Daily Content Archive
(as of Monday, June 20, 2016)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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midden
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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DashesThere are two similar but distinct punctuation marks called dashes: the en dash ( – ) and the em dash ( — ). What are en dashes used to indicate? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Sexual DimorphismThe term sexual dimorphism describes the physical differences between males and females of the same species that arise as a consequence of sexual maturation. These differences can manifest as variations in size and color, and the presence or absence of body parts used in courtship displays or fights. In some cases, the sexual dimorphism is so striking that males and females of the same species are mistaken as members of entirely different species. What is one example of this? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Battle of Chalons (451 CE)Perhaps one of the most important battles of late antiquity, the Battle of Chalons is known only from written records and its exact location remains a mystery, though it probably took place in northeastern France. In this battle, the Romans and Visigoths stopped the advance of the Huns under Attila and, some say, preserved Western civilization. The battle was brutal, and legend holds that the ghosts of the dead continued to fight for days. By some accounts, the battle was fought over what woman? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Errol Flynn (1909)As a young man, the Australian-born Flynn led an adventurous life, pursuing various careers in the Pacific before taking up acting in England. He soon became a Hollywood star, playing swashbuckling heroes in such films as Captain Blood and Robin Hood. Scandals involving drinking and womanizing marred his reputation, and his career faltered until a lauded return in The Sun Also Rises in 1957. Numerous legends surround the circumstances of his death. What were his last words? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Conscience is harder than our enemies,Knows more, accuses with more nicety. George Eliot (1819-1880) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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end (something) on a high note— To finish, complete, or leave (something) at a successful, impressive, or climactic point. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Gorilla Naming Ceremony (Kwita Izina) (2020)In Kinyarwandan, a language spoken primarily in Rwanda, Kwita Izina means "to give a name," referring to a long-standing ceremony for naming newborn Rwandan babies. In the 21st century, the tradition has extended to naming newborn mountain gorillas. First launched in 2005, the ceremony is a jubilant affair that includes traditional Rwandan dance and music. Each animal is publicly named by a notable figure from Rwanda or another country, and a fundraising gala dinner often accompanies the Kwita Izina to raise additional funds for gorilla conservation campaigns. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: staffbaguette - Means "little rod" and is derived from Latin baculum, "staff, stick." More... dough - As in money, it almost certainly came from bread (another slang term for it), because bread is the staff of life. More... staff - From Germanic stabaz, "stick"; its sense as "employees" is probably an allusion to the carrying of a staff of office by a person in charge. More... miter, mitre, crosier - The tall, pointy hat of a bishop or abbot is the miter/mitre—from Greek mitra, "headdress"; a crosier is a bishop's staff. More... | |