Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, September 7, 2016)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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fiat
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Using Adverbial PhrasesAn "adverbial phrase" (also known as an "adverb phrase") is a group of words that functions as an adverb in a sentence. What do adverbial phrases typically give descriptions of? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Seizure of the Grand MosqueOn November 20, 1979, approximately 200 armed Islamic fundamentalist dissidents opposed to the Saudi ruling family took over Islam's holiest place, the Al-Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. After 127 Saudi Arabian National Guard members were killed in an unsuccessful attempt to regain control, the nervous Saudi government called in French and Pakistani forces, which retook the shrine in a battle that left approximately 250 dead and 600 wounded. What happened to the surviving militants? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 First Miss America Pageant Held in Atlantic City, New Jersey (1921)The Miss America Pageant, now an American institution, began in 1921 as an attempt by Atlantic City businessmen to keep tourists in town after Labor Day. The weeklong event features the 50 state pageant winners and includes evening gown, swimsuit, and talent competitions. Its winner receives a $50,000 scholarship and spends the next year traveling and making lucrative personal appearances. What unusual skills have contestants demonstrated in the talent competition over the years? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Laura Ashley (1925)Ashley was a British fashion designer and manufacturer. After serving in the Women's Royal Naval Service during WWII, she founded a company with her husband to produce silkscreened placemats, scarves, and tea towels. Her romantic and old-fashioned look carried over into women's clothing, home furnishings, children's wear, fabrics, wall coverings, and decorative accessories. What actress is credited with popularizing the style of headscarf that Ashley designed early in her career? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Fortune always leaves a door open in adversity in order to bring relief to it.Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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clout list— A secret list of people who, through advantageous connections and relationships with people of affluence, authority, or political influence, are given preferential consideration during an admissions or appointments process. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 International Camel Races (2019)The International Camel Races, the only camel races in the United States, have been held since 1954 in Virginia City, Nevada, the one-time mining town considered the richest place on earth in the 1860s. It was thought that camels could work like mules in the mines, but they didn't last long; their hoofs didn't adapt to the rocky terrain. There are some camels kept in town today, though, and others are imported for the races. The three-day race weekend now includes a Camel Hump Ball; a parade, including belly dancers and bagpipe players; and a race of ostriches pulling chariots. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: wastewastrel - Pronounced WAYS-trul, it is either a wasteful or worthless person, derived from the verb "waste," from Latin vastus, "desert, waste." More... bratwurst - From German Brat, "meat without waste," and Wurst, "sausage." More... eat your heart out - Goes back as far as Diogenes Laertius, who credited Pythagoras with saying "Do not eat your heart"—meaning "Don't waste your life worrying about something"—2,500 years ago. More... sullage - Waste from household sinks, showers, and baths—but not toilets; it also figuratively means filth or refuse. More... | |