Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, September 3, 2015)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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thurible
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Irregular Comparative AdverbsJust as there are irregular adverbs, there are irregular comparative adverbs. "Well" is an example of an irregular comparative adverb. What are some others? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Mother-of-PearlNacre, also known as mother-of-pearl, is the iridescent substance that forms the shell lining of some fresh-water and salt-water mollusks. Just like the pearl, it is a mantle tissue secretion and is composed of alternating layers of calcium carbonate and conchiolin. It serves to both smooth the shell and defend it against parasitic organisms and damaging debris. Its iridescent beauty makes it a popular ornamentation in jewelry, watches and guitar inlays. What other decorative uses does it have? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Qatar Becomes an Independent State (1971)Qatar, located on a small peninsula in the Persian Gulf, became a British protectorate in 1916. It remained under British control for more than 50 years, a period during which oil was discovered there and Qatar rapidly modernized. In 1968, Britain declared that it would disengage from the region, and Qatar joined a federation of nearby states. However, disputes arose, and, in 1971, Qatar became an independent state. Prior to the discovery of oil there, Qatar was noted for what unusual industry? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Louis Sullivan (1856)Sullivan is considered the father of modern American architecture. After working for several Chicago firms, he joined the office of Dankmar Adler in 1879, becoming Adler's partner at age 24. Their 14-year association produced more than 100 buildings, many of them landmarks. During this period, Frank Lloyd Wright spent six years as an apprentice to Sullivan, who would be a major influence on the younger architect. What famous phrase did Sullivan coin to express his architectural philosophy? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 "I could tell you my adventures—beginning from this morning," said Alice a little timidly: "but it's no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then."Lewis Carroll (1832-1898) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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broken record— A person or thing that repeats itself over and over again. Likened to vinyl records that when severely scratched (i.e., "broken") can loop over the same recorded segment endlessly. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 St. Marinus Day (2016)This is the official foundation day of the Republic of San Marino, a landlocked area of less than 30 square miles on the Adriatic side of central Italy. The oldest independent country in Europe, San Marino takes its name from St. Marinus. According to legend, he was a deacon and stonemason when one day a woman wrongly identified him as the husband who had deserted her. He barricaded himself in a cave until she gave up, and he spent the rest of his life on Monte Titano as a hermit. The present-day city of San Marino was built on the site where his original hermitage was believed to be. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: stallloge - A booth or stall; also a box in a theatre. More... cage - Came to English from Latin cavea, "enclosure for animals; coop, hive, or stall"—or "dungeon." More... install - Its earliest sense was "place in office by seating in a stall or official seat," from Old French estaler, "to place," from estal, "place." More... pedestal - Comes from Old Italian piedestallo, a conflation of pie de stallo, "foot of a stall." More... | |