Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, August 8, 2021)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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irascible
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Irregular AdjectivesAdjectives describe a quality or characteristic of a noun or pronoun. The basic form of an adjective is sometimes known as the "positive degree." But we can also inflect an adjective to the "comparative degree" and the "superlative degree." What are irregular adjectives? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Northwest AngleIf you are visiting Minnesota's Northwest Angle, you have reached a part of the US that is beyond the Canadian border. Separated from the US by the Lake of the Woods, "the Angle" is north of the 49th parallel, the northern boundary of the contiguous 48 states. The anomaly resulted from early mapmakers' imprecision about the source of the Mississippi River. When their error was corrected, the Angle was left beyond the international border. What are you required to do upon arrival at the Angle? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 2008 Summer Olympics Begin in Beijing, China (2008)At 8:08 PM on 8-8-08, the opening ceremony for the Summer Olympics began. Held in the new Beijing National Stadium—nicknamed "the Bird's Nest"—it marked China's first time hosting the Olympics. The nearly four-hour event, which showcased Chinese culture, was a popular and logistical success, and the games became one of the most-watched TV events in history. However, in the international torch relay before the opening ceremony, protests in what city caused the Olympic torch to be extinguished? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Paul Adrien Maurice Dirac (1902)Dirac was an influential English mathematician and theoretical physicist. In 1928, he published a version of quantum mechanics taking into account the theory of relativity. His theory predicted an antiparticle to the electron, and, in 1932, the positron was discovered. That year, Dirac was appointed to the same University of Cambridge chair once held by Isaac Newton. Likely autistic, Dirac was known for his precise nature and literal view of the world. How did he once introduce his wife? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 I am tempted to think that to be despised by her sex is a very great compliment to a woman.William Makepeace Thackeray (1811-1863) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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Put it there— Shake my hand. As in greeting or in agreement to a deal. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Eisteddfod (2025)The Royal National Eisteddfod of Wales dates back to the 12th century. Its purpose is to encourage the preservation of Welsh music and literature, and only those who sing or write in Welsh may enter. The annual event opens with the blowing of trumpets, followed by all kinds of musical and literary contests—harp playing, solo and choral singing, dramatic presentations, and poetic composition. The National Eisteddfod is held in northern Wales one year and southern Wales the next. Other Eisteddfodau are held in Welsh communities elsewhere from May to November. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: tidesriver estuary - The mouth of a river that is influenced by the tides. More... ebb - Suggests the receding of something (e.g. tides) that commonly comes and goes. More... riptide - Is actually a current, not a tide. More... canonical hours - The seven canonical hours of the church were called tides, and tide—from an Indo-European root meaning "to divide"—is used with other words to denote a definite interval of time: noontide, Eastertide, eventide, summertide, etc. More... | |