Question of the Day #493

"Reality stars might seem down to talk about anything on TV, but in real life, when reporters are recording their every word, they often clam up or only get chatty when it’s about the product they’re promoting."
From the 2nd paragraph of this article at Elite Daily.

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

話〉黙り込む［こくる］、口をつぐむ［閉ざす］

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

to become silent

Examples

• The teacher asked who had thrown the eraser, but the class clammed up.
• He just clams up if you ask him about his childhood.
• As soon as I told her my name, she clammed up.
• Naturally, everyone clammed up as soon as the check came.
• Our usual informant clammed up when he realized there was a mole in the department.

このサイトが役に立つと思ったら、ぜひ英語に関心のある知り合いとシェアしてください。