Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, October 27, 2024)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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polarity
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Defining the SemicolonSemicolons ( ; ) are used for two main purposes: to separate lengthy or complex items within a list and to connect independent clauses. They are often described as being more powerful than commas, while not quite as a strong as what mark of punctuation? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Trout TicklingTrout tickling is the practice of rubbing the underbelly of a trout in order to put it in a trance-like state that makes it easier to catch by hand. Commonly used in times of economic stress, especially during the 1930s depression era, the technique has been featured in works of literature throughout history—including writings by 3rd century Greek writer Aelian, Shakespeare, and Mark Twain, who described catching catfish in a similar way. In what country is the practice essentially outlawed? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Italian Public Administrator Enrico Mattei Dies in Plane Crash (1962)After World War II, Mattei was given the task of dismantling the Italian Petroleum Agency, a Fascist state enterprise. Instead, Mattei enlarged and reorganized it into the Ente Nazionale Idrocarburi (ENI), or National Fuel Trust. Under his direction, ENI developed large deposits of natural gas in Italy and negotiated important oil concessions in the Middle East. Mattei became a powerful figure in Italy before he died in a plane crash in 1962. What conspiracy theories exist about his death? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Sylvia Plath (1932)American poet Sylvia Plath excelled as a writer from an early age and published her first poem at eight. She attempted suicide while in college but underwent electroshock treatment and seemingly recovered from her breakdown. In 1956, she wed poet Ted Hughes, whom she met while attending Cambridge on a Fulbright grant. Shortly after they separated in 1962, Plath committed suicide. Her literary reputation grew rapidly after her death, and she became the first poet to win what prize posthumously? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 There are strings … in the human heart that had better not be vibrated.Charles Dickens (1812-1870) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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in fee— law (specifically of land) In absolute legal ownership or subjection. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 St. Vincent and the Grenadines Independence and Thanksgiving Day (2024)A group of islands in the West Indies, St. Vincent and the Grenadines gained independence from Britain on October 27, 1979, and its citizens celebrate their freedom with this national holiday. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: quietcoy, quiet - Coy and quiet derive from Latin quietus, "at rest, in repose," with coy coming from the Old French form coi (earlier quei), and quiet coming straight from Latin; the original sense of coy was "quiet, still." More... conticent - If something is hushed or quiet, it is conticent. More... q.t. - An abbreviation for "quiet," as in, on the q.t. (or QT). More... wildtrack, room tone - The wildtrack or room tone consists of the barely audible noises that make up a background sense of quiet. More... | |