Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, October 29, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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hypothecate
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Collective Nouns and AnimalsIn the English language, there are many different types of collective nouns that refer to different groupings of animals. There are hundreds of different collective nouns used to describe animal group names, including a "flock of birds" and a "gatling of woodpeckers." What are some others? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Theory of EverythingIn physics, there are four fundamental forces—gravitational, electromagnetic, strong, and weak. Each plays a vital role in how the universe works. For example, the strong force is what holds atoms together. For years, physicists have sought a single theory that explains how all the forces work together: the theory of everything. Even on his deathbed, Einstein was working on this problem. Some believe no solution exists. What notable physicist once believed it was possible, then changed his mind? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Black Tuesday (1929)In the 1920s, the US stock market expanded rapidly and reached a peak in August 1929, when prices began to decline while speculation increased. On October 24, "Black Thursday," a record 12,894,650 shares were traded. Banks and investment companies bought large blocks of stock to stem the panic, but on October 29, "Black Tuesday," 16 million shares were traded and prices collapsed. Why do some scholars contend that the stock market crash was not the cause of the Great Depression? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Fanny Brice (1891)Brice was an American comedian and singer who built her act on parody and physical humor. A perennial Ziegfeld Follies star after 1910, she attained international fame with her signature torch-song parody, "My Man." Appearing in vaudeville, musicals, dramas, movies, and radio throughout her career, Brice demonstrated that a woman could succeed in entertainment without exploiting her sexuality or making a fool of herself or other women. What Broadway musical was based on her life? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 How does one kill fear, I wonder? How do you shoot a specter through the heart, slash off its spectral head, take it by its spectral throat?Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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a stab in the back— A betrayal; an act of treachery. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Coronation Day and Sihanouk's Birthday (2024)In Cambodia, the celebration of former King Norodom Sihanouk's birthday on October 31 has been combined with the October 29 anniversary of the coronation of his son, King Norodom Sihamoni. Sihanouk abdicated in favor of his son in 2004. The three-day celebration is centered in Phnom Penh, around the Royal Palace. People from all over the country come to the capital city to watch parades, partake in cultural events, and see the elaborate fireworks display along the riverbank near the palace. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: possessionhave - Coming through Proto-Germanic khaben, it was from Indo-European kap-, meaning "possession." More... jouisance - Also spelled jouissance, it is another word for "enjoyment" or "possession or use of something." More... tenement - First meant "holding as a possession." More... white elephant - The name of this animal, which has an enormous appetite, has come to mean "useless, expensive possession"—or a possession that is more trouble than it is worth. More... | |