Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, January 30, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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poultice
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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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 Clothing in the Ancient WorldClothing in the ancient world served more than just a protective function; it reflected climatic necessity, class distinctions, and religious beliefs. Ornamentation was an important part of ancient clothing, and charms, trophies, and other valuables were worn to enhance attractiveness and signify one's social position. In ancient Egypt, for example, jewelry was used to symbolize power and religious standing. What was the purpose of wearing a cone of ox tallow and myrrh on top of the head? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 First Attempted Assassination of a US President (1835)US President Andrew Jackson was leaving a congressional funeral held at the Capitol when an unemployed, mentally ill housepainter named Richard Lawrence made an attempt on his life. Fortuitously, Lawrence's pistol misfired. Improbably, the second pistol he produced did too. The 67-year-old president attacked Lawrence with his cane, and the deranged gunman was caught and institutionalized. What surprising discovery was made when the guns were tested to determine what had caused them to misfire? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Richard Brautigan (1935)Born in Tacoma, Washington, and raised in abject poverty, Brautigan became a counterculture hero of the 1960s and 70s with his surrealistically random novels and poems about alienation. His extremely original, loosely connected fiction includes A Confederate General from Big Sur, In Watermelon Sugar, and the 1967 bestseller Trout Fishing in America. Suffering from alcoholism and depression, Brautigan committed suicide in September of 1984. When was his body discovered? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Of great riches there is no real use, except it be in the distribution.Francis Bacon (1561-1626) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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knick-knack— Any miscellaneous trinket or toy, especially one that is delicate or dainty. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Day of the Three Archbishops (2021)In 11th-century Greece, there was a popular controversy over which of the three archbishops—Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, or John Chrysostom—was the greatest saint of the Greek Orthodox Church. In 1081, Bishop John of Galatia reported that the three saints had appeared to him in a vision to say that they were equal in the eyes of God. Their equality is celebrated on this day. In schools, special exercises are held in honor of the three saints, who supported classical Greek tradition at a time when many were opposed to all non-Christian literature. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: rabbitsbuck teeth - Large front teeth protruding over the others; the phrase may come from buck, the adult male of some animals, such as rabbits—which have this type of front teeth. More... hightail it - Refers to animals, such as mustangs and rabbits, that raise their tails high when fleeing danger. More... trattles - The rounded droppings of animals like rabbits and sheep. More... angora - As in cat, goat, and rabbit, it comes from the Turkish capital Angora (till 1930), now Ankara. More... | |