Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, April 17, 2021)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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indigent
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Informal Uses of EllipsesWhile shortening quoted material is the "official" use of the ellipsis, it is used differently (and perhaps more commonly) in informal or creative writing. What are some informal uses of the ellipsis? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Van de Graaff GeneratorInvented in 1929 by American physicist Robert Van de Graaff, the Van de Graaff generator is a device in which electrically charged particles are sprayed on a moving belt and carried to an insulated terminal in a hollow metal sphere, building up to create a lightning-like discharge. The first model was made using an ordinary silk ribbon from a five-and-dime store, but later models proved capable of generating millions of volts. Where is the world's largest Van de Graaff generator on display? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Ill-Fated Apollo 13 Spacecraft Returns to Earth Safely (1970)Less than a year after the first lunar landing, Apollo 13 departed for the moon. Two days into the mission, an oxygen tank exploded, severely damaging the spacecraft's electrical system, and the landing had to be aborted. Despite limited power, loss of cabin heat, a shortage of potable water, and the need to improvise a carbon dioxide removal system, the craft returned safely to Earth. The immortal line from the mission—"Houston, we have a problem"—is a misquote. What was actually said? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 John Pierpont Morgan (1837)The son of a financier, Morgan began his career as an accountant before being named a partner in the firm that became J.P. Morgan and Company. One of the world's most powerful railroad magnates, he formed a syndicate to supply the US Treasury's depleted gold reserves and financed the mergers that formed General Electric and US Steel Corporation—the world's first billion-dollar corporation. In addition to being a noted art collector, Morgan had one of America's most important collections of what? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Just think what a dull world it would be if everyone was sensible.Lucy Maud Montgomery (1874-1942) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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in the hope that— With the expectation, intention, or desire that (something will happen). More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Syria National Day (2024)This national holiday commemorates the withdrawal of French troops on this day in 1946, when Syria proclaimed its independence after more than 20 years of French occupation. It is also known as Independence Day and Evacuation Day. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: recalllethologica - If you cannot recall the precise word for something, you have a case of lethologica, which may lead you to an obsession with trying to recall it—loganamnosis. More... remember - From Latin rememorari, "recall to mind." More... reduce, reduct - Reduce first meant "bring back or recall in memory" or "take back or refer (a thing) to its origin," from Latin reducere, "lead back"; reduct means "simplify." More... tartle - From Scottish, to hesitate in recognizing a person or thing, as happens when you are introduced to someone whose name you cannot recall; so you say, "Pardon my tartle!" More... | |