Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, March 7, 2021)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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coruscate
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Defining Light VerbsLight verbs are verbs that do not carry unique meaning on their own, but instead rely on another word or words that follow them to become meaningful. What are light verbs also known as? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Astro BoyCreated in the early 1950s by Osamu Tezuka—a Japanese artist revered by fans as the "God of Manga"—Astro Boy was an influential and successful comic book series. In 1963, it was adapted into a television program considered to have been one of the first expressions of the style now known as anime. The series follows the adventures of a powerful robot that was designed to resemble a real boy. What iconic American animator did Tezuka meet at the New York World’s Fair in 1964? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc. (1994)Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc. was a landmark US Supreme Court case on intellectual property in which the court reviewed whether a parody of Roy Orbison's song, "Oh, Pretty Woman," by a rap group violated the Copyright Act of 1976. The court of appeals held that the parody did not constitute fair use, but the Supreme Court disagreed, holding that the commercial character of the song did not create a presumption that the parody violated fair use. What rap group recorded the parody? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Anna Magnani (1908)An illegitimate child abandoned by her parents and raised by her grandparents in a Roman slum, Magnani overcame incredible odds to become an internationally acclaimed, Academy Award-winning actress. She began her performing career singing bawdy street songs in the nightclubs of Rome, but before long she was starring on the stage and screen, earning recognition for her dynamic and forceful portrayals of earthy, lower-class women. A believer in the supernatural, Magnani claimed to have what power? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Fortune cannot aid those who do nothing.Sophocles (496 BC-406 BC) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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I shudder to think— It is too worrying or unpleasant for me to think about something that might happen or might have happened. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Burbank Day (2024)The birthday of naturalist and plant breeder Luther Burbank (1849-1926) is observed in California in much the same way Arbor Day is observed in other states—that is, with activities promoting the value of natural resources and the protection of trees and birds. Burbank moved from his native Massachusetts to Santa Rosa, California, in 1875 and spent the rest of his life there experimenting with new varieties of fruits, flowers, and vegetables. On March 7, a birthday and Arbor Day celebration is held at the Luther Burbank Home and Gardens. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: countryemancipate - Means "to free from legal, political, social control or restraint by others," and "to free from bondage." The word's Latin elements are manus, "hand," and capere, "to take," and first meant "to release or set free." More... assassin - Thought by some to derive from an Arabic word meaning "hashish user," as members of an Islamic sect in various countries during the time of the Crusades (13th century) ate hashish to intoxicate themselves before setting out to assasinate enemy leaders. More... patriot - Greek pater, "father," led to Latin patriota, "fellow countryman," which was the original meaning of patriot when it came into English in the late 1500s. More... country, nation - Both came into English c. 1330 and tend to be used interchangeably. Country comes from Latin contrata (terra), "the landscape in front of one, the landscape lying opposite to the view." Nation is from Latin nation-/natio, "race, class of person." More... | |