Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, December 19, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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afflict
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Defining SyntaxSyntax refers to the ways in which we order specific words to create logical, meaningful sentences. How does syntax work together with the parts of speech? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 ElamElam was an ancient country situated in what is today western Iran. The Elamite population was neither Sumerian nor Semitic, and their language—unrelated to any other—survives in a copious cuneiform literature. Elam seems to have maintained its independence through numerous invasions and counter-invasions, and a distinct Elamite culture flourished from the 13th century BCE. Though Elam was eventually absorbed in the rise of Persia, its culture persisted. What religion did the Elamites practice? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Titanic Released in US Theaters (1997)Before Titanic was released, some film critics predicted that it would be a box office disaster. At the time, it was the costliest film ever made, and production delays had pushed the release date far past the lucrative summer season. Yet by the end of its first weekend, the three-hour-long film was selling out theaters. It won 11 Academy Awards and remained the highest-grossing film in history for 12 years. What important historical fact did the director choose to omit from the film? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Mary Livermore (1820)After graduating from a female seminary in 1831 and working as a teacher, Livermore married a Universalist minister and became an activist, lecturer, and popular author. She volunteered with the US Sanitary Commission to aid soldiers of the Union Army during the American Civil War and later promoted women's rights. In 1863, she organized a "Sanitary Fair" that raised a tremendous amount of money for the Commission. What did US President Abraham Lincoln donate for the auction event? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Patriotism is like charity—it begins at home.Henry James (1843-1916) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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be tipping (it) down— To be raining very heavily. Primarily heard in UK. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Opalia (2025)The ancient Roman fertility goddess Ops was known by several different names—among them Rhea, Cybele, Bona Dea, Magna Mater, Thya, and Tellus. She married Saturn and was the mother of Jupiter. She is usually portrayed as a matron, with a loaf of bread in her left hand and her right hand opened as if offering assistance. Not much is known about what actually took place during the Opalia, but it appears that women played an important role in the festival. Because Ops was a fertility goddess, she was often invoked by touching the earth. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: teardiscerp - To shred or tear something apart. More... avulse - To tear or pull away or pluck off. More... deracinate - "To pluck or tear up by the roots," from Latin racine, "root." More... dilacerate, dilaniate - To tear or rip something or someone to shreds is to dilacerate or dilaniate. More... | |