Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, September 4, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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importune
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Using "To Be"The verb "to be" is the most common linking verb. It can link the subject to an adjective (known as a "predicative adjective") that describes it, or to a noun, noun phrase, or pronoun that renames it. What are these are collectively known as? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The GentryThe term "gentry," in general, refers to people of gentle birth, good breeding, or high social position. In England, the term historically referred to the class of English landowners ranking just below the nobility. The gentry, particularly in England and Wales, were those not entitled to sit in the House of Lords. By the later Middle Ages, the gentry included knights, esquires, and gentlemen, and, after the 17th century, baronets. What are some examples of the gentry in other countries? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 George Eastman Receives a Patent for His Kodak Camera (1888)Eastman was an American industrialist, inventor, and philanthropist. Interested in photographic processes from an early age, he invented roll film in 1884 and perfected a camera designed to use it, called the Kodak camera. In 1892, he established the Eastman Kodak Company and began to mass produce his inventions, transforming photography from an expensive hobby of the few to a relatively inexpensive, popular pastime. What was his contribution to the development of motion pictures? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Richard Wright (1908)Wright was an American author whose works helped redefine discussions of race in the mid-20th century. The grandson of slaves, he grew up in poverty in the American south. The fictionalized autobiography Black Boy vividly describes his often harsh youth. He first came to wide attention in 1938 with a collection of short stories titled Uncle Tom's Children and published his bestselling novel Native Son two years later. Why were some of his works reissued in 1991? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 I always find it more difficult to say the things I mean than the things I don't.W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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l'esprit de l'escalier— A French phrase meaning "the wit of the staircase"; a perfect witty remark, retort, or rejoinder that occurs to one after the fact or too late to be used. (Also written as "l'esprit d'escalier.") More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Limassol Wine Festival (2024)This event is an annual celebration of the wine of Cyprus, lasting nearly two weeks and held in the Municipal Gardens of Limassol, the center of the wine-making industry. Wineries there compete to create the most original and decorative booths, and every evening pour out from barrels free samples of their wine. People sitting at picnic tables may watch exhibits of traditional wine pressing. There are also musical, theatrical, and dance performances. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: unexpectedvisit, visitation - A visit is an instance of visiting; a visitation is an act of visiting, and carries the connotation of an unexpected or undesired occurrence. More... October surprise - An unexpected, but popular, political act made just prior to a November election, in an attempt to win votes. More... off the wall - Alludes to squash or handball, when a shot comes off the wall at an unexpected or erratic angle. More... wrong-foot - To disconcert by doing something unexpected. More... | |