Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, April 17, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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decriminalize
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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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 Pyroclastic FlowOne of the deadliest parts of a volcanic eruption, a pyroclastic flow is a gigantic current of gases and bits of rock that surges downhill at speeds of up to 450 mph (724 km/h) and temperatures of about 1,800° F (1,000° C). These deadly flows can cross water bodies and have the potential to generate tsunamis. During the 1902 eruption of Martinique’s Mount Pelée, a pyroclastic flow destroyed the entire city of Saint-Pierre, killing some 28,000. What other city was famously destroyed in this way? 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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 If Heaven had looked upon riches to be a valuable thing, it would not have given them to such a scoundrel.Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) | |
| 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... | |