Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, October 18, 2024)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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paucity
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Subordinating Conjunctions Used to Convey a ReasonWe use the subordinating conjunctions "in order that," "so that," and "so" to give a reason for an action. They are interchangeable in meaning, but differ in formality. Which one is the most formal? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Were-JaguarThe were-jaguar is one of the most prominent and enigmatic designs of the Olmec people, who flourished between 1200 BCE and 400 BCE in south-central Mexico. Seen in murals and statues, the design is characterized by a down-turned mouth, almond-shaped eyes, fleshy lips, and a cleft forehead. Though the term is derived from the Old English "were," meaning "man," and "jaguar," the predatory cat revered by the Olmec people, some scholars believe were-jaguars represent a different animal. Which one? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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.jpg){kind=small} Alaska Formally Transferred from Russia to US (1867)In 1867, Russia sold Alaska to the United States for $7,200,000. The purchase was accomplished solely through the determined efforts of US Secretary of State William H. Seward, and for many years afterward the land was derisively called "Seward's Folly" or "Seward's Icebox" because of its supposed uselessness. It was not until after the discovery of gold in the Juneau region in 1880 that Alaska was given a governor and a local administration. When did Alaska become a state? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Thomas Love Peacock (1785)Peacock was an English writer whose comic and satirical novels—which contain some of his best poems—parody the intellectual pretenses of his age. His best-known work, Nightmare Abbey, satirizes the English romantic movement and contains characters based on Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Lord Byron, and his close friend Percy Bysshe Shelley. After Shelley's death, Peacock became his literary executor. Peacock died at the age of 80 from injuries sustained while trying to save what from a fire? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Everybody who is incapable of learning has taken to teaching.Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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have (one's) heart on (one's) sleeve— To openly display or make known one's emotions or sentiments. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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.svg.png) Alaska Day (2024)Alaska Day commemorates the formal transfer of Alaska from Russia to the United States on October 18, 1867. The event, which took place at Sitka, was a sad one for the Russian colonists who had already made Alaska their home. After the transfer, Alaska was eventually organized as a territory and maintained this status until it became a state on January 3, 1959. Today, the lowering of the Russian flag and the raising of the Stars and Stripes is reenacted every year as part of this festival in Sitka. Other events include a parade and a period costume ball. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: tiedogfall - A draw or tie. More... dead heat - If two horses tied in a heat, the heat did not count and was called "dead"; now any tie can be called a dead heat. More... knit - Literally first meant "tie with or in a knot." More... moor - Meaning "tie up a boat," it was probably borrowed from German or Dutch. More... | |