Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, February 9, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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palmist
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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DeterminersDeterminers do two things. First, they signal that a noun or noun phrase will follow. Then, they give information about the item. What are demonstrative determiners? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 RumspringaIn some Amish communities, rumspringa is a period of "running around" that begins at about age 16 and ends when a youth chooses to become a full member of the church or to leave the community. Rumspringa is often portrayed in popular media as a period of sanctioned adolescent rebellion, but within the Amish community, deviation from norms is frowned upon, and the term usually simply refers to a period of greater social activity. What choice do most make at rumspringa's end? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 John Quincy Adams Elected US President by Congress (1825)Without a strong party system in place, the 1824 US presidential election was based on regional, rather than party, support. Consequently, of the five candidates who ran for office, none received enough electoral votes to take office, sending the decision to the House of Representatives under the terms of the twelfth amendment. Although Andrew Jackson had earned a plurality of the popular vote, Adams was elected because, according to the Jacksonians, he had struck a "corrupt bargain" with whom? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 James Whitaker Wright (1846)The son of a poor minister, Wright went on to become an extremely wealthy mining company owner. He lived a lavish lifestyle and mingled with the social elite, giving off the appearance of a legitimate and successful businessman. Yet, when his companies collapsed in 1900, it was revealed that he had earned his fortune by defrauding investors. Convicted in 1904 of fraud, he chose to end his own life rather than serve out his prison sentence. How did he kill himself while still in the courthouse? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Do not imagine you can exorcise what oppresses you in life by giving vent to it in art.Gustave Flaubert (1821-1880) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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the Greek calends— A time that is expected to never arrive or occur. (Used after a preposition, especially "at," "on," or "till.") A reference to the day of the new moon and the first day of the month in the ancient Roman calendar, which the Greeks did not observe. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Sugar Ball Show (2020)This temple festival is held at the Haiyunan Buddhist convent of Sifang District in Qingdao, Shandong Province, China. Set for the day of the first spring tide, this festival has been held since the convent was built in the 17th century near the end of the Ming Dynasty. Originally fishermen observed this time to pray for safety and a good harvest. Now sugar balls, also called haws—yams, oranges, and dates dipped in hot syrup and then cooled until crisp—colorfully displayed on long skewers, are specialties of the fair. About 200,000 people attend the show. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: slantwine cradle - A basket (etc.) used to hold wine at a slant. More... slant - A variant of slent, an older word. More... slash - The slash is also called a virgule, diagonal, separatrix, slant, and solidus. More... tilt - Originally meant "fall over," from Germanic taltaz, "unsteady," long before it meant "slant." More... | |