Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, July 30, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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hullabaloo
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Omitting Text in the Middle of the SentenceOccasionally, an omission of text may span across two or more sentences. If the quotation divides into two complete sentences with omitted material in between, we use a period to terminate the first sentence (even if the original sentence has been shortened) followed by an ellipsis and the second quoted sentence. What is this sometimes known as? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The He Shi BiThe He Shi Bi is a piece of jade that features prominently in Chinese history. According to legend, a man named Bian He found a large stone that he believed contained jade in the hills of Chu. He presented it to the king and later to his successor, but they disbelieved the man’s claims and had his legs cut off as punishment. Finally, he presented it to a third king, who recognized the stone’s potential and had it sculpted into an incomparable disk of jade. What was the disk made into in 221 BCE? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 USS Indianapolis Sunk by Japanese, Hundreds Die Awaiting Rescue (1945)After delivering parts for the first atomic bomb to a US base in the Pacific, the USS Indianapolis was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine. It sank in 12 minutes. Roughly 300 sailors were killed in the initial attack, and the remaining 900 faced exposure, dehydration, and shark attacks while awaiting rescue. The US Navy only learned of the sinking four days later, when survivors were spotted by a pilot on patrol. In the end, only 316 survived. Why was the ship's captain court-martialed? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Smedley Darlington Butler (1881)Born to a Quaker family in Pennsylvania, Butler joined the US Marines as a teenager. He was decorated for bravery and leadership and advanced through the ranks, but, after retiring, he became a proponent of isolationism and an outspoken critic of the government. He believed that he and the military had been used to further the business interests of wealthy Americans under the pretense of defending the country. According to legend, whose long-lost amputated arm did Butler once locate? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Backbite, v.t.: To speak of a man as you find him when he can't find you.Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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pitch a fit— To become very or unreasonably angry or upset; to have an outburst of rage, frustration, or ill temper. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Vanuatu Independence Day (2025)The most important national holiday in Vanuatu, Independence Day is celebrated throughout the country. It marks the end of colonial rule by the French and British. The largest Independence Day celebrations take place in the capital city of Port Vila. A number of sporting events are held, as well as canoe and yacht races in the harbor. A military parade takes place in Independence Park. Dancing takes place and aerobics groups from throughout Vanuatu perform, and a string band competition is held. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: rowwindbreak - A row of trees acting as a fence. More... acrostic - From Greek akron, "end," and stikhos, "row, line of verse." More... queue - Has the forms queued and queuing or queueing; queueing has five vowels in a row. More... row - The verb comes from Germanic ro-, "steer," and row, "orderly line," which is from Germanic raigwa. More... | |