Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, November 4, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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imperishable
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Understanding Compound NounsA compound noun is a noun consisting of two or more words working together as a single unit to name a person, place, or thing. Generally, the first word in the compound noun tells us what kind of person or thing it is or what purpose he, she, or it serves, while the second word does what? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Siku QuanshuCompiled at the height of the Qing dynasty in the 18th century, the Siku Quanshu, or Complete Library of the Four Treasuries, is a collection of more than 3,400 works of Chinese literature in more than 36,000 volumes. Over 10,000 works had been considered for inclusion, but many were rejected as anti-Manchu and destroyed. Of the seven original copies, which were painstakingly transcribed by hand, four have survived. How were the collection’s many scribes compensated for their work? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Iran Hostage Crisis Begins (1979)In 1979, an Islamic revolutionary government overthrew Muhammad Reza Shah Pahlevi of Iran. When the exiled shah was admitted to the US for medical treatment, a crowd of about 500 seized the US embassy in Tehran, demanding the shah's extradition. US President Jimmy Carter halted Iranian oil imports and froze Iranian assets, but his diplomatic initiatives proved fruitless, and a US rescue mission failed. Fifty-two hostages were held for 444 days until the end of the crisis in 1981. How did it end? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Guido Reni (1575)Reni was an Italian painter and engraver whose style was influenced by his rival, Caravaggio. Reni was apprenticed to Flemish painter Denis Calvaert as a boy and by 23 had been commissioned by the government to execute decorative frescoes for the facade of the Palazzo Pubblico. Shortly thereafter, he made the first of his many trips to Rome, where he executed many important commissions, including the celebrated ceiling fresco Aurora. What are some of Reni's other well-known works? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Perhaps his might be one of the natures where a wise estimate of consequences is fused in the fires of that passionate belief which determines the consequences it believes in.George Eliot (1819-1880) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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keep schtum— To remain silent; to not say anything. (Used especially when by saying something, especially at the wrong time, one would cause trouble or difficulty for him- or herself.) Primarily heard in UK. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Rogers Day (2024)The birthday of Will Rogers, America's "cowboy philosopher," is observed in Oklahoma, where he was born on November 4, 1879. After his first appearance as a vaudeville entertainer in 1905 at Madison Square Garden, he developed a widespread reputation as a humorist. He went on to become a writer, a radio performer, and a motion-picture star. His birthday was first observed in 1947, with a celebration at the Will Rogers Memorial near the town of Claremore. Beneath the statue of Rogers at the memorial is the statement for which he is best remembered: "I never met a man I didn't like." More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: remembermoment - To have a moment is to suddenly forget where you are and what's going on; it is also called a bristlecone or a senior moment. More... absence of mind - The failure to remember what one is doing. More... brain cloud - The temporary inability to think properly, or to remember something. More... souvenir - Literally French for "remember," from Latin subvenire, "occur to the mind." More... | |