Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, December 7, 2016)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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spline
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Defining Causative VerbsCausative verbs indicate that a person, place, or thing is causing an action or an event to happen. Causative verbs are followed by a noun or pronoun and a non-causative verb in what form? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 HashshashinThe historical referents of the term "assassin," the Hashshashin were a secret society of Ismaili Shia Muslims who specialized in politically motivated killings of Crusaders and Muslim rulers. Much of the lore surrounding the feared sect, which originated in Persia and was active from 1090 to 1272, stems from Marco Polo's likely fictional account of his visit to the city of Alamut in 1273. What drug is believed to be the root of the term "Hashshashin," and what was its connection to the sect? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Theatre Royal Opens at Covent Garden in London, England (1732)The original Covent Garden playhouse, called the Theatre Royal, was built in 1732 and hosted performances of plays, pantomimes, and opera. Twice destroyed by fire and rebuilt, the theater that stands today is the third built on the site. The Royal Ballet began performing there in 1946. The Royal Opera House reopened in 1999 after an 18-month renovation. It seats 2,268 people and consists of four tiers of boxes and balconies. What actor financed the construction of the original theater in 1732? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Larry Bird (1956)Bird was an American basketball player. After spending most of his collegiate career at Indiana State University, he was drafted by the Boston Celtics in 1978 and became a perennial all-star. He led the Celtics to three championships and was named the league's most valuable player as many times. He retired after winning gold with the 1992 US Olympic "Dream Team." What future rival did Bird face in a college basketball championship game and then again in three professional championship series? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Compromise used to mean that half a loaf was better than no bread. Among modern statesmen it really seems to mean that half a loaf is better than a whole loaf.Gilbert Chesterton (1874-1936) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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aha moment— A moment or instance at which a sudden, revelatory idea, realization, or solution to a problem comes to mind. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Burning the Devil (2019)La Quema del Diablo takes place in Guatemala. Men dressed as devils chase children through the streets from the start of Advent until December 7, the eve of the Immaculate Conception. On this day, fires are lit in the streets of Guatemala City and other towns, and the devils' reign of terror comes to an end. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: quietcoy, quiet - Coy and quiet derive from Latin quietus, "at rest, in repose," with coy coming from the Old French form coi (earlier quei), and quiet coming straight from Latin; the original sense of coy was "quiet, still." More... conticent - If something is hushed or quiet, it is conticent. More... q.t. - An abbreviation for "quiet," as in, on the q.t. (or QT). More... wildtrack, room tone - The wildtrack or room tone consists of the barely audible noises that make up a background sense of quiet. More... | |