Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, September 24, 2022)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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polyglot
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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ParticiplesParticiples are words formed from verbs that can function as adjectives or gerunds or can be used to form the continuous tenses and the perfect tenses of verbs. There are two participle forms—what are they? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Ben and Jerry'sIn 1978, childhood friends Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield invested $12,000 to launch their ice cream company in a renovated gas station. The Vermont-based company drew national publicity when it filed a lawsuit to protest the blocking of its distribution by a rival ice cream company and went on to become famous for its creative flavor names, like Cherry Garcia and Phish Food, and socially conscious approach. Why are Ben and Jerry's ice creams typically chock-full of chunky add-ins? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Secret Executive Order Allegedly Establishes Majestic 12 (1947)Majestic 12 is the purported code name of a secret committee of scientists, military leaders, and government officials supposedly formed in 1947 by an executive order of US President Harry S. Truman. A major part of alien conspiracy theories, the committee was purportedly formed to investigate the aftermath of the Roswell incident—the alleged crash of an unidentified flying object near Roswell, New Mexico. What documents have lent credence to the existence of such a committee? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Johan de Witt (1625)De Witt was a Dutch statesman who played a vital role in the three successive Dutch Wars. He helped end the first in 1654, but the English Restoration was considered a threat to Dutch interests and the conflict was renewed in 1665. He was largely responsible for securing for the Dutch the favorable terms of the treaty that ended the second of the wars and helped form the Triple Alliance against Louis XIV, who nevertheless invaded Holland in 1672. Why was de Witt lynched shortly thereafter? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 The paradox of courage is that a man must be a little careless of his life even in order to keep it.Gilbert Chesterton (1874-1936) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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have it easy— To have or be in a particularly comfortable or relaxed position, such that makes for an easier life. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Festa de la Mercè (2023)Nearly 400 events celebrate the patron saint of Barcelona, La Madonna de la Mercè, each year for a few days including September 24. In years past, the Madonna's feast was observed with religious processions, but these days the processions are augmented by the city's liveliest party of the year with fireworks, street art, live music and dancing, acrobats forming human towers, and sporting events. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: shouthue and cry - Somewhat redundant, as hue means "shout, make an outcry"; hue and cry was a medieval law requiring that all citizens within earshot give chase to a fleeing criminal. More... jubilate - From a Latin word meaning "shout for joy." More... slogan - From Scottish-Gaelic slaugh, "army," and gairm, "shout"—since the first slogans were actually battle cries. More... claim - The etymological notion behind claim is "calling out," from Latin clamare, "cry out, shout." More... | |