Question of the Day #193

"CNN Interview With Roy Moore Spox Janet Porter Goes Totally Off the Rails: ‘Are You Having Fun?’ "
From the headline of this article at Mediaite.com.

今回は、2問。

上記の文で、spoxとoff the railsの意味は？
Two terms today. In the sentence above, what do "spox" and "off the rails" 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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Spoxの解答/Answer to Spox

意味： Oxford Dictionariesによると、


spokespersonの略。すなわち、〔組織・企業・政府などの情報を発表する〕広報担当者、報道官、スポークスパーソン

Answer

According to Oxford Dictionaries:

A spokesperson.

Etymology/語源

WordReference.comによると、

Googleニュースのタイムラインによると、spoxは２００７年に突然流行り出したが、それまではなかった用語のようである。

According to WordReference.com:

According to the Google news time-line, it suddenly became popular in 2007, apparently not existing before that year.

Examples

• Schneiderman campaign spox James Freedland just sent out the following statement.
• "(Elections will be held) absolutely on schedule," said government spokesman Theodore Roussopoulos.
• ‘the Homeland Security spox has assured us that there would be “robust and thorough security threat assessments” in place’

Off the railsの解答/Answer to "Off the rails"

意味： 英辞郎によると、


軌道からはずれて、頭が狂って

to goで使用されるのが最も一般的ですが、to beやto comeと使用されることもある。

Answer

According to Dictionary.com:

In an abnormal or malfunctioning condition

Etymology/語源

Dictionary.comによると、

1800年代半ばにできたイディオムで、汽車の脱線事故から。

According to Dictionary.com:

This idiom alludes to the rails on which trains run; if a train goes off the rails, it stops or crashes. [ Mid-1800s ]

Examples

• A lot of kids from strict backgrounds go off the rails when they leave home.
• The campaign for independence seems to have gone off the rails.
• He went off the rails in his first year at university.
• Our project has started going off the rails ever since the manager up and quit last month.
• He was a promising student but he went off the rails after he started taking drugs.