Daily Content Archive
(as of Tuesday, January 13, 2015)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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lackadaisical
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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EllipsesAn ellipsis is a series of three consecutive periods known as ellipsis points ( . . . ) used to indicate where words have been omitted from quoted text. When are brackets placed around ellipses? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Doberman PinscherOften used in police work, the Doberman pinscher is a breed of dog with a great capacity for training and a reputation for loyalty and intelligence, making it an excellent companion. Its short tail is the result of docking, a procedure in which most of the tail is amputated shortly after birth. The dogs are named for Louis Dobermann, who created the breed in 19th-century Germany by crossing German sheepherding dogs with the Rottweiler and Manchester terrier. What does "pinscher" mean in German? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 First Successful Escape from an Aircraft Using the Ejection Seat (1942)Ejection seats are used in aircraft to quickly propel occupants out in an emergency. Today, they are fired by an explosive charge, but the first ejection seats were powered by compressed air. One of the first aircrafts to be fitted with such a system was the German Heinkel He 280 prototype jet fighter. While testing the He 280 during WWII, pilot Helmut Schenk became the first person to use an ejection seat to make an emergency escape from an aircraft. What went wrong during his test flight? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Antoinette Bourignon (1616)Bourignon was a Flemish Christian mystic. After spending a short time in a convent and as head of an orphanage, she gathered a fanatical following at Amsterdam, believing herself divinely directed to restore the pure spirit of the Gospel. Moving from place to place, she took her printing press with her and disseminated her teachings. Her mystical ideas found particular favor in Scotland, where Bourignianism was declared a heresy. Why did Bourignon flee her home in 1636? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Ignorance... is a painless evil; so, I should think, is dirt, considering the merry faces that go along with it.George Eliot (1819-1880) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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grand total— The final amount after adding several different numbers or sums. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Stephen Foster Memorial Day (2015)Stephen Collins Foster (1826-1864) was a composer whose popular songs and ballads have found a lasting place in American music. When he died at the age of 37, he left behind more than 200 compositions—among them "Camptown Races," "Oh! Susanna," and "Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair." January 13, the anniversary of Foster's death, was proclaimed Stephen Foster Memorial Day in 1951. In Florida, this day is part of Stephen Foster Memorial Week, and events include performances by musical groups from schools and universities throughout the state. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: northarctic - Comes from the ancient Greeks' word for north, arktikos, literally "of the bear"; arctic should be pronounced AHRK-tik. More... above - Traces back to Old English bove, first meaning "north" and later taking the meaning of "overhead." More... true north - North according to the earth's axis, not magnetic north. More... cold - When the moon is far to the north, it is popularly called a cold moon. More... | |