Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, January 29, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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callow
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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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 Sanctuary LampsIn Christianity, a sanctuary lamp is a flame or lamp, usually red, placed in a prominent position in the sanctuary of a church. When lit, it indicates the presence of the Blessed Sacrament—the consecrated elements of the Eucharist. In Judaism, the sanctuary lamp is known by its Hebrew name, ner tamid, which means "eternal light" or "eternal flame." In a synagogue or temple, the ner tamid hangs above the ark containing the Torah scrolls and is never allowed to go out. How is this achieved? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 US President George W. Bush Introduces the "Axis of Evil" (2002)During his 2002 State of the Union Address, US President George W. Bush described the countries of Iran, Iraq, and North Korea as an "Axis of Evil" for their alleged support of terrorism. Since then, the phrase has spawned many imitations, including the Eritrean-coined "Axis of Belligerence," the South American "Axis of Good," and the "Axis of Diesel" proposed by The Economist magazine. What word did Bush speechwriter David Frum originally use instead of "evil"? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 James Jamerson (1936)Jamerson learned to play bass guitar in high school in Detroit, Michigan, in the 1950s and thereafter found work as a studio musician for Motown Records. He went on to perform on hundreds of songs by artists like Marvin Gaye, the Four Tops, and The Supremes, but his work was largely uncredited, and he died in relative obscurity at the age of 47. Today, however, he is regarded as one of the most influential bassists in modern history. One of his fingers even had its own nickname. What was it? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 It is the power of thought which gives man the mastery over nature.Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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a knee-slapper— A hilarious joke, especially one that evokes loud and prolonged laughter. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 National Cowboy Poetry Gathering (2021)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: shockingchurch key - Started out as slang for bottle opener in the early 1950s and was considered mildly shocking, even sacrilegious. More... flagrant, blatant - Flagrant implies shocking and reprehensible, while blatant is obvious, contrived, and usually obnoxious; flagrant is a stronger term than blatant. More... forbysen, bysen - Forbysen is an "example or parable"; bysen is a "shocking thing." More... tingle - From Middle English, possibly a variant of tinkle, its original meaning was "response to a loud noise" and "response to hearing something shocking." More... | |