Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, November 10, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Using "Can Do"In response to a request or an instruction, it is common (especially in American English) to use the idiomatic phrase "can do." This usually stands on its own as a minor sentence. We can also make "can do" negative, by doing what to it? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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| This Day in History | |
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 Hope Diamond Donated to the Smithsonian Institution (1958)The Hope diamond is one of the largest blue diamonds known. Discovered in India, the original 115-carat stone was sold to King Louis XIV in the 1660s and remained part of the French crown jewels until a theft in 1792. In 1830, London banker Thomas Hope purchased a 45.5-carat diamond, now believed to have been cut from the stolen French jewel. After changing hands many times, the Hope diamond was eventually donated to the Smithsonian by jeweler Harry Winston. Why do some think the gem is cursed? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Richard Burton (1925)Richard Jenkins, better known by his stage name Richard Burton, was a dark, introspective actor who specialized in portraying conflicted men. His tempestuous marriage to Elizabeth Taylor led to an acting partnership that vaulted Burton to the top rank of stardom. Together they made 11 films, including Cleopatra and The Taming of the Shrew. Burton and Taylor were married twice, and their real-life marriage was popularly likened to the fictional marriage they portrayed in what film? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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| Idiom of the Day | |
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(with) kind regards— A common, semi-formal valediction (used to say farewell at the end of a letter or other written message; also known as a complimentary close) expressing well wishes to the recipient. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Martinsfest (2024)Martin's Festival in Germany honors both St. Martin of Tours and Martin Luther (1483-1546), the German theologian and leader of the Protestant Reformation. In Düsseldorf, a man dressed as St. Martin rides through the streets followed by hundreds of children. Many carry lanterns made from hollowed-out pumpkins. In Erfurt, where Martin Luther attended the university, there is a procession of children carrying lanterns. With their lanterns, the children form the "Luther rose," or the escutcheon of Martin Luther. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: tableswaitron - A person, male or female, who waits on tables at a restaurant. More... backgammon - Appears to literally mean "back game," and was first called tables; gammon is the ancestor of game. More... busboy - A person who clears the dirty dishes from diners' tables, so called from his "bus" or trolley. More... turn the tables - May come from backgammon, as the game itself was once called tables, and the two halves of the playing board are still called tables. More... | |