Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, November 10, 2022)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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maelstrom
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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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.svg.png) Madame NhuThe sister-in-law of the unwed president of South Vietnam, Madame Nhu was the country's de facto First Lady from 1955 to 1963. A Catholic by conversion, she pushed for the passage of "morality laws" outlawing, among other things, abortion, contraceptives, dance halls, and beauty pageants. The Buddhist majority resented the leadership's imposition of Catholic values, and the family was eventually forced from power in a coup. Why was Madame Nhu nicknamed "The Dragon Lady"? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 UN Passes Resolution Equating Zionism with Racism (1975)Palestine came under British control as Zionism—a movement seeking a Jewish homeland in Palestine—and Arab nationalism threatened to tear it apart. Amid increasing violence, the UN decided to split Palestine into a Jewish state, an Arab state, and an internationally administered zone. This partition plan led to the creation of the State of Israel in 1948, a major victory for Zionists. Yet, in 1975, the UN General Assembly's Resolution 3379 equated Zionism with racism. How did Israel respond? 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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 It is an illusion that youth is happy, an illusion of those who have lost it.W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) | |
| 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: small quantityfingerfull - A pinch or small quantity. More... quantulum - A small quantity. More... dreg - A small remnant or a small quantity. More... dribs and drabs - First recorded in the 19th century; both of the words mean "small quantity or amount," making this an emphatic phrase. More... | |