Question of the Day #978

White House can't always call the shots

From the headline of this article at China Daily.

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

支配する、采配を振るう

   

Answer

According to Dictionary.com:

Exercise authority, be in charge

 

語源

Dictionary.comによると、

射撃訓練において、狙えっているところを撃ち抜くことからきていると思われる。（20世紀半ば）

 

Etymology

According to Dictionary.com,

This term probably alludes to determining accuracy in target practice. [Mid-1900s]

   

Examples

• It's up to the boss to call the shots.
• The directors call the shots and nothing happens without their say-so.
• Is the military really the power behind the President now? Who really calls the shots?
• Strug, the Houstonian with powerful floor and vault routines, may benefit from having Karolyi calling the shots.
• Now, those calling the shots for the company began to realize that the whole damn case was getting too risky.

   

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Question of the Day #977

Little Gem: Clean As A Whistle And Checks Off Some Boxes, In Bethel

From the headline of this article at Patch.

  上記の文で、clean as a whistleの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "clean as a whistle" 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、

全くきれいで、極めて明白な、とても清潔で、清廉潔白で、物の見事に、やすやすと

問題の見出しの場合は売り家の記事なので、当然「全くきれいで」の意味になります。
また、下記英語の定義が示すように三つの意味があって三つ目の「完璧に、完全に」が上記の和訳から抜けているようです。
 

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary:

1. Completely free of dirt and neat in appearance.
2. Well-behaved and not involved in illegal or questionable activities.
3. Entirely; totally.

   

Examples

• This house needs to be as clean as a whistle before my mother-in-law gets here.
• I don't have a criminal record, I'm clean as a whistle.
• The handle just broke off, clean as a whistle! I can't believe it!
• As McGregor mentioned, Sterling’s face was as clean as a whistle after the fight, but Cejudo had several knots and swellings that appeared to tell a story. — Brian Mazique, Forbes, 7 May 2023
• My father has amazing skill with a chainsaw, leaving a cut that’s as clean as a whistle.

   

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Question of the Day #976

Everything to Know About Skiplagging, the Latest Money-Saving Travel Hack

From the headline of this article at Thrillist.

  上記の文で、skiplaggingの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "skiplagging" 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：
西野法律事務所のHPによると、

飛行機を最終目的地まで乗らずに済まし、航空券を途中で放棄する行為を日本語では俗に「飛び降り」、英語では「Hidden city」や「Skiplagging」と呼ばれます。

つまり、直行便ではないフライトを最終目的地まで乗らずに経由地で降りる行為です。skiplaggingをなぜ行うかと言うと、同じ目的地でも直行便よりも経由地となっているフライトの方が安いことがあるからです。（下記、例文1参照。）
 

Answer

According to Simple Flying:

Skiplagging is the practice of booking an itinerary where the stopover is the actual and intended destination of the traveler. Using our 'point A to point B' phrasing, a passenger would book a ticket that takes them from point A to point C, with a stopover at point B. The passenger's actual destination is point B and leaves the airport at this layover, leaving their seat empty on the B-to-C portion of the journey.

 

Examples

• Previous research by Simple Flying found that one example of a route where airfares conducive to skiplagging could be found was Air Canada's domestic corridor between Toronto and Vancouver.
• With bookings soaring at an all-time high this year, skiplagging has surged in the news.
• Why airlines are cracking down on "skiplagging" — the hack that savvy travellers use to fly for less.
• Flyers are 'skiplagging' to try and save money on flight tickets. Airlines hate it.
• But no cost-effective travel hack has airlines up in arms more than the strategy known as “skiplagging”.

   

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Question of the Day #975

Biz Development Leaders Share 11 Hacks To Accomplish Your Goals

From the headline of this article at Forbes.

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

意味：
英辞郎によると、

〔物事をうまくやるための〕こつ、アイデア

Hackは、名詞・動詞・形容詞として、非常に多くの意味があるのでリンク先でぜひ確認してください。
 

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

a clever tip or technique for doing or improving something

It goes without saying that there are many, many more definitions of hack, so please check the link for all of them.  

Examples

• Here are 50 life hacks that will change your life for the better.
• From cinnamon roll hacks to sleepy girl mocktails, TikTok has become a favorite source for learning new, simple ways to improve daily life. — Sharon Greenthal, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 May 2023
• From something as simple as turning a dog walk into a low-level cardio session to the best ways to use everyday items for external resistance, these hacks can change your perspective on what counts as a workout. — Men's Health, 7 June 2023
• Plus, hear hacks from professional organizers on maximizing counter space, Maintaining your home: Necessary home maintenance can save your thousands in the long run. — Karen Hugg, Washington Post, 8 June 2023
• We asked entrepreneurs across industries to share their favorite productivity hacks, from useful organization apps to clever tricks for cutting down meeting times. —Richard Feloni

   

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Question of the Day #974

Jake Paul “serious as a heart attack” about beating Mike Tyson in boxing match

From the headline of this article at Dexerto.

  上記の文で、serious as a heart attackの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "serious as a heart attack" 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、

大真面目である

   

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary:

1. Completely sincere or earnest.
2. Very grave or alarming.

 

Examples

• Does it look like I'm laughing? I'm as serious as a heart attack. I'm prepared to sue if you don't stick to our deal.
• This news about funding cuts sounds about as serious as a heart attack. If what I'm hearing is true, it could jeopardize our whole research project!
• A: "No, it can't be! You must be joking!" B: "I'm as serious as a heart attack!"
• A: "Are you sure you want to go there all by yourself?" B: "Of course! I'm as serious as a heart attack!"
• “I said, ‘you can’t be serious,'” Collins testified. “He said, ‘I am as serious as a heart attack.’ I did not want to do it, but because I really needed my job and he implied that this was a condition of recertification, I reluctantly gave him my password.” –USA Today

   

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Question of the Day #973

In light of Tyre Nichols' death, what is Memphis Police's track record on releasing body cam video?

From the headline of this article at localmemphis.com.

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

《a ～》〔より厳密な過去の記録がある〕実績、成績、業績、履歴

   

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

a record of past performance often taken as an indicator of likely future performance

 

Examples

• Key staff members had a long track record of commitment to social justice goals.
• Many such companies have no track record and some barely have staff and offices, but they are landing important business opportunities.
• And live-action video-game adaptations have a pretty awful track record. — Vulture, 18 Apr. 2023
• Governmental interventions in Haiti have a terrible track record—even ones that respond to natural disasters, such as the 2010 earthquake that devastated Port-au-Prince. — Marlene L. Daut, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2023
• Despite this track record, this company has been put in charge of allaying residents’ concerns about health risks and has publicly presented a rosy assessment. — Sharon Lerner, ProPublica, 11 Mar. 2023

   

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Question of the Day #972

What it Means for Church Leaders to Be ‘Above Reproach’

From the headline of this article at Crosswalk.com.

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

《be ～》非難の余地がない、非の打ちどころがない、申し分のない

Beyond reproachとも言います。
 

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary:

So good as to preclude any possibility of criticism.

   

Examples

• Your behaviour today has been above reproach.
• But Jones' track record had always been above reproach.
• Like Eleanor Roosevelt, Hillary Clinton is a strong individual whose public decorum is usually above reproach.
• The tendering process was almost certainly above reproach. The Sun (2006)
• The detective superintendent used the phrase while reminding colleagues of the need to be above reproach. The Sun (2018)

   

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Question of the Day #971

Kim Kardashian's kids go stir crazy in self-isolation amid coronavirus outbreak

From the headline of this article the Mirror.

  上記の文で、go stir crazyの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "go stir crazy" 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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解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

〈俗〉同じ所に閉じ込められて気が変になる

下記英語の定義になるように、この場合のstirは監獄のことです。
 

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary:

To become acutely anxious, restless, irritable, irrational, and/or depressed from remaining for too long in an unstimulating, confined, and/or isolated environment. "Stir" in this usage is a slang word for prison.

 

Examples

• I’m going to go stir-crazy if I don’t get out of this house.
• They spent the next three days sleeping and slowly going stir-crazy.
• I've been laid up for two weeks with this broken leg and I'm beginning to go stir-crazy.
• We thought taking our family vacation in a tiny cottage out in the country would be a nice break from city life, but we all went a bit stir-crazy after a few days.
• The doctor said I need to remain in bed as much as possible, but I'll go stir-crazy if I can't get out of the house at least once a day!

   

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Question of the Day #970

Talking to different experts, we've gathered some of the most common bodily behaviors that can help you call someone's bluff.

From the 1st paragraph of this article at Best Life.

  上記の文で、call someone's bluffの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "call someone's bluff" 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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解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

1. 〔人のはったり・こけおどしなどに対して〕やれるものならやってみろと挑む［開き直る］、しっぺ返しをする
2. 〔物事が疑わしいときなどに人に〕証拠を示すように問い正す、本当かどうか問い正す、待ったをかける
3. （人）を見くびる
4. 〔ポーカーなどで〕（人）の手の内を公開させる

上記問題文の場合は、1番が適訳だと思います。
   

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

to challenge someone's statement or threat because it is not believed

 

Examples

• When she threatened to quit her job, her boss called her bluff and told her she could leave if she wanted to.
• He always said he would quit, so we finally called his bluff.
• The government warned that he would deal severely with any protest actions in the universities. Now, the students have called his bluff.
• I don't believe they have enough capital; I'm going to call their bluff.
• An offer like that would basically call his bluff, and he would then have to go find someone else to pay him more. (The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

   

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Question of the Day #969

Feeling my oats for the last time this year

From the headline of this article at OUPblog.

  上記の文で、feeling one's oatsの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "feeling one's oats" 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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解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

1. 〈話〉元気いっぱいである
2. 〈話〉うぬぼれる

   

Answer

According to Dictionary.com:

1. Feel frisky or animated
2. Display self-importance

 

語源

Dictionary.comによると、

仔馬が餌を食べ終わって、元気になる様子から。

 

Etymology

According to Dictionary.com,

The image is of a colt that has been fed and is feeling energetic.

   

Examples

• School was out, and they were feeling their oats.（定義1）
• He was feeling his oats, bossing everyone around.（定義2）
• The dog must be feeling his oats, considering how he's running around the yard today.（定義1）
• If you sassed the boss like that, you must be feeling your oats!（定義2）
• The boss was very cautious during his first year, but lately he’s been feeling his oats and getting rid of people he doesn’t work well with.（定義1）

   

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Question of the Day #968

Yellow-belly: The colour Brits are most nervous to wear revealed (but celebrities love it)

From the headline of this article at the Express.

  上記の文で、yellow-bellyの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "yellow-belly" 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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解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

〈俗〉臆病者

  なお、問題の見出しの場合は言葉遊びです。色の黄色と「臆病者」の両方にかけて、イギリス人の一番着たくない色の洋服は黄色であることを言っているのです。
言うまでもなくyellow belly, yellow-belly, yellowbellyの何れも同じ意味で、形容詞としても使うことができます。
 

Answer

According to The Phrase Finder:

'Yellow belly' is an insult, indicating that the person it is aimed at is a coward.

 

Examples

• “The bully turned out to be a yellow-belly once someone as big as him called his bluff.”
• “Come out and fight like a man you yellow-belly coward,” said Dad to the big spider lurking under the cabinet.
• They called him "a yellow-bellied wimp" and "a coward".
• Now let me tell you the real answer: You’re a lowdown, yellow-bellied, lily-livered intellectual coward. You’re terrified of finding out he makes more sense than you do. –LA Times
• This time, it drew a response from Robinson’s teammates. Stanky shouted at Chapman from across the field, “Listen, you yellow-bellied cowards, why don’t you yell at somebody who can answer back?” Even Walker, an Alabama resident who was good friends with Chapman, was upset enough to tell his pal he had gone too far. –Sports Illustrated

   

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Question of the Day #967

The company had a “buttoned-up culture,” well-known enough that Rometty purchased a navy-blue pinstripe suit before her first day.

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

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

 

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解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

1. しっかりとボタンがかけられた
2. きちんとした、きちんと管理［運営］された、整った
3. 〈話〉口をしっかり閉じた、黙り込んだ

正直言って、問題文の意味は上記の何れも正解とは言い難いけれども、1の直訳から2を経由して「保守的な」と言うことになります。（下記、英語の定義1。）
ちなみにbuttoned-downもほとんど同じ意味で使うことができます。
 

Answer

According to Dictionary.com:

1. conservative, as in professional style or manner
2. carefully planned, operated, supervised, etc.

   

Examples

• one of the most buttoned-up companies in the business
• Employers are looking for buttoned-up types。
• At a time when the genre can seem smotheringly buttoned-up, and most of his peers in mainstream country stardom seem to have their s–t pretty well together both inside and outside of their music, Wallen’s cracks are almost always visible and/or audible. —Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 14 Mar. 2023
• The guru guiding her mission to becoming a fully realized human: a buttoned up marketing expert named Henry—seriously, get it? ‘SELFIE’ IS BOTH A BRILLIANT AND TERRIBLE TV SHOW|KEVIN FALLON|SEPTEMBER 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
• Unlike the buttoned-up Hu, he is sufficiently sure of himself to display a personal side in public. THE PERSON OF 2013 IS… XI JINPING|JONATHAN FENBY|DECEMBER 31, 2013|DAILY BEAST

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