Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, October 6, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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glister
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Forming the Future Continuous TenseTo form the future continuous, we use "will be" or "is/are going to be" + the present participle of the main verb. Much of the time, either construction may be used with no appreciable difference in the meaning of the sentence. However, we sometimes use the "will be" construction for actions or events that are more certain to happen, whereas the "going to be" construction can be used to imply what? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 MaenadsAlso called bacchantes, maenads were female followers of the Greek wine-god Dionysus. The name "maenad" comes from a Greek word meaning "mad" or "demented." During the rites of Dionysus, maenads roamed the mountains and forests performing frenzied, ecstatic dances and were believed to be possessed by the god. While under his influence, they supposedly had extraordinary strength, and it was said they could tear animals—or people—to pieces. This was the fate met by what mythological figure? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Battle of Tigranocerta (69 BCE)Through an alliance with his father-in-law, Mithradates VI of Pontus, Armenian King Tigranes the Great extended his conquests across Asia Minor and founded Tigranocerta—the modern Siirt, Turkey—as the capital of his large empire. In 69 BCE, Roman forces led by General Lucullus captured Tigranocerta. With the aid of Tigranes's son, Pompey vanquished Tigranes, who lost all of his conquests and had to pay tribute to Rome. What early form of chemical warfare was employed during the battle? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Wenceslaus III of Bohemia (1289)Wenceslaus III was king of Bohemia and of Hungary. Unable to assert his authority in Hungary, even with the help of his father, Wenceslaus II, he relinquished his claim to Duke Otto of Bavaria in 1305. He attempted to assert his hereditary claim to the Polish crown but was assassinated while marching to Poland. After an interregnum, John of Luxemburg, who married Wenceslaus's sister, was elected king of Bohemia. Wenceslaus III was the last member of what dynasty? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Observation is an old man's memory.Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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dead asleep— In a deep, immovable sleep. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 German-American Day (2019)Descendants of the earliest German settlers have observed October 6 as German Pioneer Day or German Settlement Day since 1908, but it wasn't until 1987 that October 6 was formally designated German-American Day by President Ronald Reagan. It is often observed by attending events that promote an understanding of the contributions of German immigrants—for example, lectures on German history, art, music, and literature; exhibits featuring German artifacts; performances of German music; and church services that acknowledge German-American members of the congregation. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: splashjaup, jawp - A jaup or jawp is the splash of liquid against a surface or the sound made by liquid sloshing around in a container. More... jabble - Turbulence on the surface of water; to jabble is "to splash or splatter." More... spritzer - From German, meaning "splash." More... swab - As in "mop the decks," it is a back-formation from swabber, "sailor who mops the decks," from a Germanic base meaning "splash." More... | |