Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, July 22, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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convalesce
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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[sic]When a quotation contains a mistake, such as a spelling mistake or grammatical error, but we wish to preserve the quotation exactly as it was written, we can mark it with the word "sic" (Latin for "thus" or "so") in brackets to let the reader know that the error was not our own. When should this generally be used? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Tank DesantUsed by the Soviet Red Army in WWII, tank desant is a military tactic in which foot soldiers ride into battle on top of a tank and then dismount when in close range of the enemy. This helped accelerate the deployment of troops into battle. Before advances in mechanized warfare rendered this tactic obsolete, some tanks were even built with handholds for the soldiers. Despite the fact that this practice left troops dangerously exposed, some felt it was safer than riding inside the tanks. Why? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Pablo Escobar Escapes from His Luxury Prison (1992)By 1989, Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar was one of the world's richest men. At the height of his success, his Medellín cartel controlled 80% of the global cocaine market. Even after he was incarcerated, he continued to conduct business from the resort-like Colombian prison that had been built to his specifications. In 1992, in an effort to avoid extradition to the US, Escobar escaped. He was killed by police 16 months later. His intimidation tactic of plata o plomo translates to what? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Edward Hopper (1882)Hopper was an American painter who supported himself as a commercial illustrator until he gained recognition in the mid-1920s with his now-iconic scenes of American life. His dramatically lit works often feature still, anonymous figures inside geometric buildings and evoke a haunting sense of isolation that was his hallmark. His famous Nighthawks depicts a mostly empty, brightly lit diner on an otherwise dark, desolate street at night. What was said to be Hopper's favorite thing to paint? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 God is for men and religion is for women.Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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out there— (hyphenated if used before a noun) Somewhat unusual, unconventional, crazy, or eccentric. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Fasinada (2025)Fasinada is a commemoration of the tiny island of Gospa od Skrpjela (Our Lady of the Chisels) off Montenegro. The island, according to the story, was once nothing more than a rock; sailors dumped stones there until an island was formed, and in the 17th century a church was built on the pile of rocks. The festival includes a procession to the island of boats decorated with garlands of flowers and loaded with rocks. The rocks are piled up to reinforce the shores of the island, and then the participants enjoy folk dancing and country sports and games. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: wickedfacinorous - Extremely wicked. More... flagitious - Criminally wicked. More... scelestious, scelestic - Other terms for wicked are scelestious and scelestic. More... wicked - Probably based on Old English wicca, "witch." More... | |