Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, August 13, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Absolute PhrasesAn absolute phrase (also known as an absolute construction) is a grammatically independent group of words that serves to modify an entire sentence. Because an absolute phrase is not an integral part of the sentence, how is it always set apart? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Diyu: The Realm of the DeadElements from Taoism, Buddhism, and traditional Chinese folk religion are all incorporated in the Chinese concept of Diyu, a mythological realm of the dead. A purgatory of sorts, Diyu is a maze of underground levels and chambers where souls atone for their earthly sins and prepare for reincarnation. According to some legends, Diyu has 18 levels, each of which is reserved for specific categories of offenders. What are some of the punishments found in each level? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Michael Servetus Arrested as a Heretic (1553)Servetus, a Spanish physician who was the first to accurately describe cardiopulmonary circulation, is perhaps best remembered for his theological writings, which ultimately led to his execution. His religious views, particularly his denial of the Trinity, alienated Roman Catholics and Protestants alike and led to his arrest and imprisonment in 1553. He escaped but was soon rearrested, convicted of heresy, and burned at the stake. What modern Christian sects consider him a spiritual ancestor? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Frederick Sanger (1918)After earning his PhD at Cambridge University in 1943, British biochemist Frederick Sanger decided to continue conducting his research at his alma mater. He remained there for the entirety of his four-decade career, making discoveries about the structure of proteins, particularly insulin, as well as DNA sequencing that would earn him not one but two Nobel prizes. He was only the fourth person in history to have earned this distinction. Who are the other three two-time Nobel laureates? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 How does one kill fear, I wonder? How do you shoot a specter through the heart, slash off its spectral head, take it by its spectral throat?Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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hand-to-mouth— Having, providing, or characterized by the bare minimum of money, food, or resources to survive, with little or nothing else to spare. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Nemoralia (2023)The Nemoralia was an ancient Roman festival in honor of the goddess Diana held at Nemi, in the territory of Aricia about 16 miles southeast of Rome. Diana was worshipped throughout Rome and Latium (now western Italy) on August 13, the day on which her temple on the Aventine Hill had been dedicated by Servius Tullius. But her most famous cult was in Aricia, where the Nemoralia was observed to protect the vines and the fruit trees. It is still common in some parts of the Orthodox Christian Church for worshippers to make offerings of new wheat and cakes to the Theotokos on that day. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: toesgronk, cheese, toe-jam - The stuff between your toes. More... pantaraxia - Any actions aimed at keeping people on their toes. More... plantar pad, digital pads - The plantar pad is the larger pad of a cat's foot; the digital pads are on the toes. More... | |