Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, April 18, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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formicary
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Defining the Past Perfect TenseThe past perfect tense expresses the idea that something occurred before another action in the past. It can also show that something happened before a specific time in the past. How do we form the past perfect tense? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 LeprechaunsLeprechauns are mythological male fairies of Irish folklore. They are often described as small, mischievous cobblers who hide crocks of gold in secret locations. According to legend, leprechauns can be captured and compelled to reveal the location of their treasure, but their captors must never look away because doing so allows the elusive creatures to escape. Why do some Irish people consider the modern, popularized image of leprechauns offensive? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 "British Bang" on German Archipelago (1947)Heligoland is a pair of small German islands located in the North Sea, comprising the main island and the smaller island of Düne. The main island is commonly divided into three geographic sections, the last of which came into being in 1947, when the British Royal Navy detonated 6,700 tonnes of explosives on the island, actually changing its shape. The so-called British Bang was one of the largest non-nuclear single detonations in history. Why did the British bomb the island? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 James McCune Smith (1813)Smith was the first African American to obtain a medical degree and operate a pharmacy in the US. Denied admission to American colleges due to racial discrimination, he studied in Scotland, obtaining a series of degrees. After returning to New York, he became the first professionally trained black physician in the country. He wrote forcefully against common misconceptions and false notions about race, science, and medicine and once used statistics to refute what argument about slaves? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 People who have tried it, tell me that a clear conscience makes you very happy and contented; but a full stomach does the business quite as well, and is cheaper, and more easily obtained.Jerome K. Jerome (1859-1927) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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Peter Pan syndrome— A psychological state or condition in which a grown person cannot or refuses to act like an adult; a stubborn and persistent immaturity found in an adult person. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Zimbabwe Independence Day (2022)Like much of Africa, the area that is now Zimbabwe was long controlled by Europeans. In 1922, the 34,000 European settlers chose to become a self-governing British colony, Southern Rhodesia. In 1923, Southern Rhodesia was annexed by the British Crown. A fight for independence took place in the 1970s. An independent constitution was written for Zimbabwe in London in 1979, and independence followed on April 18, 1980. Independence Day is celebrated in every city and district of the nation with political rallies, parades, traditional dances, singing, and fireworks. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: triviafactlet - A piece of trivia. More... inconsequentia - Trifling facts or trivia. More... nugae - Trifles or trivia. More... trivia - Derives from Latin tri, "three" and via, "ways." In Roman times, at the intersection of any three streets were kiosks where information was posted for travelers, but which was totally ignored by the citizens—a possible source of its modern meaning; trivia is actually plural and should take "these" instead of "this" (etc.). More... | |