Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, September 16, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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greenhorn
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Comparative Adverbs with Two FormsThere are a few adverbs that have two generally accepted forms. In these cases, they also have two commonly used comparative forms. What are some examples? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Alfred JewelThe Alfred Jewel is a 9th-century Anglo-Saxon ornament made during the reign of King Alfred the Great. Discovered in 1693, the teardrop-shaped ornament consists of a colorful enamel image of a man covered with a clear, polished piece of crystal and set in gold. Its purpose is unknown, but it was probably attached to a rod at one time. Words around the edge read "AELFRED MEC HEHT GEWYRCAN"—meaning "Alfred ordered me made"—yet the man portrayed in the center of the object is not Alfred. Who is it? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Mayflower Sets Sail for New England (1620)The Mayflower set sail from England to the New World with 102 passengers and about 25 crew members. After a two-month voyage marked by disease, the ship dropped anchor in Cape Cod Bay. After spending the winter selecting a suitable site for their new colony and drawing up an agreement for its temporary government by the will of the majority—the Mayflower Compact—the surviving passengers settled Plymouth. Why did the Speedwell, which set out with the Mayflower, turn back? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Julia Drusilla (16 CE)Drusilla was the sister of the Roman Emperor Caligula, a man widely characterized as insane, autocratic, and cruel. Drusilla was reportedly her brother's favorite sibling. During banquets at his residence, she consistently occupied the seat of honor normally reserved for the host's wife and, perhaps because of this practice, was rumored to be Caligula's lover. Upon Drusilla's death, Caligula had the Roman Senate declare her "Diva Drusilla," deifying her as a representation of what goddess? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Exuberance is better than taste.Gustave Flaubert (1821-1880) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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(as) quick as a bunny— Incredibly quickly or speedily. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer (2024)In 1994, the United Nations established September 16 as International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer. The date honors the September 16, 1987, signing of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. Nations may observe the day with activities that support the aims of the Protocol. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: perfectA-OK - Astronauts on the Mercury Project in 1961 popularized A-OK, meaning "excellent, perfect"; it was coined by blending the adjective "A," as in A-one or A1, meaning "first-class," with "OK." More... palinoia - The compulsive repetition of an act until it is perfect. More... parfait - Literally French for "perfect." More... perfect binding - A book bound by gluing instead of sewing. More... | |