Question of the Day #97

"Justin Bieber Shares His 'Favorite Video on the Internet': Piko Taro's Viral 'PPAP' Clip"
Headline from this article at Billboard.com.

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

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明日、ここに答えを書きます。
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解答

意味： 英辞郎によると、


〔ソーシャルメディアを使って〕口コミで素早く広がる、バイラルの

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

quickly and widely spread or popularized especially by person-to-person electronic communication

Etymology/語源

Online Etymology Dictionaryによると、

「インターネットでシェアされることによって突然、大人気になる」という意味で使われ始めたのが1999年。もともと、マーケティングの用法で、何かがウィールスが拡散するかのように人気が出ることから。」

According to Online Etymology Dictionary:

Sense of "become suddenly widely popular through internet sharing" is attested by 1999, originally in reference to marketing and based on the similarity of the effect to the spread of a computer virus.

Examples

• It was a peculiar moment where viral content came to life; as if Grumpy Cat came onstage and began speaking.
• But no amount of viral marketing can make a hit out of nothing.
• As this viral video shows, your vocal cords can apparently be a weapon.
• Cozart chats with The Daily Beast about his viral fame and more.
• “viral potential” gets overused a lot but this commercial for Cadbury definitely has it.

Question of the Day #96

"We have breaking news!"

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

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解答

今回のbreaking newsは、特定の記事からとったのではないが、トランプ大統領が就任してからの大混乱によりアメリカのニュース番組で頻繁に使われるようになったので選びました。

意味： 英辞郎によると、


ニュース速報

応用例：

This news is breaking as we speak.
「今、放送している間に新しいニュースが起きています」

Answer

I did not pick this term "breaking news" out from any given article, but because it is used quite frequently since Donald Trump took office and the great confusion he is causing.

According to Dictionary.com:

news that is happening and being reported or revealed at this moment

Examples

• “Tom Brokaw would anchor for hours on end for breaking news events and things like that,” Roker says.
• Curated to avoid information overload, the site is dedicated to breaking news and sharp commentary.
• As soon as it scrolled beneath the “breaking news” banner on television, I knew our work had just gotten quite a bit harder.
• Comfortably smug Twitter is an amazing forum for breaking news, but sometimes it can do more harm than good.
• In not breaking news, we confidently predict that Fergie won't be there.

Question of the Day #95

"Trump is incredibly ‘pissed off’ no one believes his Obama ‘wiretaps’ story, says adviser"
From the headline of this article at Raw Story.

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

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明日、ここに答えを書きます。
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解答

意味： 英辞郎によると、


〈卑俗〉カンカンに［激しく］怒って、頭にきて、腹が立って、腹を立てて、むかついて、イライラして、むしゃくしゃして、うんざりして

Pissは、小水の俗語でちょっと汚い言葉とされているため、Raw Storyの本当の見出しではp*ssed offになっていたのですが、よっぽどな場面でない限りこの表現を使って問題はないと思います。もし、不安な場合は、全く同じ使い方ができるidiomが、ticked offです。

Answer

According to Dictionary.com:

angry or annoyed.

Etymology/語源

Online Etymology Dictionaryによると、

初出は、1946年（Partridgeによると1937年）。第二次世界大戦中の米軍内で使用されたとされている。一般的に普及したのは、1970年代。

According to Online Etymology Dictionary:

Pissed off "angry, fed up" is attested by 1946 (Partridge says 1937); said to have been used in the military in World War II; in common use from 1970s.

Examples

• His face got all red-colored whenever he was pissed off
• He'd kept me waiting for an hour so I was pissed off to start with.
• She seemed a bit pissed off that she hadn't been invited.
• I was pissed off with the way some people were behaving.
• I think my boss is pissed off because I want to leave.

Question of the Day #94

"Vicente Fox Mocks Trump’s Low Ratings: ‘If This Were TV, You’d Be Fired’"
Headline from this article at the Huffington Post.

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


【自動】 あざ笑う、ばかにする

Answer

According to Dictionary.com:

to attack or treat with ridicule, contempt, or derision.

Etymology/語源

Online Etymology Dictionaryによると、

１５世紀中頃、古典フランス語のmocquer（あざ笑う、やじる）が語源とされている。

According to Online Etymology Dictionary:

mid-15c., mokken, "make fun of," also "to trick, delude, make a fool of, treat with scorn;" from Old French mocquer "deride, jeer," a word of unknown origin.

Examples

• It had to do with me having the audacity to mock their new savior Ted Cruz.
• ‘opposition MPs mocked the government's decision’
• ‘at Christmas, arguments and friction mock our pretence at peace’
• The wind mocked their attempts to reach the shore by pushing the boat further and further out to sea.

Question of the Day #93

"'That is so far from reality, so far from the relationship we have within the "Five Eyes" community.'”
From this article at Raw Story. "

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

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明日、ここに答えを書きます。
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---

解答

意味： 英語版Wikipediaによると、


Five Eyesとは、オーストラリア、カナダ、ニュージーランド、英国、アメリカの５カ国による諜報に関する同盟である。FVEYと略されることがある。

Answer

According to Wikipedia:

The Five Eyes, often abbreviated as FVEY, is an intelligence alliance comprising Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Weekend Recommendation #27

This week's recommendation:

今週のおすすめ：

Dan Rather's Facebook Page

Why is this recommended?
なぜ、これがおすすめ？

もとはアメリカの放送局のジャーナリストだったDan Rather氏のFBのページには、それほど長くはないが格調高い英語で書かれた時事記事がたくさんあるのでおすすめです。

Dan Rather's FB page has many interesting and topical articles written in sublime English and I highly recommend it.

Dan Rather's Facebook Page

Question of the Day #92

"MSNBC reporter torches Sean Spicer: Why did Trump ask Congress to uncover wiretap info he already has?"
From this article at Raw Story.

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

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明日、ここに答えを書きます。
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解答

意味： 英辞郎によると、


〔～に〕火を付ける、放火する

が唯一の他動詞としての訳であるが、この例の場合は、前回のQuestion of the Day #91 Roastとほぼ同じなので、「酷評する」が適訳だと思います。

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

to set fire to with or as if with a torch

However, in this example, I think the meaning is closer to "roast" (meaning "to subject to severe criticism or ridicule") that was used in Question of the Day #91.

Question of the Day #91

"‘President Loco is off his meds again’: Internet roasts Trump’s feeble defense of latest Russia scandal"
From this article at Raw Story.

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

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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.

---

解答

意味： 英辞郎によると、


〈話〉〔人をジョークでからかうなどして〕酷評する

なお、「酷評、非難」という風に名詞としても使用される。

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

to subject to severe criticism or ridicule

Examples

• films have been roasted by most critics — H. J. Seldes

Question of the Day #90

"Trump has further hobbled himself by waging his two-front feud with the intelligence community and the Fourth Estate."
From this article at the Atlantic.

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

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明日、ここに答えを書きます。
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解答

意味： 英辞郎によると、


1. 言論界◆ジャーナリズムの別名
2. 言論界の人々◆ジャーナリストの別名
3. 言論界の人々が持つ政治的影響力

Answer

According to Dictionary.com:

1. the journalistic profession or its members; the press.
2. a group other than the usual powers, as the three estates of France,that wields influence in the politics of a country.

Etymology/語源

Wikipediaによると、

Fourth Estateは、もともと教会、貴族、平民の続く４番目の「権力」のことを言った。イギリスのEdmund Burkeが１７８７年のイギリス国会で初めて報道機関意味で使ったとされているが、Oxford Dictionariesによるとこれは確認されていない。

According to Wikipedia:

Thomas Carlyle attributed the origin of the term to Edmund Burke, who used it in a parliamentary debate in 1787 on the opening up of press reporting of the House of Commons of Great Britain. However, according to Oxford Dictionaries, "its first usage with reference to the press has been attributed to Edmund Burke, but this remains unconfirmed."

Examples

• ‘copy desks are held together by the bad-news contingent of the fourth estate’
• In her book, she exhibits pronounced paranoia that the fourth estate had collaborated in one giant conspiracy against her.
• His response to the toast of the fourth estate was an apology for its behaviour to my father.
• I won't say how we prevailed with the fourth estate, except that it wasn't by bribery.

Question of the Day #89

"The ‘knives are out’ for Reince Priebus in Trump’s cutthroat, chaotic White House: report"
From this article at Raw Story.

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

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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.

---

解答

意味： 英辞郎によると、


〔競争などが〕苛酷な、熾烈な

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

marked by unprincipled practices :  ruthless

Etymology/語源

Online Etymology Dictionaryによると、

cut-throatとも書く。名詞系は、1530年頃から。形容詞としては、1560年頃から。

According to Online Etymology Dictionary:

also cut-throat, 1530s, from cut (v.) + throat (n.). As an adjective from 1560s.

Examples

• But her model for meritocratic social mobility was predicated upon the value of cutthroat individualism.
• These superrich, radical women have earned their cutthroat reputations.
• Scrapping of price fixing legislation led to a cut-throat battle for supermarket customers.
• Many firms have fallen victim to cut-throat competition.
• ‘the cut-throat world of fashion’

Question of the Day #88

"Trump Plans to Slash the Most Effective Social Program in History"
From this article at Mother Jones.

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

---

解答

意味： 英辞郎によると、


〔予算・値段・人員などを〕大幅に削減する

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

to reduce sharply :  cut

Etymology/語源

Online Etymology Dictionaryによると、

価格等を下げるという意味で初めて使用されたには、1906年。

According to Online Etymology Dictionary:

In reference to prices, it is attested from 1906.

Examples

• The company has slashed prices to increase sales.
• Funding for the program was slashed.
• Mr. Gates has said repeatedly that he will slash his budget by $100 billion.
• So Romney has a secret plan to slash taxes without boosting the deficit he decries?
• ‘the workforce has been slashed by 2,000’

Question of the Day #87

"Bill Maher shreds Jeffrey Lord for claim Russia didn’t influence the election: ‘Don’t bullsh*t me!’"
From this article at Raw Story.

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

---

解答

意味： 英辞郎によると、


～をズタズタに裂く、細かく切る［刻む］、シュレッダーにかける

下記、Merriam-Websterの英語の定義を見ると、demolish （粉砕する）とあり、この文例の場合は一番適訳ではないかと思う。
日常的には、「シュレッダーにかける」の他に、料理の「千切り」の意味もある。（下記、使用例参照。）

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

1. to cut or tear into shreds
2. demolish

Etymology/語源

Online Etymology Dictionaryによると、

「～をズタズタに裂く、細かく切る」の意味は、1610年頃から。

According to Online Etymology Dictionary:

Meaning "cut or tear into shreds" is from 1610s.

Examples

• sharp lawyers shredding hapless witnesses — Charles Krauthammer
• Shred the cabbage and add it to the salad.
• The right appears ready to shred any institution and promote any myth to assure its success or explain its failures.

Question of the Day #86

"Top Democrat Chuck Schumer Calls On Jeff Sessions To Step Down"
From this article at the Huffington Post.

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

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明日、ここに答えを書きます。
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解答

意味： 英辞郎によると、


身を引く、辞任する、退陣する、引退する

Answer

According to Dictionary.com:

to relinquish one's authority or control; resign

Examples

• Although he was past retirement age, he refused to step down and let his son take over the business.
• The mayor stepped down from office last week.
• It's unusual for a mayor tostep down.
• She stepped down as captain of the team.
• He threatened to step down if they continued to argue with him.

Question of the Day #85

"Yet now one piece of the Trump-Russia puzzle has been clearly depicted: Trump's national security adviser was in cahoots with Russia to undermine the US government's effort to punish Moscow for hacking the US election—and he apparently lied about it."
From the first sentence of the second paragraph of this article at Mother Jones.
この記事の第２段落の最初のセンテンスより。

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

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明日、ここに答えを書きます。
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解答

意味： 英辞郎によると、


《be ～》共謀している、ぐるになっている

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary:

in conspiracy with someone; in league with someone.

Etymology/語源

Dictionary.comによると、

1829年頃。語源は不明であるが、フランス語のcahute （山小屋、キャビン）の可能性がある。

According to Dictionary.com:

[1829+; origin uncertain; perhaps French cahute, ''cabin'']

Examples

• in cahoots with the enemy.
• The mayor is in cahoots with the construction company that　got the contract for the new building.
• Those two have been in cahoots before.
• She was in cahoots with this guy who was smuggling drugs across the border.
• He was robbed by a man who was in cahoots with the bartender.