Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, September 13, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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high-pressure
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Function of Reciprocal PronounsReciprocal pronouns are used to refer to two or more people who are or were the subject of the same verb, with both or all parties mutually receiving or benefiting from that action in the same way. How do reciprocal pronouns always function in a sentence? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Radium GirlsThe Radium Girls were a group of female factory workers who contracted radiation poisoning from painting watch dials with glow-in-the-dark paint at a New Jersey factory in 1917. The women, who had been told the paint was harmless, ingested deadly amounts of radium by licking their paintbrushes to sharpen them. Some even painted their fingernails with the glowing substance. After the risks were exposed, five of the women sued their employer in a case that led to the establishment of what right? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Michelangelo Begins Carving His Statue of David (1501)Begun when the artist was just 26 years old and completed three years later, Michelangelo's David is considered the prime example of the Renaissance ideal of perfect humanity and a masterpiece of sculpture. The 17-ft (5.2-m) marble figure differs from other representations of David in that he appears tense and is not carrying the head of the slain Goliath. A replica of David on display in London's Victoria and Albert Museum has a detachable fig-leaf that was made for whose visit? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Samuel "Uncle Sam" Wilson (1766)Wilson was an American Revolutionary War veteran who owned a meatpacking plant in Troy, New York. He provided beef to the army during the War of 1812 in barrels stamped "US," indicating that they were US property. According to some sources, the soldiers began joking that the initials stood for "Uncle Sam," referring to Wilson, unwittingly inventing the character that would soon come into widespread use as a symbol of the US government. What resolution regarding Wilson did Congress pass in 1961? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 To be in the weakest camp is to be in the strongest school.Gilbert Chesterton (1874-1936) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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a licence to print money— An activity, business model, or company that yields very high profits but requires little or no effort to do so. Primarily heard in UK, Australia. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Avening Pig Face Day (2020)A number of explanations have been offered for the custom of eating pig's face sandwiches on the Sunday nearest Holy Cross Day (September 14) in the Cotswold village of Avening, England. One involves Matilda of Flanders (d. 1083), the wife of William the Conqueror. She built a church there that was completed on September 14, and the Queen is said to have held a boar's head dedication feast. Today there is an evening anniversary service, after which the villagers participate in an 11th-century banquet headed by Queen Matilda and other historic characters in period costume. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: whiskeyardent spirits - Strong alcoholic liquors made by distillation, as brandy, whiskey, or gin. More... bourbon - Named for Bourbon County, Kentucky, an American whiskey made from at least 51 percent corn, plus other grains (all bourbons are whiskey, but not all whiskeys are bourbon); whiskey is an alcoholic liquor distilled from grain, such as corn, rye, or barley, and contains approximately 40 to 50 percent ethyl alcohol by volume. More... scat - Slang for whiskey. More... brand name - The term originated with whiskey, as the producers branded their names on the barrels. More... | |