Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, February 8, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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veracious
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Prepositive AdjectivesIn simple sentences, attributive adjectives usually occur before the noun they modify, as "black" does in the example, "The black dog is barking." What are "prepositive adjectives"? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The House of EsterházyThe House of Esterházy was a Hungarian noble family that rose to prominence in the Middle Ages and had, by the 18th century, acquired the most land of any family in the Habsburg Empire and accumulated more wealth than the emperor himself. Esterházys held important governmental, ecclesiastical, diplomatic, and military posts in Hungary well into the 20th century. One of the most generous art patrons of all time, Nikolaus Joseph Esterházy built Esterházy palace and supported what famous composer? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The "Devil's Footprints" Appear in Devon, England (1855)In February 1855, the Devil, perhaps consumed with wanderlust, apparently took a 40- to 100-mile stroll across Devon, England. His outing might have passed unnoticed, except that it was snowing heavily at the time. When residents awoke, they were dismayed to find unusual cloven hoofprints all over the place—not just on the ground but also on obstacles like walls and even roofs. Of course, it is possible that something other than the Prince of Darkness made these tracks. What are some theories? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Jules Gabriel Verne (1828)Verne was a French novelist credited with originating the modern genre of science fiction. Early on, he was interested in theater and wrote librettos for operas. Later, he drew upon his knowledge of science and geography to write romances of extraordinary journeys, which quickly became very popular. He wrote more than 50 books in his lifetime, including A Journey to the Center of the Earth and Around the World in Eighty Days. One of his books explores a five-week journey by what? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 A moral being is one who is capable of reflecting on his past actions and their motives—of approving of some and disapproving of others.Charles Darwin (1809-1882) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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make a hole in (something)— To take, use up, or deplete a large amount of money available in something, such as a budget, one's wallet, etc. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Yaya Matsuri (2025)The Yaya Matsuri, held in Owase, Japan, during the first five days in February, features mikoshi (portable shrines) carried through the streets by groups of young men who meet and deliberately crash into each other. The festival takes its name from their shouts—"Yaya! Yaya!"—as they run into one another. Several special events, including dances, are held during the five-day festival. On the last night, there is a ceremony at the Owase Shrine to determine who will participate in the festival the next year. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: reflectionepiphonema - An exclamatory sentence or reflection summing up a discourse. More... rainbow - Comes from Old Norse regnbogi (becoming Old English renboga, ren, "rain," and boga, "bend, bow") and is a bow or arch of the colors of the prism that is formed in the sky opposite to the sun by the reflection, double refraction, and dispersion of the sun's rays in falling drops of rain. More... sheet lightning - Appears as a broad sheetlike illumination of parts of a thundercloud, caused by the reflection of a lightning flash. More... | |