Daily Content Archive
(as of Friday, February 7, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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foment
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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SentencesA sentence, whether short or long, must express a complete idea; and a complete sentence must consist of at least one independent clause. What is a simple sentence? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Vestal VirginsThe Vestal Virgins were a revered and privileged group of Roman priestesses. They maintained the sacred fire of Vesta, the goddess of the hearth, collected water from a sacred spring, and cared for sacred objects in the temple's sanctuary. The six priestesses were selected as children for 30 years of service, during which time they had to remain virgins. Their well-being and chastity were considered essential to the security of Rome. What was done to a Vestal who broke her vow of chastity? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The New Madrid Earthquake (1812)One of the largest earthquakes ever to strike the US—and possibly one of the strongest earthquakes in human history—the New Madrid earthquake is said to have made the Mississippi River run backwards, permanently changing its course and redefining state boundaries. Though it struck a sparsely populated area near modern-day New Madrid, Missouri, the quake was felt across the country, ringing church bells as far away as Boston, Massachusetts. What large lake did it create in Tennessee? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Anna of Russia (1693)When the young Peter II of Russia died without an heir, the Supreme Privy Council offered the throne to his distant cousin, Anna, under the condition that she would place the real power in the council's hands. She initially agreed, but then tore up the conditions, abolished the council, and restored the autocracy. She occupied herself with extravagant amusements and relied on her lover and foreign advisors to manage the state. What happened to the infant grandnephew she named as her successor? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Friendless, adj.: Having no favors to bestow. Destitute of fortune. Addicted to utterance of truth and common sense.Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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a peg too low— Dejected; in low spirits. It originally referred to pegs that were inserted into draughts to measure how much alcohol had been consumed. If the peg was low, there wasn't much alcohol left to drink. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Grenada Independence Day (2025)This is a national holiday commemorating Grenada's independence from Britain on this day in 1974. Britain had held the island since the 18th century, when France ceded it under the Treaty of Paris. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: jestjoke - Latin jocus, "jest, joke," gave us joke. More... ludicrous - Early senses of ludicrous, from the adjective ludic, were "sportive," "intended as jest" and "spontaneously playful." More... juggle, juggler - Juggle is from Latin joculus, a diminutive of jocus, and a juggler was originally a jester. More... jocose - From Latin jocus, it means "full of jokes." More... | |