Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, March 13, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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incantation
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Common and Proper NounsCommon nouns identify general, nonspecific people, places, or things. A proper noun names someone or something that is one of a kind, which is signified by the use of what? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 HadhramautThe name Hadhramaut formerly referred to the Hadhramaut states, a collective term for the Quaiti and Kathiri sultanates that were British protectorates until 1967. Today, the Hadhramaut region roughly incorporates the territory of the two sultanates, extending about 400 mi (640 km) along the southeastern coast of Yemen. It consists of a narrow, arid coastal plain, a broad plateau, a network of deeply sunk wadis, and an escarpment bordering the desert. What is the origin of the word Hadhramaut? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Kapp Putsch Briefly Ousts Weimar Republic Government (1920)The fledgling Weimar Republic was just a year old when a renegade right-wing military unit made the first serious coup attempt. The government had tried to disband the unit to comply with the Versailles Treaty—which limited military power in Germany—so the brigade took Berlin. The legitimate regime fled, and Wolfgang Kapp, a radical civil servant, formed a new government. Within days, the coup collapsed and the former regime returned, thanks to a massive swell of support from whom? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Abraham "Al" Jaffee (1921)A regular contributor to Mad for more than 55 years, Jaffee is the satirical magazine's longest-running contributor, as both an illustrator and writer. Since 1964, only one issue has been published without new material from Jaffee, now in his 90s. He created some of the magazine's most popular features, such as blueprint-style inventions and his famous "fold-ins"—which he continues to draw by hand. Before joining Mad, Jaffee worked with what then-unknown comic book pioneer? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 A soul that is kind and intends justice discovers more than any sophist.Sophocles (496 BC-406 BC) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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have a crush on (someone)— To have a romantic infatuation with someone, especially unbeknownst to that person. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Omizutori Matsuri (2020)Omizutori Matsuri is marked by religious rites that have been observed for 12 centuries at the Buddhist Todaiji Temple in the city of Nara, Japan. During this period of meditative rituals, the drone of recited sutras and the sound of blowing conchs echo from the temple. On March 12, young monks on the temple gallery brandish burning pine-branches, shaking off burning pieces. Spectators below try to catch the sparks, believing they have magic power against evil. On March 13, the ceremony of drawing water is observed to the accompaniment of ancient music. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: suddenlysquall - A violent wind that comes in suddenly, but does not last long, and is often accompanied by rain or snow. More... amaze, surprise - Amaze once meant "alarm, terrify," but now means "astonish"; surprise means "meet with suddenly or without warning." More... intersilient - Describing something suddenly emerging in the midst of something. More... | |