Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, February 16, 2022)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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perfidy
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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PeriodsThe period (also known as a full stop, especially in British English) is a punctuation mark ( . ) primarily used to indicate the end of a sentence. When typing, how many spaces should be used after a period? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 MelanismMelanism is the dark coloration of the skin, hair, fur, or feathers due to a high concentration of the pigment melanin. A classic example is the panther—which is actually a black leopard. However, melanism has several variations. Pseudo-melanism occurs when dark markings cover a large part of an animal's body, while industrial melanism results in dark varieties of animals that need camouflage in smoke-blackened industrial regions. What insect is commonly associated with industrial melanism? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The Altmark Incident (1940)While passing through neutral Norwegian waters during WWII, the German supply vessel Altmark was boarded by Norwegian inspectors. They were told the craft was merely a commercial ship, but it was in fact being used to transport 299 British prisoners of war. The captives tried to make their presence known by banging on the hull, but winches were run to drown them out. The Royal Navy, however, pursued the ship and mounted a rescue. What now-famous phrase alerted the men to their liberation? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Vera Menchik (1906)A Russian-born British international chess master, Menchik won seven consecutive Women's World Chess Championships, beginning with the first one ever held and ending in 1939, when World War II halted the tournament. She and her family were killed in an air raid on London in 1944. When Menchik entered a men's tournament in 1929, Viennese master Albert Becker ridiculed her by saying that anyone who lost to her should become a part of the "Vera Menchik Club." Who was the first of its many members? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 In time we hate that which we often fear.William Shakespeare (1564-1616) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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barrel of laughs— Fun, funny, and pleasant. Often used sarcastically to indicate that someone is unpleasant or not enjoyable to be around. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Lithuania Independence Day (2025)This is a national holiday in Lithuania marking the declaration of independence from Austrian, Prussian, and Russian occupation on February 16, 1918. Today, the anniversary is celebrated with festivals and fireworks, particularly in the capital city of Vilnius. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: slighthair-trigger - Its underlying meaning is something that may be triggered with the pressure of something as slight as a hair. More... legerdemain - "Slight of hand, conjuring tricks," from French, literally "light of hand." More... velleity - Describes a mild desire, wish, or urge that is too slight to lead to action. More... | |