Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, June 28, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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charmer
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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AppositivesAn appositive is a noun that serves to describe or rename another noun (or pronoun) that appears directly before it in a sentence. When an appositive is made up of a noun phrase, what is it called? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Kitab al-Hiyal: The Book of Ingenious DevicesThe Book of Ingenious Devices was a large, illustrated work on mechanical devices, including automata, published in the 9th century by three brothers. The work was completed at the Bayt al-Hikma—House of Wisdom—in Baghdad under the Abbasid Caliphate. Translated into English in 1979, the book describes approximately 100 devices and how to use them. Although some of the devices were inspired by earlier Greek inventions, many were newly conceived, including what unusual contraptions? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Ned Kelly Is Captured (1880)Ned Kelly is Australia's most famous bushranger and, to many, a folk hero who defied colonial authorities. Ned's trouble with the law began when he was just a teen, and what started as minor scrapes with authorities escalated into more serious crimes, including the bank robberies and murders that eventually led to his execution. Despite Kelly's misdeeds, many believe that he and his family were unfairly targeted by police. In its last stand, the Kelly gang utilized "body armor" made out of what? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Henry VIII of England (1491)Henry VIII, the second monarch of the Tudor dynasty, was King of England from 1509 until his death in 1547. Notable events during his reign include the break with Rome and establishment of the independent Church of England, the dissolution of the monasteries, and the union of England and Wales. However, he is best remembered for his turbulent love life—he was married six times—and for the callous way he ended two of his marriages—having his wives beheaded. What were the fates of the other four? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Nature has left this tincture in the blood,That all men would be tyrants if they could. Daniel Defoe (1660-1731) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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tickle (someone's) funny bone— To make someone laugh; to be humorous or amusing to someone. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Ukraine Constitution Day (2022)Having gained independence in 1991 following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukraine began working on drafting a new constitution. The final document was written and approved by the country's parliament on June 28, 1996. The constitution created a democratic form of government that guarantees human rights and freedoms for its citizens under the rule of law. Since it is a fairly new holiday, traditions have not yet been established to celebrate the day. In Kiev, popular Ukrainian musicians and singers give concerts in Maidan Nezalezhnosty Square. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: securityhostage - First referred to the state of someone handed over as a pledge or security (for the fulfillment of an undertaking). More... policy - Meaning "insurance document," it is from a French word meaning "certificate, contract," from an earlier Latin word meaning "a receipt or security for money paid." More... impignorate, pignorate - To impignorate or pignorate means to put up as security or to pawn. More... wage, wager - Wage once meant "pledge, security" and wager was defined as "solemn pledge" or "undertaking," from French wagier, "to pledge." More... | |