Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, October 23, 2015)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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necropolis
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Prepositions Used for Different MediaWe use the preposition "in" when we are talking about something appearing in printed media. What preposition do we use to talk about something appearing on televised or digital media? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Mechanical TurkIn 1770, Wolfgang von Kempelen unveiled his Mechanical Turk, a chess-playing automaton. Dressed in a cloak and turban and seated behind a chessboard, the mannequin played chess and executed complex mathematical puzzles. The Turk performed before numerous world leaders before it was revealed to be a hoax; the cabinet beneath the chessboard, which housed the internal mechanism, actually hid a chess master who secretly operated the machine. Which French Emperor was defeated by von Kempelen's Turk? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Battle of Edgehill (1642)The Battle of Edgehill was the first major engagement of the English Civil War, fought between the Royalist army of King Charles I and the Parliamentarians. The battle ended in a draw, and its inconclusive result prevented either faction from gaining a quick victory in the war, which eventually resulted in the execution of the king and the establishment of a republican commonwealth. What did a group of Parliamentarian troops under Faithfull Fortescue do when the Royalists charged them? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 John William "Johnny" Carson (1925)Two years after a 12-year-old Carson sent away for a magic kit, "The Great Carsoni" gave his first performance. He continued his show business career by working as a radio announcer and television comedy writer and went on to host several television quiz shows from 1955 to 1962. He first appeared on The Tonight Show in 1958. He was permanent host from 1962 to 1992, and his personable demeanor and wry humor made it America's most popular late-night program. How many times was he married? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Two cheers for Democracy: one because it admits variety and two because it permits criticism.E. M. Forster (1879-1970) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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don't let the door hit you on the way out— Leave here quickly and directly; don't linger on your way out the door. Used sarcastically to express one's desire to see someone leave. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Hungary Republic Day (2018)In Hungary, Republic Day and the 1956 Revolution are celebrated on October 23 and originally commemorated the 1956 uprising against Soviet control. On October 23, 1989, in honor of the previous revolution, Hungarians established a new republic, amending the constitution to allow multiparty politics, public assembly, and create separation of power in the government. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: shedtrain shed - A large structure sheltering tracks and platforms of a railroad station. More... hangar - Simply meant "shed" for carriages when it came into English. More... shebang - May come from an Irish name for a speakeasy—shebeen—so the "whole shebeen" was the whole drinking establishment; shebang also first meant "hut, shed, dwelling." More... shoding, shed - The part in a person's hair is the shoding or shed. More... | |