Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, December 24, 2016)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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furbelow
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Defining Attributive AdjectivesAttributive adjectives are adjectives that describe a characteristic (or attribute) of the noun or pronoun that they modify. They form part of a noun phrase, appearing immediately before (or sometimes after) the noun in a sentence. Why are attributive adjectives usually considered in opposition to predicative adjectives? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Aztec WarfareWarfare was a fundamental part of Aztec society and was the driving force behind its economy and religion. The Aztecs used warfare to achieve two main objectives: the subjugation of city states to exact tribute and expand political influence and the taking of captives for religious sacrifice. Members of warrior societies were even ranked according to the number of captives they had taken in battle. Which warrior society's members swore not to take a step backward during battle on pain of death? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Ku Klux Klan Is Formed (1865)The Ku Klux Klan is the name of two distinct secret societies that played a part in American history. The first Klan was an organization that thrived in the South during the Reconstruction period following the Civil War. The second was a nationwide organization that flourished after World War I. Subsequent groups calling themselves the Ku Klux Klan sprang up in much of the South after World War II and in response to civil-rights activity during the 1960s. How did the Ku Klux Klan gets its name? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Isidor Feinstein Stone (1907)Stone worked on several newspapers in his native Philadelphia and in New York before starting his own investigative newsletter, I. F. Stone's Weekly. It was believed to have an influence far greater than the size of its readership, which included some of the nation's most prominent politicians, academicians, and journalists. The sole author, Stone created a unique blend of wit and pointed political commentary. After his death, Stone was alleged to have been a secret agent for what nation? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 It is very difficult to be wholly joyous or wholly sad on this earth. The comic, when it is human, soon takes upon itself a face of pain; and some of our griefs...have their source in weaknesses which must be recognized with smiling compassion as the common inheritance of us all.Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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go to the mattresses— To enter into or prepare for a lengthy war, battle, or conflict; to adopt a combative or warlike position. While the true origin is uncertain, the phrase was popularized in English by The Godfather novel and films, where it referred to warring mafia families housing their soldiers in small, secure apartments to await orders. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Christmas Eve (Finland) (2019)Before sitting down to the traditional Christmas Eve dinner, many Finns go to church and place flowers and lighted candles on the graves of departed family members. Then the family gathers around the table and listens to the head of the household read a Christmas prayer. The meal itself includes lipeäkala (the Christmas fish) and ham, various breads, a kind of plum cake known as torttuja, and the traditional rice pudding in which an almond has been hidden. According to superstition, the boy or girl who finds it will be married before the next Christmas. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: proteinalbumen, albumin - Albumen is the white of an egg, from Latin albus, "white"; albumin is a protein within the albumen. More... protein - Pronounced PRO-teen or PRO-tee-un, it comes from Greek proteios, "primary," as these compounds are essential to all living organisms. More... protoplasm - A mixture of organic and inorganic substances, such as protein and water, it is regarded as the physical basis of life. More... textured vegetable protein - A protein obtained from soy beans and made to resemble minced meat. More... | |