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Picture of the Week: England: Gentlemen
This is a Victorian public toilet, referred to as the gents or ladies, loo or lav. Some gents of this kind had a small roof and were called cottages. Most are now disused. One in London has been converted into a nightclub. ジェントルメン これはヴィクトリア朝時代につくられた公衆便所です。「ジェンツ」(ジェ...
Modern English Phrase of the Week #1: Take a pew
In England, we say, “Take a pew,” to invite someone to sit down. In the U.S. we say, “Take a seat.” It is more casual than, “Please be seated.” Other things we “take” are a shower, a bath, a break, and a rest. You can invite people to take a break, but it may be...
TOEIC Practice Question #1
______ greyhounds love to run outdoors, they can often live happily in small apartments. A. Since B. Because C. Although D. In case...
Trivia of the Week: Japanese English: My Pace
In English we would say, ‘I go at my own pace.’ ‘My pace’ is never used in the third person, so when referring to another, we would say, ‘He goes at his own pace.’ The often-heard phrase, ‘She is my pace,’ is nonsensical in English and should be, ‘She does things at...
Modern English Idiom of the Week: There wasn’t a dry eye in the house!
“How was the movie?” “It was such a sad story! There wasn’t a dry eye in the house!” This is what we say when everyone in the audience cries while watching a play or movie. That is, everyone’s eyes are wet with tears. A sad scene or a sad story succeeds in making the...
Word of the Week #1: chilly (寒い)
“It’s chilly out today! Don’t forget your jacket!” 「今日は寒いから、ジャケットを忘れないで!」 We use “chilly” to describe cold weather, or feeling cold. “Are you warm enough?” “Actually, I’m a bit chilly.” 寒い天気、寒く感じることを「chilly」で表現します。...
Picture of the Week: England: Post Box
This is a famous UK image. ER II stands for Queen Elizabeth 2nd. R stands for ‘Regina’ – Latin for Queen. This dates the post box as being from 1952 on. Previous rulers were noted as GR, George Rex (King) ER, Edward Rex, VR, Victoria Regina. ポストボックス...
Starting April 2nd 4月2日スタート!
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