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Trivia of the Week: Tension
In Japanese, a person with "high tension" is excited or easily excitable. "Tension" is actually a measure of how strongly something (such as a rope) is being pulled from opposite sides. If you hold a rope in one hand, it dangles loosely, but if you pull hard on both...
Idiom of the Week: Say the Word
"If you need a ride, just say the word and I'll come pick you up." It would probably take more than one word to make a request, but we tell people to "say the word" in order to show that we are ready to do them this favor at any time. 「車で送ってほしいならいつでも言って。すぐ迎えに行くから。」...
Word of the Week: Petal
"The petals were falling from the cherry blossom trees. It was really beautiful." Petals are like the "leaves" of flowers. They are usually the most colorful part. 「桜の花びらが舞い落ちてとても美しかった。」...
Picture of the Week: Spinach
Spinach can be eaten raw or cooked. The main character of the cartoon Popeye the Sailorman always uses spinach to give him the strength to beat the bad guys. This has contributed to the popularity of spinach in the US....
Phrase of the Week: In Addition To
“In addition to dogs and cats, we also have rabbits for adoption.” Addition usually refers to adding numbers together, but here it means adding rabbits to dogs and cats. We can use this phrase to include details while putting emphasis on something else. It’s not...
TOEIC Practice Question of the Week
“We won’t have much time to prepare for the presentation, so create the slideshow afterhand.” Find the mistake. A. prepare B. presentation C. create D. afterhand 間違いはどこでしょうか？ 「プレゼン前にスライドショーを作る時間がないので予め作っておいて」という話です。「前もって」という意味の単語は after ではなく beforehand ですので、答えはDです。 Do...
Trivia of the Week: Color Blindness
Color blindness is an inability to see colors. One common type is red-green color blindness. People with this condition can see other colors normally, but red and green look the same. It can be caused when the signals sent by the "cone" cells in the eyes that detect...
Idiom of the Week: Strike a Chord
"This book became popular because it really struck a chord with its audience." If something "strikes a chord" with you it means that it touches on a meaningful subject in a way that you can relate to. You could also say it "speaks to you". 「この小説は読者の共感を呼んで人気が出ました。」 何かが...
Word of the Week: Duh
"Bats aren't bugs. They're mammals, duh!" "Duh" is a word used to show that something is obvious. It's usually childish and insulting, although it can sometimes be used affectionately between friends: "Do I look good in this outfit?" "Duh! Of course you do!"...
Picture of the Week: Easter Bonnet
There is an old tradition of having some kind of new clothes at Easter. In recent times, a new hat has been popular. The hat is decorated for Easter and may be worn to church....
Phrase of the Week: At the Last Minute
"Ugh, I stayed up all night writing this essay." "That's because you waited until the last minute to start!" "The last minute" or "the last second" is not literally one minute before the deadline, but it is very close to the deadline. It is better not to wait until...
TOEIC Practice Question of the Week
"The chef will prepare anything you ___." Fill in the blank. A. desire B. despair C. despise D. despite 「シェフがあなたの食べたいものを何でも作って差し上げます。」 最後の部分は「あなたが欲しがるもの」ですので、「欲しがる」に一番近い動詞を選びましょう。Dは動詞ですらないのでアウトです。Bは「絶望する」という意味で、Cは「強く嫌う」なので残るAが正解です。 Do more TOEIC practice here!...
Trivia of the Week: Trolls
Classically, trolls are a kind of humanoid monster that lives under bridges. In one famous story, three goats must cross a bridge without being eaten by the troll that lives underneath. Nowadays, "troll" usually refers to troublemakers on the internet. These trolls...
Idiom of the Week: Mumbo Jumbo
"Let's rent this movie today." "A fantasy movie? You know I don't care for magic and unicorns and all that mumbo jumbo." "Mumbo jumbo" is a negative word for something complicated or confusing that we don't understand. 「今日はこの映画を借りましょう。」...
Word of the Week: Dull
"This knife is getting dull. I think I'll get a new one." "I never did well in grade school. Everyone thought I was just a dull kid, but actually the classes were so dull, I never paid attention. When I took more challenging classes I did better." "Dull" has many...
Picture of the Week: Pineapple
A pineapple is not an apple and it doesn't grow on a pine tree. When English speakers first saw pineapples, they thought they looked line pine cones, but they had fruit inside, like an apple....
TOEIC Practice Question of the Week
"This venture has been very profiting for both of us." Find the mistake. A. venture B. profiting C. both D. of us 間違いはどこでしょうか？ びっくりするようなことが surprising で、恥ずかしいことが embarrassing なら儲かることは profiting でいいはずなのでは？実は、儲からせてくれるようなことは profiting ではなく profitable になります。答えはBです。 Do...
Trivia of the Week: TNR
TNR stands for "trap neuter return". It's a method to control and help feral cats. Volunteers first trap the cats using humane traps. Then veterinarians perform spay or neuter surgery, and sometimes other health care. Finally the cats are returned to the area where...
Idiom of the Week: A World of Good
"I sure am glad I took a day off. It did me a world of good!" "A world of good" is simply a lot of good. It usually refers to something that makes someone feel better. "Counseling did our marriage a world of good." "You should visit the country. The fresh air will do...
Word of the Week: Bloom
Spring is coming and flowers are starting to bloom. When a bud opens and becomes a flower, it "blooms". Most often "bloom" is a verb, but occasionally it is a noun, meaning the same as "flower" or "blossom". What flowers are blooming now in your area?...
