Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, May 22, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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harebrained
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Regular and Irregular InflectionRegular inflection is governed by consistent, predictable rules. Irregular inflection doesn’t seem to follow any rules or conventions at all. What are some examples of irregular inflection? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Coke or Pepsi?The rivalry between soft drink manufacturers PepsiCo and The Coca-Cola Company—epitomized by a series of marketing campaigns in the 1980s and 1990s—is simply known as the Cola Wars. In their ongoing battle for supremacy in the soft drink market, the two companies have employed several different tactics, including commercials featuring pop stars, programs to reward loyal customers with free merchandise, and even revisions of their signature products, including what controversial changes? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Johnny Carson Hosts The Tonight Show for Last Time (1992)Carson hosted NBC's The Tonight Show from 1962 to 1992. His personable demeanor and wry sense of humor appealed to viewers, and during his tenure, the show became America's most popular late-night program. The show's familiar formula included sidekick Ed McMahon introducing Carson by announcing, "Heeere's Johnny!," followed by Carson's monologue, and then guest interviews and occasional comedy sketches. How many people tuned in to watch his last show? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Giacomo Matteotti (1885)Matteotti was an Italian Socialist leader, member of parliament, and outspoken opponent of the Fascist regime during its early days. His death at the hands of Fascist hirelings precipitated a parliamentary crisis that Mussolini overcame by disavowing the murder and tightening police control. It could be said that Mussolini's dictatorship began when he crushed the opposition aroused by this assassination. Mussolini's role in Matteotti's death remains a subject of debate. How was Matteotti killed? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that ... imitation is suicide.Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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get taken to task (by someone)— To be scolded, rebuked, reprimanded, or criticized (by someone). More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Fiesta of Santa Rita (2022)Villagers in Apastepeque, San Vicente Department, El Salvador, celebrate Santa Rita's feast day with a dance-drama called the Dance of the Tunco de Monte, or Wild Pig, an Indian dance going back to pre-Christian times. One person dresses in pig skins and pretends to be a pig, while other dancers portray various other stock characters. They enact the chasing and, finally, killing of the pig. At the concluding "feast," the hunter who has caught the pig alternates between praying to Santa Rita for the welfare of the village and cracking jokes. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: swindleconfidence trick - First a swindle in which the victim was persuaded to entrust money or valuables to the swindler. More... swindler, swindle - Swindler and swindle are from German Schwindler, "promoter of wild schemes; cheat." More... chizz - To chizz someone is to cheat or swindle them. More... honeyfugle, honeyfuggle - To honeyfugle or honeyfuggle is to dupe, deceive, or swindle. More... | |