It's All About Writing: 2017

Word of the Day

Play blackjack discuss
Definition:	(noun) A leather-covered bludgeon with a short, flexible shaft or strap, used as a hand weapon.
Synonyms:	cosh, sap
Usage:	He was beaten so badly with the blackjack that he suffered several broken bones.

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Article of the Day

The Srebrenica Massacre

The largest mass murder in Europe since WWII, the Srebrenica Massacre was carried out by the Army of Republika Srpska under the command of General Ratko Mladic during the Bosnian War. Ruled a genocide by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, the 1995 massacre claimed the lives of an estimated 8,000 Bosnian Muslims, or Bosniaks, in the Srebrenica region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. How many UN peacekeeping troops were stationed in the area at the time of the massacre? More... Discuss

Article of the Day provided by TheFreeDictionary.com

Daily Grammar Lesson

Using Parentheses with Complete Sentences

When a parenthetical element stands on its own as a complete sentence (or multiple sentences), then the opening parenthesis will appear after the period of the previous sentence, and the closing parenthesis will appear before the first word of the next sentence (unless it appears at the end of a paragraph). How is the sentence within the parentheses punctuated? More... Discuss

Daily Grammar Lesson provided by TheFreeDictionary.com

Idiom of the Day

over (one's) head

— Too complicated to be understood by one. More...

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This Day in History

Ray Kroc Opens His First McDonald's Franchise (1955)

Brothers Dick and Mac McDonald opened their first restaurant in San Bernardino, California, in 1940 and introduced the "Speedee Service System," establishing the principles of the modern fast-food restaurant. Ray Kroc, a mixer salesman, recognized the idea's potential and partnered with the brothers. Kroc opened his first McDonald's franchise in Illinois in 1955 and later bought out the McDonald brothers. The company now has a global presence. What controversies have stemmed from its success? More... Discuss

This Day in History provided by TheFreeDictionary.com

Today's Birthday

Catherine I of Russia (1684)

Originally a Baltic peasant named Martha, Catherine was captured by Russian soldiers in 1702. That same year, she became the mistress of Peter I. In 1703, after the birth of their first child, she was received into the Russian Orthodox Church and rechristened Catherine. She married Peter in 1712, and in 1724 he had her crowned tsarina and joint ruler. When Peter died in 1725 without naming a successor, she served two years as empress of Russia until her death. How did she and Peter meet? More... Discuss

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Today's Holiday

Jackie Robinson Day

Jackie Robinson Day is celebrated throughout Major League Baseball (MLB) in honor of Jackie Robinson, the first African American to play professional baseball in the MLB. On April 15, 1947, Robinson played his first professional game for the Brooklyn Dodgers. To commemorate Robinson's achievements, activities are planned each year at all MLB stadiums on April 15th. Home teams coordinate activities for the tribute, which may include pre-game award presentations, special guests throwing the first pitch, prizes for fans, and appearances by other legendary baseball stars. More... Discuss

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Quote of the Day

Accuse not Nature, she hath done her part; do thou but thine.
John Milton
(1608-1674) Discuss

Quote of the Day provided by The Free Library

Word Trivia

Today's topic: musical instrument

piano word - One in which all of its letters can be played as notes on a musical instrument (e.g. cabbage). More...

cord, chord - Cord comes from Greek khorde, "gut, string of a musical instrument," and chord is a refashioning of cord. More...

sweet potato - An informal name for the ocarina, a musical instrument. More...

tone color - The same as timbre, the quality of sound that distinguishes one voice or musical instrument from another. More...

Word Trivia provided by FreeThesaurus.com

Grammar Quiz

Which of the following sentences uses a first-person plural pronoun?

a) “John said that I should be more careful with my writing.”
b) “They are not happy with your sales this quarter.”
c) “I’m not sure that he knows what they’re doing.”
d) “She doesn’t think that we should be paying that much.”

Learn the topic

Grammar Quiz provided by TheFreeDictionary.com

Spelling Bee