Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, July 11, 2025)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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carrel
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Using ParenthesesParentheses indicate parenthetical information—that is, any additional information that is not integral to the writing that appears outside of the parentheses. This information may comprise a fragment (a word, phrase, or clause) or one or more complete sentences. What dictates how we use parentheses in relation to other punctuation? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 WafflesWaffles are light batter cakes cooked between two gridded hot plates that give the food its distinctive, pocketed pattern. The modern waffle has its origins in the wafers—thin, crisp cakes made from a mixture of barley and oats and baked between wafer-irons—that were popular in the Middle Ages. Today, a number of waffle varieties are enjoyed throughout the world, including Belgian, Liège, and American. What are Hong Kong-style waffles? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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.jpg) Skylab Returns to Earth (1979)Five years after it was abandoned in orbit, the US space laboratory Skylab began to fall back toward Earth. The impending re-entry and breakup became an international media event, as it was unclear exactly when or where the debris would land. News organizations went so far as to offer rewards for surviving pieces of the spacecraft. The debris finally crashed to Earth in Western Australia, earning NASA a $400 fine for littering from the Shire of Esperance. When was the fine paid? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 John Quincy Adams (1767)The son of a US president, Adams accompanied his father on diplomatic missions as a child and began his own political career at 14. A talented ambassador, he became secretary of state under President James Monroe. In 1824, he defeated Andrew Jackson in the presidential race, but he was unpopular in this role and lost to Jackson in the next election. He was then elected to Congress, where he served until his death. An outspoken opponent of slavery, he defended what famous mutineers in 1841? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 He is the true enchanter, whose spell operates, not upon the senses, but upon the imagination and the heart.Washington Irving (1783-1859) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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one card shy of a (full) deck— A pejorative phrase meaning not very intelligent or of questionable mental capacity. This expression can appear in many different forms and variations (e.g., "a few sandwiches short of a picnic," "one brick short of a load.," etc.). More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Naadam (2025)This Mongolian festival, sometimes spelled Nadaam, spotlights three major sports events. Its history goes back to the 13th century; today, it is held from July 11-13 in provinces throughout the country. The fairs bring together the nomadic people, who pitch a city of yurts or gers (felt tents). Wrestling is usually the first event, the second sport is archery, and the last of the traditional sporting events is horse racing. When night falls, a bowed stringed instrument called a matouqin is played, and people sit by their yurts talking, dancing, and drinking aromatic butter tea and kumys. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: treasurehamper - A food basket for a picnic, it is a phonetic reduction of the word hanaper, "plate basket," or "repository for treasure." More... garrison - At first, it meant "store, treasure." More... treasure - Based on Greek thesauros. More... treasure trove - From French, literally meaning "found treasure." More... | |