Today's Highlights
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pinafore
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Defining Dummy PronounsDummy pronouns are words that function grammatically as pronouns, but which do not have antecedents like normal pronouns do. This means that, unlike normal pronouns, dummy pronouns do not replace a noun, phrase, or clause. They are also commonly referred to as what? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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The Praetorian GuardInitially used for the protection of Roman generals, the Praetorian Guard became the emperor's personal guard during the rule of Augustus, first leader of the Roman Empire. Upon his death in 14 CE, however, the Guard began to use its military strength to enforce its own political agenda. Soon, it moved into Rome, where it assassinated emperors, bullied its own prefects, and fought vicious street battles against Roman citizens. Which emperor finally succeeded in fully disbanding the Guard? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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Bhumibol Adulyadej Becomes King of Thailand (1946)A member of Thailand's Chakri dynasty, Bhumibol began his reign when his brother, King Ananda Mahidol, died in 1946 under mysterious circumstances. Bhumibol ruled with a regent until 1950, when he was formally crowned Rama IX. The longest-ruling monarch in Thailand's history, he also became the longest-reigning ruler in the world in 2000. Although his power is largely ceremonial, he has enjoyed great popular support and serves as a focus of national unity. Who is Bhumibol's heir apparent? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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Les Paul (1915)Paul began playing country music at 14, later switched to jazz, and started his own trio in 1936. Considered one of the finest jazz guitarists, he was famous for his amazing versatility. Dissatisfied with the sound of available instruments, Paul invented a solid-body electric guitar in 1941 that was marketed by Gibson and became extremely important in the development of rock music. Several versions of his prized guitars are still manufactured. What else did he invent? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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come into question— To become doubted, scrutinized, or a matter of serious discussion. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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Ravinia Festival (2024)Chicago's 12-week festival of classical music, theater, and dance takes place in Highland Park, one of the city's northern suburbs. Although today the festival can boast performances by some of the world's most distinguished conductors, soloists, symphony orchestras, and dance companies, its history since 1904 has been punctuated by periodic financial crises and, in the 1940s, a fire that destroyed the Ravinia Park pavilion. But since that time the festival has rebounded, expanding to include pop, jazz, and folk music as well as several weeks of theater performances. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: saladcorn salad - A name given to several species of annual herbs sometimes used for salad. More... fruit cocktail, fruit cup, fruit salad - Fruit cocktail (1922) is a mixture of sliced or diced fruits, and it is synonymous with fruit cup (1931); fruit salad (1861) is a salad composed of fruits. More... salad days - Those when one is green in judgment, young and inexperienced. More... salad - A shortened version of Latin herba salata, "salted vegetables," from Latin sal, "salt." More... | |
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| Mismatch | |
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