Question of the Day #258

"United States Gets an F for Failing to Help Its Neediest"
From the headline of this article at Mother Jones.

上記の文で、get an F の意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "get an F" 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"get an F"を検索しても関連する和文はありません。そこで、下記英語の定義をみます。Wordplays.comによると、"Get an F in"は、failとflunkが答えのクロスワードパズルのヒントとして使用されています。すなわち、Fとは、「落第」を意味するので、get an Fは「落第する」になります。
アメリカの学区によって違いますが、多くの学区は5段階評価を使用しているけれど、1, 2, 3, 4, 5ではなくいい成績順にA, B, C, D, Fを使います。Fを使う理由は、もちろんfailとflunkの頭文字だからです。

Answer

According to Wordplays.com "Get an F in" is used as a hint in crossword puzzles for the following:

1. Fail
2. Flunk

So, "get an F" generally means that you have failed or flunked something.

Etymology/語源

Slate.comによると、

アルファベットによる成績評価制度の最も古い記録は、1897年のMount Holyoke Collegeのものです。＜中略＞その制度の最低の評価は「不可」を意味するEでした。＜中略＞一年後、大学管理者側は、最低の評価をEからFに変更した。

According to Slate.com:

The earliest record of a letter-grade system comes from Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts in 1897...The lowest grade at Mount Holyoke was an E, which represented failure...One year later, administrators changed the failing grade to F

Examples

• Johnny got an F on his math test.
• I got an F on my Physics test, looks like father is going to tie me to that tree in the front yard and flog me until I'm sunburn red.
• 5 Ways You Can Get an “F” on Any Academic Paper
• Razer CEO tells students it’s okay to waste time, get an ‘F’
• For-profit colleges get an 'F'

Question of the Day #257

"Longtime conservative columnist George Will is making a case against voting for Republicans in November’s 2018 midterm elections, arguing that House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and other GOP members of Congress “have become the president’s poodles.”"
From the first paragraph of this article at the Huffington Post.

上記の文で、poodle の意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "poodle" 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：
英辞郎には、犬種の説明しかありませんが、下記のOxford Dictionariesの英語の定義によると、


ある人や組織に過度に従う人や組織をいう。

なので、問題文の場合は、「飼い犬」ぐらいに意訳していいと思います。

Answer

According to Oxford Dictionaries:

A person or organization who is overly willing to obey another.

Etymology/語源

Online Etymology Dictionaryによると、

[主にイギリスで使用される]「人のいいなりになる」の比喩的な使い方は、１９０７年から。

According to Online Etymology Dictionary:

Figurative sense of "lackey" (chiefly British) is attested from 1907. 

Examples

• ‘the council is being made a poodle of central government’
• The Left calls Tony Blair "George Bush's poodle."
• They accused the Labour party of being the unions' poodle.

Question of the Day #256

"When a Mars Simulation Goes Wrong"
From the headline of this article at The Atlantic.

上記の文で、go wrongの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "go wrong" 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. 〔物事が〕誤った［間違った・悪い］方向に進む［向かう］、うまくいかない、堕落する
2. 失敗する
3. 〔機械の〕調子が狂う［おかしくなる］、故障する
4. 不機嫌になる、気が狂う
5. 悪に走る、道を誤る、正道を踏み外す、堕落する、ぐれる、身を誤る
6. 行き違いになる、手違いが生じる

といろいろありますが、全部よくない意味ですね。問題文の場合は、1番の「うまくいかない」でいいと思います。

Answer

According to Dictionary.com :

1. to turn out other than intended
2. to make a mistake
3. (of a machine, etc) to cease to function properly
4. to go astray morally

I think that the first definition makes the most sense in the case of the question.

Examples

• We have to figure out what went wrong with the experiment.
• "I don't know what to order." "Their clam chowder is good. You can't go wrong with there."
• If you just follow the signs to the park, you can’t go wrong.
• I was so worried that something had gone wrong that I called the police.
• I'm afraid that everything willgo wrong.

Question of the Day #255

"Trump reverses course, signs order to keep families together"
From the headline of this article at CNN.com.

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


針路を反転する

になるが、比喩的な使い方ができるので、この例文の場合は、「政策を変更する」または「政策を元に戻す」になる。

Answer

According to Stackexchange.com:

"Reverse course" is an idiom. A "course" is the path that a ship or airplane takes to reach its destination. To "reverse course" is to stop and go back the way you came, to head back to your starting point.

Examples

• European Union leaders agreed to suspend visa and investment talks with Russia on Thursday in reaction to its seizure of Crimea, and said they would freeze Russian assets and withdraw from a G8 summit if Russia does not reverse course.
• To revive growth, the ECB needs to stop raising interest rates and reverse course.
• Women 's percentage continues to be low in the higher grades compared to men despite a reverse course in progress.
• By reversing course on the WTO, Putin has again shown himself to be Russia’s master.
• European fixed-income markets rallied strongly as a result, only to reverse course days later when Trichet and his colleagues made it clear that the markets had "misread" him.

Question of the Day #254

"China Is Genetically Engineering Monkeys With Brain Disorders"
From the headline of this article at The Atlantic.

上記の文で、genetically engineer の意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "genetically engineer" 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：
英辞郎のこのページでわかるように、


遺伝子操作する

になります。名詞形は、genetic engineering。意味としては、genetically modifyと同じです。

Answer

According to Cambridge Dictionary:

Same as "genetically modified" for which the definition is: "A genetically modified plant or animal has had some of its genes changed scientifically."

Etymology/語源

Dictionary.comによると、genetic engineeringは、

1965年から1970年の間に初めて使用された。

According to Dictionary.com the origin of genetic engineering is as follows:

First recorded in 1965–70

Examples

Genetically engineerの例文は少ないので、genetic engineeringの例文を紹介します。
Because of the lack of examples using "genetically engineer," I am showing examples using "genetic engineering."

• The crops were made resistant to disease by genetic engineering.
• That happened just as the tantalizing new field of genetic engineering, of recombinant DNA, offered the potential of not only an AIDS vaccine but perhaps an entirely new avenue of vaccine discovery. — Adam Rogers, WIRED, "The Man Who Says Science Blew Its Best Shot at an AIDS Vaccine," 1 June 2018
• Previous forms of genetic engineering generally have involved adding genes from bacteria, viruses or other plant species to create crops that can withstand herbicides or repel insects.
—
Lucy Craymer, WSJ, "Scientists in China Race to Edit Crop Genes, Sowing Unease in U.S.," 6 May 2018
• Jump to today, and 23andMe is analyzing our saliva and Crispr targeted genome manipulation promises to make genetic engineering a snap. — Darryn King, WIRED, "Director Andrew Niccol Lives in His Own Truman Show (And So Do You)," 4 May 2018
• Scientists have used genetic engineering to protect tomatoes against the effects of freezing.

Question of the Day #253

"Trump just threw a morning fit over Mueller on Twitter. Chuck Schumer’s response is spot on"
From the headline of this article at Washington Press.

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


【形・副】〈英話〉ぴったりの［に］、ぴったり正確な［に］、全く正しい［正しく］、正鵠を射た［射て］

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

exactly correct

Etymology/語源

Online Etymology Dictionaryによると、

「ぴったり正確な」の意味の副詞節のspot onは、1920年から使用されているという記録がある。

According to Online Etymology Dictionary:

Adverbial phrase spot on "completely right" attested from 1920.

Examples

• Schools were told their exam information had to be spot-on and accurate.
• [as adjective] ‘your reviews are spot on’
• Your guess was spot on.
• "How old do I reckon she is? I'd say 38." "Spot on."
• His imitation of his boss was spot-on.

Question of the Day #252

"What Europe Can Teach America About Russian Disinformation"
From the headline of this article at The Atlantic.

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


【名】〔真実を隠すため・人を欺くため・人を混乱させるためなどに故意に発信される〕偽情報、虚報、がせネタ、デマ◆【注意】misinformation（間違った情報）と混同しないこと

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

false information deliberately and often covertly spread (as by the planting of rumors) in order to influence public opinion or obscure the truth

Etymology/語源

Online Etymology Dictionaryによると、

1955年、フランス語に由来すると言われている1949年のロシア語のdezinformatsiyaから。

According to Online Etymology Dictionary:

1955, from Russian dezinformatsiya (1949), which is said to be from French

Examples

• The president tweeting this week that the fake mainstream media during the campaign ran then most highly sophisticated and dishonest disinformation campaign in the history of politics. — Fox News, "Roseanne critics target Trump," 4 June 2018
• Media analysts have argued that Facebook’s reaction to claims of anti-conservative bias led the company to take a more lax approach to the Russian disinformation campaign. — Hamza Shaban, BostonGlobe.com, "Facebook is shutting down its notorious ‘trending’ feature," 2 June 2018
• Media analysts have argued that Facebook's reaction to claims of anti-conservative bias led the company to take a more lax approach to the Russian disinformation campaign. — Hamza Shaban, chicagotribune.com, "Facebook is shutting down its troubled 'trending' feature," 1 June 2018
• They claimed there was an official disinformation campaign by the government.
• ‘the entire Western intelligence system had been systematically manipulated with clever disinformation’

Question of the Day #251

"Trudeau 'stabbed us in back' on trade, says Trump chief economic adviser"
From the headline of this article at The Guardian.

上記の文で、stab in [the] back の意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "stab in [the] back" mean?

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---

解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、


1. 【動】背中を刺す
2. 【名】裏切り行為

ということなので、この例題の場合は、「裏切られた」でいいのではないでしょう。

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary:

To betray someone's confidence or trust.

Etymology/語源

The History Learning Siteによると、

Stab-in-the-backという表現は、1918年12月1日のNeue Züricher Zeitung誌に掲載されたイギリスからの記事で初めて使用された。

“As far as the German army is concerned the general view is summarised in these words: It was stab-in-the-back by the civilian population.”（ 「簡単にいうとドイツ陸軍の一般的な見解は、民間人に背中を刺された（裏切られた）。」）

According to The History Learning Site:

The term ‘stab-in-the-back’ was first used on December 1st 1918 in a report from England published in the ‘Neue Züricher Zeitung’:

“As far as the German army is concerned the general view is summarised in these words: It was stab-in-the-back by the civilian population.”

Examples

• These companies all want to pretend like they're your friend, but they'll stabyou in the back the moment it makes financial sense for them.
• The gangster's second in command stabbed him in theback to assume control over the entire criminal organization.
• He had been lied to and stabbed in the back by people that he thought were his friends.
• Don't trust George; he's been known to stab his friends in the back.
• I can't believe that after all my help she would steal from me. It's a real stab in the back.

Question of the Day #250

"Roseanne Barr's stormy past foreshadowed her show's dramatic end"
From the headline of this article at CNN.com.

上記の文で、foreshadow の意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "foreshadow" 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：
英辞郎の訳の中で最も適切なのは、


前兆となる、予示する

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

to represent, indicate, or typify beforehand

Etymology/語源

Online Etymology Dictionaryによると、

「前もって指し示す」の意味は、1570年代より。比喩。fore- + shadowから。

According to Online Etymology Dictionary:

"indicate beforehand," 1570s, figurative, from fore- + shadow (v.)

Examples

• Bee rolled a clip from the early ‘aughts that may have foreshadowed Conway’s tactics during the 2016 campaign. — Anna Millard, refinery29.com, "Sam Bee Dug Up Kellyanne Conway’s Daily Show Appearances — & They Explain So Much," 26 May 2018
• According to Pandora, the launch of the inaugural themed playlists foreshadows the creation of even more themes and moods that will become available in the coming months. — Lilly Milman, Billboard, "Pandora Launches Personalized Playlists for All Premium Subscribers," 23 May 2018
• Regulation of gristmill pricing foreshadowed future government regulation of utilities.
—
Rachel Riederer, The New Republic, "Can Rivers Be People Too?," 9 May 2018


• The recent outbreak of violence was foreshadowed by isolated incidents in the city earlier this year.
• ‘other new measures are foreshadowed in the White Paper’

Question of the Day #249

"Why Nicolás Maduro Clings to Power"
From the headline of this article at The Atlantic.

上記の文で、clingの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "cling" 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：
英辞郎の訳の中で最も適切なのは、


〔信念・習慣などに〕執着する、〔高い地位などに〕しがみつく、かじりつく、固守する

ちなみに、サランラップのような食品用のラップは、アメリカでは、商品名でもあるcling wrapということがあります。
また、clingは非常に多くの主語と組み合わせて使えるので、下記の例文のみならず色々な辞書等の例文を参考にしてほしいと思います。

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

to hold or hold on tightly or tenaciously

Etymology/語源

Online Etymology Dictionaryによると、


古英語のclingan（～にしがみつく、～に密着する、凝結［凝固］する、縮む）から。
比喩的な使い方（希望、古びた考え等にしがみつく・固執する）は、1580年代から。

According to Online Etymology Dictionary:

Old English clingan "hold fast, adhere closely; congeal, shrivel"
Figuratively (to hopes, outmoded ideas, etc.), from 1580s.

Examples

• Recent polls show Cox clinging to the all-important second spot in the primary, with Democrat Antonio Villaraigosa close behind. — John Wildermuth, San Francisco Chronicle, "John Cox, CA’s top GOP candidate for governor, is hard up for campaign cash," 25 May 2018
• In the same game, with the Pride clinging to a 2-1 lead, Harris had a crucial save in the 52nd minute to deny Tobin Heath an equalizer. — Jordan Culver, Pro Soccer USA, "Orlando Pride goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris: Club should be winning games," 16 May 2018
• She clung to the handrail as she walked down the slippery steps.
• We got so wet that our clothes clung to us.
• The odor clung to the room for hours.

Question of the Day #248

"Elon Musk Should Know Better"
From the headline of this article at The Atlantic.

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

---

解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、


もっと分別がある、わきまえている、慎重である◆叱って励ます時などに用いられる表現

また、should know betterになると、意味は、「分かってないねえ、思い違いをしている、もっとよく考えないと◆主語が一人称以外の場合、しばしば相手を見下して偉そうに諭す語気」になります。「しばしば相手を見下して偉そうに諭す語気」の理由としては、"You should know better."という言い方は、とくに子供に使うからです。すなわち、「いい大人になって、そんなことも分からないの」というニュアンスが含まれる。

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary:

1. To be aware or capable of better or smarter behavior than one has demonstrated.
2. Be able to recognize something as wrong or not possible.

Examples

• You know better than to talk tostrangers! What were you thinking?
• Mary should know better than to leave her child alonein the house.
• She should know better than to try to fool him.
• Everyone thought it was an innocent mistake, but I knew better.
• I'm surprised at you behaving so badly - you ought to/should know better.

Question of the Day #247

"Sun, sea and quills: Duchess of Sussex's coat of arms gets a splash of California"
From the headline of this article at The Guardian.

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


紋章

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

heraldic bearings (as of a person) usually depicted on an escutcheon often with accompanying adjuncts (such as a crest, motto, and supporters)

Etymology/語源

によると、

14世紀中頃から。単にcoatともいうことがある。もとは、刺繍や絵の具で紋章が描かれた鎧等の上にまとうチュニックのことを言った。

According to :

mid-14c., also simply coat (mid-14c.); originally a tunic embroidered or painted with heraldic armorial bearings (worn over armor, etc)

Examples

• There was a stained-glass window with the family coat of arms.
• His gold signet ring bears a star, taken from his family's coat of arms.
• "The new format passport will retain the royal coat of arms and the name of the issuing state on the cover." From the Hansard archive
• "Nothing is included about the oath of allegiance or the royal coat of arms." From the Hansard archive
• "He promised to refurbish the altar and surrounding tribune, provided that he might include the coat of armsof his family and otherwise decorate that space as he saw fit." From Cambridge English Corpus