Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, November 6, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Personal Pronouns - CaseCase is the manner by which a noun is inflected depending on its grammatical function as a subject or object in a sentence. While the English language has largely discarded its case system, personal pronouns are one area in which the case system is still active, being inflected depending on whether they function as what? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Mayday, Mayday!"Mayday" is a code word used internationally as a radio distress signal for a life-threatening emergency. It is derived from the French phrase venez m'aider, meaning "come help me." "Mayday" should be repeated three times, followed by the vessel's call sign, also repeated three times. "Mayday" and the call sign should then be stated again, followed by details about the emergency and position of the craft. What code word can be used for situations that are urgent but not life-threatening? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 First Flight of the Hawker Hurricane (1935)First tested in 1935, the Hawker Hurricane was a British single-seat fighter aircraft powered by a newly designed Rolls-Royce engine. Together with the Spitfire, the Hurricane enabled the Royal Air Force (RAF) to win the Battle of Britain of 1940, accounting for the majority of the RAF's air victories during this period. About 14,000 Hurricanes were built by the end of 1944, and the aircraft served in all the major theatres of World War II. What was the Hurricane's maximum speed? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 John Philip Sousa (1854)Known as "The March King," Sousa was an American bandmaster who composed more than 130 military marches, including "The Stars and Stripes Forever" and "Semper Fidelis"—the official march of the US Marines. In 1868, when Sousa was 13, his father enlisted him in the Marine Corps as an apprentice in the Marine Band, which he later led from 1880 until 1892, at which point he formed his own band and toured to great acclaim. In the 1890s, Sousa developed a type of bass tuba now known as what? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 The finest language is mostly made up of simple unimposing words.George Eliot (1819-1880) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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No good deed goes unpunished.— Due to the cruelty, ignorance, or selfishness of the world or others, one's good deeds or good intentions will often result in more trouble than they are worth. An ironic and sardonic twist on the more standard moral that "no good deed goes unrewarded." More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Gustavus Adolphus Day (2023)Gustavus Adolphus (1594-1632) was the king of Sweden who laid the foundations of the modern Swedish state and turned the country into a major European power. He was killed during the Thirty Years' War while leading a cavalry charge at the Battle of Lützen on November 6, 1632. The anniversary of his death is observed throughout Sweden with patriotic demonstrations—particularly in Skansen, Stockholm's outdoor museum. Enormous bonfires are built on Reindeer Mountain and processions of students carry lighted torches through the museum grounds. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: spoonruncible spoon - A three-pronged fork curved like a spoon and used as a serving utensil. More... cochleare - A spoon or spoonful of a medical prescription. More... spoon bread - Soft cornbread served with a spoon; it is also called egg bread or butter bread. More... | |