執筆者 Modern English | 2014年12月09日 | Words
“Why did you break up with Sarah?” “We just weren’t compatible romantically.” “This product is compatible with your existing hardware, so you can start using it right away.” If two things (or people) are compatible, it means they work well together and are capable of...
執筆者 Modern English | 2014年12月02日 | Words
“Cowabunga, dude!” “Cowabunga” is an exclamation used to show happiness. It appeared in the 1950s on the American TV show Howdy Doody, and was later adopted by surfers. It also owes popularity to the cartoon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. 「カウワバンガ！」 Cowabunga...
執筆者 Modern English | 2014年11月25日 | Words
“What is that awful noise?” “It’s not noise, Dad. It’s music!” “Noise” is another word for “sound”, but it has a negative connotation. Noise is a sound that is unpleasant, or that we don’t like. If there is a lot of noise in a certain place, that place is “noisy”. A...
執筆者 Modern English | 2014年11月18日 | Words
“It’s not clear what he wants me to do.” “The water was so clear you could see the fish at the bottom of the river.” “Clear” means “obvious” or “easy to understand”. It also means “transparent” or “see-through”. If someone is speaking too fast and the words run...
執筆者 Modern English | 2014年11月11日 | Words
“This knife has a jagged edge.” “The window was broken, leaving jagged shards of glass.” “Jagged” means not straight. It’s a little like zig-zag, but it may be even or uneven. 「このナイフはギザギザしている」 「窓が割れてギザギザしたガラスの破片を残していた」 Jagged...
