Word of the Week: Leprechaun

A leprechaun is a mythical creature from Ireland, but it is well-known in the English-speaking world. It looks like a little man dressed in green. If you catch a leprechaun, he has to give you his pot of gold. But leprechauns can use magic, so it is impossible to...

Word of the Week: Lay

“I had a headache, so I lay down on the couch.” “Every morning the chicken lays an egg.” It is very easy to confuse “lay” and “lie” in English. In the present tense, “lay” means to set something down (it takes an object). “Lie” means to rest on a surface (it doesn’t...

Word of the Week: Ruler (定規)

“I need to draw a straight line. Can you lend me a ruler?” A ruler is a smooth, straight stick with lines that can be used to measure length. A longer ruler can also be called a measuring stick. In the U.S. most people use inches, but sometimes we also need to use...

Word of the Week: Tie-Dye

“What’s your costume supposed to be?” “I’m a hippie. Look, I have a tie-dye shirt and bellbottom pants.” Tie-dye is created by twisting up a shirt and tying strings tightly around it, then dipping the shirt in different colors of dye. The strings divide the sections...

Word of the Week: Faucet (蛇口)

“The faucet is leaking. Call a plumber!” A faucet is a metal tube that water comes out of, often in a sink or bathtub. They can also be found in yards connected to garden hoses. Other names for a faucet are “spigot” or “tap”. In the U.S. a “spigot” is more likely to...

Word of the Week: Rarely (あまり~ない)

Tucker: Let’s get together for breakfast this Sunday. Paul: Let’s make it lunch. I rarely get out of bed before noon on the weekends. Something that happens rarely does not happen very often. It happens only occasionally. It is not impossible. Paul probably does get...