Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, June 9, 2021)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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panacea
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Defining Dummy PronounsDummy pronouns are words that function grammatically as pronouns, but which do not have antecedents like normal pronouns do. This means that, unlike normal pronouns, dummy pronouns do not replace a noun, phrase, or clause. They are also commonly referred to as what? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 MuskUsed as a popular perfume fixative since ancient times, musk is an odorous substance obtained from a gland of the male musk deer. Its strong odor comes from the organic compound muscone. Musklike substances are also obtained from the muskrat and the civet, and even some plants yield oils that resemble musk. Since musk deer are often killed to extract the gland, ethical concerns—as well as economic ones—have led to the production of synthetic musk. Why has this also come under scrutiny recently? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Donald Duck Debuts in The Little Wise Hen (1934)Clad in his signature sailor shirt and cap, the perennially pants-less cartoon character Donald Duck made his debut in Disney's The Wise Little Hen. His comically short temper and distinct voice quickly endeared him to audiences, and he became a regular character in Mickey Mouse cartoons. Donald remains quite popular in Scandinavia, as evidenced by the Christmas Eve tradition of watching a TV special featuring him. What Academy Award-winning 1943 cartoon showed Donald saluting Hitler? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Cole Porter (1891)Though pushed by his grandfather to pursue law, Porter studied music at Harvard and in Paris. A gifted composer and witty lyricist, he wrote a dazzling series of successful film scores and Broadway musicals from the 1920s to the 1950s, including the musicals Anything Goes and Kiss Me, Kate. His most popular songs include "Night and Day" and "Let's Do It." A 1937 accident required him to undergo more than 30 operations, but he continued composing until 1958. Why did he stop? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Victory is ever fickle.Homer (900 BC-800 BC) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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mooch off (of) (someone or something)— To ask for or obtain (something) through the charity of someone or something; to sponge off someone or something else. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 St. Columba's Day (2025)Along with St. Bridget and St. Patrick, St. Columba (c. 521-597) is a patron saint of Ireland. Although he led an exemplary life, traveling all over Ireland to set up churches, schools, and monasteries, he is chiefly remembered for his self-imposed exile to the island of Iona off the Scottish coast. He landed at Iona on the eve of Pentecost, and proceeded to found a monastery and school from which he and his disciples preached the gospel throughout Scotland. Although he had been forbidden to see his native country again, he returned several years later. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: reptilereptile, amphibian - A reptile has dry, scaly skin, while an amphibian has moist skin. More... herptile - Another word for reptile or amphibian. More... spear - The sting of a reptile or insect. More... herpetology - The branch of zoology dealing with amphibians and reptiles, based on Greek herpeton, "creeping thing." More... | |