Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, May 8, 2024)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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scissure
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Using "May" to Ask for PermissionThe modal verb "may" is very commonly used to express or ask for permission to do something. While "may" is considered the most polite and formally correct option when asking for permission, what other modal verbs can be used? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 AyahuascaAyahuasca, or "vine of the soul," is a South American hallucinogenic brew made from the bark and stems of a tropical vine, generally Banisteriopsis caapi, mixed with other psychotropic plants. Many indigenous Amazonian peoples use the brew in their folk medicines and shamanistic rituals. In addition to its hallucinogenic properties, ayahuasca helps protect the body from tropical parasites and worms by inducing vomiting and diarrhea. What dietary restrictions surround ayahuasca use? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Soviet Union Announces Boycott of Summer Olympics (1984)In response to the US boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, 14 Eastern Bloc countries, including the USSR, Cuba, and East Germany, boycotted the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, California. The USSR cited US "chauvinistic sentiments and anti-Soviet hysteria" in its announcement of its decision not to participate. Thanks, in part, to the Soviet boycott, the US won 83 gold medals and 174 medals overall in Los Angeles. How did the US's unexpected success cost McDonald's millions? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Petrus Canisius (1521)Canisius was a 16th century Jesuit preacher who fought against the spread of Protestantism in Germany, Austria, Bohemia, and Switzerland. His catechism, Summa Doctrinae Christianae, authorized in 1566, was one of the earliest popular expositions of the faith. The reestablishment of Roman Catholicism in Germany after the Reformation was largely due to his zeal, and he was canonized and declared a Doctor of the Church in 1925. What line is he credited with adding to the Hail Mary prayer? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Clairvoyant, n.: A person, commonly a woman, who has the power of seeing that which is invisible to her patron, namely, that he is a blockhead.Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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be kicked upstairs— To be promoted to a higher role or position in a company that has little actual responsibility or authority. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Helston Flora Day (2024)According to legend, there was a large stone that blocked off the entrance to hell. One night Satan tried to steal the stone; on his way through Cornwall, England, he was intercepted by the Archangel Michael, who forced him to drop the stone and flee. The town where he dropped it was called Helston (from Hellstone). The people of Helston continue to celebrate the Archangel's victory with the Helston Flora Day. The day's festivities include the "Furry dance," which is performed in the streets by men in top hats and women in fancy dresses, and a trip to the woods in search of flowers and leaves. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: rindcrust - From French crouste, from Latin crusta, "rind, shell; incrustation." More... pith - First referred to the spongy cellular tissue in the stems and branches of many plants, and also the spongy white tissue lining the rind of citrus fruits. More... rind, peel - The rind is the hard or tough covering on oranges, grapefruit, and watermelon; once removed, skin or rind is usually known as peel. More... | |
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