Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, October 6, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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glister
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Future Continuous TenseThe future continuous tense (also known as the future progressive) is used to describe an unfinished action occurring in the future. How is the future continuous tense formed? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 MaenadsAlso called bacchantes, maenads were female followers of the Greek wine-god Dionysus. The name "maenad" comes from a Greek word meaning "mad" or "demented." During the rites of Dionysus, maenads roamed the mountains and forests performing frenzied, ecstatic dances and were believed to be possessed by the god. While under his influence, they supposedly had extraordinary strength, and it was said they could tear animals—or people—to pieces. This was the fate met by what mythological figure? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Cubana Flight 455 Bombed (1976)The bombing of Cubana Flight 455 killed all 78 people on board, including several Cuban government officials. At that time, it constituted the most deadly act of airline terrorism ever carried out in the Western Hemisphere. An investigation uncovered evidence implicating anti-Castro Cuban exiles and members of the Venezuelan secret police in the plot. Four men were arrested: two received 20-year prison terms, one was acquitted, and another fled. How were the CIA and FBI linked to the attack? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Frederick VII of Denmark (1808)The last absolute monarch of Denmark, if only for the first year of his reign, Frederick VII faced popular demonstrations calling for political reforms almost as soon as he ascended the throne. He acceded to many of the demands, appointing a liberal ministry, renouncing absolute rule, and adopting a representative government, but he rejected a proposal to cede a portion of Schleswig to Prussia. His position on this issue eventually led to war with Prussia. What was the popular king's motto? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Observation is an old man's memory.Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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have (got) (someone's) back— To be willing and prepared to help or defend someone; to look out for someone in case he or she needs assistance. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Ivy Day (2023)October 6 is the anniversary of the death of Charles Stewart Parnell (1846-1891), the famous Irish statesman and leader of the Home Rule Party. He is a symbol of Irish pride and independence, and his name appears frequently in Irish literature, particularly the poetry of William Butler Yeats and the short story in James Joyce's Dubliners called "Ivy Day in the Committee Room." It is somewhat ironic that the sprig of green ivy traditionally worn on this day—chosen by Parnell himself as an emblem—is a color he apparently intensely disliked. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: pronebellicose, belligerent - Bellicose orients "prone to fighting" toward an individual, while belligerent refers to an organized body, a national or political entity—a person is bellicose, a nation is belligerent. More... grovel, groveling - Grovel is a back-formation from groveling—which first meant "face downward in a prone or prostrate position." More... prone, prostrate, supine - Prone is lying on your face—facing downwards—which is also true for prostrate, but only in expressing adoration or begging for protection; supine is lying on your back. More... kratogen - The dormant area of land lying next to one that is prone to earthquakes. More... | |