Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, August 26, 2022)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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gastropod
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Conjunctive Adverbs in the Middle of the Second ClauseConjunctive adverbs must appear in the second of the two clauses that are connected. While they often appear at the beginning of the second clause, they can actually be moved around within it. If we place the conjunctive adverb in the middle of the second clause, what should it come after? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 KabukiKabuki, a popular form of Japanese drama, is known for its spectacular staging, elaborate costumes, and striking makeup in place of masks. It originated in 1603, when a woman named Izumo no Okuni began performing a new style of dance that became instantly popular. Rival troupes quickly formed, and kabuki evolved into an ensemble dance performed by women—a form much different from its modern incarnation in which men play all the roles. Why were women banned from the kabuki stage in 1629? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 National Assembly of Quebec Adopts the Charter of the French Language (1977)In 1976, the Parti Québécois, a party of French-Canadian nationalists formed in 1970, won control of the provincial parliament. Among its first acts was the passage of La charte de la langue française—the Charter of the French Language. Also known as Bill 101, the controversial legislation made French the official language of Quebec and prohibited the use of English on signs and in most commercial transactions. What effect did the charter have on businesses in Quebec? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Robert Walpole, First Earl of Orford (1676)Walpole was an English statesman. Elected to the House of Commons in 1701, he later served as secretary of war. With the accession of George I, he rose rapidly to become first lord of the treasury and chancellor of the exchequer. With his consolidation of power, he effectively became the first British prime minister. He avoided foreign entanglement and kept England neutral until 1739, when he was forced into the War of Jenkins' Ear against Spain. How did the conflict get its name? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Democracy passes into despotism.Plato (427 BC-347 BC) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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leave (something) out of account— To ignore something; to pay little or no heed to something. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Fuji-Yoshida Fire Festival (2024)Climbing Mount Fuji is such a popular sport in Japan that the season has a formal opening and closing. It begins on July 1 and ends with a fire festival in the city of Fujiyoshida on or near the evening of August 26. Huge torches more than 10 feet high are set up along the streets, and families pile up firewood in front of their houses. At about 5 p.m., two portable shrines are brought down from the mountain and carried through the main street of Fujiyoshida. About an hour later, all the torches and family bonfires are lit simultaneously, and the flames continue long past midnight. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: splashjaup, jawp - A jaup or jawp is the splash of liquid against a surface or the sound made by liquid sloshing around in a container. More... jabble - Turbulence on the surface of water; to jabble is "to splash or splatter." More... spritzer - From German, meaning "splash." More... swab - As in "mop the decks," it is a back-formation from swabber, "sailor who mops the decks," from a Germanic base meaning "splash." More... | |