Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, September 23, 2015)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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peavey
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Noun ClausesA noun clause is a type of dependent clause that is able to function grammatically like a noun in a sentence. What words most commonly begin a noun clause? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Water ClockThe clepsydra, or water clock, is an ancient timekeeper that operates by measuring the regulated flow of liquid into or out of a vessel. It is believed to have been used in Egypt as early as 2,000 BCE, making it one of the earliest known time-measurement devices. Early water clocks were calibrated with a sundial, and they remained the most accurate timekeeping devices until the invention of the pendulum clock in the 17th century. When did knowing the time become important to the common man? 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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 If youth did not matter so much to itself it would never have the heart to go on.Willa Cather (1873-1947) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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a legend in (one's) own lifetime— A person who has an extraordinary level of fame or reputation while he or she is still alive. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Candy Dance Arts and Crafts Faire (2017)In 1919, the Candy Dance began in the town of Genoa, in northern Nevada, as a way to raise funds to install street lights. This soon became a popular event, attracting dancers from Reno and Carson City to join the fun. More than two tons of candy are now consumed during the dance weekend. In the 1970s, an arts and crafts fair was added to the two-day event. Activities for children include candle-making, face-painting, and tattoos. The Candy Dance Arts and Crafts Faire, as it is now officially known, provides a substantial part of Genoa's annual operating budget. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: hirefreelance - Comes from the knights whose lances were free for hire and who were not pledged to one master; originally, a freelance was a free companion or a person free of occupational or political party obligation or allegiance. More... hire - As a noun, it originally meant the payment for the use of something. More... claque - A group of people hired to applaud an act or performer. More... dry lease, wet lease - To rent an aircraft without a crew is a dry lease; a wet lease is to hire an aircraft with a crew. More... | |
| In the News | |
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Ancient Squirrel's Nest Leads to Discovery of Giant VirusThank an ancient squirrel, climate change, and French scientists for the new discovery of an ancient virus, Mollivirus sibericum, that sounds like it could launch a creepy movie. "Actually, there's already a science-fiction novel inspired by one of ... More... | |