Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, February 7, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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foment
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Relative Pronouns and Relative ClausesA relative pronoun is a type of pronoun used to connect a relative clause to the main clause in a sentence. What two purposes do relative clauses serve in a sentence? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Vestal VirginsThe Vestal Virgins were a revered and privileged group of Roman priestesses. They maintained the sacred fire of Vesta, the goddess of the hearth, collected water from a sacred spring, and cared for sacred objects in the temple's sanctuary. The six priestesses were selected as children for 30 years of service, during which time they had to remain virgins. Their well-being and chastity were considered essential to the security of Rome. What was done to a Vestal who broke her vow of chastity? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Dreadnought Hoax (1910)Nearly four years after the HMS Dreadnought entered service, the revolutionary battleship was "honored" with a visit from Abyssinian royalty. Though the ship's commanders only received last-minute notice of the Abyssinian delegation's impending arrival, they managed to arrange for their guests to be greeted with pomp and circumstance and then given a tour of the vessel. The royal visitors were later revealed to be mere pranksters in blackface. What now-famous author took part in the hoax? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Sinclair Lewis (1885)Probably the greatest satirist of his era, Lewis wrote novels that present a devastating picture of middle-class American life in the 1920s. His first literary successes were Main Street (1920), a merciless portrayal of Midwestern provincialism, and Babbitt (1922), an equally satiric portrait of a conformist businessman. Lewis refused a Pulitzer Prize in 1926, citing his objection to the idealized view of America espoused by the Pulitzer panel. What award did he accept in 1930? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Friendless, adj.: Having no favors to bestow. Destitute of fortune. Addicted to utterance of truth and common sense.Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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pester (someone) for (something)— To continually annoy someone with requests for something. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Grenada Independence Day (2022)This is a national holiday commemorating Grenada's independence from Britain on this day in 1974. Britain had held the island since the 18th century, when France ceded it under the Treaty of Paris. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: movieart movie - A movie intended to be an artistic work rather than a commercial movie of mass appeal. More... longueurs - Boring periods of time or parts of a book, play, music, or movie are longueurs. More... horse opera - A slang term for a western (movie). More... vamp - Theda Bara's performance in the movie The Vampire brought us this word, meaning "seductive woman." More... | |