Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, September 5, 2023)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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effigy
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Defining Prepositional IdiomsMany prepositions can be used with certain words or phrases to form idioms (expressions that have a unique meaning that cannot be inferred from their constituent parts). Prepositional idioms can function adverbially, adjectivally, or verbally. Where can they appear in a sentence? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Nursery RhymesNursery Rhymes are generally brief, anonymously written songs or verses intended for children. Though these rhymes are thought to help develop vocabulary and counting skills, scholars have actually linked many of these rhymes to historic events. For example, some believe that "Pop Goes the Weasel" is about silk weavers bringing their shuttles or bobbins (known as "weasels") to pawnbrokers to exchange for drinking money. What event does “Ring a Ring O'Roses” supposedly reference? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Sam Houston Elected First President of Texas (1836)A teenage runaway who spent three years living with Cherokee Indians, Houston went on to serve in the War of 1812 and was elected to the House of Representatives in 1823. Attracted to the struggle for Texan independence, he led the army of the provisional government of Texas to victory against the Mexicans in 1836 and served as the newly independent Republic of Texas's first president. He helped Texas win statehood in 1845 and became governor in 1859, but he was deposed in 1861 for what reason? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 John Cage (1912)Cage was an American avant-garde composer and writer. In the 1930s, he began writing all-percussion pieces and proclaimed the use of noise as the next musical horizon. In 1938, he introduced the "prepared piano," an instrument whose sound is radically modified by various objects placed on the strings. He developed the idea of indeterminacy, music that is not strictly controlled. The notorious 4'33", probably his most famous piece, consists of 4 minutes and 33 seconds of what? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Hope is the most treacherous of all human fancies.James Fenimore Cooper (1789-1851) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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let down (one's) hair— To cease acting formally or conservatively; to let go of one's inhibitions or reservations. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Ginseng Festival (2024)This festival is a celebration of ginseng in Fusong, a county in the Changbai Mountains of China and the largest ginseng grower in the country. The people of Fusong have traditionally celebrated the ginseng harvest, and, in 1987, the government officially set aside three days for both a festival and a trade fair of ginseng products. The festival features performances of yangko, dragon, and lion dances; story-telling parties with a ginseng theme; art and photo exhibits; and a fireworks display. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: rubbishbilge - Can mean "nonsense, rubbish." More... culch - Rubbish or refuse, or meat scraps. More... flathers - A synonym for rubbish or dirt. More... quisquilious, quisquiliary, quisquilian - Quisquilious and quisquiliary mean "having the nature of refuse or rubbish," and quisquilian means "consisting of trash or rubbish." More... | |