Question of the Day #1422

How kitsch became the defining aesthetic of right-wing America

From the headline of this article at Dazed.

  上記の文で、kitschの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "kitsch" mean?

  答えは、コメントに書いてください。
Write your answer in the Comments.

明日、ここに答えを書きます。
I will add the answer and other remarks here tomorrow.

 

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解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

1. 〈ドイツ語〉キッチュ◆不可算◆ゴテゴテ飾り立てた低俗なもの。
2. 〈軽蔑的〉俗受けを狙った芸術作品
3. 〈軽蔑的〉低俗な装飾品

   

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

1. something that appeals to popular or lowbrow taste and is often of poor quality
2. a tacky or lowbrow quality or condition

 

Examples

1. The restaurant is decorated with 1950s furniture and kitsch from old TV shows.
2. Jurassic Park was kitsch, in a good way. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 June 2026
3. Some of the decor is a bit over the top and tongue in cheek, even veering into kitsch. — Maggie Gillette, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Jan. 2024
4. His awareness of culture expresses itself only in the most godawful kitsch. - From Salon ● Mar. 28, 2026
5. The truck stop was a wonderland of Southern kitsch. - From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner

   

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Question of the Day #1421

Bitcoin ETFs Are Back to Square One: What $77.6B AUM Really Means

From the headline of this article at 99 Bitcoins.

  上記の文で、back to square oneの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "back to square one" mean?

  答えは、コメントに書いてください。
Write your answer in the Comments.

明日、ここに答えを書きます。
I will add the answer and other remarks here tomorrow.

 

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解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

1. 〔すごろく遊びで〕振り出しの升目に戻って
2. 〈比喩〉〔やり直すために・出直すために〕出発点［振り出し］に戻って、新規まき直しをして

   

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

to start over

 

Examples

1. His idea didn't work, so he had to go back to square one.
2. If your complaint is not upheld, you may feel you are back to square one.
3. We got a phone call from the lawyers and it was back to square one.
4. If this doesn't work we're back to square one.
5. The opposing parties had been trying to come to a compromise, but when the negotiations broke down, they were back to square one.

   

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Question of the Day #1420

L’Oréal Paris taps into cultural zeitgeist with The Devil Wears Prada 2 collaboration

From the headline of this article at Cosmetics Business.

  上記の文で、zeitgeistの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "zeitgeist" mean?

  答えは、コメントに書いてください。
Write your answer in the Comments.

明日、ここに答えを書きます。
I will add the answer and other remarks here tomorrow.

 

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解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

【名】
〈ドイツ語〉時代（の）思潮［精神］◆Zeitgeistとも表記◆【同】spirit of the age

   

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

the general intellectual, moral, and cultural climate of an era

 

Examples

1. His songs perfectly captured the zeitgeist of 1960s America.
2. While some American commentators voiced befuddlement or disdain toward Europe’s low rates of air conditioning, France’s far right seized on the moment to criticize the government and push a plan for widespread AC installation, bringing the issue into the culture war zeitgeist. — J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 28 June 2026
3. Lisa, as the world has come to know her, is one of the four members of Blackpink, the record-breaking, zeitgeist-altering girl group introduced in 2016 that is largely responsible for ushering South Korean pop, K-pop, into the global mainstream. — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 23 June 2026
4. But the zeitgeist around the internet was that it would connect the world and improve lives. - From The Wall Street Journal • May 24, 2026
5. There are few footballers of Haaland's calibre who have broken into the cultural zeitgeist quite like he has. - From BBC • Jul. 11, 2026

   

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Question of the Day #1419

What is Scarborough Shoal—the bone of contention between China and Philippines

From the headline of this article at The Print.

  上記の文で、bone of contentionの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "bone of contention" mean?

  答えは、コメントに書いてください。
Write your answer in the Comments.

明日、ここに答えを書きます。
I will add the answer and other remarks here tomorrow.

 

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解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

《a ～》争いのもと、不和の種、議論の主題［論点］

   

Answer

According to Dictionary.com:

a subject, cause, or focal point of a dispute.

 

Examples

1. The terms of the old man's will were a bone of contention to his survivors.
2. Money is a common bone of contention in many marriages.
3. One bone of contention: proposed studio units that he and some other local business owners say their workers neither want nor need. - From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026
4. The murky value of Warner’s cable channel portfolio has become a bone of contention in the company’s sale. - From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 8, 2026
5. The weakness has been a major bone of contention in trade relations with the U.S. - From MarketWatch • Feb. 9, 2026

   

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Question of the Day #1418

We Are Not in the Same Boat

From the headline of this article at Inside Higher Ed.

  上記の文で、in the same boatの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "in the same boat" mean?

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明日、ここに答えを書きます。
I will add the answer and other remarks here tomorrow.

 

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解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

《be ～》同じ境遇［立場・苦境・運命］にある、行動［運命・危険］を共にする、運命共同体である、一連托生である◆【同】in the same situation

   

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary:

Sharing a particular experience or circumstance with someone else.

 

Examples

1. She's always complaining that she doesn't have enough money, but we're all in the same boat.
2. You can't ignore their problems because we're all in the same boat here.
3. You can ignore their problems, but you could be in the same boat someday.
4. My sister failed her driver's test, and I'll be in the same boat if I don't practice parallel parking.
5. During the last economic recession, pretty much every business was in the same boat. Only certain industries are being affected this time around.

   

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Question of the Day #1417

For The Juiciest Burgers You've Ever Made, Add A Dollop Of This To Your Beef And Taste The Magic

From the headline of this article at AOL.

  上記の文で、dollopの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "dollop" mean?

  答えは、コメントに書いてください。
Write your answer in the Comments.

明日、ここに答えを書きます。
I will add the answer and other remarks here tomorrow.

 

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解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

【名】
1. 少量の柔らかい食物◆可算
2. 量◆【参考】big drop of; small drop of

【他動】
• 〔バター・ジャムなどを〕たっぷり塗る

ただし、下記英語の定義の一番を見ると、イギリスでは特に液体の場合は大きな量を意味することがあります。
また、例文にあるように比喩的に「ちょっとした」の意味で使用されることもあります。

 

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

noun
1. chiefly British: an indefinite often large quantity especially of something liquid
2. a lump or glob of something soft or mushy
3. an amount given, spooned, or ladled out: PORTION
4. a small lump, portion, or amount
5. something added or served as if in dollops

transitive verb
• to serve or dispense in dollops

 

Examples

1. Use a piping bag or cut the corner on a zip-top bag to easily create a neat dollop of sour cream. — Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 20 June 2026
2. A bit of psychedelia, a cache of trumpets and a dollop of cheesy razzle-dazzle (The Beatles starred in a TV movie of the same name). — Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 18 June 2026
3. To serve, dress with fresh dill and a dollop of sour cream. — 
Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 23 Mar. 2022
4. And there is always a healthy dollop of nostalgia when reminiscing about kits - those hazy childhood memories relived through a golden filter. - From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026
5. A dollop of tax reform, a big dose of deregulation and an AI investment boom are allowing the economy to cope with the tariff distortions and uncertainty. - From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026

   

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Question of the Day #1416

‘Can’t get my black girl panties in a bunch’ over Hulk Hogan dropping the N-word

From the headline of this article at the Chicago Tribune.

  上記の文で、get (one's) panties in a bunchの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "get one's panties in a bunch" mean?

  答えは、コメントに書いてください。
Write your answer in the Comments.

明日、ここに答えを書きます。
I will add the answer and other remarks here tomorrow.

 

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解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

〈話〉〔ささいなことに〕イライラ［ピリピリ］する

このイディオムは主に米国で使用されていて、イギリスではget one's knickers in a twistが同じ意味で使用されます。

 

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary:

To become overly upset or emotional over something, especially that which is trivial or unimportant. Primarily heard in US.

 

Examples

1. Ah, don't get your panties in a bunch, I'll have the car back by tomorrow morning!
2. In my opinion, people are getting their panties in a bunch over this election.
3. A: "Oh no, our picnic is ruined!" B: "It'll stop raining soon—don't get your panties in a bunch."
4. Don’t get your panties in a bunch over a simple mistake.
5. He got his panties in a bunch over the room assignment change.

   

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