Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, December 25, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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hornswoggle
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Using the Present Continuous Tense for Future EventsLike the present simple tense, the present continuous can also describe future events. However, unlike the present simple, it describes that which someone is planning or expecting to do, as opposed to that which is at a fixed point in time in the future. The formation of the verb does not change to reflect this, so how can we recognize it? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Cock ThrowingWidely practiced in England until the 19th century, cock throwing was a blood sport in which people took turns throwing heavy sticks at a rooster tied to a stake until it died. If a rooster became too injured to stand, it could be propped up on sticks for the remainder of the game. It was a popular pastime for people of all classes, particularly among the young, and was traditionally practiced on Shrove Tuesday—even after it was banned. What were some variations on the brutal game? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Charlemagne Crowned Emperor (800 CE)Charlemagne was king of the Franks (768–814) and emperor of the West (800–814). With the exception of the British Isles and parts of Italy and Spain, he united in one vast state almost all the Christian lands of Western Europe. After restoring Leo III to the papacy, he was crowned emperor in Rome on Christmas Day, 800 CE, finalizing the split between the Byzantine and Roman empires and marking the revival of the empire that was the forerunner of the Holy Roman Empire. What language did he speak? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Louis Chevrolet (1878)Born in Switzerland, Chevrolet was an auto mechanic who emigrated to the US in 1900 to race cars. In 1905, he drove a mile in a record 52.8 seconds. In 1911, he founded the Chevrolet Motor Company with support from General Motors founder William C. Durant and designed its first car. He sold his interest in 1915 but continued making racecars. His cars won the Indy 500 in 1920 and 1921. He later formed an aircraft company with his brother, but the venture failed. Who drove his winning car in 1920? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Good friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life.Mark Twain (1835-1910) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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long memory— A clear memory of events that happened long ago. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Koledouvane (2024)Koledouvane is the ritual singing of Christmas carols that takes place in Bulgaria each year on December 24 and 25. The koledari, or "carol singers," go from house to house and wish people good health and prosperity. Although their dress and ornaments differ from region to region, the koledarka, a long oak stick covered with elaborate carving, is a traditional accessory. A similar ritual, called Sourvakari, is carried out on New Year's Day. They have survived as separate celebrations, even though they are closely related in meaning. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: rhetoricrhetor - A teacher of rhetoric or a master of it. More... climax - First described propositions in rhetoric, one rising above the other in effectiveness; it comes from Greek klimax, "ladder." More... demagoguery, demagogy - Demagoguery and demagogy are the practices or rhetoric of a demagogue. More... scheme - From Greek skhema, "figure, form," it first referred to a figure of speech, especially a figure of rhetoric, denoting a way of deviating from the ordinary use and order of words to create special effect. More... | |