Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, May 27, 2022)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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virid
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Collective Adjectives vs. Collective NounsCollective adjectives are often confused with collective nouns because they both refer to a group of people. How do they differ? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 But wait! There's more!The now-familiar phrase "But wait! There's more!" first accompanied infomercials for the "amazing" Ginsu knife in the 1970s. These ads also urged viewers to "Call now! Operators are standing by!" By bringing the direct-marketing techniques of door-to-door sales and print advertising to television, the Ginsu ads established the formula for the modern infomercial. "Ginsu" was actually a word that executives made up to evoke images of Japanese samurai swords. What were the knives originally called? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Le Paradis Massacre (1940)The Le Paradis massacre was a WWII war crime committed by German soldiers under the command of officer Fritz Knöchlein. After becoming isolated from their regiment and running out of ammunition during the Battle of France, a group of British soldiers surrendered to German troops. They were then led across the road, lined up against a wall, and shot. Ninety-seven British troops died. Two survived and hid, but they were captured several days later. What happened to Knöchlein after the war? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok (1837)Hickok was an American frontier marshal, legendary marksman, and gambler. In 1861, while working as a stagecoach driver, he shot and killed outlaw Dave McCanles, earning a reputation as a gunfighter. After serving as a Union spy during the Civil War, he was appointed a US marshal and tamed two Kansas towns. He was shot dead by a drunken stranger while playing poker at a saloon in the town of Deadwood. At the time, he was holding what combination of cards, now known as "dead man's hand"? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 I have no faith in human perfectability. I think that human exertion will have no appreciable effect upon humanity. Man is now only more active - not more happy - nor more wise, than he was 6000 years ago.Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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in its infancy— In the early, nascent period of development or implementation. (Typically of an area of activity, interest, research, etc.) More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Bergen International Festival (2024)The Bergen International Festival is the major cultural event in Norway, and features more than 100 events in music, drama, folklore, opera, ballet, and the visual arts. Most of the musical events are held in Bergen's Viking Castle (built in 1250), at the Grieg Concert Hall, at Edvard Grieg's home (known as "Troldhaugen"), and at Lysoen, the island home of composer and violinist Ole Bull. Although the primary attraction is music, children's programs, literary events, and art exhibits are featured as well. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: pulselight year - Not a length of time but a distance, the distance a pulse of light travels in one year (about 5.88 trillion miles). More... pea - Comes from Greek pison, "pulse, pease." More... asphyxia - Its original meaning was stoppage of the pulse. More... ictus - The beat of the pulse, based on the Latin word for "stroke." More... | |