Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, January 19, 2023)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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rigmarole
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Using the Present PerfectThe present perfect tells us about something that occurred at some indefinite period in the past. However, if something happened at a specific point in time in the past ("last night," "two years ago," "yesterday," etc.), then we must use what tense? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Woody GuthrieGuthrie was an American folk musician best known for the song "This Land Is Your Land." During the Great Depression of the 1930s, he lived a hobo's life, traveling with his guitar and harmonica. Guthrie wrote or adapted more than 1,000 songs, often performing them at protest rallies, and became a successful radio personality and a hero to protest singers like Bob Dylan and Joan Baez. After his death, his daughter approached what singer to record songs with lyrics that Guthrie had written? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Apple Lisa Launched (1983)In 1983, after five years of development, Apple released the Lisa, the first personal computer with a graphical user interface. Although the Lisa was a commercial failure—due in part to its initial price tag of $9,995—it had a significant impact on the computer industry. It is often rumored to have been named after the first daughter of Apple's Steve Jobs, though several acronyms have been ascribed to the name. What project did Jobs join after being forced out of the Lisa project? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 James Watt (1736)A largely self-taught Scottish engineer and inventor, Watt greatly impacted the Industrial Revolution with his development of the Watt engine. Asked to repair a model of Thomas Newcomen's steam engine, he instead made improvements to it that resulted in a new type of engine. One such design enhancement, the separate condenser, radically improved the power, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness of steam engines. The watt, a unit of power, is named for him. What other unit of power did he develop? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 A short saying oft contains much wisdom.Sophocles (496 BC-406 BC) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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lose (one's) spirit— To lose one's vigor, energy, hope, or resolve; to become resigned or complacent. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Timqat (2025)Because the Ethiopian Christmas, Ganna, falls on January 7, Epiphany (Timqat) is celebrated on January 19. It celebrates the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River. It begins at sunset on Epiphany Eve, when people dress in white and go to their local church. From there, they form a procession with the tabot, or holy ark, in which the ancient Israelites put the Tablets of the Law, or Torah. They accompany it to a lake, stream, or pond. It is placed in a tent, where it is guarded all night while the clergy and villagers sing, dance, and eat until the baptismal service the following morning. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: reputationroorback - A false report made to damage the reputation of a political candidate. More... character, reputation - Character is what one is; reputation is what one is thought to be by others. More... denigrate - From Latin de- and nigare, "blacken," it first meant "make black or dark in color," and came to mean "blacken the reputation of." More... | |