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Trivia of the Week: Diamonds
Valentine’s is a day for romantic gifts. One popular gift that is much more expensive than even the nicest flowers or the fanciest chocolate is diamond jewelry. Diamond rings have a long history as engagement rings, but a diamond necklace or earrings can also be a...
Idiom of the Week: Between a Rock and a Hard Place
“I don’t know what to do. If I take my dream job, I’ll have to leave my boyfriend and move to the city. But if I stay here with him, I have to keep doing this lousy job.” “Sounds like you’re really stuck between a rock and a hard place.” A rock and a hard place are...
Word of the Week: Overreact
“Don’t you think you overreacted when you kicked Bob out of the house for saying Superman could beat Batman?” We react when we do something in response to something else. For example, if someone punches you, you react with anger. That is an appropriate reaction. But...
Picture of the Week: Cat Day
February 22 is Cat Day in Japan, because the date is all twos. Two in Japanese sounds like something a cat could pronounce. There is a World Cat Day as well, but it’s in August....
Phrase of the Week: Get a load of this
“Hey, Dad! Get a load of this! Rover brought home a huge stick!” “You call that a trick? Get a load of this! I can do a backflip!” “Get a load of this” means “look at this”. We use it to draw someone’s attention to something surprising or amazing. Rover is an old...
TOEIC Practice Question of the Week
Write what you think the product description should say, and then I’ll _______ it later. Fill in the blank. A. revise B. revision C. reverse D. revenue 「商品説明を考えて書いておいて。後で私が修正するから」 Bは「修正」という意味で惜しいですが、「修正する」というのは動詞ですのでBとDは違います。Cは「裏返す」という意味なので違います。正解はAです。 Do more TOEIC...
Trivia of the Week: Valentine’s Cards
Before the 1400s, Valentines were spoken or sung instead of written on cards. Now it’s easy to buy Valentine’s Day cards in stores. Adults may send fancy cards, but children often buy boxes with enough small cards to distribute to all of their classmates. However, a...
Idiom of the Week: Hit the Nail on the Head
“You really hit the nail on the head when you suggested we get another litter box. We haven’t had any problems with the cats since!” The head of a nail is the flat part on the top. It is designed to be hit with a hammer. “Hitting the nail on the head” means getting...
Word of the Week: Stranded
“Hello, Triple A? My car broke down on the interstate and I’m stranded on the side of the road. Can you send a tow truck?” If you are stranded, it means you have no way to get home or get to your destination. For example, if your friend takes you to a party in his car...
Picture of the Week: Pistachios
The pistachio is a nut related to the cashew. Why are some of these pistachios red? They have been dyed red. Have you ever eaten red pistachios? Do you prefer them red or natural?...
