執筆者 Modern English | 2012年05月30日 | Idioms
“I’ve been working around the clock to get this finished.” “You need a break!” When something continues throughout the whole day, we say “around the clock”. That means twenty-four hours. But a clock face has only twelve hours! It’s a little different from “pulling an...
執筆者 Modern English | 2012年05月23日 | Idioms
“Are you sure it’s safe?” “What are you, chicken? Buk buk bukaaaw!” “Chicken” is used to mean “coward”. In movies, the main character often does something dangerous because someone called him chicken. Don’t try this at home! 「これは本当に安全なのかな？」「何、怖気づいた？コケコッコー！」...
執筆者 Modern English | 2012年05月16日 | Idioms
“On-line shopping has changed the way we do business. It’s a whole new ball game!” When a field or situation changes drastically, we say it’s a “whole new ball game.” This is a sports metaphor. If all the rules of baseball changed, it would be a very different game....
執筆者 Modern English | 2012年05月09日 | Idioms
“I’m so worried about the new project!” “Just chill out and don’t worry about it!” In a casual setting, we say “chill out” to mean “relax.” It is often used as a command. 「新しいプロジェクトがとても心配だ！」「リラックスしなよ、心配は要らない。」 カジュアルな場面では「リラックスする」という意味で「chill...
執筆者 Modern English | 2012年04月25日 | Idioms
“Why did you tell Jane her new haircut looks good? It’s horrible!” “It’s just a white lie.” Sometimes we tell harmless lies for a good reason. For example, we don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings. These lies are called “white lies.”...
