Blog
Trivia of the Week: Boomerang
A boomerang is a traditional weapon from Australia. It’s a long flat piece of wood that in an “L” shape. It’s famous for coming back when thrown, but there are both returning and non-returning types. The ones that return are more commonly used for sport and...
Idiom of the Week: Off the Rails
“His life really went off the rails when he started abusing alcohol.” “The party went off the rails when someone tried to fill the whole pool with punch.” When a train goes off the rails, it is a big problem because it will crash and not reach its destination....
Word of the Week: Spare (Adjective)
“Do you have any spare change?” “Don’t worry. There’s a spare tire in the trunk.” Something that is spare is extra. It’s not needed, at least not right now. A spare tire becomes necessary when one of your regular tires goes flat. 「小銭はありますか？」 「心配ない。トランクに予備タイヤがあります。」...
Picture of the Week: Hydrangea Flowers
It looks like this hydrangea is only starting to bloom! Actually, the small flowers in the middle are the ones that reproduce. The larger flowers on the edge cannot. ...
Phrase of the Week: Make Do
"I can't afford a new dress for the party, so I'll make do with the clothes I have." "I didn't have all my equipment, so I had to make do." When we don't really have everything we need to do something properly, sometimes we have to "make do" with what we do have. We...
TOEIC Practice Question of the Week
"If the public finds out about this mistake, it will damage the ______ of the company." Fill in the blank. A. reliability B. reputation C. repetition D. reliance 「このミスが知られたら会社の評判が傷つきます。」 ...
Trivia of the Week: Doughnuts
“Doughnut” sounds like a nut made of dough. It is actually a sweet, fried ring made of dough. It can also be spelled as “donut”. Some doughnuts, especially when filled with cream or fruit, don’t have holes in the middle. ...
Idiom of the Week: The Brains Behind It
“I can’t believe you guys threw me a birthday party.” “Well, I helped decorate, but John was the brains behind the operation.” Sometimes it takes many people to do something (something good like a birthday party, or something bad like a major crime). Often there is...
Word of the Week: Spare
“Can you spare a dollar?” “Spare my life,” said the magical fish, “and I’ll grant you one wish.” In war stories or fairy tales, “spare” is often used to mean “not hurt or kill”. “Do what you want to me, but spare my children.” A more everyday use is “Can...
Picture of the Week: Fog
Fog is basically a cloud that is touching the ground. It’s dangerous to drive in, but it looks beautiful on the mountains in the distance. ...
