Word of the Week: Stay

“How long will you be staying in Japan?” “Please stay here and wait. I’ll be back in five minutes.” “Use an umbrella to stay dry.” “Stay” means “remain the same”. While you stay in Japan, or stay inside the house, your location doesn’t change. Then when you leave...

Phrase of the Week: Never mind

“What were you doing outside at 3 in the morning? Never mind, I don’t want to know.” “Never mind” is a phrase we use to drop a topic or question. “Mind” here means “be concerned about (something)” or “worry about (something)”, so it’s a little like “Don’t worry about...

TOEIC Practice Question of the Week

“When George retired, Jill stepped forward to ____ his role.” Fill in the blank. A. apply B. subsume C. usurp D. assume 「ジョージが定年退職した後、ジルが彼の役目を果たすようになりました」...

Trivia of the Week: Avocado

Although it’s green and not very sweet, avocado is actually a fruit. Avocados grow on trees and contain one large seed. Another name for avocado is “alligator pear”. We think avocados first came from Mexico. One popular avocado dish is guacamole, a dip for corn chips....

Idiom of the Week: Harp On

“I know the test is next week. You don’t have to harp on about it.” If someone keeps talking about a subject you don’t want to hear about, you can say they are “harping on”. Perhaps the talk is unnecessary, reminding you of something you haven’t forgotten, or perhaps...