Blog
Idiom of the Week: All in the Same Boat
Tour bus driver: “Thank you for helping to change the tire.” Tourist: “Well, we’re all in the same boat. I want to get back on the road as much as you do.” When two or more people are in the same situation, they are said to be “in the same boat”. If two people are in...
Word of the Week: Kidney
“Drinking too much alcohol is hard on your kidneys.” Kidneys are bean-shaped organs that perform many functions. One important role of kidneys is to clean the blood. You probably have two kidneys, unless you donated one or lost one to kidney disease. The picture is of...
Picture of the Week: Daffodil
The daffodil is a white, yellow or orange flower. It is also called “Narcissus” after the Greek myth about a man who couldn’t stop looking at his reflection in a pool of water....
Phrase of the Week: Bit by Bit
“Learning Japanese is so hard! I don’t feel like I’m making any progress.” “Don’t worry. Keep studying and practicing, and you’ll learn it bit by bit.” A bit can mean “a little” or “a small piece of something bigger”. “Bit by bit” describes something that happens very...
TOEIC Practice Question of the Week
“Today only, this product is a real _____ at 50% off!” Fill in the blank. A. cheap B. bargain C. negotiation D. reasonable Aだと形容詞の後ですから名詞が必要です。名詞だけに絞るとＢとＣが残ります。Ｃは「交渉」という意味です。かなり似ている「取引」という意味の「deal」だったらこの文章にも使えますが、やはり「お得」のＢが適切ですね。 Do more TOEIC practice here!...
Trivia of the Week: Mars
The name “March” is related to the Roman god of war, Mars. The planet Mars is also named after him. His symbols include the spear and sword, as well as the wolf. Those make sense for a god of war. But the woodpecker is another symbol for Mars. The woodpecker was...
Idiom of the Week: In On the Ground Floor
“You should help with my new project. It’s going to be big, and you’ll be in on the ground floor.” Sometimes it’s advantageous to be involved in something when it first starts, so you have a long history with it later when it is successful. For example, if you bought...
Word of the Week: Commit
“This man has committed a crime.” “Pet ownership is a big commitment.” “I can’t buy this game because I’ve already committed this month’s spending money to our trip next week.” “The project failed because the leader was not committed to making it succeed.” “Commit” is...
Picture of the Week: Hare
Do you remember the March Hare character from Alice in Wonderland? We say someone is “mad as a March hare” if they act strangely and unpredictably. This idiom comes from the idea that hares (an animal like a large rabbit) act crazy during their mating season in March....
Phrase of the Week: Take it for granted
Daughter: “Aw, spaghetti again? I hate spaghetti.” Father: “Don’t take your mother’s cooking for granted. You’ll miss it when you go to college next year and have to take care of yourself.” When we take something for granted, we don’t appreciate it. We think we have...
