Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, October 29, 2023)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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brandish
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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PeriodsThe period (also known as a full stop, especially in British English) is a punctuation mark ( . ) primarily used to indicate the end of a sentence. When typing, how many spaces should be used after a period? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Terror Behind the WallsPhiladelphia's Eastern State Penitentiary, which operated from 1829-1970, is considered the world's first penitentiary. Its revolutionary incarceration system used solitary confinement to rehabilitate inmates, but it is believed that this led to significant mental illness rather than the intended spiritual reflection. The prison now operates as a museum and hosts over 74,000 visitors at its annual Terror Behind the Walls haunted house. How did bank robber Willie Sutton escape the prison in 1945? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Ticker-Tape Parade Invented in New York City (1886)Before the advent of the Internet, stock quotes were printed by telegraph machines on continuous paper ribbon known as ticker tape. In 1886, New Yorkers became the first to use the tape as confetti during an impromptu celebration of the dedication of the Statue of Liberty, inventing what would come to be known as a "ticker-tape parade." Since then, ticker-tape parades have been used to greet dignitaries, honor war heroes, and fete sports teams. What materials are now used instead of ticker tape? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 James Boswell (1740)Boswell was a Scottish lawyer and author who is best known for his biography of English literary scholar and critic Samuel Johnson, a noted wit. Boswell's record of Johnson's pithy remarks earned The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D. recognition as one of the greatest biographies of Western literature. So skillful was his work that Johnson is perhaps better remembered for his sayings in the biography than for his own writings. What Boswell manuscripts were discovered in the 20th century? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Nature knows no indecencies; man invents them.Mark Twain (1835-1910) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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golden ticket— A person, thing, quality, ability, or accomplishment that provides a reliable opportunity for great financial or personal success. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Turkey Republic Day (2023)The Turkish Republic was founded by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in 1923 after the fall of the Ottoman Empire. Kemal was named the first president on October 29, a full republican constitution was adopted the following April, and all members of the Ottoman dynasty were expelled from the country. The public celebration, which lasts for two days, includes parades, music, torchlight processions, and other festivities in honor of the founding of the republic. The largest parades are held in Ankara and Istanbul. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: wormscan of worms - Based on an image of a container of maggots for use as fish bait. More... food for worms, food for fishes - A dead human being is food for worms; a drowning victim is food for fishes. More... silkworm - Is not a worm, but a caterpillar. More... wormwood - There are no worms or wood involved in wormwood, which is an alteration of the word wermod, a plant used for making vermouth, absinthe and medicine. More... | |