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Phrase of the Week: Ask Out
“Oh no! Valentine’s Day is this Friday and I don’t have a date!” “Well, you had better hurry up and ask someone out!” Because Valentine’s Day is a romantic holiday, some people like to make sure they have a date every year on Valentine’s Day. To get a date, especially...
TOEIC Practice Question of the Week
Didn’t you hear the announce? The store is closing; we have to go check out. Find the mistake: A. Didn’t you B. the announce C. is closing D. go check out 「アナウンス聞こえなかったのか？店がもう閉まるから早く会計に行かなきゃ。」...
Trivia of the Week: Valentine’s Flowers
Roses are the most common flower given on Valentine’s Day. They are almost always red or pink, sometimes with white or other light colors added. Valentine’s flowers could range from a single rose made of paper or plastic to a large, expensive bouquet. When you pay a...
Idiom of the Week: Go Dutch
“I want to take you to this new café I found, but I’m short on money this month. Do you mind if we go Dutch?” When two people go on a date, it is common for one person to pay for both of them. Traditionally the man pays for the woman’s meal as well as his own....
Picture of the Week: Can you tell what this is?
Do you know what this is a picture of? Here’s a hint. It’s something you need on a rainy day. Okay, I’ll tell you the answer. It’s an umbrella, seen close up from underneath....
Phrase of the Week: No News is Good News
Dad: “I’m worried about Bill. He hasn’t called since last week!” Mom: “Don’t worry. I’m sure he’s studying hard at college. Remember, no news is good news!” If something bad had happened to Bill at college, his parents would probably find out. They would get some bad...
TOEIC Practice Question of the Week
If you need a special in-flight meal, please tell the staff ________. Fill in the blank: A. earlier B. beforehand C. after D. eventually 特別な機内食が必要な場合は、前もってスタッフにお知らせください。 CとDは機内食を用意するには遅すぎます。Aの「より早く」は意味的に使えそうですが不自然です。「前もって」や「事前に」というならやはりBが最適です。 Do more TOEIC practice...
Trivia of the Week: Valentine’s Chocolate
The most iconic Valentine’s Day gift is a heart-shaped box of fancy chocolates. This tradition goes back to the 1840s. The pretty boxes could be used to store love letters or a lock of your lover’s hair. Richard Cadbury is thought to have invented this style of box....
Idiom of the Week: Knock Their Socks Off
“I don’t know if I’m ready to play the violin in front of an audience!” “Don’t worry. You’ll knock their socks off!” Knocking someone’s socks off means to impress them by doing a great job. You can also say you “blew them away”. A surprisingly good performance is...
Word of the Week: Smooch
“Mom likes romance movies, but I always cover my eyes during the smooching scenes.” “Smooch” is another word for “kiss”. It’s sort of cute, but it doesn’t sound very romantic. It can be a verb, as above, or a noun, as in “Give him a great big smooch.”...
