Word of the Day, August 29, 2022

[ ] August 29, 2022 Word of the Day [excursus]( [Discuss]( Definition: (noun) A message that departs from the main subject. Synonyms: [digression]( [divagation]( [parenthesis]( [aside]( Usage: After yet another long excursus on the subject of housecats, the absent-minded professor finally returned to his main point. Missing Idiom Contest The Free Dictionary has the largest collection of English idioms in the world. But we're always looking for more to add, and we want your help! Every so often we hear from users who have looked up an idiom on The Free Dictionary that it was not found in the database. Maybe it was some expression they heard at work, or some phrase they grew up hearing their grandmother say. If you know an idiom that isn't already defined on The Free Dictionary, [send it to us]( and you might win $150 USD. Complete English Punctuation Rules [Complete English Punctuation Rules] An Amazon Best Seller! The only punctuation guide with simple, easy-to-remember rules for how to use—and not use—every punctuation mark. ✔ Side-by-side examples of both correct and incorrect punctuation. ✔ Quizzes after every topic to help you retain what you learn. [Buy now](as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=farlex-el-20) Idiom of the Day [barrel of laughs]( — Fun, funny, and pleasant. Often used sarcastically to indicate that someone is unpleasant or not enjoyable to be around. [More...]( Article of the Day Bermuda Triangle [Discuss]( Located between Florida, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico, the Bermuda Triangle is an area in the Atlantic Ocean where a number of ships and aircraft have vanished. Compass issues and violent storms are likely to blame, but some believe the region—also known as the Devil's Triangle, to be rife with paranormal activity and alien abductions. Investigations to date have not produced scientific evidence of any unusual phenomena. What was Flight 19, and what happened to it in the Bermuda Triangle? [More...]( Daily Grammar Lesson Defining Superlative Adverbs [Discuss]( Superlative adverbs, like superlative adjectives, are used to describe differences among three or more people or things. Superlative adjectives describe the highest (or lowest) degree of an attribute among multiple nouns. What do superlative adverbs describe? [More...]( This Day in History Hurricane Katrina Devastates US Gulf Coast (2005) [Discuss]( Hurricane Katrina made landfall along the Central Gulf Coast as a Category 3 storm. Its storm surge breached the levee system that protected New Orleans from Lake Pontchartrain and the Mississippi River, flooding the city. Lack of food and water in the aftermath fueled criticism of the US government's recovery efforts, and many former residents established new lives elsewhere. Katrina caused an estimated $81 billion in damages. How many people died during the hurricane and subsequent flooding? [More...]( Today's Birthday Charlie Parker (1920) [Discuss]( Charlie "Bird" Parker was an American saxophonist and composer. Along with trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, Parker was a leader of the bop movement in jazz. His brilliant improvisations were noted for their power and beauty. Sadly, his heroin addiction was legendary as well. He had a drug-induced nervous breakdown in 1946 and saw his cabaret card—which allowed him to play in New York clubs—revoked by the police in 1951. When he died four years later, at age 34, how old did the coroner think he was? [More...]( Today's Holiday Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist [Discuss]( [St. John the Baptist]( was [beheaded by King Herod]( because he had denounced Herod's marriage to Herodias, the wife of his half-brother Philip. Herodias' daughter by a former marriage, by legend called Salome, pleased Herod so much with her dancing that he swore to give her whatever she wanted. At her mother's urging she asked for the head of John the Baptist on a platter. The Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist has been celebrated by Christians since the fourth century. The observance started at Sebaste ([Samaria]( where the Baptist was believed to have been buried. [More...]( Quote of the Day [Discuss]( It is essential to seek out enemy agents who have come to conduct espionage against you and to bribe them to serve you. Give them instructions and care for them. Thus doubled agents are recruited and used. 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