Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, February 27, 2021)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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locomote
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Using Action VerbsAction verbs are verbs that are used to explain what the subject of a sentence is actively doing. What kind of verb is used to describe a subject's condition or state of being? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Jet PacksJet packs began to appear in science fiction long before science made them a reality. Toward the end of WWII, scientists began working seriously to develop a wearable propulsion device that would enable a single user to fly. Now a reality, jet packs are prohibitively expensive and difficult to control. Because jet pack flights are brief, most do not achieve the minimum altitude necessary to deploy a parachute in the event of a breakdown. What is currently the only practical use for jet packs? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Ireland Legalizes Divorce (1997)The culture of Ireland has long been strongly influenced by the Roman Catholic Church, to which most of the country belongs. Thus, until 1997, the Republic of Ireland had no legal provision for divorce—and though many couples were living apart, they were not free to remarry other people. Once the divorce legislation was passed, the number of separated couples in Ireland did increase but not dramatically. Despite the position of the Church in Ireland, what pagan customs still persist there? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Alice Hamilton (1869)A pioneer in industrial toxicology and the first female faculty member at Harvard University, Hamilton became an authority on lead poisoning and a worldwide specialist in occupational diseases. Her services as an authority on industrial conditions, ailments, and poisons were eagerly sought by government agencies, and her reports on substances such as lead and rubber resulted in improved safety standards in industrial workplaces across the US. Her name was once included in what unlikely list? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 In the usual progress of things, the necessities of a nation in every stage of its existence will be found at least equal to its resources.Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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laughing in the aisles— Laughing uproariously or hysterically. (Used especially in the phrase "have someone laughing in the aisles.") More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Ecuadoran Civicism & National Unity Day (2021)Public displays of patriotism are commonplace for Ecuadorans on this national holiday, observed on the anniversary of the Battle of Tarqui in 1822. The flag of Ecuador is prominently featured during the day's celebrations. Along with receiving a public display at government and private buildings, the flag also appears in the traditional ceremonies at schools throughout the country. Students with exemplary academic records will have the honor of being flag bearers in official parades, and all students are expected to deliver an oath and kiss the flag as a symbol of their allegiance. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: oddsacross the board - An allusion to the board displaying the odds in a horse race. More... rubble - Comes from Anglo-Norman robel, "bits of broken stone," from earlier French robe, "loot, odds and ends stolen." More... ironic - Something is ironic if the result is the opposite of what was intended; an ironic event is an incongruous event, one at odds with what might have been expected. More... odds and ends - The first official odds and ends were found in lumberyards—odds were pieces of board split irregularly by the sawmill, ends were pieces trimmed from boards that were cut to specific lengths. More... | |