Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, January 28, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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corpulent
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Possessive Reciprocal PronounsWhen we wish to make reciprocal pronouns possessive, we always treat them as singular. What ending is added to show possession? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Suez CanalOne of the world's most heavily used shipping lanes, the Suez Canal extends 101 mi (163 km) from Port Said to the Gulf of Suez and connects the Red Sea with the Mediterranean Sea, allowing ships to sail directly between the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean. After its completion in 1869, its ownership remained in French and British hands until Egypt nationalized it in 1956, sparking an international crisis, during which it was closed for one of the two times in its history. When was the second? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice First Published (1813)Austen wrote Pride and Prejudice while living at "Steventon," her father's Hampshire vicarage where she spent the first 25 years of her life. However, the book was not published until much later—in 1813, four years before her death. Like Austen's other novels, Pride and Prejudice is a comedy of manners that depicts the self-contained world of provincial ladies and gentlemen. In 2003, the novel placed second in a BBC poll for the "UK's Best-Loved Book." What book came first? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Colette (1873)In her highly eventful life, French novelist Colette freely flouted convention and repeatedly scandalized the public, but by her later years, she had become a national icon. Her numerous novels are marked by sensitive observations—particularly of women—and an intimate style. Among her works are The Vagabond, a fictionalized account of her time as a music-hall performer, and Gigi, a comedy about a girl reared to be courtesan. In 1907, she nearly caused a riot by doing what on stage? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 There's none so blind as they that won't see.Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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lubrication payment— A small sum of money or other gifts or services to be paid or given to government officials to expedite business operations in countries that do not prohibit such activity. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 National Cowboy Poetry Gathering (2024)The National Cowboy Poetry Gathering is a celebration of the old tradition of cowboy poetry in the buckaroo town of Elko, Nevada. The gathering, which began in 1985 with about 50 working cowboys, has become a six-day affair in the last week of January that now includes folk-music concerts, western dances, exhibits of cowboy gear, and workshops not only on writing but also on such topics as horse-hair braiding and photography. Poetry remains the heart of the festival, and the poets—all working ranch people—include men, women, and children. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: tubecanyon - Gets its name from Spanish canon, "tube." More... catheter - A tube inserted for withdrawing bodily fluids, it comes from Greek kathienai, "send or let down." More... fuse - Comes from Italian fuso, "spindle," from Latin fusus, "spindle," as it originally referred to the casing or tube filled with combustible matter. More... | |