Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, September 7, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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quaternary
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Modal Auxiliary Verbs - CouldThe modal verb "could" is most often used as a past-tense version of "can," indicating what someone or something was able to do in the past. "Could" can be used in what types of conditional sentences? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Amboyna MassacreThe Amboyna massacre involved the torture and killing of 20 men—including 10 British East India Company employees—by agents of the Dutch East India Company in 1623. The companies were intense rivals who competed for dominance in the Maluku Islands spice trade. When the Dutch at the Amboyna trading post began to suspect the British of planning an attack, they tortured several men until they obtained confessions and then beheaded the accused for treason. What torture methods did the Dutch employ? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Pro Football Hall of Fame Opens in Canton, Ohio (1963)Although professional American football was played as early as 1895, it was not until 1920 that national organization began, with the formation of the American Professional Football Association in Canton, Ohio. In 1922, the association was renamed the National Football League (NFL). Originally the home of the former professional team known as the Canton Bulldogs, Canton was later selected as the home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Which NFL team has had the most hall of famers? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Anna Mary Robertson "Grandma" Moses (1860)A farm worker for most of her life, Moses turned to painting only after arthritis had forced her to give up embroidery. Her paintings were first displayed in a drugstore when she was 78, but her exhibitions soon became so popular that they broke attendance records around the world. Moses painted simple scenes of farm life and produced thousands of them despite her late start. Her works now hang in some of America's most prestigious museums and galleries. Who "discovered" her paintings? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Anarchy is the sure consequence of tyranny; for no power that is not limited by laws can ever be protected by them.John Milton (1608-1674) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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make (oneself or something) ready (for someone or something)— To become or make something prepared for something or someone. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Festival of Piedigrotta (2021)Held in Naples, Italy, in September, the Festival of Piedigrotta is known primarily for its noise and gaiety. According to one legend, it commemorates the destruction in 44 CE of a site that had formerly been the scene of pagan orgies, and the building of a chapel in its place. A second explanation is that the chapel was built in 1356 after the Blessed Virgin Mary had appeared to a priest, a nun, and a man named Peter and ordered its construction. In any case, the festival is a particularly joyful one, with processions, fireworks, and some very unusual puppet shows. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: wastewastrel - Pronounced WAYS-trul, it is either a wasteful or worthless person, derived from the verb "waste," from Latin vastus, "desert, waste." More... bratwurst - From German Brat, "meat without waste," and Wurst, "sausage." More... eat your heart out - Goes back as far as Diogenes Laertius, who credited Pythagoras with saying "Do not eat your heart"—meaning "Don't waste your life worrying about something"—2,500 years ago. More... sullage - Waste from household sinks, showers, and baths—but not toilets; it also figuratively means filth or refuse. More... | |