執筆者 Modern English | 2012年05月16日 | Idioms
“On-line shopping has changed the way we do business. It’s a whole new ball game!” When a field or situation changes drastically, we say it’s a “whole new ball game.” This is a sports metaphor. If all the rules of baseball changed, it would be a very different game....
執筆者 Modern English | 2012年05月09日 | Idioms
“I’m so worried about the new project!” “Just chill out and don’t worry about it!” In a casual setting, we say “chill out” to mean “relax.” It is often used as a command. 「新しいプロジェクトがとても心配だ！」「リラックスしなよ、心配は要らない。」 カジュアルな場面では「リラックスする」という意味で「chill...
執筆者 Modern English | 2012年04月25日 | Idioms
“Why did you tell Jane her new haircut looks good? It’s horrible!” “It’s just a white lie.” Sometimes we tell harmless lies for a good reason. For example, we don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings. These lies are called “white lies.”...
執筆者 Modern English | 2012年04月18日 | Idioms
“I know you are planning a surprise party for me.” “You do? Who spilled the beans?” To spill the beans is to let out a secret. Another way to say the same thing is “to let the cat out of the bag.” In olden times, people would sell piglets in bags, but they tricked...
執筆者 Modern English | 2012年04月11日 | Idioms
“Did you hear Bill’s amazing story?” “Yes, but you have to take what Bill says with a pinch of salt.” When we cook, we add a little salt to the food to bring out the flavor. When we hear a fantastic story, we take it with a pinch of salt, because it might not be...
執筆者 Modern English | 2012年04月04日 | Idioms
“How was the movie?” “It was such a sad story! There wasn’t a dry eye in the house!” This is what we say when everyone in the audience cries while watching a play or movie. That is, everyone’s eyes are wet with tears. A sad scene or a sad story succeeds in making the...
