Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, July 11, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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seeker
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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PeriodsThe period (also known as a full stop, especially in British English) is a punctuation mark ( . ) primarily used to indicate the end of a sentence. When typing, how many spaces should be used after a period? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 ButterflyfishFound mostly near the reefs of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, butterflyfish are named for their brightly colored and strikingly patterned bodies. Seen in shades of black, white, blue, red, orange, and yellow, many have eyespots on their flanks and dark bands across their eyes that resemble the patterns on butterfly wings, making them popular additions to aquaria. Because butterflyfish are easily spotted among reefs, some believe their conspicuous coloration serves what purpose? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 UK Court Finds Gay News and Its Editor Guilty of Blasphemy (1977)The June 3, 1976, issue of the British newspaper Gay News included James Kirkup's poem "The Love that Dares to Speak Its Name," which depicts Jesus as a homosexual. Mary Whitehouse—a media watchdog known for her "Clean Up TV" campaign—described the poem as a "blasphemous libel" and sought charges against Gay News and its publisher, Denis Lemon. On July 11, 1977, a jury found Lemon guilty, and his later appeal to the House of Lords was unsuccessful. What was Lemon's sentence? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Elwyn Brooks "E. B." White (1899)After starting his writing career as a reporter, White settled in New York and became known for his impeccable prose style as a contributing editor of New Yorker magazine. Talented in diverse genres, he collaborated with James Thurber on satire, wrote the classic children's books Stuart Little and Charlotte's Web, and revised William Strunk Jr.'s grammar and composition text The Elements of Style, which became a definitive writing guide. How did White know Strunk? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 All say, "How hard it is that we have to die"—a strange complaint to come from the mouths of people who have had to live.Mark Twain (1835-1910) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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be a long shot— To be very risky, uncertain, or unlikely to succeed. (Of an attempt, proposition, or guess.) More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Naadam (2021)This Mongolian festival, sometimes spelled Nadaam, spotlights three major sports events. Its history goes back to the 13th century; today, it is held from July 11-13 in provinces throughout the country. The fairs bring together the nomadic people, who pitch a city of yurts or gers (felt tents). Wrestling is usually the first event, the second sport is archery, and the last of the traditional sporting events is horse racing. When night falls, a bowed stringed instrument called a matouqin is played, and people sit by their yurts talking, dancing, and drinking aromatic butter tea and kumys. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: supportedwhatnot - A series of open shelves supported by two or four upright posts, for displaying knickknacks. More... oriel - A large, upper-story bay window, usually supported by brackets or on corbels. More... portico - Describes a covered walkway with a roof supported by columns and usually attached as a porch to a building. More... felly, felloe - The felly or felloe is the exterior rim on a wheel or the section of rim supported by a spoke. More... | |