Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, December 29, 2022)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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capstone
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Concrete and Abstract NounsConcrete nouns name people, places, or things with physical properties. Abstract nouns name intangible things, such as concepts, feelings, characteristics, etc. Gerunds are verbs that end in "-ing" and function as nouns. Are they concrete or abstract? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Swiss CheeseSwiss cheese is the generic name in the US for several related varieties of cheese that resemble Switzerland's Emmentaler cheese. The cheese's distinctive holes, which are called "eyes," are formed during ripening when the bacterium used to produce the cheese releases carbon dioxide gas that causes large bubbles. In general, the larger the eyes, the more pronounced the cheese's flavor, although large eyes make the cheese more difficult to slice. Swiss cheese without eyes is known as what? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, Assassinated (1170)Becket was a brilliant administrator and diplomat who served as chancellor of England under Henry II. In a bid to reinforce royal control of the church, Henry appointed Becket archbishop of Canterbury in 1162. However, Becket embraced his duties devoutly and opposed royal interference in the church. This led him to be denounced as a traitor, whereupon he fled to France to live in exile. Upon his return in 1170, he once again drew the ire of the king and was murdered by whom soon after? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 William Ewart Gladstone (1809)Gladstone, a British statesman, served as prime minister four times between 1868 and 1894, a period in which he was the Liberal party's dominant personality. A great orator and master of finance, he was deeply religious and brought a highly moralistic tone to politics. To many, he represented the best qualities of Victorian England, but he was also passionately disliked, most notably by Queen Victoria and his chief political rival, Benjamin Disraeli. What famous quips resulted from the rivalry? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Life is a voyage that's homeward bound.Herman Melville (1819-1891) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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home, James (, and don't spare the horses)— A humorous directive for a driver to take one home directly and without delay. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Fiesta of the Black St. Benito (2023)This fiesta is celebrated by a number of locales in the state of Zulia, Venezuela, and is especially popular in Bobures. After early morning mass, the chimbángueles, or vassals of the saint, put St. Benito's statue on a litter and surround it with flowers. They then carry it through the streets while performing an unusual bouncing kind of dance, in which they continually move forward and backward to the accompaniment of seven drums. Throughout the long procession, St. Benito's image is sprinkled with perfumes and presented with drinks of homemade whiskey. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: purposesall intents and purposes - A redundant phrase, created for emphasis. More... blamestorming - An intense discussion for the purposes of placing blame or assigning responsibility for a misdeed or failure. More... celebrant, celebrator, reveler - Celebrants take part in religious ceremonies; celebrators or revelers gather for purposes of revelry. More... teleology - The study of design in nature; the word's basic meaning is "the study of ends or purposes"—attempts to understand the purpose of a natural occurrence by looking at its results. More... | |