Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, January 24, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Prepositional verbs vs. phrasal verbsSometimes, a prepositional verb may be mistaken for a phrasal verb. Although both combinations appear to be very similar, you can differentiate them by examining their meaning. Prepositional verbs use the literal meanings of verbs. What about phrasal verbs? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Rust BeltThe Rust Belt is an economic region in the northeast quadrant of the US, including the states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. The term gained wide use in the 1970s, as the once dominant industrial region became noted for the abandonment of factories and unemployment. Although some Rust Belt cities have improved after the expansion of non-manufacturing industries, others have been unable to do so. What US city has lost more than half of its population in recent decades? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 California Gold Rush Begins (1848)In 1848, the same year California became a part of the US, another major event in the state's history occurred. While establishing a sawmill for John Sutter, James W. Marshall discovered gold and touched off the California gold rush. The gold-rush miners, known as forty-niners, came in droves, spurred by the promise of fabulous riches from the so-called Mother Lode, and San Francisco became a boom town. Why was Sutter disappointed when he discovered that gold had been found on his property? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 John Belushi (1949)Belushi was an American comedian, actor, and musician. He started out with the Second City comedy troop in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois, in 1971, achieved national recognition in National Lampoon's Lemmings in 1973, and joined Saturday Night Live as an original cast member in 1975. He also starred in several films, including Animal House and The Blues Brothers, before dying of a drug overdose in 1982. Who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for his death? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 There is a God in Heaven who will not forget to punish the wicked or reward the good; and it is not fitting that honest men should be the instruments of punishment to others, they being therein no way concerned.Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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be a loud mouth— To have a tendency or habit of speaking incessantly, indiscreetly, and/or in a noisy, boastful manner. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Alasitas Fair (2021)Each year on this day, a large marketplace in La Paz, Bolivia, is full of merchants who traditionally call out "Alasitas," an Aymara word meaning "buy from me," to potential buyers of their miniature wares. Shoppers can find tiny replicas of just about every kind of object—cars, houses, foods, furniture, clothes, tools, household goods, and, especially, money—and seek those which represent items they would like to have in the coming year. Presiding over all this downsized commerce is Ekeko, an Aymara god of material wealth, fertility, and good luck. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: perfumesilence - Lack of flavor in a distilled spirit or lack of scent in a flower, perfume, or spice is a "silence." More... perfume, eau de toilette, cologne, eau de cologne - Perfume or parfum is 20–40% oil and the highest concentration; eau de toilette is 10–18% oil, and cologne or eau de cologne is 3–9% oil. More... attar - A flower's essence, used for perfume. More... toilet water, eau de toilette - Eau de toilette, or toilet water, is a dilute form of perfume. More... | |