Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, January 7, 2022)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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skimpy
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Participle PhrasesParticiples are words formed from verbs that can function as adjectives, as gerunds, or to form the continuous and perfect tenses of verbs. What is a dangling modifier? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 NasserismNasserism is a political ideology based on the thinking of Gamal Abdel Nasser, who served as president of Egypt from 1956–70. Combining elements of Arab socialism, republicanism, nationalism, anti-imperialism, and non-alignment, it became one of the most potent political ideologies in the Arab world. Though Nasserism was tarnished when Nasser led the Arab world in the disastrous Six Day War of 1967, it is still espoused by some Egyptian political parties. Nasser died suddenly of what in 1970? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Boris Godunov Becomes Czar of Russia (1598)A favorite of Ivan the Terrible, Godunov helped organize Ivan's administrative system. After Ivan's death, Boris became virtual ruler of Russia, ostensibly as regent for Ivan's son Feodor I, who was married to Boris's sister. Boris was widely believed to have ordered the murder of Feodor's younger brother and heir, Dmitri, to secure succession for himself. Upon Feodor's death, a ruling class assembly chose Boris as czar. What happened to Boris' son and successor, Feodor II? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Saint Marie-Bernarde Soubirous (1844)Soubirous was a French peasant girl who claimed to see the Virgin Mary in apparitions at a grotto near Lourdes, her home, in 1858. The authorities, skeptical of her visions, subjected her to severe examinations. After years of scrutiny, she was allowed to enter the convent of Notre-Dame de Nevers, where she remained in seclusion until her death at 35. The grotto at Lourdes is now a pilgrimage site, and its waters are reputed to have healing powers. How many pilgrims visit Lourdes each year? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 There is, one knows not what sweet mystery about this sea, whose gently awful stirrings seem to speak of some hidden soul beneath.Herman Melville (1819-1891) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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hot tip— A piece of advice or information that is timely and helpful, especially if acted upon quickly. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Christmas (Russian Orthodox) (2024)This celebration of the birth of Jesus is observed by the Russian Orthodox Church under the Julian calendar, which trails behind the Gregorian calendar by 13 days. In 1991, after the Soviet Union had been officially dissolved, Christmas was observed openly and as a state holiday in Russia for the first time in 70 years. In Moscow, banners were strung up and Nativity scenes were displayed in Red Square. On Christmas Eve, tens of thousands jammed Red Square for performances by choirs and bellringers and gala fireworks. Midnight services were celebrated in churches. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: swindleconfidence trick - First a swindle in which the victim was persuaded to entrust money or valuables to the swindler. More... swindler, swindle - Swindler and swindle are from German Schwindler, "promoter of wild schemes; cheat." More... chizz - To chizz someone is to cheat or swindle them. More... honeyfugle, honeyfuggle - To honeyfugle or honeyfuggle is to dupe, deceive, or swindle. More... | |