Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, September 8, 2021)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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promontory
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Personal Pronouns - Reflexive PronounsReflexive pronouns are used when someone or something is both the subject and the object of the same verb—i.e., when both performing and receiving the action. What are the nine reflexive pronouns? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Celebratory GunfireA common practice in places such as the Balkans, the Middle East, South Asia, Latin America, and some parts of the US, shooting a firearm into the air in celebration occurs most often on holidays such as New Year's, Christmas, and Eid. Falling bullets are responsible for damaged roofs and shattered windows. Worse, they can result in injury and even death. Why is the mortality rate among those struck by falling bullets much higher than the mortality rate normally associated with gunshot wounds? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Honda Point Disaster (1923)The Honda Point Disaster was the largest peacetime loss of US Navy ships. On the evening of September 8, 1923, 14 destroyers were engaging in simulated combat maneuvers a few miles from the northern side of the Santa Barbara Channel off the California coast. Upon reaching Honda Point, seven destroyers ran aground and were wrecked; two others suffered minor damage. In all, twenty-three sailors lost their lives. What is the "Devil's Jaw," and how did it factor into the incident? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Peter Sellers (1925)Sellers was a British actor who earned international stardom playing a wide range of characters at a time when rigid typecasting was the norm. The son of vaudeville performers, he began appearing with his parents as a boy. He started making films in the 1950s and later gained enormous popularity as the bumbling Inspector Clouseau in the Pink Panther series. In Dr. Strangelove, he plays three characters, including the titular role. What fourth character was he initially supposed to play? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 It is worth a lot of bother to be able to think properly.L. Frank Baum (1856-1919) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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have a hankering for (something)— To have a very strong, persistent desire or craving for something. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Andorra National Day (2023)The Principality of Andorra, located in the Pyrénées Mountains between France and Spain, was founded by the Emperor Charlemagne. The people of Andorra celebrate their National Day by honoring Jungfrau von Meritxell, their patron saint. Pilgrims climb to her hilltop sanctuary near the villages of Encamp and Canillo, where her statue was found by a shepherd under an almond tree blooming out of season. The pilgrims stop to refresh themselves with drinks that have been cooled in the nearby springs, and after the sermon they celebrate by dancing and eating lamb grilled on slabs of slate. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: monkeysmacaque - Based on Bantu kaku, "monkey," and ma, denoting a plural, translating to "some monkeys." More... monkey business - A transfer of the tricks of monkeys to human behavior. More... barrel of monkeys - Monkeys are usually a source of merriment, so if one had a barrelful of them, one supposes this to be quite hilarious; a group of monkeys is actually called a troop. More... see monkeys - To be overcome by the heat while working. More... | |