Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, February 15, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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enliven
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Demonstrative Pronoun UsageDemonstrative pronouns always represent nouns, typically things, places, events, ideas, and animals. In certain cases, however, some of these pronouns may also be used to describe what? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 It's Raining Cats and Dogs!Although it is a rare phenomenon, the occurrence of animals "raining" from the sky has been reported many times throughout history. One hypothesis often proposed to explain this phenomenon is that strong winds traveling over bodies of water sometimes pick up aquatic animals, such as fish or frogs, and carry them for up to several miles, finally depositing them on land. However, this phenomenon has never been witnessed or scientifically tested. What are some other possible explanations? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 USS Maine Sinks, Prompting the US to Declare War on Spain (1898)In January 1898, the USS Maine was sent to protect American interests in Cuba, where an anti-Spanish insurrection was taking place. It sank weeks later, after an onboard explosion. Fueled by the conspiracy theories of American yellow journalism, outrage over the deaths of 260 of the ship's crew members helped push the nation toward the Spanish-American War. Several investigations into the sinking have since taken place, including one that was conducted in 1998. What were its findings? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Jeremy Bentham (1748)Bentham was a British moral philosopher and legal theorist. A precocious student, he graduated from Oxford at age 15. In his writings, he became the earliest expounder of utilitarianism—the theory that the rightness or wrongness of an action is determined by its usefulness in bringing about the greatest happiness for all those affected by it. His work inspired much reform legislation, especially regarding prisons. What was done with Bentham's body after his death, in accordance with his will? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Love is never lost. If not reciprocated, it will flow back and soften and purify the heart.Washington Irving (1783-1859) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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honours are even— Both sides are equally matched; the contest is equal or level; neither side has been victorious. Primarily heard in UK. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Lupercalia (2024)This was an ancient Roman festival during which worshippers gathered at a grotto on the Palatine Hill in Rome called the Lupercal. The sacrifice of goats and dogs to the Roman deities Lupercus and Faunus was part of the ceremony. Luperci (priests of Lupercus) dressed in goatskins and, smeared with the sacrificial blood, would run about striking women with thongs of goat skin. This was thought to assure them of fertility and an easy delivery. The name for these thongs—februa—meant "means of purification" and eventually gave the month of February its name. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: uproardonnybrook - Donnybrook is a suburb of Dublin, Ireland, once famous for its annual fair and now used to describe a scene of uproar or disorder. More... hurly-burly - Turmoil or an uproar. More... rum - Once known as rumbo, rumbowling, rumbustion, or rumbullion—from a Devonshire word meaning "uproar." More... stampede - From Mexican Spanish estampida, "crash, uproar." More... | |