Trivia of the Week: Canine Teeth

“Canine” means “of a dog”, so canine teeth are dog teeth. Actually, humans have canine teeth—the pointed teeth to either side of the incisors (front teeth). They’re pointy, a little bit like a dog’s fangs. In Japanese, they are...

Idiom of the Week: Wear and Tear

“I’ve been taking it everywhere with me for almost two years and it’s starting to show some wear and tear.” “Wear” is signs of age and use. If you use something until it can’t be used anymore, it gets “worn out”....

Word of the Week: Slurp

“In Japan, you have to slurp your noodles to show that you’re enjoying them.” Foreigners visiting Japan are often told that they must slurp their noodles, or suck them in noisily. This would be considered rude back home, but it makes sense when...

Picture of the Week: Raspberries

The raspberries we eat are usually red, but other colors do exist. Some people say raspberries have too many seeds. What do you think? Is the taste of fresh raspberries worth getting seeds caught in your teeth?...

Phrase of the Week: Pass Out

“He passed out from lack of oxygen, but he’s okay now.” If you lose consciousness for a reason such as illness or overexertion, we say you pass out. Normally this phrase isn’t used for sleep, but occasionally you might hear something like,...