Question of the Day #599

The truth is, sometimes the flashiest job won’t bring home the bacon in the same way that something a little less exciting might.

From the 2nd paragraph of this article at Yahoo! Finance.

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

1. 〈話〉働いて金を持ち帰る、生活費を稼ぐ、生計を支える、暮らしを立てる
2. 〈話〉成功する、成功を収める、成果を挙げる

問題文の場合は、当然1番です。

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary:

1. To earn money, as from steady employment. The phrase may originate from the fairground contest in which participants try to catch a greased pig in order to win it.
2. To be successful.

Examples

• He worked hard all week to bring home the bacon for his family.
• Now that I have a full-time job, I'm bringing home the bacon!
• My wife brings home the bacon, while I watch the kids.
• The question `Who brings up the baby and who brings home the bacon?' has become one of the most important of all political questions.
• Our governor went to Washington to appeal for disaster relief and eventually brought home the bacon.

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。

Question of the Day #598

There really isn’t a definitive rule regarding where percentages should be spent, however, if I had my druthers, I’d say you can’t go wrong with at least 50% of the total budget spent on speakers (or headphones for personal audio). 

From the 1st paragraph of section "3. Speakers and Headphones" of this article at Ecoustics.com.

上記の文で、have one's druthersの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "have one's druthers" 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：
英辞郎にこのイディオムは載っていないがdruthersの意味は、

〈話〉〔人の〕好み、選択

したがって、「自分の好み通りにできるのならば」という意味になります。

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary:

To have one's choice or preference; to have things the way one would like them to be; to have one's way. Usually formulated as "if I had my druthers…." Primarily heard in US.

Etymology/語源

Merriam-Webster

drutherは、would ratherの頭韻語。
また、初めて使用されたのは、1870年頃。

According to Merriam-Webster:

druther, alteration of would rather
First Known Use of druthers
: 1870

Examples

• If I had my druthers, there'd be another election.
• This isn't the way we'd do things if we had our druthers.
• If you could have your druthers, what would you be doing?
• I tell you, if I had my druthers, I'd spend the rest of my life living in Paris.
• If the president had his druthers, we'd be paying taxes for the privilege of breathing!

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。

Question of the Day #597

Lend me your ear: a compilation of gestures from around the globe

From the headline of this article at The Boston Globe.

上記の文で、lend me your earの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "lend me your ear" 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：
英辞郎に訳がないので、下記The Idiomsの定義を訳すと、

人に注目するようにお願いする

Answer

According to The Idioms:

ask for someone's full attention

Etymology/語源

Idiom Attic

ShakespeareのJulius Caesarから。

According to Idiom Attic:

From Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.

Examples

• Lend me your ear and I will tell you about my adventures in the mountains.
• Could you please lend me your ear for a minute? I need to tell you something really important.
• Even if you disagree with someone, you should still lend them your ear and try to understand their point of view.
• The boss asked us all to lend him our ears for an hour this afternoon. I wonder what he's going to tell us.
• Hey, lend an ear to this - Suzy is getting married.

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。

Question of the Day #596

A setup with a moving driving seat, a steering wheel with haptic feedback and a crystal-clear virtual reality headset would make any serious gamer jealous, but Volvo Cars’ simulator takes this concept to the next level, making it hard to tell reality from simulation.

From the 2nd paragraph of this article at Automotive World.

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

水晶のように澄み切った、透明な、一点の曇りもない、明晰な、非常に明瞭な［明白な・はっきりしている］

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

perfectly or transparently clear

Examples

• “Was my request clear?” “Yes, crystal clear.”
• Eventually it became crystal clear that something had to change.
• The Twentieth Amendment is crystal clear that the president’s term in office ‘shall end’ at noon on Jan. 20, but two men could show up to be sworn in. — Annabelle Timsit, Quartz, "Some scenarios of what could happen on election day and beyond," 2 Nov. 2020
• The cliffs, lapped by a crystal-clear sea, remind her of Capri.
• The message is crystal clear–if you lose weight, you will feel better.

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。

Question of the Day #595

Arizona: On the fast track to swing state status

From the headline of this article at The Hill.

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

《a ～》〈米〉選挙結果を左右する州、勝敗の鍵を握る州、激戦州◆米国大統領選において、選挙結果が共和党と民主党の候補者間で“揺れる州”または接戦の州。◆【同】battleground state ; purple state

なお、同義語としてなぜpurple stateかは、青い州（民主党）と赤い州（共和党）の混合色だからです。

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

US politics : a U.S. state in which Republican and Democratic candidates have similar levels of support and which is considered to play a key role in the outcome of presidential elections

Examples

• The politics of immigration in Florida, a key swing state, are not as clear as they are in California. — Tom Masland, et al.
• If he is so polarizing, how was he elected five times in a swing state? — Nancy Gibbs, et al.
• The outcome of the US election will be decided by a small number of swing states that are not decisively Democratic or Republican in their support for the presidential candidates.
• This election sees familiar swing states such as Ohio, Florida, and Virginia in contention, as well as some new ones such as Utah, Arizona, and Wisconsin.
• Swing states with large populations control a larger number of members of the Electoral College than small ones, and so have a greater influence on the outcome of the election.

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。

Question of the Day #594

Lip-service to generic anti-racism is no solution.

From the 8th paragraph of this article at Toronto Star.

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

リップサービス◆実行・実践を伴わない、口先だけの同意・賛成・賛同・好意・意見・主張

なお、英辞郎には「〈性俗〉フェラチオ」という訳もありますが、これは和製英語であって実際にはほとんどこのように使用されません。性俗の定義はなくはないが、Urban Dictionaryが唯一の出典で"oral sex, especially cunnilingus"という定義になります。

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

an avowal of advocacy, adherence, or allegiance expressed in words but not backed by deeds —usually used with pay

Examples

• She paid lip service to blue-collar workers, but she did nothing to help them.
• So far all we've gotten from him is lip service.
• A lot of adults pay lip service to the idea that it is important to listen to teenagers' ideas, but they tend to listen and then forget.
• Is this a real promise, or is this just lip service?
• In March and April, the need for mask use and physical distancing were given lip service in the White House even as the president and his top aides modeled bad behavior, ignoring recommendations from the public health community. — Fortune, "We could tackle COVID under an effective leader. Trump is not that leader," 2 Nov. 2020

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。

Question of the Day #593

37% of respondents are hopeful about the next year, saying the “fingers crossed” emoji best reflects their feelings.

From the 3rd paragraph of this article at Provoke.

上記の文で、fingers crossedの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "fingers crossed" 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：
英辞郎には、with fingers crossedの訳があり、それの意味は、

幸運［成功］を祈りながら

Fingers crossedだけでも同じ意味があります。なので、最近のemojiにもなっています。

Answer

According to MacMillan Dictionary :

used for saying that you hope something goes well or has a good result

Examples

• Tomorrow is my second test so fingers crossed!
• It’s too soon to get excited, but keep your fingers crossed.
• I studied for that exam for two weeks, so I hope I get a good grade on it. Fingers crossed!
• Fingers crossed my packages get delivered in time for Christmas!
• Let's keep our fingers crossed that it doesn't rain.

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。

Question of the Day #592

On the out­side, we raise Cain, agitate, and describe the contours of a just and more democratic future.

From the 9th paragraph of this article at In These Times.

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

面倒［騒動］を起こす、（人）に食って掛かる

Answer

According to Lexico:

Create trouble or a commotion.

Etymology/語源

英辞郎によると、

語源】旧約聖書で弟Abelを殺し、最初の殺人者となったことから。

According to The Phrase Finder:

Cain was the first murderer according to scriptural accounts in the Bible - Genesis 4 and in the Qur'an - 5:27-32. The biblical account, from the King James' Version, tells of how Cain and Abel, the two sons of Adam and Eve, bring offerings to God, but only Abel's is accepted. Cain kills Abel in anger and is cursed by God.

Examples

• He'll raise Cain when he finds out I lost his watch.
• The students raised Cain while the teacher was out.
• I figure she'd raise Cain if we tried to stop her.
• I started raising Cain as soon as I was in college and could do what I wanted, but I mellowed out after I graduated.
• The customer has been raising Cain about the service charge we included on his bill.

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。

Question of the Day #591

If such language were not disturbing enough, it is important to note that Trump has at his beck and call any number of loyal armed right-wing groups ready for actual combat on his behalf.

From the 3rd paragraph of this article at News Click.

上記の文で、at [someone's] beck and callの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "at [someone's] beck and call" 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、

（人）の意［指示・指図］のままに、（人）の言いなりになって、（人）の手足となって働いて

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

always ready to do whatever someone asks

Examples

• He expects his employees to be at his beck and call day and night.
• She is at the beck and call of the committee.
• She was confined to a wheelchair but had a private nurse at her beck and call.
• Your child must understand that you can't always be at his beck and call for every little thing.
• The servants at the palace are at the beck and call of the king and the entire royal family.

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。

Question of the Day #590

An advocacy-oriented approach — that is, publicly calling attention to the issue and applying pressure from the outside — would have caused a loss of face for local officials and hopes for a deal would be lost.

From the 6th paragraph of this article at the Harvard Business Review.

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

メンツ［面目］を失うこと、顔をつぶされること

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary:

The state or circumstance of having lost the respect of other people, as due to having done something improper or unacceptable.

Examples

• 'he could step aside now without loss of face'
• After my terrible loss of face in front of the in-laws, I knew I couldn't return to their home for the foreseeable future.
• Any decision to withdraw now would mean a damaging loss of face.

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。

Question of the Day #589

While finding an agreed-upon definition of what “defunding the police” actually means is difficult, there’s little question that injecting the phrase into any political debate remains one of the fastest ways to light the suburban electorate’s hair on fire.

From the 2nd paragraph of this article at The News Tribute.

上記の文で、hair on fireの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "hair on fire" 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：
英辞郎や他の日英辞書に訳がないので、下記の英語のUsingEnglish.comの定義を訳します。

何かがsets your hair on fire（髪の毛に火をつけたら）それは、自分をとても興奮させているか突然注意を引くことを意味します。

また、緊急事態であること表すためにも使います。

Answer

According to UsingEnglish.com:

If something sets your hair on fire, it excites you or catches your attention urgently.

Examples

• It was one of those hair on fire moments where everyone and their brother was requesting things from me at the same time.
• I am sorry I didn't call you back; my hair was on fire at work.
• "Yes, I need that information now, we're on deadline here and my hair's on fire"
• "'You're not going to be happy unless you're going Mach 2 with your hair on fire,' Kelly McGillis (Instructor Charlotte Blackwood) says to Tom Cruise (Lt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell)."
• "Charlie Allen had his hair on fire,'' wrote Richard Clarke, the former counterterrorism chief, at the start of a chapter in his brilliantly promoted best seller, ''Against All Enemies.''

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。

Question of the Day #588

Volunteers help comb through government and media reports, and members of the public can send them events for a rich, real-time record.

From the 7th paragraph of this article at The Waterloo Chronicle.

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

～を綿密にチェックする、～をくまなく捜す

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary:

Fig. to look through something, examining it thoroughly.

Examples

• Researchers have been combing through data files trying to detect problems.
• In response, the staff combed through the 10-year budget for savings.
• We combed through the wreckage but still haven't found any survivors.
• Our lawyers are combing through the contract, looking for anything we can use to our advantage.
• I combed through all my belongings, looking for the lost papers.

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。