Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, November 14, 2015)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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tiffin
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Using the Present Perfect Tense with "For" and "Since"In English, we use the present perfect simple with the prepositions "for" and "since" when we speak about something that started in the past and is still true now. "For" is used to specify the duration of time leading up to the present. When is "since" used? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The MagyarsThe Magyars, a nomadic people, migrated from the Urals to the Northern Caucasus region around 460 CE. They remained there for roughly 400 years, until the advance of the Pechenegs forced them west into what is now Romania. They arrived in Hungary towards the end of the 9th century, displacing the resident Huns and Slavs. The Magyars currently comprise 92% of the Hungarian population; consequently, the words Magyar and Hungarian are used interchangeably. What is the origin of the latter term? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Apalachin Meeting (1957)The Apalachin Meeting was a summit of some 100 Mafiosi from the US, Canada, and Italy that was raided after their fancy cars and out-of-state license plates aroused the suspicions of law enforcement agents in Apalachin, New York. Fifty-eight Mafiosi, including bosses Carlo Gambino and Vito Genovese, were detained. Perhaps the most significant consequence of the raid was that it confirmed the American Mafia's existence, a fact that had long been denied by what prominent law enforcement official? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Aaron Copland (1900)Famously public-spirited and generous, Copland came to be unofficially regarded as the US's national composer. Although his earliest works show European influences, the American character of the greater part of his compositions is evident in his use of jazz and American folk tunes. He is best known for his three ballets based on American folk material: Billy the Kid, Rodeo, and Appalachian Spring, for which he won the Pulitzer Prize. For what films did Copland compose music? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Most amusements only mean trying to win another person's money.Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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fresh-faced— Of or having an appearance of health, vitality, and/or youthfulness. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Plebeian Games (2019)The Roman leader Flaminius is thought to have instituted the Plebeian Games in 220 BCE. They originally may have been held in the Circus Flaminius, which he built. Later, they may have moved to the Circus Maximus, a huge open arena between the Palatine and Aventine hills. The Games were dedicated to Jupiter, one of whose feast days was November 13, and included horse and chariot races and contests that involved running, boxing and wrestling. The first nine days of the festival (November 4-12) were devoted to theatrical performances. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: tailscomet - Has a tail, and gets its name from Greek kometes, "long-haired star." More... bangs - The practice of cutting horses' tails the same length was called "banging off," which led to this term for a woman's hairstyle. More... soup-and-fish - Refers to the attire of white tie and tails. More... tailgate - Originally a gate that dropped down at the tail of a wagon. More... | |