Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, October 14, 2023)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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scintilla
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Defining DeterminersDeterminers are used to introduce a noun or noun phrase. There are several classes of determiners: articles, demonstrative adjectives, possessive adjectives, interrogative adjectives, distributive determiners, pre-determiners, quantifiers, and numbers. What two things do determiners do? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Ming DynastyThe Ming dynasty ruled over China from 1368-1644. The first Ming emperor, Chu Yüan-chang, had been a Buddhist monk before joining a rebellion, gaining control of it, and overthrowing the Mongol Yüan dynasty. Chu Yüan-chang effectively unified China, setting up a strong centralized government and instituting economic recovery programs. Despite these political modifications, the dynasty never set up a viable tax policy and always struggled financially. What was the purpose of the Jinyiwei? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Chuck Yeager Breaks the Sound Barrier (1947)Days before becoming the first person to fly faster than the speed of sound, Yeager, a US Air Force test pilot, broke two ribs riding a horse. Afraid of being taken off the mission, he kept his injury a secret, even though it limited his movement so much that he had to reach with a broom handle to close the hatch on the X-1 experimental aircraft. Launched mid-air from a modified bomber, the X-1 broke the sound barrier, and Yeager became a legend. How fast was he flying when he went supersonic? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Ralph Lauren (1939)Lauren began designing ties while working as a tie salesman and opened his own business in 1967. His first menswear line, under the Polo name, debuted the next year, and the mesh sport shirt—featuring an emblem of a polo player—would become his signature piece. His expensive creations evoke the look of the English aristocracy as adopted by the East-Coast American elite. His label also appears on furnishings, tableware, and luggage. What made him change his last name to Lauren? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Those who do not complain are never pitied.Jane Austen (1775-1817) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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set (someone or something) loose— To make free or give up control of something or someone; to release or discharge something or someone, as from confinement. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Kenka Matsuri (2025)The Kenka Matsuri (Roughhouse Festival) takes place October 14-15 in Shirahama, Japan, and thousands flock to the shrine where the festival is held. The roughhousing starts as teams of mikoshi-bearers jostle each other for position in the procession to the Matsubara Hachiman Shrine. Once they reach the shrine, they spin their heavy burden, raise it up high in the air, and let it crash to the ground—difficult maneuvers designed to thrill the crowd. The mikoshi engage in a final battle in an open field, where thousands of cheering spectators take sides and egg them on. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: ranchbiscuit shooter - A waitress at a lunch counter or a cook on a ranch. More... dude, dude ranch - A dude is a city-dweller, especially one vacationing on a ranch—hence, dude ranch. More... ranch dressing - A creamy buttermilk-based dressing with garlic and other spices and herbs, developed at Hidden Valley Ranch in Santa Barbara in the 1950s. More... ranch - From Spanish rancho, "group of persons eating together." More... | |