Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, July 19, 2024)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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exceptionable
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Short vs. Long AdverbsIf we use more than one adverb to describe a verb, there is a general order in which the different categories of adverbs should appear. However, an adverb's length can also impact where it is placed in a sentence. Do short adverbs or long adverbs tend to be positioned first? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The GavelUsed by judges, presiding officers, and auctioneers, gavels are small ceremonial mallets often struck against a block to call for attention or punctuate rulings. Because it is often used forcefully and therefore broken, the gavel in the US House of Representatives is plain, wooden, and easily replaced. The US Senate gavel is made of solid ivory and is actually a replica. Which US Vice President splintered the original—which had been used since 1789—during a heated debate on nuclear energy? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 France Declares War on Prussia (1870)The Franco-Prussian War was the outcome of the progressive unification of German states after the Napoleonic Wars. Events came to a head when the Spanish throne was offered to a member of the Prussian Hohenzollern family, raising the possibility of a Prussian-Spanish alliance against France. The French government demanded assurances that no member of the Hohenzollern family would ever rule Spain and declared war when it was refused. What famously insulting telegram prompted France's declaration? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Charles Horace Mayo (1865)Mayo was a gifted surgeon who, with his father, brother, and several other doctors, founded the world-renowned non-profit medical center in Minnesota that would become the Mayo Clinic. In addition to seeing patients, Mayo served as the health officer of Rochester, Minnesota, for many years and also taught medical students. He originated modern procedures in neurosurgery and orthopedic surgery and reduced the death rate in goiter operations. What factor contributed to his early surgical success? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Influence, n.: In politics, a visionary quo given in exchange for a substantial quid.Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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out of humour— In an irritable, grouchy, or unhappy mood; not feeling well or in good spirits. Primarily heard in UK. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Myanmar Martyrs' Day (2025)On July 19, 1947, Aung San and six of his cabinet members, including his older brother, were assassinated during an Executive Council meeting. His political adversary, U Saw, was found guilty of participating in the assassinations and was later executed for his part in the killings. July 19 has been declared Martyr's Day, a national holiday on which the people of Myanmar remember their slain leader Aung San. On this day, the country holds a moment of silence, and a ceremony is held as family members of Aung San and the other assassinated cabinet members lay wreaths on their tombs. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: subduemortify - From Latin, meaning "kill or subdue the flesh," it originally meant "to kill," then "to destroy the vitality or vigor of," before it took on its present meaning. More... pacify - Can mean "to subdue by armed action." More... subdue - From Latin subducere, "draw from below." More... tame - Came from Indo-European dom-, "tame, subdue." More... | |