Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, August 31, 2015)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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avidity
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Commonly Paired Adjectives and PrepositionsThere are no definite rules when it comes to combining adjectives with prepositions. What is the best way to learn correct adjective and preposition combinations? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Arlo GuthrieArlo Guthrie, American folk singer and son of Woody Guthrie, is perhaps best known for his talking blues song “Alice's Restaurant.” The song's original recording lasts 18 minutes and 20 seconds, though Arlo has been know to lengthen the song to 45 minutes in concert. Based on an actual incident, the song was a scathing indictment of the Vietnam War draft. Arlo also appeared at the 1969 Woodstock Festival in Bethel, New York. What movie launched his acting career? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Thomas Edison Patents Kinetoscope in the US (1897)Developed by Edison's assistant, W.K.L. Dickson, the kinetoscope was a precursor to the modern motion-picture projector. It works through a phenomenon known as "persistence of vision," in which a sequence of images creates the illusion of motion. Initially, Edison hoped to synchronize the images with sound, but he was unable to achieve this. The kinetoscope was designed to be viewed by one person at a time. Why did Edison supposedly balk at the idea of projecting films before larger audiences? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Commodus (161 CE)The son of Marcus Aurelius, Commodus was a Roman emperor who ruled from 180 to 192 CE—a period some historians consider the beginning of the empire's decline. Though his reign was fairly peaceful, Commodus was a tyrant who spent lavishly on gladiatorial combats, persecuted the Senate, and tried to rename Rome after himself. He fancied himself a gladiator, frequently killing exotic animals. His mistress and advisors had him strangled. He considered himself the reincarnation of what mythical hero? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 How is it possible to expect that mankind will take advice when they will not so much as take warning.Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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be (someone's) huckleberry— dated To be well or perfectly suited to someone's job, need, or purpose. Primarily heard in US. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Onam (2020)Onam is a harvest festival and a celebration of ancient King Mahabali in the state of Kerala in India. It is Kerala's biggest festival, lasting 10 days and featuring dancing, feasting, and displays of elaborately designed carpets of flowers. It's famous for the races of the so-called snake boats held at Champakulam, Aranmulai, and Kottayam. King Mahabali, who was sent into exile in the nether world when gods grew jealous of him, is allowed to return to his people once a year; the boat races, cleaned homes, carpets of flowers, clapping dances by girls, and other events are the welcome for him. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: triviafactlet - A piece of trivia. More... inconsequentia - Trifling facts or trivia. More... nugae - Trifles or trivia. More... trivia - Derives from Latin tri, "three" and via, "ways." In Roman times, at the intersection of any three streets were kiosks where information was posted for travelers, but which was totally ignored by the citizens—a possible source of its modern meaning; trivia is actually plural and should take "these" instead of "this" (etc.). More... | |