Blog
Idiom of the Week: Butcher
To butcher something is to do a very bad job. You can butcher a performance, assignment or project. Originally it meant to kill and cut up the body of an animal. 「信じられない、あんなに歌が下手なんて」 「大丈夫、カラオケで誰も期待してないから」...
Word of the Week: Barely
“Wow, I just barely passed the test. Next time I will study harder!” “Barely” means “almost not”. I passed the test, but if I had missed one more question I would have failed. “He survived, but when they found him he was barely alive.” “I barely ate anything at...
Picture of the Week: Dandelion Fountain
Here’s a picture of a dandelion. No, wait, something is strange… This isn’t a real dandelion! It’s actually a fountain in Quebec, Canada, that looks like a dandelion....
Phrase of the Week: In the Meantime
“Dad is making dinner. He says it will be ready in an hour. In the meantime, let’s take the dog for a walk.” “Bob is coming over today, but he won’t get here until 7:00. In the meantime, I’ll start studying for next week’s test.” “Meantime” is the time before...
TOEIC Practice Question of the Week
“Police say they will ________ the name of the victim until the family has been notified.” Fill in the blank. A. declare B. announce C. withhold D. display 「警察は家族に知らせるまで被害者の名前を公表しないと言っています」...
Trivia of the Week: Cow Words
Similar to horses, cows are also called by different words. A baby cow is a calf. A male cow is not actually a cow; he is a bull. A female cow is just a cow, although if she is young she can be called a heifer....
Idiom of the Week: Hold All the Cards
“I’m sure the senator will vote for our bill. We have information he wouldn’t want to be made public, and we have the power to support his own pet issues. We hold all the cards.” “Holding all the cards” means having a great advantage. In some card games, having more...
Picture of the Week: Gingko Leaves
It’s starting to feel like fall. In fall the leaves change color. One prominent leaf in Japan is the gingko leaf. Have you seen any gingko trees turning yellow yet this year?...
Phrase of the Week: It’s a Good Thing
“It’s a good thing we remembered to close the windows! It started raining while we were out.” We say “it’s a good thing” when we are glad something happened because it led to positive consequences or avoided negative consequences. You could just say “I’m glad we...
TOEIC Practice Question of the Week
“This is a jointed venture between two companies, so we have to cooperate.” Find the mistake. A. jointed B. venture C. companies D. cooperate 「この会社は二社の合弁企業なので、協力しあう必要があります」 「合弁企業」は英語で「joint...
