August 2, 2023 [The Free Dictionary]( Word of the Day [guidepost](
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Definition: (noun) A rule or principle that provides guidance to appropriate behavior.
Synonyms: [rule of thumb]( [guideline](
Usage: His guidepost in social situations was the belief that people tend to be kind to those who are kind.
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Idiom of the Day [grind (someone's) gears](
— To greatly or specifically irritate or annoy someone. ["More...](
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Article of the Day Ethel Merman
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Merman was a Tony Award winning star of film and stage. Her precise enunciation, wide vocal range, and accurate pitch garnered her much acclaim. She began singing while working as a secretary and eventually became a full time vaudeville performer. Her powerful alto voice afforded her great advantages at a time when stage singers performed without microphones. She made her theater debut in Girl Crazy (1930). According to Broadway lore, what did George Gershwin advise her never to do?
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Daily Grammar Lesson Creating Adverbs of Manner
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Adverbs of manner are used to tell us how something happens or is done. They are very often formed from adjectives by simply adding "-ly," but sometimes, the spelling of a word will have to change slightly so as to better accommodate the extra "-ly." If the adjective ends in "-ic," for instance, what does the ending become?
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This Day in History The Sinking of PT-109 (1943)
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While on patrol in the Pacific during WWII, USS PT-109 was run down by the Japanese destroyer Amagiri. The much smaller American boat was torn apart by the impact, and two seamen perished. The surviving crew, commanded by future US President John F. Kennedy, swam to safety on a nearby island and survived on coconuts for days before Solomon Islanders scouting the area found them. Kennedy's actions made him a war hero. What did he use to send a message to Allies requesting a rescue?
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Today's Birthday Peter O'Toole (1932)
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O'Toole, a classical stage actor, debuted in London in 1956 and played a variety of Shakespearean roles. Tall and handsome, he catapulted to stardom in 1962 with his portrayal of British Army officer T. E. Lawrence in the desert epic Lawrence of Arabia. He went on to win praise for performances in films ranging from historical dramas to high comedies and, though he never won, was nominated for an Academy Award eight times. Despite this record, he received what award in 2003?
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Today's Holiday Ilinden (Macedonia Republic Day)
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August 2 is an official holiday in [Macedonia]( commemorating the nation's first modern statehood. In 1903, Macedonian Christian nationalists led a rebellion against the Turkish Ottoman Empire. The rebels staged an [uprising]( on August 2 of that year, a date that also marked the Christian feast day of Ilinden, or the prophet [Elijah]( ascension into heaven. The Ilinden uprising has become a cultural cornerstone in the mythology of modern Macedonia and is acknowledged as an important precursor to the establishment of the present-day Republic of Macedonia.
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Quote of the Day [Discuss](
Democracy is the healthful lifeblood which circulates through the veins and arteries, which supports the system, but which ought never to appear externally, and as the mere blood itself. [Samuel Taylor Coleridge]( (1772-1834)
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