Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, December 15, 2018)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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abbess
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Forming Superlative AdverbsSuperlative adverbs are used to describe differences among three or more people or things. We form superlative adverbs by adding the ending "-est" to the base adverb, or by adding what word before the base adverb? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The MatchlockInvented in the 15th century, the matchlock was the first mechanical device for igniting gunpowder and a major advance in small-arms manufacture. It consisted of an S-shaped arm designed to hold a lit match and a trigger that would lower it into a flash pan and ignite the priming powder that would then ignite the main charge. Though slow and rather clumsy, the matchlock allowed users to keep both hands on the weapon and both eyes on the target when firing. What eventually replaced the matchlock? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Gone with the Wind Premieres in Atlanta, Georgia (1939)American writer Margaret Mitchell only published one novel during her lifetime—Gone with the Wind—and it became one of the most popular novels in the history of American publishing. In 1939, an extraordinarily successful film version of the book was released, transferring the romantic, panoramic portrait of the Civil War and Reconstruction periods in Georgia to the big screen. The movie won 10 Academy Awards. Why did the film's leading man, Clark Gable, threaten to boycott the premiere? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Ludwig Lazarus "L. L." Zamenhof (1859)Born and raised in Bialystok, a city on the Polish-Russian border populated by Poles, Germans, and Belarusians, Zamenhof was profoundly affected by the ethnic conflict he witnessed all around him. In his estimation, the primary cause of such conflict was mutual misunderstanding. Thus, he reasoned, removing communication barriers would foster peace. To this end, the young doctor and linguist devoted himself to developing an international language called "Esperanto," which means what? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Children have a natural antipathy to books--handicraft should be the basis of education. Boys and girls should be taught to use their hands to make something, and they would be less apt to destroy and be mischievous.Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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loaf about— To waste time idly; to spend time doing little or nothing. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Bill of Rights Day (2018)The first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution of 1787—referred to collectively as the Bill of Rights—were ratified on December 15, 1791. This landmark document protected American citizens from specific abuses by their government and guaranteed such basic rights as the freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press. In 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt designated December 15 as Bill of Rights Day and called upon Americans to observe it with appropriate patriotic ceremonies. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: remembermoment - To have a moment is to suddenly forget where you are and what's going on; it is also called a bristlecone or a senior moment. More... absence of mind - The failure to remember what one is doing. More... brain cloud - The temporary inability to think properly, or to remember something. More... souvenir - Literally French for "remember," from Latin subvenire, "occur to the mind." More... | |