Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, September 23, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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vexatious
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Non-Restrictive Relative ClausesNon-restrictive relative clauses give us additional information about a noun that has already been identified, but this information is not essential for the sentence to make sense. What two words cannot be used to introduce non-restrictive clauses? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Saint-SimonLouis de Rouvroy, duc de Saint-Simon, was a French courtier. Although disliked by King Louis XIV, Saint-Simon established himself at the court of Versailles, where he was privy to all sorts of gossip and petty intrigues. In 1739, he began writing his memoirs. Despite his lack of literary technique or regard for grammar, Saint-Simon’s behind-the-scenes account of life at the court is considered an indispensable, albeit flawed, historical source. After Saint-Simon's death, who seized his writings? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Lewis and Clark Expedition Returns (1806)In May 1804, about 40 men left St. Louis, Missouri, and headed west on an expedition initiated by US President Thomas Jefferson to search out an overland route to the Pacific Ocean, make contact with indigenous peoples, and survey the new Louisiana Purchase. More than two years later, the party returned to great acclaim. Their journey had an incalculable effect on the history of the American West. Who accompanied the explorers and helped them negotiate with the Native Americans they encountered? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 John Coltrane (1926)Coltrane was an influential American jazz saxophonist and composer. He worked with numerous big bands before emerging in the 1950s as a major stylist while playing with Miles Davis. His playing exhibited a dazzling technical brilliance as well as ardent emotion. Coltrane made a number of influential recordings, among them the 1960s classics My Favorite Things and A Love Supreme. He was deeply spiritual and interested in all religions. What church made him a saint after his death? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 There are some experiences in life which should not be demanded twice from any man, and one of them is listening to the Brahms Requiem.George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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snow on the mountain— Silver, grey, or white hair on one's head, as due to aging. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Aizu Byakko Matsuri (2025)Aizu was once the sturdiest castle in northeast Japan, but it was destroyed in a battle between the Emperor's forces and the Shogun's forces in 1868. The Byakkotai, or White Tiger Band, young men who vowed to lay down their lives in defense of the castle, saw what they thought was fire rising from the walls. Thinking it had fallen into enemy hands, they killed themselves. Each September to commemorate their courage, there is a procession of 500 warriors and a lantern procession through Aizu Wakamatsu, where the original members of the White Tiger Band are buried. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: sproutratoon crop - One that grows from the remains of one already harvested, from Spanish retono, "sprout." More... clan - Ultimately from Latin planta, "plant, sprout." More... germ, germinate - From Latin germen, "seed, sprout." More... acrospire - The first leaf that sprouts from a germinating seed. More... | |