Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, August 2, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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bemuse
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Creating Adverbs of MannerAdverbs of manner are used to tell us how something happens or is done. They are very often formed from adjectives by simply adding "-ly," but sometimes, the spelling of a word will have to change slightly so as to better accommodate the extra "-ly." If the adjective ends in "-ic," for instance, what does the ending become? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 CheckmateNow employed in modern parlance to describe an irrefutable, strategic victory, "checkmate" is the term used in the game of chess to indicate the situation in which one player's king is threatened with capture and no escape or defense is possible. Delivering checkmate is the ultimate goal in chess, and the player who forces it wins the game. The term "checkmate" is an alteration of the Persian phrase shah mat, which means what? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Gulf of Tonkin Incident (1964)While on patrol in the Gulf of Tonkin, the USS Maddox was attacked by North Vietnamese torpedo boats. Two days later, US boats were supposedly attacked again without provocation. These events—known collectively as the Gulf of Tonkin Incident—prompted US Congress to pass a resolution allowing President Lyndon B. Johnson to use military force in Southeast Asia without a formal declaration of war, leading to increased US involvement in the Vietnam War. Had there in fact been a second attack? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Peter O'Toole (1932)O'Toole, a classical stage actor, debuted in London in 1956 and played a variety of Shakespearean roles. Tall and handsome, he catapulted to stardom in 1962 with his portrayal of British Army officer T. E. Lawrence in the desert epic Lawrence of Arabia. He went on to win praise for performances in films ranging from historical dramas to high comedies and, though he never won, was nominated for an Academy Award eight times. Despite this record, he received what award in 2003? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 It is sometimes a little lonely to be surrounded everywhere by a happiness that is not your own.Lucy Maud Montgomery (1874-1942) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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grind (someone's) gears— To greatly or specifically irritate or annoy someone. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Ilinden (Macedonia Republic Day) (2023)August 2 is an official holiday in Macedonia commemorating the nation's first modern statehood. In 1903, Macedonian Christian nationalists led a rebellion against the Turkish Ottoman Empire. The rebels staged an uprising on August 2 of that year, a date that also marked the Christian feast day of Ilinden, or the prophet Elijah's ascension into heaven. The Ilinden uprising has become a cultural cornerstone in the mythology of modern Macedonia and is acknowledged as an important precursor to the establishment of the present-day Republic of Macedonia. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: nourishalimony - From Latin alimonia, "nourishment" or "eating money," from alere, "to nourish," and mony, "result, resulting condition," it first meant "nourishment, support." More... alumnus, alumna, alumni - Alumnus and alumna stem from Latin alere, "to nourish or be nourished," now by a university; originally alumnus was a pupil and now it is a male graduate. Alumni refers to either sex. More... coalesce - Meaning "cause to grow together," it is from Latin co- and alere, "nourish." More... nurture - The verb was formed after the noun, which first referred (c. 1330) to a person's training or breeding. The word can be traced back to Latin nutritus, meaning "to nourish." More... | |