Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, July 22, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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verbiage
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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[sic]When a quotation contains a mistake, such as a spelling mistake or grammatical error, but we wish to preserve the quotation exactly as it was written, we can mark it with the word "sic" (Latin for "thus" or "so") in brackets to let the reader know that the error was not our own. When should this generally be used? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Constructed WorldsA constructed world is an imaginary world, usually created for a novel, video game, or role-playing game, that possesses a unique geography and climate and is often home to sapient creatures with their own cultures and histories. Detailed maps and languages of their creators’ invention help make these worlds seem more realistic. J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth is one example of a constructed world. There are two major approaches to world-building: top-down and bottom-up. How do they differ? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 London Police Kill Commuter, Sparking Furor (2005)The day before this controversial police shooting, four suicide bombing attempts on London's transport system failed, sparking a massive manhunt for the escaped bombers. With the perpetrators still at large, commuters returned to the tube. On July 22, police at the Stockwell tube station shot and killed 27-year-old Jean Charles de Menezes, whom they mistook for suspected bomber Hussain Osman. What police protocol for dealing with suspected suicide bombers was criticized after the tragic mistake? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Edward Hopper (1882)Hopper was an American painter who supported himself as a commercial illustrator until he gained recognition in the mid-1920s with his now-iconic scenes of American life. His dramatically lit works often feature still, anonymous figures inside geometric buildings and evoke a haunting sense of isolation that was his hallmark. His famous Nighthawks depicts a mostly empty, brightly lit diner on an otherwise dark, desolate street at night. What was said to be Hopper's favorite thing to paint? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Every man is surrounded by a neighborhood of voluntary spies.Jane Austen (1775-1817) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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out there— (hyphenated if used before a noun) Somewhat unusual, unconventional, crazy, or eccentric. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Galungan (2019)Galungan is a major 10-day religious festival commemorating the Balinese New Year that is celebrated throughout the Indonesian island-province of Bali every 210 days. This is a Bali Hindu festival (Balinese religion is a mix of traditional Balinese and Hindu practices and beliefs), during which the gods are thought to come to earth. Balinese festivals include rituals in the temples, where small thrones are symbolic seats for the gods to occupy; offerings of foods, fruit, and flowers to the temple by the women; and card games, music, and dancing. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: triviafactlet - A piece of trivia. More... inconsequentia - Trifling facts or trivia. More... nugae - Trifles or trivia. More... trivia - Derives from Latin tri, "three" and via, "ways." In Roman times, at the intersection of any three streets were kiosks where information was posted for travelers, but which was totally ignored by the citizens—a possible source of its modern meaning; trivia is actually plural and should take "these" instead of "this" (etc.). More... | |