Daily Content Archive
(as of Thursday, June 14, 2018)Word of the Day | |||
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Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Other Interrogative PronounsIn addition to the five main interrogative pronouns, there are seven others that are used for emphatic purposes. These interrogative pronouns are typically used in more formal or old-fashioned English. What are they? More... |
Article of the Day | |
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The ScytaleSaid to have been utilized in ancient Greek military campaigns, the scytale is a cryptographic tool used in the creation and deciphering of transposition ciphers. It consists of a cylindrical rod around which a strip of paper or leather is wound. Because the message is written upon the wound strip, it appears as an illegible jumble of letters to anyone who does not bear a scytale of the appropriate diameter. Why do some question the veracity of Plutarch's early description of the scytale? More... |
This Day in History | |
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Falklands War: Argentine Forces Surrender to the British (1982)Both Argentina and Britain had long claimed sovereignty over the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean when, despite ongoing negotiations, Argentina invaded the islands with 10,000 troops in April 1982. About 250 British soldiers and about 700 Argentines died before Argentina surrendered, ending the undeclared, 74-day war. The defeat discredited Argentina's military government and helped lead to the restoration of civilian rule in 1983. Who claims sovereignty over the islands today? More... |
Today's Birthday | |
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Ernesto "Che" Guevara (1928)Guevara was a Latin American revolutionary who developed guerrilla warfare as a tool for revolution. Born in Argentina, Guevara traveled widely as a medical student and became convinced that only violent revolt would end the poverty he witnessed. He joined the Cuban Revolution and became one of Fidel Castro's most trusted aides before leaving to foster revolutions elsewhere. He was killed in 1967 while directing a guerrilla movement in Bolivia. What is the meaning of Guevara's nickname, "Che"? More... |
Quotation of the Day | |
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A man said to the universe: "Sir, I exist!" "However," replied the universe, "That fact has not created in me a sense of obligation." Stephen Crane (1871-1900) |
Idiom of the Day | |
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does (exactly) what it says on the tin— (Something) does precisely what it claims or is supposed to do. Primarily heard in UK, Ireland. More... |
Today's Holiday | |
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Connecticut Early Music Festival (2024)The term "early music" refers to music from the medieval, renaissance, baroque, and classical periods, up to and including Beethoven and Schubert, performed on period instruments. Since 1983, the residents of southeastern Connecticut have been able to hear early music performed on such unusual instruments as the slide trumpet, sackbut, viola da gamba, and the clavichord. The concerts are held in small rooms or churches so that the subtleties of the instruments can be heard—particularly the Noank Baptist Church in Noank and the Harkness Chapel at Connecticut College in New London. More... |
Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: saddleapishamore - A blanket used under a saddle. More... col - A saddle between two mountain peaks, from Latin collum, "neck." More... caparison - A cloth or covering spread over the saddle or harness of a horse, often ornamented; this word can also mean "housings, trappings." More... larigos - The rings on a saddle through which the straps pass. More... |