Word of the Day, December 28, 2022

[ ] December 28, 2022 Word of the Day [hireling]( [Discuss]( Definition: (noun) One who works solely for compensation, especially a person willing to perform for a fee tasks considered menial or offensive. Synonyms: [pensionary]( Usage: The hireling said he would be willing to clean out the cesspool-for the right price. 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 Spelling & Pronunciation Rules [Complete English Spelling Pronunciation Rules] The latest volume in our best-selling Grammar Book series! Learn the rules and patterns that tell you exactly how any word should be spelled and pronounced. ✔ Go beyond "I before E except after C" and get all the rules and exceptions, all in one place, all explained in plain English. ✔ Simple tips and tricks to avoid the most common mistakes. [Buy now](as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=farlex-el-20) Idiom of the Day [from cover to cover]( — Thoroughly and/or in its entirety (referring to a book that has been read from front cover to back cover). [More...]( Article of the Day Aston Martin [Discuss]( Aston Martin is a British luxury car manufacturer that is today owned by a consortium of investors. The company takes its name from Lionel Martin, one of the founders, and Aston Hill, the location where Martin enjoyed racing cars. Founded in 1913, the company produced its first car two years later. Its cars have become symbols of British glamour, though the company has been plagued with financial problems throughout its history. Aston Martins are featured in what popular series of films? [More...]( Daily Grammar Lesson "Enough" as an Adverb of Degree [Discuss]( The word "enough" can be used as another adverb of degree, meaning "sufficiently or to a satisfactory amount or degree," "very, fully, or quite," or "tolerably." In what two ways does "enough" differ from other adverbs of degree? [More...]( This Day in History William Semple Files Chewing Gum Patent (1869) [Discuss]( Existing in various forms since prehistoric times, chewing gum is one of the oldest types of candy still widely consumed today. Early chewing gums were made from plant resins. In 1869, dentist William Semple patented a rubber-based chewing gum that he envisioned as a tooth cleaning product. Around that time, confectioners discovered that chicle, a natural latex that was being explored as a possible rubber substitute, was an ideal gum base. What country banned chewing gum in 1992? [More...]( Today's Birthday Woodrow Wilson (1856) [Discuss]( Wilson served as US president from 1913 to 1921, a period that spanned the country's involvement in World War I. Following the war, Wilson hoped to achieve world peace through his "Fourteen Points," but his progressive vision suffered numerous setbacks, and he ended his term incapacitated by a stroke. While trying to implement his plan at the Paris Peace Conference, he became the first US president to travel to Europe while in office. On what rare unit of US currency is Wilson's image featured? [More...]( Today's Holiday Russian Winter Festival Moscow [Discuss]( The Russian Winter Festival is a festival of arts and a time of holiday partying largely in [Moscow]( Russia, and somewhat less grandly in other cities of the former Soviet Union. In Moscow, there are circuses, performances of Russian [fables]( for children, and other special theatrical presentations as well as traditional outdoor parties with troika (sled) rides, folk games, and dancing around fir trees. On New Year's Eve, children wait for gifts from "[Grandfather Frost]( wears a red robe and black boots and has a white beard—and his helper, Snow Girl. [More...]( Quote of the Day [Discuss]( Ignorance is the curse of God, Knowledge the wing wherewith we fly to heaven. 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