Idiom of the Week: Across the Board

“The employees’ salaries were increased across the board.” This means that all the employees got a raise. The board in “across the board” was originally a board displaying the odds for betting on horse races. The term “across the...

Word of the Week: Full

“I’m sorry. The restaurant is full.” “I can’t eat any more. I’m full.” “The abandoned house was full of spiders and rats.” If something is full, all the space inside it is occupied and nothing/no one else can...

Phrase of the Week: Stand Back

“Stand back! I’m about to light the fireworks.” We use this phrase to warn people not to get too close to something. This could be to keep them at a safe distance from something dangerous, or sometimes to keep something or someone safe from a crowd gathering around....

TOEIC Practice Question of the Week

“The customer wanted a sandwich, but we were _______ of bread.” Fill in the blank. A. finished B. in C. out D. ended 「客がサンドウィッチを求めたがパンが切れていた。」 「パンが終わっていた」というなら「The bread was finished」という言い方もできますが、ここの「we were ____ of...