Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, December 28, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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blowhard
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Collective Nouns and Plural NounsCollective nouns are very similar to plural nouns. Plural nouns are nouns that refer to multiple people, places, or things, and they primarily (but not always) have what endings? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 WinklepickersA staple of rock-and-roll fashion in Britain from the 1950s onward, winklepicker shoes and boots are noted for their extremely pointed toes. They were originally worn by both male and female rock-and-roll fans, and later became popular with the mod and punk subcultures as well. Their association with the music scene continues to this day, as they are worn by members of bands such as Kings of Leon and The Horrors. From what kitchen utensil did winklepickers derive their unusual name? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Lumière Brothers' First Film Screening for a Paying Public Audience (1895)In 1882, French inventor Louis Lumière developed a method of making photographic plates. By 1894, he and his brother August were producing 15 million plates a year. They worked on improving Edison's kinetoscope, and, in 1895, patented their combination movie camera and projector, the Cinématographe. Their 46-second film La Sortie des ouvriers de l'usine Lumière is considered the first motion picture and was one of 10 included in their first public film screening. What is its subject? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 John von Neumann (1903)Neumann was a Hungarian-born American mathematician. He emigrated to the US in 1930 to teach at Princeton University and was among the original faculty of its Institute for Advanced Study. He solved one of David Hilbert's 23 theoretical problems, collaborated on an algebraic ring with profound applications in quantum physics, and helped develop the atomic bomb. He later made major contributions to the development of computers. What branch of applied mathematics did he help found? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 To note an artist's limitations is but to define his talent. A reporter can write equally well about everything that is presented to his view, but a creative writer can do his best only with what lies within the range and character of his deepest sympathies.Willa Cather (1873-1947) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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long-run— (used before a noun) Involving, maturing after, or lasting for a long period of time. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Feast of St. Gabriel (Ethiopia) (2020)St. Gabriel is one of the most popular Ethiopian Orthodox saints and is believed to intercede on behalf of those who pray to him more than other saints. Thousands of Orthodox Christians, Muslims, Greeks, Armenians, and tribal people make a pilgrimage on his feast day to Kullubi, Ethiopia. Many carry boulders on their backs in a show of piety, and women often carry babies named after the saint to the local church's baptismal font, as St. Gabriel has a reputation for granting the requests of women who wish to become pregnant. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: pardouble eagle - Three strokes under par on a single golf hole. Also called an albatross. More... par - Latin, literally "equal, equality." More... double bogey - Two strokes over par. More... birdie - The golf term birdie is a diminutive of bird, "first-rate thing," as it is one stroke under par for a hole. More... | |