Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, September 17, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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lummox
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Forming Proper AdjectivesProper adjectives are formed from proper nouns, and like proper nouns, they are capitalized. They are often made from the names of cities, countries, or regions to describe where something comes from. What else can proper adjectives be formed from? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Traumatic InseminationTraumatic insemination is a form of mating in some invertebrates in which the male pierces the female's abdomen and injects sperm through the wound. The sperm then travel to the female's ovaries. Though it often results in successful reproduction, the practice can be harmful to females, as the wound is susceptible to infection, and immune reactions can occur. Homosexual and inter-species instances of the practice have also been observed. What insect reproduces solely by traumatic insemination? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Battle of Antietam (1862)In September 1862, Confederate General Robert E. Lee crossed the Potomac River to invade Maryland and Pennsylvania. He was met by Union General George McClellan. The resulting Battle of Antietam, fought near Sharpsburg, Maryland, was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with a total of 23,000 casualties. It was a Union victory only in the sense that Lee's invasion was stopped. McClellan was later removed from command and was faulted for failing to act on what crucial opportunity? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 William Carlos Williams (1883)Trained as a pediatrician, Williams wrote poetry and practiced medicine in his New Jersey hometown. Regarded as one of the most original American poets of the 20th century, he closely observed American life and recorded his impressions in a lucid style. His poems, such as "The Red Wheelbarrow" and "This Is Just To Say," are noted for making the ordinary appear extraordinary. He lost a post at the Library of Congress after one of his works drew scorn—as a result of what misunderstanding? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Silence gives the proper grace to women.Sophocles (496 BC-406 BC) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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I shudder to think— It is too worrying or unpleasant for me to think about something that might happen or might have happened. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Visvakarma Puja (2020)Dedicated to Visvakarma, the patron god of all Hindu artisans, the Festival of Tools is a workers' holiday in India dedicated to each individual's most important tool or instrument. A pitcher representing the god is set in a place of honor in every home and shop, and before it the people lay their most important tool. Sometimes incense is burned or scented water is sprinkled over the tool. Workers give thanks for their tools and implore Visvakarma's help in plying their trade. After this ceremony is over, people gather in parks or public places and spend the rest of the day with games and feasting. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: tidesriver estuary - The mouth of a river that is influenced by the tides. More... ebb - Suggests the receding of something (e.g. tides) that commonly comes and goes. More... riptide - Is actually a current, not a tide. More... canonical hours - The seven canonical hours of the church were called tides, and tide—from an Indo-European root meaning "to divide"—is used with other words to denote a definite interval of time: noontide, Eastertide, eventide, summertide, etc. More... | |