Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, July 17, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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firmament
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Relative ClausesRelative clauses (also known as adjective clauses or adjectival clauses) are dependent clauses that provide descriptive information about a noun or noun phrase. What introduces a relative clause? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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SzczerbiecThe sole surviving piece of the original Polish crown jewels, the Szczerbiec—or "Notched Sword"—is the ceremonial sword that was used to crown Polish kings from 1320 to 1764. Legend states that it was given by an angel to King Boleslaw, who chipped it on the gates of Kiev in 1018, yet the sword only dates to the 13th century, raising questions about the veracity of the tale. Looted by Prussian troops in 1795, the sword was not returned until 1928. Why is there a slit on its blade below the hilt? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Apollo-Soyuz Test Project: First Docking of Russian and US Spacecrafts (1975)The Apollo-Soyuz Test Project was the first joint flight of the US and Soviet space programs. Its primary purpose was symbolic, to show that the two superpowers were easing the tensions of their Space Race. The two mission commanders exchanged the first international handshake in space through the open hatch of the Soyuz. Though American Deke Slayton had been selected for the Mercury mission in the 1950s, the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project was his first flight into space. Why did he have to wait? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Ismail I (1487)The young Ismail I went into hiding after his father's death and emerged at age 14 to proclaim himself Shah of Iran. Despite his youth, he was able to reunify Iran and establish the Safavid Empire, which remained intact until 1736. Ismail converted Iran from the Sunni to the Shi'a sect of Islam, drawing the ire of Selim I, the Sunni sultan of the Ottoman Empire, who wrote Ismail belligerent letters before invading Iran. Ismail was also a prolific poet who wrote under what pseudonym? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 We all have our own life to pursue, our own kind of dream to be weaving, and we all have the power to make wishes come true, as long as we keep believing.Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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look (someone) off— In sports, especially American football, to mislead an opponent with one's eyes as to one's intentions in a given play. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 King's Birthday (Lesotho) (2021)Veneration for royalty is still customary for the Basotho, the majority group living in the Kingdom of Lesotho. Accordingly, the birthday of monarch King Letsie III is a momentous occasion. Born in 1963, King Letsie is the son of King Moshoeshoe II, who became Lesotho's first monarch after the country gained full independence from Great Britain in 1966. Many citizens honor the king on his birthday by attending his parade, at which he appears in regal attire and is usually accompanied by his wife, Queen 'Masenate Mohato Seeiso. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: snubsneb - A reprimand or a snub. More... avert - Etymologically, it means "to turn away": blows can be averted, but not pain; a snub can be averted, but not a humiliation; violence can be averted, but not damage. More... cold shoulder - This term for a snub started when people overstayed their welcome and were served cold beef shoulder, rather than hot food. More... snouch - To snouch someone is to snub or treat with scorn. More... | |