Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, May 26, 2021)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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symposiarch
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Collective Nouns: Singular vs. Plural UseCollective nouns usually function as singular nouns in a sentence, but they are occasionally used as plurals, too. How do we determine in which manner the collective noun should be used? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Siraitia grosvenorii: Longevity FruitWhile empirical studies have yet to show that the fruit of the Siraitia grosvenorii vine extends life, anecdotal evidence—the sheer number of centenarians living in Guangxi, China, where the plant is primarily cultivated—has led some to draw this conclusion. Used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine to treat things like heat stroke and sore throats, the fruit only recently caught the attention of Western scientists. What have studies of its medicinal properties shown thus far? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Vauxhall Bridge Opens in London (1906)Vauxhall Bridge is an arch bridge over the River Thames in central London. Despite its public garden and location, the Vauxhall area was sparsely populated before the 19th century, and a plan for a bridge there was hatched in 1809 to help develop the area. The resulting bridge was in terrible shape by the end of the century, however, and construction on a new, richly decorated, steel-and-granite replacement began in 1898. A major transport artery today, the bridge is adorned with what statues? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Al Jolson (1886)Jolson was one of the most popular entertainers in the US in the 1930s. The son of a rabbi, he had planned to be a cantor but instead became a singer and comedian. By the age of 15, he was touring in vaudeville and minstrel shows. His 1909 blackface performance of "Mammy" was a hit, and he performed on Broadway and the radio. In 1927, he starred in the first feature-length "talkie," The Jazz Singer. How do scholars differ in their analysis of Jolson's use of blackface in his performances? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 In the sun-time, when the world is bounding forward full of life, we cannot stay to sigh and sulk ... but if the misfortune comes at 10PM, we read poetry or sit in the dark and think what a hollow world this is.Jerome K. Jerome (1859-1927) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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have a mind like a sieve— To be exceptionally forgetful or absentminded. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Guyana Independence Day (2025)This public holiday marks Guyana's independence from Britain on this day in 1966. Republic Day, or Mashramani, is another national holiday, commemorating February 23, 1970, when Guyana became a republic. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: strangerextranean - An outsider or stranger, a person not belonging to a household. More... barbarian - Based on Greek barbaros, "stranger" or "enemy." More... stranger - Originally a foreigner, from Old French estrangier, from Latin extraneus, "person outside." More... pilgrim - Its basic meaning was "traveler, homeless wanderer," from Latin peregrinum, "foreigner, stranger." More... | |