Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, January 13, 2021)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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aseptic
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Using Sentence FragmentsWe commonly use sentence fragments (phrases, incomplete clauses, or dependent clauses) as standalone sentences. When are these typically used? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Cannibal HolocaustReleased in 1980, the film Cannibal Holocaust was immediately successful—and controversial. The extremely graphic Italian exploitation film landed director Ruggero Deodato in the unusual position of having to prove in court that the murders shown were not real, but merely created by special effects. The film's supporters claim that it is not only one of the greatest horror movies ever filmed but also a serious social commentary. Though acquitted of murder, Deodato was sentenced for what? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 First Successful Escape from an Aircraft Using the Ejection Seat (1942)Ejection seats are used in aircraft to quickly propel occupants out in an emergency. Today, they are fired by an explosive charge, but the first ejection seats were powered by compressed air. One of the first aircrafts to be fitted with such a system was the German Heinkel He 280 prototype jet fighter. While testing the He 280 during WWII, pilot Helmut Schenk became the first person to use an ejection seat to make an emergency escape from an aircraft. What went wrong during his test flight? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Horatio Alger, Jr. (1832)Alger was an American author who wrote more than 100 children's books. Highly formulaic, each taught that through honesty, perseverance, and hard work, poor but virtuous lads could prevail in life. Published in 1868, the first of those books, Ragged Dick, was an immediate success. Despite the weaknesses of Alger's writing, his books ultimately sold more than 20 million copies, making him one of the most popular writers of the 19th century. What ended Alger's previous career as a minister? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Light is the task where many share the toil.Homer (900 BC-800 BC) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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(the good) Lord willing and the creek don't rise— rural If all goes as it should; if everything goes well. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 St. Knut's Day (2021)The feast day of King Canute (or Knut), who ruled Denmark, England, and Norway in the 11th century, marks the end of the Yuletide season in Sweden. Rather than letting the holidays fade quietly, Swedish families throughout the country hold parties to celebrate the final lighting (and subsequent dismantling) of the Christmas tree. After letting the children eat the cookies and candies used to decorate the tree, and after packing the ornaments away in their boxes, it is customary to hurl the tree through an open window. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: sailorshurrah, hurray, hooray - Hurrah, hurray, and hooray are alterations of huzza, a sailor's cheer. More... jumper - First a loose jacket worn by sailors, from jump, "a short coat." More... put through the hoop - An ancient marine phrase for a punishment for sailors involving an iron hoop. More... smart money - A phrase meaning money bet by those in the know, originating in 1926; earlier than that, it meant "money paid to sailors, soldiers, workers, etc., who have been disabled while on the job." More... | |