Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, July 23, 2021)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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contrivance
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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VerbsVerbs are used to indicate the actions, processes, conditions, or states of beings of people or things. Verbs constitute the root of the predicate. What is the difference between transitive and intransitive verbs? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Ha-HaIn garden design, a ha-ha is a trench that forms a physical barrier, usually to keep out livestock, without interrupting the view or aesthetics of the garden. Before the advent of mechanical lawnmowers, the ha-ha—also called a sunk fence—ensured that grazing sheep trimmed outside grasses without destroying the lawn. In 2005, the Washington Monument was surrounded by a ha-ha for security purposes. How, according to English writer Horace Walpole, did the ha-ha supposedly get its name? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Prince Andrew, Duke of York, Marries Sarah Ferguson (1986)Prince Andrew is the third child and second son of Queen Elizabeth II. He has held the title of Duke of York since his marriage to Sarah Ferguson in 1986. Initially, the Duke and Duchess, who had known each other since childhood, appeared to have a happy marriage, but problems soon surfaced—along with tabloid pictures showing the Duchess cavorting with her financial advisor. They were officially divorced in 1996. Where does Prince Andrew sit in the line of succession to the British throne? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 John Babcock (1900)Prior to his death in 2010, at age 109, Babcock was Canada's last known surviving veteran of World War I. He joined the army at 15 by lying about his age. When he was discovered to be too young for combat, he was given labor jobs and was later transferred to England, where he continued his training in the Young Soldiers Battalion. Because he never actually fought on the front lines, he was uncomfortable with his fame as a veteran. At what age did Babcock finally earn his high school diploma? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Treachery and violence are spears pointed at both ends; they wound those who resort to them worse than their enemies.Emily Bronte (1818-1848) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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wear two hats— To hold or function in more than one position or role. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Warei Taisai (2022)This Japanese festival is held in Uwajimay in late July. Hundreds of ships dock in the harbor, all decorated with flags. In town, there is the parade of the Ushioni, a creature that looks like a combination of a whale and a dragon that is carried through the streets by 15 to 20 young people. Another festival highlight is the Hashiri-komi ceremony, a procession of young people carrying portable shrines called mikoshi into the sea while rockets explode all around them. The Warei Tasai festival dates back to the 18th century and is the highlight of the summer festival season in Ehime Prefecture. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: puzzlerebus - A puzzle in which one must decode a message consisting of pictures representing syllables and words. More... puzzle - Comes from Old French opposaile, "thing set before one," "bewildering thing"; as a verb, it first meant "be beset by difficulties." More... cabobble - To mystify, puzzle, or confuse. More... word search - A puzzle consisting of letters arranged in a grid which contains a number of hidden words written in various directions. More... | |