Question of the Day #1038

The Boomtown Rats: Citizens of Boomtown review – not half good, not half bad

From the headline of this article at The Irish Times.

  上記の文で、not half badの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "not half bad" 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、

そんなに［まんざら］悪くない、まあまあ良い、結構いける、捨てたものじゃない、やるじゃないか〔案外良い〕

下記英語の定義にあるように、とあることに期待していないときに予想してたより良い場合に使います。
なお、問題の見出しにnot half goodとありますが、この言い方は全くないわけではないが、一般的ではない。

 

Answer

According to the Longman Dictionary:

an expression meaning good, used especially when you are rather surprised that something is good

 

Examples

• Actually, the party wasn’t half bad.
• The pizza here isn't half bad.
• Not half bad for a 58-year-old battling with a bad back. The Guardian (2018)
• My burger, when it arrived, was not half-bad. Times, Sunday Times (2009)
• It's not half bad these days, even worth recommending to a new audience. Times, Sunday Times (2010)

   

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Question of the Day #1037

Check out some of the words that were the bee’s knees—or should we say “berries”?—back in the roaring ’20s.

From the headline of this article at the Reader's Digest.

  上記の文で、bee's kneesの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "bee's knees" 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、

《the ～》一流の［飛びきり素晴らしい］人［物］

   

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

a highly admired person or thing

 

Examples

• She's the bee's knees.
• Have you tried this ice cream? It's the bee's knees, it really is.
• Her new roadster is simply the bee's knees.
• Back in the '80s it was the bee's knees but now it looks horribly out of date.
• It ended up getting a little help from some pals who also proved to be the bee's knees. The Sun (2017)

   

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Question of the Day #1036

Sean McCann seemed to have the world by the tail.

From the 2nd paragraph of this article at CBC.ca.

  上記の文で、have the world by the tailの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "have the world by the tail" 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、

世界を支配している

となっていますが、問題文のように主語が個人の場合は大袈裟だと思うので、「すべてが思うようにいっている」くらいが適訳だと思います。  

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary:

To be very successful, contented, and happy in life.

 

Examples

• Samantha landed her dream job after finishing at the top of her class in college. She has the world by the tail!
• The young businessman had the world by the tail with a downhill drag. He had made a million dollars before he was twenty-five.
• She's got the world by the tail now, but her fame won't last forever.
• "Webb thinks he's got the world by the tail for a downhill pull. I'll show him."
• "You think you're set. You think everything's taken care of. I thought I had the world by the tail."

   

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Question of the Day #1035

The fear of giving it all away has too many business owners keeping their ideas to themselves to “play it close to the vest.”

From the 3rd paragraph of this article at Forbes.

  上記の文で、play it close to the vestの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "play it close to the vest" 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、

手の内を見せないようにする、秘密裏に行う、慎重に［注意深く］行動する

Play it close to the chestということもあります。  

Answer

According to the Collins English Dictionary:

1. to be reserved, secretive, etc.; keep (one's plans, thoughts, etc.) to oneself
2. to take no risks; be cautious, conservative, etc.

 

語源

英辞郎によると、

【語源】play one's cards close to the vestから。

 

Etymology

According to Eijiro:

Abbreviated form of "play one's cards close to the vest."

   

Examples

• Play it close to the vest. Don't give away what you're really thinking.
• Matt Schaub plays it close to the vest
• Presidential Frontrunners Play it Close to the Vest on Healthcare
• What's the end game? Play it close to the vest so you can maybe save a few bucks on your offer?
• Rather than passing the buck, you play it close to the vest without showing your hand, maintain an inscrutable poker face and hope to hit the jackpot.

   

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Question of the Day #1034

You Bug Me. Now Science Explains Why.

From the headline of this article at NPR.com.

  上記の文で、bug me (someone)の意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "bug me (someone)" 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、

〔～を〕困らせる、イライラさせる、うるさく悩ます、怒らせる、苦しめる、てこずらせる◆【同】bother; annoy

Bugにはさまざまな意味がありますので、ぜひ上記のリンクで確認してください。

 

Answer

According to :

BOTHER, ANNOY

 

Examples

• Stop bugging me!
• It's something that's been bugging me a lot recently.
• While Latham was still an underclassman in high school, something Jerome kept hearing bugged him. —Nick Alvarez | Nalvarez@al.com, al, 6 Sep. 2023
• One thing that’s bugged me about my face for a while is its angles–or lack thereof. —Lisa Desantis, Glamour, 21 Aug. 2023
• Or stream music from the car in your headphones without bugging your road trip partner? —Karthika Gupta, Travel + Leisure, 9 July 2023

   

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Question of the Day #1033

I Practiced Hygge and It's Kind of the Best Thing Ever

From the headline of this article at Self.com.

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

〈デンマーク語〉居心地の良さ（を重視した生活様式）

 発音に関しては、下記Merriam-Websterの英語の定義のページを参照してください。

 

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

Noun

• a cozy quality that makes a person feel content and comfortable

　 Adjective

• invoking or fostering a sense of coziness, contentment, and well-being

 

Examples

• The high season of hygge is Christmas, when Danes don't hold back with the candles and mulled wine.
• Winter is the most hygge time of year. - From The New Yorker
• Inspired by Viking lodges and decked out with cozy fireplaces, each room oozes with hygge. —Hugh Garvey, Sunset Magazine, 5 Sep. 2023
• Originating in Denmark, hygge is all about living comfortably and encouraging feelings of coziness. —Dominique Fluker, Essence, 4 Aug. 2023
• To add some hygge to your home, try lighting candles, pulling out a fuzzy throw blanket, hanging twinkly lights and baking a treat that will fill the air with spice. —Jen Rose Smith, CNN, 19 Nov. 2020

   

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Question of the Day #1032

Stop calling it guilty pleasure: Chilly Gonzales wants us to embrace our tastes without the fear of judgement

From the headline of this article at CBC.ca.

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

[名詞]

1. 後ろめたい喜びをもたらす物事、認めたくないが実は好きな対象、恥ずかしい趣味◆通例、one'sまたは冠詞のaを伴う。
2. 後ろめたい喜び

[形容詞]

1. 後ろめたい喜びをもたらす、恥ずかしい［くだらない・認めたくない］けれど好きな

   

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

something pleasurable that induces a usually minor feeling of guilt

 

Examples

• My guilty pleasure is to mix together mayonnaise, mustard and ketchup for dipping my chips. Times, Sunday Times (2016)
• I have a secret guilty pleasure. Times, Sunday Times (2006)
• Set in a world that could exist only in the movies, it is a succulent guilty pleasure, beautifully made junk food for cinastes.
• Fast food isn't the only guilty pleasure rising in price. —Heard Editors, WSJ, 31 Oct. 2023
• His other guilty pleasure was Chinese food, Lucas said with a smile. —Joseph D. Bryant | Jbryant@al.com, al, 19 June 2023

   

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Question of the Day #1031

Album Review: MakeWar – “Get It Together”

From the headline of this article at Dying Scene.

  上記の文で、get it togetherの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "get it together" 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. 全てをうまくまとめる、うまくやりこなす［遂げる］
2. 落ち着いた生活をする、冷静さを取り戻す

   

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

1. to begin to live in a good and sensible way: to stop being confused, foolish, etc.
2. to begin to function in a skillful or effective way

 

Examples

• Blake has really got it together since I last saw him - he has started a new job and lost a lot of weight.
• For a year and a half they struggled to get it together. The Sun (2016)
• People who can’t handle their substances: Gen-X, get it together! —Daniel Kohn, Spin, 2 Oct. 2023
• But what’s necessary here is for the companies to get it together and be ready to talk about the issues on the table. —Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Aug. 2023
• Read more Quick hits CNN fired its CEO.Here's why the network needs to get it together. —USA TODAY, 8 June 2023

   

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Question of the Day #1030

More than two months remain until draft night but the hay is in the barn, so to speak, as there are no games left to play; just the NFL combine, pro days and individual workouts.

From the 1st paragraph of this article at CBS Sports.

  上記の文で、the hay is in the barnの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "the hay is in the barn" 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：
英辞郎等にこのイディオムが掲載されていないので、下記The Free Dictionaryの定義を訳すと、

何かを準備しているときにその最も難しい部分が終わったことを意味します。このイディオムは特にスポーツ関連で使用されます。

一般的には、「仕事が終わった」という意味で使用されます。

   

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary:

The hardest work has been completed in preparation for something. Used especially in reference to sports. Primarily heard in US.

 

Examples

• "I have trained hard.  I'm ready.  The hay is in the barn."
• “The hay is in the barn!” was a term I heard often in college as our nationally ranked cross-country team would step to the line for another highly competitive Division I cross-country meet.
• If this isn’t a sign that “the hay is in the barn”, then I don’t know what is.
• At about 50 hours before the draft, or 24, or 16, people love to say, "The hay is in the barn." All the tapes have been watched, reports read, interviews dissected, and both boards are set.
• Our team has spent every day training during the off-season, so we absolutely feel ready for the season ahead. The hay is in the barn, now we just need to go out there and compete.

   

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Question of the Day #1029

As the weeks of India’s coronavirus lockdown dragged into months, many of those privileged enough to isolate started to chafe at the bit.

From the 1st paragraph of this article at India Today.

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

ウズウズする、落ち着かない

以前投稿したこのイディオムの違う言い方です。

 

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary:

To be impatient and/or eager for something to happen or over some delay. Used to liken someone to an overexcited horse straining against its bit (the metal piece of the harness that fits between its jaws).

 

Examples

• The crowd chafed at the bit to see the unveiling of the new building.
• I've chafed at the bit for an opportunity like this my entire life!
• The work was going very slowly, and he began to chafe at the bit.
• They are chafing at the bit ready to jump into their assignments but they have an orientation day first.
• The children are chafing at the bit to start their day.

   

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Question of the Day #1028

‘Worst speech’ in LDS history: Brigham’s screed against a ‘cursed’ Black race

From the headline of this article at The Salt Lake Tribune.

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

〈侮蔑的〉長ったらしい話、長文◆可算

   

Answer

According to :

1. a lengthy discourse
2. an informal piece of writing (such as a personal letter)
3. a ranting piece of writing

 

Examples

• In her screed against the recording industry, she blamed her producer for ruining her career.
• One legal action relating to floor screeds is under way.
• In the document, there is a long screed giving the reasons for a regional basis, a regional bed bank and regional databases.
• After the tool was released, users on 4chan, the right-wing message board, organized to create a fake version of the actor Emma Watson reading an anti-Semitic screed. —Sapna Maheshwari, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2023
• These models could produce descriptions of child pornography, hateful screeds or false content, experts warned. —Stuart A. Thompson, New York Times, 8 July 2023

   

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