Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, May 30, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Ending a Sentence with a PrepositionNearly every grammar guide agrees that it is acceptable and often more correct to end a sentence with a dangling preposition than to rewrite the sentence specifically to avoid it. Why? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 A Strange LoopProposed by cognitive scholar Douglas Hofstadter, the concept of a "strange loop" involves a paradox that arises when, by moving up or down through a hierarchical system, one finds oneself back at the initial starting point. Examples of such feedback loops in various media include the well known M. C. Escher lithograph Drawing Hands and the novelty song "I'm My Own Grandpa." Another conceptual example is the liar paradox, which is what? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Dominican Republic Dictator Rafael Trujillo Is Assassinated (1961)Trujillo was a military strongman who seized control of the Dominican Republic in 1930 and ruled it as a dictator for the next 30 years. He renamed the capital after himself and forced all citizens to join his political party. He brutally suppressed dissent and ordered the infamous 1937 Parsley Massacre, in which up to 30,000 Haitians living near the Dominican border were murdered. In 1961, Trujillo was ambushed and shot to death by seven men. Why was the CIA said to be involved? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Elly Beinhorn-Rosemeyer (1907)A contemporary of American aviatrix Amelia Earhart, German airwoman Elly Beinhorn-Rosemeyer began her flying career as a stunt pilot. She went on to make several daring solo flights and was awarded the Hindenburg Cup for her achievements. In 1936, she married racecar driver Bernd Rosemeyer, and the couple, allegedly with some reluctance, became darlings of the Nazi regime. Bernd was killed in a speed record attempt two years later. How had Elly survived a crash in the Sahara in 1931? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 If I got places, sir, it was because I made myself fit for 'em. If you want to slip into a round hole, you must make a ball of yourself.George Eliot (1819-1880) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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Miss Right— The perfect or most suitable woman to be in a relationship with or to marry. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Indian Arrival Day (2025)The people of Trinidad and Tobago observe May 30 as Indian Arrival Day. This holiday honors the nation's citizens of Indian descent and acknowledges their contribution to the social and cultural landscape of Trinidad and Tobago. In particular, it recalls the arrival of the first boats from India in 1845. Today the holiday is celebrated with reenactments of the arrival of the first ships bringing Indians to Trinidad, parades honoring the history of the nation's Indian citizens and their festivals, and various cultural events. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: pourdiffuse - Based on Latin diffundere, "pour out," from fundere, "pour," it means "to spread out." More... geyser - From Icelandic Geysir, "hot spring," from Old Norse geysa, "pour or rush forth." More... refund - First meant "pour back," and comes from Latin re- and fundere. More... gluck, glug - Gluck or glug is the light repetitive gurgling sound of liquid being poured from a bottle. More... | |