Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, February 10, 2021)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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contrarious
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Postpositive AdjectivesWhile attributive adjectives are generally found before the noun they modify, especially in simple sentences, there are also many cases in which they are placed immediately after the noun ("postpositively"). Attributive adjectives almost always appear postpositively when they modify what kind of pronoun? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 GrimoiresA grimoire is an instruction manual for performing magic. Such books have been written by members of various cultures throughout history, and copies of prominent, ancient grimoires are still in circulation. Frequently, grimoires are attributed to earlier or more notable authors than likely wrote them. Famous grimoires include the Key of Solomon, the Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses, and the fictional Necronomicon, which was created as a plot device by what horror author? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Lord Darnley, Second Husband of Mary Queen of Scots, Found Murdered (1567)Though Darnley's murder remains an unsolved mystery, one certainty is that at the time of his death, he was not well-liked. In line for the English throne, he infuriated Queen Elizabeth by marrying Mary Queen of Scots. He then alienated Mary by accusing her of infidelity and stabbing her secretary to death in front of her. Mary distanced herself from him, and shortly thereafter, his house exploded. He was found dead—but not from the blast. How was he killed, and who is suspected of his murder? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Bertolt Brecht (1898)Brecht was a German playwright and poet whose brilliant wit and revolutionary theatrical experiments made him a vital and controversial force in modern drama. In 1928, he displayed his hostility toward capitalism as well as his bittersweet compassion for humanity in The Threepenny Opera. With the rise of the Nazis in 1933, he went into exile, first in Scandinavia and then in the US. One of Brecht's most important theories was the concept of Verfremdungseffekt, which means what? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future.John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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make a run for (someone or something)— To run suddenly and at great speed toward someone or something. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Feast of St. Paul's Shipwreck (2025)This feast is a commemoration in Malta of the shipwreck of St. Paul on the island in 60 CE, an event told about in the New Testament. When storms drove the ship aground, Paul was welcomed by the "barbarous people" (meaning they were not Greco-Romans). According to legend, he got their attention when a snake bit him on the hand but did him no harm, and he then healed people of diseases. Paul is the patron saint of Malta and snakebite victims. The day is a public holiday, and is observed with family gatherings and religious ceremonies and processions. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: orchestrawind band - A band of wind instruments or a collective term for the wind instruments of an orchestra. More... first chair - The premier musician playing a particular instrument in an orchestra—seated closest to the audience, taking the lead for that instrument's movements, and playing any solos. More... first violin - Leads the orchestra and plays notes in a higher range than second violins; parts for the first violin usually have more of the main tune and are technically more difficult to play. More... orchestra - The earliest senses of orchestra were "the semicircular area for the chorus to dance in an ancient Greek theatre" and the art of dancing itself (from Greek orkheisthai, "to dance"). More... | |