Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, March 6, 2015)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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contretemps
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Defining InflectionGrammatical inflection is the way in which a word is changed or altered in form in order to achieve a new, specific meaning. Verbs are the most commonly inflected words, changing form to reflect grammatical tense, as well as mood, voice, aspect, person, and speech. Collectively, this is known as what? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 "Freedom Fries""Freedom fries" was a short-lived name used by some in the US for French fries after France resisted condoning the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In March, 2003, all references to French fries and French toast on the menus of restaurants run by the House of Representatives were removed. By July 2006, however, the move had been reversed. Politically-motivated renamings were also seen during World War I, when anti-German sentiment led some to refer to sauerkraut as what? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Real Madrid Football Club Founded (1902)One of the richest and most valuable sports franchises in the world, the Real Madrid Football Club is also one of the most successful, having won dozens of championships over the course of its storied history. In 1953, club president Santiago Bernabéu Yeste, a former player, embarked on the strategy of signing world-class players from abroad, not only from Spain—a trend that has continued to fuel the club's success and worldwide popularity. Who owns and operates Real Madrid? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Sarah Caldwell (1924)Caldwell was a violin prodigy from an early age. In 1957, she founded what would become the Opera Company of Boston. Notorious for her ability to avert financial crises and meet last-minute deadlines while overseeing every detail of production, she made the company one of the most distinguished and innovative in the US. With the growing success of her company, she began to appear as a guest conductor of major orchestras. In 1976, Caldwell became the first woman to do what? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 They may walk with a little less spring in their step, and the ranks are growing thinner, but let us never forget, when they were young, these men saved the world.Bill Clinton (1946-) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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in leaps and bounds— By very large degrees; rapidly or in quick progress forward. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Alamo Day (2021)In 1836, a garrison of Texans took a stand against the Mexican Army at a Franciscan mission in San Antonio, named after the grove of cottonwood trees (alamo in Spanish) that surrounded it. Led by William Barret Travis, the band of volunteers was beseiged for 13 days by Mexican soldiers. Travis refused to surrender, and the Alamo was overrun on the morning of March 6. Only women and children survived. The heroic action at the Alamo gave the Texans time to organize the forces necessary to save their independence movement. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: swordsheath - Seems to have first been a split stick that a sword could be inserted into. More... spades - As a suit in a deck of cards, it has nothing to do with spades as tools, but comes from Spanish espada, "sword." More... spay - A shortening of a French word espeer, meaning "cut with a sword." More... gladiator, gladiate - The main Latin word for sword was gladius, from which came gladiator; gladiate is an adjective meaning sword-shaped. More... | |