He acceded to the throne two days after Franco's death, becoming the first Spanish king since his grandfather was deposed in 1931. A popular monarch, he presided over Spain's transition to democracy and acted to maintain political stability. He competed in what Olympic event in 1972? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Mary of Guise (1515)Mary of Guise was the queen consort of James V of Scotland and the mother of their daughter—the future Mary Queen of Scots. After the outbreak of war between Scotland and England, Mary arranged her daughter's betrothal to the French dauphin. Becoming regent, Mary of Guise made no secret of her desire to bring France and Scotland together. In 1559, the Protestants, led by John Knox and allied with England, rose against her and declared her deposed. What happened in the aftermath of her death? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 The essence of Government is power; and power, lodged as it must be in human hands, will ever be liable to abuse.James Madison (1751-1836) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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a life of its own— The state of something that exists and thrives outside and beyond the control of the point of origin. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 St. Cecilia's Day (2019)According to her apocryphal acts, which date from the fifth century, St. Cecilia was a Roman from a noble family who was put to death for her Christian beliefs; how she became the patron saint of music and musicians is not exactly known. In 1683, a musical society was formed in London especially for the celebration of St. Cecilia's Day. It held a festival each year at which a special ode was sung. The poet John Dryden composed his "A Song for St. Cecilia's Day" in 1687 for this purpose. There are still many choirs and musical societies that bear her name today. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: keyboardfallboard - The hinged protective covering that protects the keyboard of a piano when it is not being played. More... finger board - The part of a stringed instrument against which the fingers press the strings to vary the tone—as well as the keyboard of a piano, organ, etc. More... home key - The home key is either of two keys on a keyboard acting as the base position for one's fingers in touch-typing (left F, right J). More... octothorpe - The pound key on a keyboard or keypad is technically an octothorpe. More... | |