Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, May 24, 2017)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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impermanent
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Concrete and Abstract NounsConcrete nouns name people, places, or things with physical properties. Abstract nouns name intangible things, such as concepts, feelings, characteristics, etc. Gerunds are verbs that end in "-ing" and function as nouns. Are they concrete or abstract? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 SquattingSquatting is the act of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied space or building that one does not own, rent, or have permission to use. Many of the slums and shanty towns found in the world's poorest countries began as squats established on illegally occupied land. Commonly seen in urban areas the world over, squats function as residences as well as social centers. According to one source, there may be as many as one billion squatters globally. What is the international squatters' symbol? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 "Mary Had a Little Lamb" Published (1830)"Mary Had a Little Lamb" is a 19th century American nursery rhyme. It was written by Sarah Josepha Hale, who turned to writing in 1822 as a widow trying to support her family and who eventually became an influential editor and arbiter of American taste. Thomas Edison recited part of the poem to test his invention of the phonograph, and a host of musicians have recorded versions of it. The nursery rhyme is said to have been based on an actual incident in which what happened? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Suzanne Lenglen (1899)One of the first international female sports stars, Lenglen was a French tennis player and a prolific champion. She won 31 championship titles from 1914 to 1926, including the world hard-court singles and doubles titles (1914); French women's singles (1920–23, 1925–26); and British women's singles crowns and doubles (1919-1923, 1925). In 1920, she won a gold medal at the Olympic Games. The first female tennis celebrity and a flamboyant trendsetter, she was given what nickname by the press? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 I can see the humorous side of things and enjoy the fun when it comes; but look where I will, there seems to me always more sadness than joy in life.Jerome K. Jerome (1859-1927) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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a good scout— An honest, affable, reliable, and trustworthy person. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Northwest Folklife Festival (2019)The Northwest Folklife Festival is an international four-day event started in 1972 in Seattle, Washington. The emphasis is on amateur performers and ethnicity, with some 100 countries represented. Events include music and dance on 17 stages; demonstrations by artisans of such skills as leather tanning, boatbuilding, blacksmithing, and broom making; and an International Food Village that offers food from more than 30 nations. The festival spans the Memorial Day weekend, starting on Friday and winding up on Monday. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: princeadmiral - First used in English to mean "an emir or prince under the Sultan," coming from Arabic amir al, "commander of"; admiral was originally a sea lord due to the office of amir-al-bahr or amir-al-ma (Arabic), "ameer/emir of the sea." More... prince - Derived from Latin princeps, "chief man" or "leading citizen." More... tycoon - Comes from Japanese tai, "great," and kun, "prince, lord," from Chinese da, "great," and jun, "prince, ruler." More... whipping boy - Meaning "scapegoat," the phrase derives from the boy formerly raised with a prince or other young nobleman and whipped for the latter's misdeeds. More... | |