Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, September 23, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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arbiter
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Identifying Auxiliary VerbsAuxiliary verbs are verbs that add functional meaning to other "main" verbs in a clause. Auxiliary verbs can be identified by two main criteria. What are they? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 NamasteOne of the few Sanskrit words commonly recognized by non-Hindi speakers, namaste is an Indian gesture, greeting, and parting phrase. Derived from a Sanskrit phrase literally meaning "I bow to you," namaste is universally accepted in India and Nepal by Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians. When said to another person, it is commonly accompanied by a slight bow made with the hands held together in front of the chest. What is indicated by placing one's hands entirely above the head? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Lewis and Clark Expedition Returns (1806)In May 1804, about 40 men left St. Louis, Missouri, and headed west on an expedition initiated by US President Thomas Jefferson to search out an overland route to the Pacific Ocean, make contact with indigenous peoples, and survey the new Louisiana Purchase. More than two years later, the party returned to great acclaim. Their journey had an incalculable effect on the history of the American West. Who accompanied the explorers and helped them negotiate with the Native Americans they encountered? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 John Coltrane (1926)Coltrane was an influential American jazz saxophonist and composer. He worked with numerous big bands before emerging in the 1950s as a major stylist while playing with Miles Davis. His playing exhibited a dazzling technical brilliance as well as ardent emotion. Coltrane made a number of influential recordings, among them the 1960s classics My Favorite Things and A Love Supreme. He was deeply spiritual and interested in all religions. What church made him a saint after his death? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Pyrrhus, when his friends congratulated to him his victory over the Romans under Fabricius, but with great slaughter of his own side, said to them again, "Yes; but if we have such another victory, we are undone."Francis Bacon (1561-1626) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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wash (someone's) mouth out (with soap)— To punish someone for using rude, vulgar, or obscene language by cleaning their mouth with soap (usually used merely as a threat). More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Erau Festival (2020)This Indonesian festival takes place in Tenggarong, in the province of East Kalimantan on the island of Borneo. Today the Erau Festival is celebrated for as long as a week around September 24, the anniversary of the city's founding, though many of the ceremonies performed during the festival go back much further. The festival opens with special blessing and purification ceremonies, followed by musical and dance performances, art exhibits, and more traditional Dayak ceremonies. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: scentbreath - From an Old English word meaning "scent, smell." More... flair - Comes from Latin fragrare, "smell sweet," and was first the ability to detect the "essence" or "scent" of something and know how to act accordingly. More... red herring - Something intended to be misleading or distracting, so named from the practice of using the scent of red herring in training hounds. More... relish - First meant "odor, scent," then "taste, flavor." More... | |