Blog
Idiom of the Week: Father Figure
“I used to get extra help from my science teacher after school. I would talk to him about my problems, and I learned more from him than just science. He was a real father figure for me.” A father figure is a man who is not your father (including other male relatives),...
Word of the Week: Nutcracker
Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite is classical music that tells a famous Christmas story. A girl receives a nutcracker shaped like a soldier and goes on a magical journey. Lyrics have been set to all the songs, telling the story about landscapes of candy and armies of...
Picture of the Week: Reindeer
Reindeer pull Santa’s sleigh. There used to be eight reindeer, but they were joined by Rudolph, so now there are nine. Santa’s reindeer are special because they can fly through magic....
Phrase of the Week: Do Not Open Until Xmas
Label on a package: “Do not open until Xmas” This label appears on a package containing a Christmas gift. In writing, we often see “Xmas” instead of “Christmas”. X looks like the first letter in the word “Christ” when written in Greek, so it is an old abbreviation of...
TOEIC Practice Question of the Week
“Which design a customer prefers is a matter of _____ taste.” Fill in the blank. A. person B. individualistic C. subjective D. objective 「お客様が好むデザインは個人の趣味によります。」...
Trivia of the Week: Dreidel
A dreidel is a traditional Hanukkah toy for children. It is used in gambling games to win chocolate or other small treats or trinkets. Each of the four sides of the dreidel has a letter in Hebrew written on it. On your turn, you spin the dreidel, and depending on the...
Idiom of the Week: Yellow
“I dare you to jump out the second floor window. What are you, yellow?” Similar to “chicken”, “yellow” means “cowardly” or “afraid”. A longer version of the insult is “yellow-bellied”. Someone who is afraid might also be called “lily-livered”. People used to believe...
Word of the Week: Star
“Who gets to put the star on top of the tree?” A Christmas tree has either a star or an angel on the top. Decorating the tree is a fun Christmas activity, and putting the star on top is usually the most important part. However, sometimes there might be another...
Picture of the Week: Christmas Ornaments
You can hang almost anything on a Christmas tree as an ornament, but shiny colored balls are traditional and common. The large red ball is extra fancy....
Phrase of the Week: All I Want
“All I want for Christmas is a pony!” “All I want is for you to be happy.” “All I want” or “the only thing I want” is something I’ll be satisfied if I get, but dissatisfied if I don’t. In other words, it’s the most important thing to me. This phrase appears in the...
