Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, September 24, 2020)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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misgiving
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Ungradable AdverbsNot all adverbs are gradable in nature. For example, "absolutely," "completely," "totally," and "utterly" are all ungradable adverbs. These are used to modify ungradable adjectives, and they cannot move up and down on a scale. Do they have a comparative form? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 The Pacinian CorpusclePacinian corpuscles are mechanoreceptors found in the skin of the fingers and other parts of the body. About .04 inches (1 mm) long and formed of concentric layers of connective tissue, the small oval bodies are responsible for sensitivity to pressure. In the center of each is a single nerve ending. These corpuscles are especially sensitive to vibrations, which they can sense even from short distances. What helpful mechanism keeps us from constantly sensing the pressure exerted by our clothing? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Black Friday (1869)In 1869, American financial speculators Jay Gould and James Fisk attempted to corner the gold market by trying to prevent the sale of government gold, which they hoped to achieve by influencing President Ulysses Grant. The plan backfired when Grant discovered the plot and released $4 million of government gold for sale. On a day that came to be known as Black Friday, the price of gold plummeted, panic ensued, and thousands were ruined—though not Gould or Fisk. How did they gain access to Grant? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Frances Ellen Watkins Harper (1825)Born free in Baltimore, Maryland—where slavery was still in place—Harper was raised by an abolitionist uncle and published her first volume of poetry when she 20 years old. In 1854, she gave her first anti-slavery lecture. Her second volume, Poems on Miscellaneous Subjects, made her the best known African-American poet of the era. Her short story, "The Two Offers," was probably the first such published work by any African American. How old was she when she published her first novel? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Enough is equal to a feast.Henry Fielding (1707-1754) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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soaked to the bone— Extremely or completely wet, especially through one's clothing. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Dominican Republic Our Lady of Mercedes Day (2025)A national holiday, this feast day honors Mary the mother of Jesus, often referred to by Dominicans by her patron saint title, Nuestra Señora de Mercedes (Our Lady of Mercedes). Observance of this celebration dates back to 1615, the year the Mercedians, a Spanish order, established the feast day. Every year the Church of Las Mercedes in Santo Domingo attracts many followers on September 24. Typical ceremonies include masses throughout the day, the Blessing of the Waters, and a procession from the church through Santo Domingo's Colonial Zone. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: shouthue and cry - Somewhat redundant, as hue means "shout, make an outcry"; hue and cry was a medieval law requiring that all citizens within earshot give chase to a fleeing criminal. More... jubilate - From a Latin word meaning "shout for joy." More... slogan - From Scottish-Gaelic slaugh, "army," and gairm, "shout"—since the first slogans were actually battle cries. More... claim - The etymological notion behind claim is "calling out," from Latin clamare, "cry out, shout." More... | |