Daily Content Archive
(as of Sunday, August 23, 2015)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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costermonger
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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ConversionWhen we use a verb or adjective as a noun without changing its spelling in any way, it is called "conversion" or "zero derivation." Conversion is especially common with what part of speech? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 HafezHafez was a 14th-century Persian mystic and poet. His ghazals, or lyrical poems, are noted for the beautiful manner in which the themes of love, mysticism, and Sufism are presented. Much that is known about Hafez comes from legend and myth, though scholars believe he was the disciple of the Attar of Shiraz. Hafez faced charges of blasphemy during his life over the content of his poetry, but an elaborate tomb was erected in his honor 20 years after his death. What is inscribed on his tombstone? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Freckleton Air Disaster (1944)On the morning of August 23, 1944, an American B-24 bomber aircraft crashed into the village of Freckleton in Lancashire, England, during a fierce storm. The plane hit the Holy Trinity School, three houses, and a snack bar for American servicemen. Fuel from the plane's ruptured fuel tank created an inferno. Of the 61 people killed in the crash and fire, 38 were children. What reportedly widespread belief among the American airmen about British weather may have contributed to the disaster? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Ernst Krenek (1900)Krenek was an Austrian-American composer born in Vienna to Czech parents. He studied in Berlin and Vienna and began composing in the 1920s. His 1926 jazz opera, Johnny Strikes Up, was extremely successful and has been translated into many languages. He explored atonal and 12-tone compositions, which lack a definable key. In 1937, Krenek moved to the US, where he became a citizen in 1945. In 1924, he began a short-lived marriage to the daughter of what famous composer? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 How pleasant it is for a father to sit at his child's board. It is like an aged man reclining under the shadow of an oak which he has planted.Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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hold (one's) nerve— To remain calm, steady, and resolute, especially in the face of danger or adversity. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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.jpg) Rishi Panchami (2020)Hindus devote the day of Rishi Panchami to the Sapta Rishis, the seven seers of Brahma: Bhrigu, Pulastya, Kratu, Pulaha, Marichi, Atri, and Vasistha. An earthenware or copper pitcher filled with water is placed on an altar sanctified with cow dung. The seven seers are then worshipped with betel leaf, flowers, camphor, and lamps. Only fruits are eaten on this day. Rishi Panchami is primarily a women's festival, but men may observe it for the well-being and happiness of their wives. Devi Arundhati, the wife of Rishi Vasistha and a model of conjugal excellence, is also worshipped on this day. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: taxexcise - As in tax, it is from Middle Dutch excijs, from Latin accensum, "to tax." More... tax - From Latin taxare, "censure, charge, or compute." More... toll - Traces back to Greek telos, "tax." More... disposable income, surplus income - Disposable income or surplus income is what you have left after taxes and other government obligations—i.e. what you have left to live on. More... | |