Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, July 9, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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betide
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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The Infinitive Mood and the Emphatic MoodThere are two sub-categories that are sometimes described as moods in different grammar guides: the "infinitive mood" and the "emphatic mood." The "infinitive mood" merely refers to a verb being put into its infinitive form—that is, the base form with the particle "to." What is the "emphatic mood"? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 1981 Irish Hunger StrikeThe 1981 Irish hunger strike was the culmination of a five-year protest by Irish republican prisoners in Northern Ireland. It began when the British Government withdrew from convicted paramilitary prisoners Special Category Status, a de facto prisoner-of-war status granting them privileges like those specified in the Geneva Convention. Twenty-three such prisoners participated in the strike, refusing food for weeks and, in many cases, months. How many of them ultimately died of starvation? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Johnny Weissmuller Breaks One-Minute Barrier in 100-Meter Freestyle (1922)During the 1920s, Weissmuller earned himself recognition as the best all-around amateur swimmer in the US. In 1922, he broke the world record in the 100-meter freestyle, swimming it in 58.6 seconds, and went on to win gold in that event at the 1924 Summer Olympics. He eventually won 5 Olympic gold medals and set 67 world records before parlaying his celebrity into an acting career. After starring as Tarzan in 12 films between 1932 and 1948, Weissmuller went on to play what comic book adventurer? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Carlos Chagas (1879)Chagas was a Brazilian physician who discovered in 1909 what is now called Chagas' disease. Caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, the disease of South and Central America usually affects children and is transmitted by the feces of infected insects. Chagas's work is unique in the history of medicine in that he alone completely described a new infectious disease, including its pathogen, vector, host, clinical manifestations, and epidemiology. What insect often transmits Chagas disease? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 You can never have a revolution in order to establish a democracy. You must have a democracy in order to have a revolution.Gilbert Chesterton (1874-1936) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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hang on (someone's) words— To listen very closely, intently, or with obsequious attention to what someone is saying. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Camel Cup (2023)What began in 1971 as a friendly camel race between two Alice Springs Lions Club members has grown into a major Australian event. Camels thrive in Alice Springs, which has one of the driest and harshest climates in Australia. Today the Camel Cup takes place at Blatherskite Park in Alice Springs and is only one of several camel-oriented events, which are accompanied by the eating and beer-drinking that are a hallmark of so many Australian festivals. Other events include polo on camels, helicopter rides, rickshaw races, the Miss Camel Cup competition, and fireworks. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: signsconjecture - First meant "the interpretation of omens or signs" or "divination," and it literally means "to throw together," that is, to produce a theory by putting together a number of facts. More... diacritic - From Greek diakrinein, "distinguish from," it denotes marks or signs that distinguish different values or sounds (pronunciations) of a letter. More... semiopathy - A tendency to read humorously inappropriate meanings into signs. More... sigla - The words for signs and abbreviations representing words. More... | |