Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, March 23, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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thaumaturge
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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SlashesThe slash ( / )—technically known as a virgule but also called a slant, solidus, or stroke—serves a number of purposes in writing. What are they? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Witch BallsA witch ball is a hollow sphere of plain or stained glass that was originally hung in windows to ward off evil spirits, witch's spells, or ill fortune. According to folk tales, the bright colors of witch balls, traditionally green or blue, would entice evil spirits, and strands inside the ball would capture them and prevent them from escaping. The colorful spheres eventually became popular simply as decorative objects. What modern decorations may have been inspired by witch balls? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Benito Mussolini Founds the Fasci di Combattimento (1919)In the troubled period following WWI, Mussolini organized his followers, mostly veterans, into a paramilitary organization that promoted aggressive nationalism and violently opposed communism and socialism. Amid strikes, unrest, and governmental failure, Mussolini advocated the use of force to restore order. In 1921, his Fasci di Combattimento became the Fascist Party, planting the seeds for the regime that would rule Italy for nearly 20 years. What title did Mussolini choose for himself? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Margaret of Anjou (1430)Margaret was queen consort of King Henry VI of England and ruled during her husband's frequent bouts of mental illness. With the king insane and childless, Richard, duke of York, was poised to inherit the throne. However, in 1453, Margaret gave birth to a son. The convoluted struggle over who would be king resulted in the War of the Roses, which, by 1471, had left most of those involved dead—except for Margaret. In May of that year, she led an army at the battle of Tewkesbury. Who won? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Wine is a turncoat; first a friend and then an enemy.Henry Fielding (1707-1754) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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have a mountain to climb— To have an extremely difficult, seemingly impossible task at hand. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Pakistan Day (2020)This national holiday is also known as Republic Day, and it is the anniversary of a 1940 resolution calling for a Muslim country for Muslim Indians. On the same day in 1956, Pakistan became an Islamic republic within the British Commonwealth. Pakistan Day is celebrated with parades and fairs. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: vigorvim, vigor - Vim is the same as vigor. More... bouncing - In bouncing baby, it means "vigorous." More... feckful - Means "efficient, vigorous," or "powerful." More... macho, machismo - Macho is from Mexican Spanish, meaning "male animal or plant" or "masculine, vigorous"—from Latin masculus, "male"; machismo (pronounced mah-CHEEZ-mo) is based on macho. More... | |