Blog
Phrase of the Week: Something’s Come Up
“Are we still on for the movie tomorrow?” “Oh, I’m sorry. Something’s come up.” When we have to cancel plans, we often say that “something has come up”. This means that something unforeseen happened that we have to prioritize over the plans we made with our friends....
TOEIC Practice Question of the Week
“This is ______ information, so please don’t tell anyone.” A. confident B. confiding C. confidential D. coincidental 「これは秘密情報なので、誰にも言わないでください」...
Trivia of the Week: Taurus
The zodiac sign from April 20 to May 20 is Taurus, the bull. Taurus is one of the oldest constellations. People first saw the shape of a bull in the stars several thousand years ago. You can see Taurus in the sky in winter in the northern hemisphere....
Idiom of the Week: Let’s Get This Show on the Road
“Is everyone here? Okay, let’s get this show on the road!” We use this phrase to say we are about to start work on something. It does not have to be a show. It can be anything that takes work: a meeting, a project, a presentation, a class. But it comes from the idea...
Word of the Week: Unusual
“This is my cat, Tom.” “Oh, he’s a very unusual color.” “Unusual” comes from the prefix “un” and the word “usual”. Perhaps you know “usual” in its adverb form, “usually”. Calico cats are usually female. What time do you usually get home? What do you usually eat for...
Picture of the Week: Lei
This little girl is wearing a lei. A lei is a Hawaiian flower garland. “Lei Day” is a day to celebrate traditional Hawaiian culture held at the beginning of May....
Phrase of the Week: Come Off As
“I just got an email from Sarah asking me to go out with her this weekend. Help me figure out how to say no without coming off as a jerk.” “Come off as” means to give someone a certain impression. It’s similar to “appear” or “seem to be”. The impression isn’t always...
TOEIC Practice Question of the Week
“Remember that your behavior at the conference reflects the company.” Find the mistake. A. Remember that B. behavior at C. reflects D. the company 「会議での君の振る舞いは、わが社全体に反映することを忘れずに」...
Trivia of the Week: Old-Timey English
English, like all languages, has changed over the years. In modern English, you only have to choose between “you” and “your” to talk about the person you’re speaking to. But English used to have different words for “you” depending on how the word fit into the sentence...
Idiom of the Week: Back to the Drawing Board
“What happened here?” “I tried to launch my home-made rocket, but it just exploded. Oh well, back to the drawing board!” The drawing board is a special kind of desk for drawing out plans or designing inventions. If your plan or invention doesn’t work, you have to go...
