Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, August 24, 2021)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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cacophonous
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Common Modifier MistakesIf we place a modifier too far away from the thing it describes, it can become a "misplaced modifier." We must also make sure that the thing being modified is explicitly stated in the text, otherwise we might be left with a "dangling modifier." What is a "squinting modifier"? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Czech HedgehogsEarly in World War II, Germany relied heavily on the great striking power of its fast-moving tank formations. To defend against the threat, the Czechs lined their borders with large iron obstacles shaped like toy jacks. Though not immovable, they cause tanks to get stuck after driving over them. While the Nazis went on to annex Czech territory in the Sudetenland, these obstacles, known as "Czech hedgehogs," caught on with other combatants and were later employed in what famous battle? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Pluto Gets Demoted (2006)Although it was recognized as a planet for decades, Pluto is much smaller than the other planets in our solar system and more closely resembles a giant comet nucleus. Consequently, the International Astronomical Union demoted Pluto to the category of dwarf planet, which reflected astronomers' conclusion that it is a member of the Kuiper belt, a strip of billions of icy bodies orbiting the Sun beyond the orbit of Neptune. What is a "plutino"? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Lavinia Fontana (1552)One of the few female Italian artists of the 16th century, Lavinia Fontana was the daughter of Italian mannerist painter Prospero Fontana. She was a fashionable portrait painter in Bologna and Rome who was especially noted for the vibrant color and detail of her works. Her self-portraits and a portrait of Pope Gregory XIII show a fine decorative sense in the treatment of costume. She was also a painter of religious subjects. What are some of her major works? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Life altogether is but a crumbling ruin when we turn to look behind.Jerome K. Jerome (1859-1927) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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in leaps and bounds— By very large degrees; rapidly or in quick progress forward. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Schäferlauf (2024)St. Bartholomew's Day is celebrated in Markgröningen and other towns in the Swabia district of Germany with a barefoot race among shepherds and shepherdesses of the Black Forest. The first known race in Markgröningen was in 1445; today, children of active shepherds still race barefoot, and the winning shepherd and shepherdess are given a sheep or a large mutton roast. After the race there are other pastoral activities, such as a shepherds' dance and a water-carriers' race, in which contestants balance a pail of water on their heads and pour it into a tub at the finish line. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: reflectedultrasound, ultrasonography - Ultrasounds and ultrasonography work on the principle that sound is reflected at different speeds by tissues or substances of different densities. More... | |