Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, September 30, 2023)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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presentiment
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Adverbs of Indefinite FrequencyThe frequency adverbs that are used most often are adverbs of indefinite frequency. As the name suggests, these are adverbs that give a sense of frequency but do not specify exactly how often something happens or is the case. "Usually" is an example of an adverb of indefinite frequency. What are some others? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Extreme IroningThe sport of extreme ironing, in which people take an iron and ironing board to a remote location and perform the typically mundane household chore in an extreme setting, was developed by Englishman Phil Shaw in 1997. Shaw's 1999 international tour promoted the activity, which, according to the official website, is "the latest danger sport that combines the thrills of an extreme outdoor activity with the satisfaction of a well-pressed shirt." In what adventurous settings has it been done? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Mozart's The Magic Flute Premieres (1791)In the final year of his life, prolific composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart produced the opera Die Zauberflöte—The Magic Flute—featuring a libretto by the actor Emmanuel Schikaneder. The work is considered a singspiel—an opera in German that contains spoken dialogue and is usually comic in tone. Mozart brought this form of light musical entertainment to a height of lyrical and symbolic art. How much longer did Mozart live after The Magic Flute debuted? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Hans Geiger (1882)After receiving a doctorate in physics in Germany in 1906, Geiger traveled to England, where he assisted chemist Ernest Rutherford. In 1908, they designed an instrument to detect and count alpha particles, positively charged ionizing particles produced by radioactive decay. He then returned to Germany, directing radiation research at several universities. Two decades later, Geiger developed the sensitive, portable radiation counter that now bears his name. Geiger was a member of what "club"? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 When men exercise their reason coolly and freely on a variety of distinct questions, they inevitably fall into different opinions on some of them. When they are governed by a common passion, their opinions, if they are so to be called, will be the same.Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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liquid courage— slang The decrease in timidity or inhibition that comes from imbibing alcoholic beverages. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Botswana Independence Day (2024)Botswana became independent from Great Britain on September 30, 1966. Since 1885, the region had been a British colony called the Bechuanaland Protectorate. The biggest Independence Day festivities are held in the capital city of Gaborone, and include the singing of the national anthem, "Fatshe La Rona" (Blessed Country). More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: opportunityEl Dorado - A place offering fabulous wealth or opportunity (after the legendary place in South America, "the gilded one"). More... ease - First meant "opportunity, ability," or "means to do something." More... hint - First meant "an occasion or opportunity." More... occasion - Once had the specific sense of "an opportunity for finding fault or giving offense." More... | |