Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, March 23, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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thaumaturge
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Using ParenthesesParentheses indicate parenthetical information—that is, any additional information that is not integral to the writing that appears outside of the parentheses. This information may comprise a fragment (a word, phrase, or clause) or one or more complete sentences. What dictates how we use parentheses in relation to other punctuation? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Witch BallsA witch ball is a hollow sphere of plain or stained glass that was originally hung in windows to ward off evil spirits, witch's spells, or ill fortune. According to folk tales, the bright colors of witch balls, traditionally green or blue, would entice evil spirits, and strands inside the ball would capture them and prevent them from escaping. The colorful spheres eventually became popular simply as decorative objects. What modern decorations may have been inspired by witch balls? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Russia's Czar Paul I Assassinated (1801)After his mother, Catherine the Great, suffered a stroke, Paul I ascended to the throne. The new czar instituted a number of reforms that angered the nobility and provoked a conspiracy against him. On the night of his murder, Paul was confronted in his bedroom and pressured to sign his abdication. When he refused, the assassins struck him with a sword, strangled him, and trampled him to death. Though he did not participate in the attack, his successor knew about the plot. Who was he? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Wernher von Braun (1912)Devoted to the pursuit of rocketry and spaceflight since his teenage years, German rocket scientist Wernher von Braun was responsible for the successful development of the German V-2 rocket, thousands of which were launched against London and Antwerp during World War II's final year. Nevertheless, at the close of the war, von Braun was brought to the US and soon became a prime figure in the cold war arms race and later in the space program. What notable American projects did he work on? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Wine is a turncoat; first a friend and then an enemy.Henry Fielding (1707-1754) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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dark days— Times of extreme misfortune or difficulty. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Pakistan Day (2023)This national holiday is also known as Republic Day, and it is the anniversary of a 1940 resolution calling for a Muslim country for Muslim Indians. On the same day in 1956, Pakistan became an Islamic republic within the British Commonwealth. Pakistan Day is celebrated with parades and fairs. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: vigorvim, vigor - Vim is the same as vigor. More... bouncing - In bouncing baby, it means "vigorous." More... feckful - Means "efficient, vigorous," or "powerful." More... macho, machismo - Macho is from Mexican Spanish, meaning "male animal or plant" or "masculine, vigorous"—from Latin masculus, "male"; machismo (pronounced mah-CHEEZ-mo) is based on macho. More... | |