Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, October 21, 2015)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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cat's-paw
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Relative Pronouns and Relative ClausesA relative pronoun is a type of pronoun used to connect a relative clause to the main clause in a sentence. What two purposes do relative clauses serve in a sentence? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Queen TamarQueen Tamar ruled the Kingdom of Georgia from 1184 to 1213, ascending to the throne after her father's death. Her outstanding success as a ruler during Georgia's "golden age" earned her the nickname "King of Kings and Queen of Queens." Tamar led the Georgian army in a number of military victories, and, in the early 13th century, Georgia annexed the Armenian capitals of Ani and Dvin. Tamar also suppressed a number of rebellions during her reign. Where is she buried? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Siad Barre Leads Coup to Become President of Somalia (1969)Following the assassination of Somalia's president in 1969, a military coup installed Major General Mohamed Siad Barre as leader. His dictatorial administration was marked by human rights abuses and civil strife. Though he sought to end pervasive clan loyalties, warfare among rival factions intensified. In 1991, he was ousted. The country plunged into a civil war and has had no effective central government since. How did Siad Barre's regime terrorize the Majeerteen clan in particular? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (1917)Considered one of the main innovators of bebop along with Charlie Parker, Gillespie was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. His virtuosity and comic wit—in addition to his trademark puffed cheeks and 45-degree upturned trumpet bell—made him one of the most charismatic and influential musicians in jazz. Gillespie was once struck by a car while riding his bicycle. Though he was injured only slightly, a jury awarded him $1,000 because he could no longer do what? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 The value of old age depends upon the person who reaches it. To some men of early performance it is useless. To others, who are late to develop, it just enables them to finish the job.Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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in (someone's) view— In someone's opinion. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Festival of the Black Christ (2020)One legend associated with the observance of this festival in Portobelo, Panama, says that during a cholera epidemic on the Isthmus, the people discovered a statue of a black Christ and brought it into the church. Within a few days, the cholera had completely disappeared from Portobelo, even though it continued to rage elsewhere. The people of Portobelo honor El Jesús Nazarene by carrying the statue in procession on a decorated platform through the city. Pilgrims come from all over Panama, as they have for more than 300 years, to celebrate with folk dancing, music, and songs. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: metaphortrope - A figurative or metaphorical use of a word or phrase. More... ingrain, ingrained - Ingrain literally means "work into the grain" (originally, of fabric), and ingrained is metaphorically "deep-seated." More... farce - First meant forcemeat stuffing and came to be used metaphorically when a humorous play was "stuffed" in between two more serious acts of the main theatrical presentation—or for interludes of impromptu buffoonery in a dramatic presentation. More... relieve - Metaphorically, to "alleviate, lighten," from Latin relevare, "raise again." More... | |