Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, August 19, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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superable
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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The Difference between Collective Nouns and Plural NounsBoth plural nouns and collective nouns can refer to multiple things. The difference is that collective nouns refer to a group of individuals in a single unit, whereas plural nouns refer to what? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 EcclesiastesEcclesiastes is a book in the Jewish and Christian biblical canon. Its author—traditionally held to be Solomon—is occupied with the notion that wickedness and death seem to mock all effort to find purpose in life. The book opens with the assertion that because life on Earth has no meaning, it should be enjoyed. It goes on to emphasize the universality of death. The apparent cynicism of the book is said to have distressed ancient rabbis. What memorable verse decries the pointlessness of life? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Leonard Bernstein Conducts His Final Concert (1990)Less than two months before he died, Bernstein, a highly regarded American composer and conductor, conducted what would be his final concert. He had suffered from smoking-related lung problems for years, and his coughing fit partway through the Boston Symphony appearance that night nearly ended the performance. With his health declining, he officially retired in early October, and he died just five days later. What feat in 1943 made him an overnight sensation and set his career in motion? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Orville Wright (1871)Born and raised in Ohio, Orville was four years younger than his brother Wilbur. They were in the bicycle business when they began the aeronautic experiments that led to the first controlled, powered airplane flight in 1903. Wilbur died in 1912, and Orville sold his interest in their company three years later. He later served for 28 years on the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, a precursor to NASA, before his death in 1948. What toy sparked Orville's interest in flying as a boy? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Too often we...enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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be like herding cats— To be very unwieldy or unmanageable; to be nearly impossible to organize. Usually said of a group of people. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Lucerne International Festival of Music (2020)The first Lucerne Festival was held in 1938, conducted by Arturo Toscanini (1867-1957) at the former home of Richard Wagner. The Swiss Festival Orchestra, the festival's mainstay since 1943, is comprised of the best musicians in Switzerland. It is joined by other national groups—among them the Lucerne Festival Strings—as well as internationally known orchestras from other countries. The program offers symphonic and chamber music as well as master classes, young artists' matinees, and a concert for seniors and persons with disabilities. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: tiredlanguescent - If you are becoming tired, you are languescent. More... irk - Originally meant "grow tired"; a possible source is Old Norse yrkja, "work." More... lassate - Means tired or weary. More... late - Comes from Indo-European lad-, "slow, weary," which begat Latin lassus, "tired," before English late, meaning "slow." More... | |