October 26, 2016
Word of the Day
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Definition:
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(noun) A comfortable or complacent member of the middle class. |
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bourgeois |
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From the serfs of the Middle Ages sprang the chartered burghers of the earliest towns. |
Idiom of the Day
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To be busy or engaged with something; to have plans to do something at a particular point in time.
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Article of the Day
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Trout tickling is the practice of rubbing the underbelly of a trout in order to put it in a trance-like state that makes it easier to catch by hand. Commonly used in times of economic stress, especially during the 1930s depression era, the technique has been featured in works of literature throughout history—including writings by 3rd century Greek writer Aelian, Shakespeare, and Mark Twain, who described catching catfish in a similar way. In what country is the practice essentially outlawed?
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Daily Grammar Lesson
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Superlative adverbs, like superlative adjectives, are used to describe differences among three or more people or things. What ending is added to the base adverb to form a superlative adverb?
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This Day in History
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The Erie Canal is a New York waterway that runs between Albany and Buffalo, linking the Hudson River with Lake Erie. It was born out of the need for an all-American water route from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic coast that became evident after the American Revolution. The canal contributed greatly to the development of New York City and the Midwest, allowing for the transport of people and supplies. Commercial traffic on the canal has since dwindled, and it is now used mainly for what purpose?
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Today's Birthday
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Initially a supporter of the Vichy government during World War II, Mitterrand joined the Resistance in 1943. After the war, he held cabinet posts in 11 Fourth Republic governments. He ran unsuccessfully against Charles de Gaulle's government in 1965 but was elected president in 1981 and 1988, after which he strongly promoted European integration. Mitterrand retired in 1995, having served longer than any other French president. Who succeeded him as president of France?
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Today's Holiday
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Ekadashi is the Hindi word for "eleventh." Hindus observe 24 11th-day fasts during the course of the Hindu year, although some are more important than others. Each Ekadashi is held in honor of a different Hindu legend and has specific religious duties associated with it. Eating rice, however, is prohibited on all Ekadashi. According to legend, a demon was born of the sweat that fell from Brahma's head on this day, and Brahma instructed it to inhabit the rice grains eaten by people on Ekadashi and to turn into worms in their stomachs.
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Quote of the Day
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There are strings . in the human heart that had better not be vibrated.
Charles Dickens (1812-1870)
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In the News
Out of This World: How Artists Imagine Planets Yet Unseen
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Discuss
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When scientists recently announced that they had discovered a new planet orbiting our closest stellar neighbor, Proxima Centuri, they also released an artist's conception of the planet. The picture of a craggy canyon, illuminated by a reddish-orange ...
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