Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, February 10, 2016)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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curlicue
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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PronounsPronouns are words that are used in place of nouns in a sentence. The noun being replaced is known as the antecedent of the pronoun. Pronouns can be the subject of a sentence or clause, the object of a verb, or they can follow linking verbs to rename or re-identify the subject, which is known as what? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Evidence of Alien Life?A pulsar is a rapidly spinning neutron star that emits radiation in narrow beams focused by the star's magnetic field. Because the pulsar's magnetic poles do not align with the poles of its rotational axis, the beams sweep around like the beacon of a lighthouse and are thus observed on Earth as short, regular pulses. Some scientists initially suggested that extraterrestrial civilizations were the source of the strange signals and thus dubbed the first pulsar LGM-1, which is an acronym for what? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Lord Darnley, Second Husband of Mary Queen of Scots, Found Murdered (1567)Though Darnley's murder remains an unsolved mystery, one certainty is that at the time of his death, he was not well-liked. In line for the English throne, he infuriated Queen Elizabeth by marrying Mary Queen of Scots. He then alienated Mary by accusing her of infidelity and stabbing her secretary to death in front of her. Mary distanced herself from him, and shortly thereafter, his house exploded. He was found dead—but not from the blast. How was he killed, and who is suspected of his murder? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Bertolt Brecht (1898)Brecht was a German playwright and poet whose brilliant wit and revolutionary theatrical experiments made him a vital and controversial force in modern drama. In 1928, he displayed his hostility toward capitalism as well as his bittersweet compassion for humanity in The Threepenny Opera. With the rise of the Nazis in 1933, he went into exile, first in Scandinavia and then in the US. One of Brecht's most important theories was the concept of Verfremdungseffekt, which means what? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 It is a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best you very often get it.W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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the gray dollar— The economic purchasing power of elderly people as a group. Primarily heard in US. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Feast of St. Paul's Shipwreck (2020)This feast is a commemoration in Malta of the shipwreck of St. Paul on the island in 60 CE, an event told about in the New Testament. When storms drove the ship aground, Paul was welcomed by the "barbarous people" (meaning they were not Greco-Romans). According to legend, he got their attention when a snake bit him on the hand but did him no harm, and he then healed people of diseases. Paul is the patron saint of Malta and snakebite victims. The day is a public holiday, and is observed with family gatherings and religious ceremonies and processions. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: olive oilfactory - Originally a place where traders did their business in another country, based on Latin factorium, "an oil press" (for olive oil). More... oil - From Latin oleum, from Greek elaion, "olive oil; other oily substance." More... salmagundi - First a dish of chopped meat and eggs, highly seasoned and served with lemon juice and olive oil. More... | |