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...

Phrase of the Week: This Won’t Do

“Oh dear, your clothes are all dirty. This won’t do. Come get changed before the party.” “This won’t do. The milk has expired. I can’t cook with this.” When something has gone wrong or isn’t good enough, we say it “won’t do”. 「あら、服が汚れてしまっている。これではダメね。パーティーの前に着替えましょう。」...

TOEIC Practice Question of the Week

“In this race, athletes from all around the country will compare to find out who is the fastest.” Find the mistake. A. athletes B. all around C. compare D. find out 「このレースで国中のアスリートが競い合って誰が一番早いかがわかります。」...