Question of the Day #145

"‘An epic fail — seven years gone down the drain’: Fox’s Krauthammer shreds GOP and Trump for health care flop"
From the headline of this article at Raw Story.

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

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解答

意味： 英辞郎によると、


〈話〉壮絶な［ものすごい］大失敗

Answer

According to Dictionary.com:

a spectacularly embarrassing or humorous mistake, humiliating situation, etc., that is subject to ridicule and given a greatly exaggerated importance.

Etymology/語源

Merriam-Websterのこの記事によると、

epic failという表現は、２１世紀の始め頃から使われるようになった

According to this article at Merriam-Webster:

'epic fail' seems to have emerged around the turn of the 21st century

Examples

• I give Mashable an EPIC FAIL on this for betting Snocap could work. — Pete Cashmore, "EPIC FAIL: This Year’s Turkeys," Mashable.com, 22 November 2007
• Joaquin Phoenix’s shtick was an epic fail on “Letterman” last month. — Chicago Tribune, 9 March 2009
• Shaquille O’Neal famously tried acting (fail) and music (epic fail). So, as his basketball career winds down, what’s left to dabble in? Why, comedy! — The Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY), 16 June 2009
• For those working outside these margins, there is Cake Wrecks, Jen Yates's popular blog and new book of the same name, celebrating the folly of professional confections gone horribly, horribly wrong. Think of them as epic fails, with frosting. — David Hochman, — The New York Times, 14 October 2009

Question of the Day #144

"House GOP budget plan calls for major cuts to benefits, paving way for tax overhaul bill"
From the headline of this article at PBS.

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

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Write your answer in the Comments.

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、


〔修理・改良などのために〕～を徹底的に点検する［整備する・分解修理する］

となっているが、どちらかというと上記の訳の下にあるIt's time to overhaul our budget. (予算を見直す時です。)の「見直す」が、この例文の場合一番いいでしょう。

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

to renovate, remake, revise, or renew thoroughly

Etymology/語源

Online Etymology Dictionaryによると、

1620年代から。もとは、船舶用語で「船の帆とマストを支えるロープ・ワイヤ・滑車を調べる」という意味。

According to Online Etymology Dictionary:

1620s, from over- + haul (v.); originally nautical, "pull rigging apart for examination," 

Examples

• Lawmakers are overhauling the welfare program.
• The government has recently overhauled the healthcare system.
• ‘moves to overhaul the income tax system’
• The debt commission's proposal to overhaul the tax code is projected to $80 billion in increased revenue in 2015.
• It is broken and desperately needs an overhaul similar to what the 1986 Goldwater/Nichols Act did for the Department of Defense.

Question of the Day #143

"Outgoing ethics chief: ‘We are pretty close to a laughingstock’"
From the headline of this article at the Hill.

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


物笑いの種、笑い草、笑いもの、冷笑の的

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

an object of ridicule

Etymology/語源

Online Etymology Dictionaryによると、

1510年頃、whipping-stockまたはwhipping post（「むち打ち柱」（むち打ち刑に処す罪人を縛り付ける柱））の比喩として。

According to Online Etymology Dictionary:

1510s, formed by analogy with whipping-stock "whipping post,"

Examples

• The team has become the laughingstock of the league.
• The mayor became a laughingstock.
• Unprepared, and a laughingstock because of his handicap, Yarvi is bulliedon every front—even by his mother.
• Would Obama be the laughingstock of the country if his campaign adsfeatured a bubbly jingle?
• The Democrats, on the other hand, started out as a laughingstock.

Question of the Day #142

"Ethics watchdog to release Mar-a-Lago visitor logs"
From the headline of this article at the Hill.

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


番犬、番人、お目付け役、監視人、監視員、監視機関［機構］

ということなので、この場合は、当然「監視機関［機構］」になります。

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

one that guards against loss, waste, theft, or undesirable practices

Etymology/語源

Online Etymology Dictionaryによると、

番犬の意味は1600年頃から。比喩的な意味は、1845年からと言われている。

According to Online Etymology Dictionary:

also watch-dog, c. 1600, from watch (v.) + dog (n.). Figurative sense is attested by 1845.

Examples

• Hopefully, the various media organizations and watchdog groups that are suing the Federal Government to get their hands on the memos will succeed.—Robert Silverman, Esquire, "The Senate Is Getting Its Hands on James Comey's Memos", 28 June 2017
• All this has made CCC into something that sounds alien to American ears: a popular, powerful, tech-focused watchdog group, one whose counsel has been sought by both WikiLeaks and Deutsche Telekom AG.—Vernon Silver, Bloomberg.com, "The Hackers Russia-Proofing Germany’s Elections", 27 June 2017
• In exchange, a legal fellowship will be created in his name that will bolster the work of the city's police watchdog agency.—Colleen Long, chicagotribune.com, "Former tennis player James Blake agrees not to sue New York City", 21 June 2017
• The Countryside Commission was set up as the government's official watchdog on conservation.
• ‘the consumer watchdog for transport in London’

Question of the Day #141

"Trump Just Tweeted A Perfect Freudian Slip About His Obamacare Repeal Bill"
From the headline of this article at the Washington Journal.

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

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Write your answer in the Comments.

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、


フロイト的失言、うっかりした失言

とあるが、下記英語の定義を見ていただければわかるように、「発言者の潜在意識にあることを露わにする」うっかりした失言です。

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

a slip of the tongue that is motivated by and reveals some unconscious aspect of the mind

Etymology/語源

Merriam-Websterによると、

初めて使われたのが、1941年。

According to Merriam-Webster:

First Known Use: 1941

Examples

• He meant to say “I'm glad you're here,” but what came out was a Freudian slip: “I'm mad you're here.”
• "For seven and a half years I've worked alongside President Reagan. We've had triumphs. Made some mistakes. We've had some sex... uh... setbacks." -A Freudian slip by President George H.W. Bush
• I didn't mean to say the math teacher was fat. It was only a Freudian slip that I said her triangle had a hippopotamus when I meant to say hypotenuse. 
• "that chick was TEMPTING...I mean attempting to..." 

Question of the Day #140

"Pearson cashes in $1 billion of its Penguin Random House stake"
From the headline of this article at Reuters.

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

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解答

意味： 英辞郎によると色々な意味はあるが、この場合は、


現金化する、換金する

で間違いありません。

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

to obtain cash for

Etymology/語源

Merriam-Websterによると、

cash inが初めて使用されたのは、1888年。

According to Merriam-Webster:

First Known Use of cash in: 1888

Examples

• cashed in the bonds
• If you own a with-profits policy, you're likely to have to pay an adjustment if you ever want to cash it in.
• You should regularly review your securities; it may be time to cash in and look for another opportunity.
• You will not receive the true value of your policy if you cash it in early.

Question of the Day #139

"The Latest Trump-Russia Story Has The Makings Of A Blockbuster"
From the headline of this article at FiveThirtyEight.com.

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

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解答

意味： 英辞郎によると、


1. 《軍事》ブロックバスター（爆弾）◆第二次大戦中にイギリス軍が使用したもので、一街区（block）を丸ごと破壊（bust）できる威力を持った大型爆弾。
2. 〈話〉〔映画・本・商品などの〕ビッグヒット、大ヒット（作）、大当たり
3. 〈話〉悪徳不動産業者

とかなり違う三つの意味がありますが、この例の場合は、マイ違いなく「大当たり」でしょう。

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

1. a very large high-explosive bomb
2. one that is notably expensive, effective, successful, large, or extravagant
3. one who engages in blockbusting

Etymology/語源

Online Etymology Dictionaryによると、

芸能界用語で、「大成功」「大当たり」の意味で使われ始めたのは、1952年。

According to Online Etymology Dictionary:

Entertainment sense "spectacularly successful production" is attested by 1952.

Examples

• a 900-page blockbuster of a novel
• the movie is expected to be the biggest blockbuster of the summer
• With pages of action and a faithful fanbase, Hollywood is mining the goodbook for blockbuster stories.
• Because clearly nothing can go wrong with pumping out film afterblockbuster film of a beloved franchise.
• Inside, there's a ' blockbuster ' piece by Royal writer Katie Nicholl.

Question of the Day #138

"New poll reveals the first word that comes to mind when Americans think of Trump"
From the headline of this article at Raw Story.

上記の文で、come to mind の意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "come to mind" 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。
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解答

意味： 英辞郎によると、


思い浮かぶ

Answer

According to Dictionary.com:

Be recollected, occur to one

Examples

• A new idea just came to mind.
• Do I know a good barber? No one comes to mind right now.
• Mention fashion and Kate's name comes to mind.
• As he spoke, the powerful voice of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., came to mind.
• I'm trying to think of someone who might help out with the kids. Yvette comes to mind.

Question of the Day #137

"Trump not heeding calls to tone down tweets"
From the headline of this article at PBS.com.

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

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Write your answer in the Comments.

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、


〔音・色・語気などを〕和らげる、抑える

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

 to make (something) less forceful, offensive, or harsh

Etymology/語源

Online Etymology Dictionaryによると、

何かを「和らげる、抑える」の意味は、1847年から。

According to Online Etymology Dictionary:

general sense of "reduce, moderate" is by 1847.

Examples

• People will be more likely to listen to you if you tone down your language a little.
• The foul language in the original play has been toned down for television.
• Both sides agreed to tone down their speeches in order to avoid an argument.
• The fiery right-wing leader toned down his militant statements after the meeting.
• We have had to ask the agency and their client to tone their ads down.

Question of the Day #136

"Facebook 'Find Wi-Fi' Goes Global"
From the headline of this article at PC Magazine.

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

答えは、コメントに書いてください。
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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、


グローバル化する、世界化する、世界的になる、国際化する

とあるが、この場合は、「世界中に公表」「世界中に拡散」が適訳だと思います。

Answer

To spread around the world

Etymology/語源

globalの語源は、Online Etymology Dictionaryによると、

「世界中」、「全世界の」という意味は、1892年から。

According to Online Etymology Dictionary:

Meaning "worldwide, universal, pertaining to the whole globe of the earth" is from 1892

Examples

• Beyond mere bragging rights, China has economic motives for trying to go global with the renminbi.
• We pay for the intellectual property we use because we want to go global, he says.
• And it chose not to go global.
• American fast food has been going global for years, of course.
• The products then go global.

Question of the Day #135

"Trump renews attack on 'crazy' and 'dumb as a rock' MSNBC hosts"
From the headline of this article at The Hill.

上記の文で、dumb as a rock の意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "dumb as a rock" mean?

答えは、コメントに書いてください。
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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、


〈侮蔑的〉とてつもないばかで

また、類似した表現で、dumb as a box of rocksもある。

Answer

According to Urban Dictionary:

Terminally stupid.

Example

• The perp was dumb as a rock, and confessed in five minutes.