Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, April 17, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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dolorous
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Slash vs. BackslashThe slash must not be confused with a backslash ( \ ), which is used in computer programming but not in written English. When a distinction between the two needs to be made, what is the slash sometimes called? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Down FeathersDown feathers are the soft, fine feathers that lie underneath the tougher exterior feathers of some adult birds and help prevent the loss of body heat. Because of its light weight, compressibility, and ability to retain heat, down is considered the best insulation material for outdoor equipment and is used in goods such as jackets, pillows, and sleeping bags. The discovery of feathers encased in ancient amber suggests that what now-extinct creatures may have also sported down-like feathers? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Ford Mustang Debuts at New York World's Fair (1964)Introduced at a relatively affordable $2,368, the Ford Mustang took the American auto market by storm. The initial sales projection of 100,000 units in the first year was surpassed within months, and a record 418,000 were on the road within the year. That year, the Mustang was featured in the James Bond film Goldfinger and appeared as the pace car at the Indianapolis 500, helping secure its iconic status. The original pony car, the very first Mustang model has what unusual designation? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Sirimavo Bandaranaike (1916)Bandaranaike's husband became prime minister of Ceylon in 1956 and was assassinated three years later. In the election that followed, Bandaranaike's party was victorious—making her the world's first female prime minister. She headed two coalition governments and served again as prime minister when she was appointed by her daughter, Chandrika Kumaratunga, who was elected president in 1994. While in office, Bandaranaike promoted a new constitution that changed the country's name to what? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Rising genius always shoots out its rays from among the clouds, but these will gradually roll away and disappear as it ascends to its steady luster.Washington Irving (1783-1859) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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a little from column A, a little from column B— Having been formed from two distinct factors, elements, or reasons. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Verrazano Day (2021)Observed in New York state, Verrazano Day commemorates the discovery of New York Harbor by the Italian navigator Giovanni da Verrazano on April 17, 1524. With the backing of King Francis I of France, Verrazano sailed his ship to the New World, reaching the Carolina coast in March 1524, and then sailing northward, exploring the eastern coast of North America. He also discovered Block Island and Narragansett Bay in what is now Rhode Island. In naming the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, New York gave Verrazano official recognition. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: vaultcoping saw - A saw with a very narrow blade stretched across a u-shaped frame—for cutting curves, with cope meaning "vault, arch." More... ossuary - From Latin os, "bone," it is any receptacle—urn, vault, etc.—for the bones of the dead. More... camera - First meant "vault, chamber." More... firmament - Means "vault of the sky," as a fixed structure. More... | |