Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, January 28, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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forswear
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Verbs that Take Both "To" and "At"Many verbs are able to take multiple prepositions after them. However, this often results in a change in the sentence's meaning. The most common of these pairs is "to" and "at"—a large number of verbs are able to take both. What are some examples? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 DEETDEET is the abbreviation of N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide, a chemical compound commonly used as an insect repellent. DEET was developed by the US Army following its experience with jungle warfare during World War II and entered civilian use in 1957. Intended to be applied to skin or clothing to protect against tick and mosquito bites, it is believed to work by blocking the receptors insects use to locate hosts. What potential detrimental health effects have been linked to its use? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Walk to Canossa: Pope Lifts Holy Roman Emperor's Excommunication (1077)The papacy and German nobility were enjoying widespread power when Henry IV became German king and then holy Roman emperor. As Henry tried to reclaim control, he clashed with Pope Gregory and was excommunicated. The nobility sided with Gregory and refused to recognize Henry's kingship unless he sought absolution. To do so, Henry crossed the Alps in the dead of winter and allegedly stood three days barefoot in the snow at the castle at Canossa before being absolved. How did the nobles respond? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Jackson Pollock (1912)After working on the Federal Art Project—a US program for the unemployed during the Great Depression—Pollock began developing the abstract, expressive style that made him a symbol of artistic revolt. Influenced by surrealism, Pollock energetically dripped paint in complicated linear patterns onto enormous canvases placed on the floor. Unlike most artists, Pollock was a celebrity during his lifetime, which was cut short by a car crash. Jackson was his middle name. What was his first name? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 I don't think of the past. The only thing that matters is the everlasting present.W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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out of house and home— Evicted; no longer having someplace to live. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 National Cowboy Poetry Gathering (2022)The National Cowboy Poetry Gathering is a celebration of the old tradition of cowboy poetry in the buckaroo town of Elko, Nevada. The gathering, which began in 1985 with about 50 working cowboys, has become a six-day affair in the last week of January that now includes folk-music concerts, western dances, exhibits of cowboy gear, and workshops not only on writing but also on such topics as horse-hair braiding and photography. Poetry remains the heart of the festival, and the poets—all working ranch people—include men, women, and children. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: tubecanyon - Gets its name from Spanish canon, "tube." More... catheter - A tube inserted for withdrawing bodily fluids, it comes from Greek kathienai, "send or let down." More... fuse - Comes from Italian fuso, "spindle," from Latin fusus, "spindle," as it originally referred to the casing or tube filled with combustible matter. More... | |