Daily Content Archive
(as of Saturday, July 6, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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crepitate
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Defining ComplementsComplements are words or groups of words that are necessary to complete the meaning of another part of the sentence. Complements act like modifiers to add additional meaning to the word or words they are attached to. Are complements always part of the subject or the predicate? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Hobble SkirtsFrom 1909 to 1914, Paris high fashion was dominated by French designer Paul Poiret, who put an end to wasp waists and constricting corsets and revived a simple, Empire-waisted silhouette. He is best known for the hobble skirt, to which he later added draped and belted knee-length tunics. Popular between 1910 and 1914, hobble skirts were long skirts cut so narrow at the ankles that they hindered walking. According to one account, Poiret's design may have been inspired by what aviation event? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Explosion and Fire Destroy Piper Alpha Drilling Platform (1988)Piper Alpha was a North Sea oil production platform operated by Occidental Petroleum that sank into the sea after a series of explosions and a massive fire, killing 167 men. Only 59 of the workers survived. The initial blast is believed to have resulted from the activation of a pump that was missing a safety valve. A poorly planned evacuation process exacerbated the disaster. Why did nearby platforms continue to pump gas and oil to Piper Alpha after it was engulfed in flames? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Annette Kellerman (1887)Kellerman was an Australian professional swimmer, vaudeville and film star, and writer. Her 1907 performance of "water ballet" is often credited with popularizing the sport of synchronized swimming. Kellerman was also known for advocating the right of women to wear one-piece bathing suits and was once famously arrested for indecency for doing so herself. In 1908, a Harvard University professor named her the "Perfect Woman" because of the similarity of her physical attributes to what figure? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Ambition is like choler, which is a humor that maketh men active, earnest, full of alacrity, and stirring, if it be not stopped; but if it be stopped, and cannot have its way, it becometh adust, and thereby malign and venomous.Francis Bacon (1561-1626) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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jungle telegraph— An informal means of communication or information, especially gossip. Used most commonly in the phrase "hear (something) on the jungle telegraph." (Analogous to "hear (something) through the grapevine.") Primarily heard in UK. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Jan Hus Day (2024)This day is celebrated in the Czech Republic to commemorate Jan Hus, an early 15th-century Czech priest and reformer who advocated the idea of a poor Church that limited itself to Biblical teachings and spiritual affairs. Hus was summoned to the ecclesiastical Council of Constance in 1414; when he refused to recant his teachings, Hus was excommunicated and burnt at the stake on July 6, 1415. Jan Hus Day is a national holiday in the Czech Republic. A wreath is placed on his monument in Old Town Square in Prague, and the national flag is flown at all public places. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: lemonpip - An apple seed or lemon seed is a pip. More... citrus, citron - Latin citrus signified the citron, an Asian tree with lemonlike fruit; citron is a French derivative of citrus, coined on the model of French limon, "lemon." More... lemon sole - Actually a type of flounder—not sole—it has nothing to do with lemon other than it is pale-yellow in color; the name derives from French limande, "flatfish." More... muddle - To muddle a lemon is to lightly mash slices to release the essential oils. More... | |