Question of the Day #1011

“It breaks my heart to think flag people are not being treated properly. We are already low man on the ladder, we don’t get paid enough, we know what we’re doing, and we’re first in line for abuse."

From the headline of this article at the Salmon Arm Observer.

  上記の文で、low man on the ladderの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "low man on the ladder" 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：
英辞郎にこのイディオムはありませんが、同じ意味で似たような言い回しのlow man on the totem poleがあり、その意味は、

下っ端、不利な立場にいる人

なお、反対の意味でhigh man on the totem poleがありますが、high man on the ladderというイディオムはありません。  

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary:

The person (not necessarily male) with the least amount of experience, authority, and/or influence in a social or corporate hierarchy.

 

Examples

• It can be a little daunting going from being a senior in high school to low man on the ladder again as a college freshman.
• I know I'll be low man on the ladder with this internship, but it will at least give me a place to start my career!
• These guys figure a guy with a stable is low man on the ladder.
• And who goes first? The whiney, uncooperative, low man on the ladder.
• If you are just feeling around, remember, when you go in, you'll be low man on the ladder.

   

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Question of the Day #1110

Nikki Haley calls Trump ‘weak in the knees’ on Ukraine

From the headline of this article at The Hill.

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

〈話〉〔恐怖などで〕足がすくんで［膝がガクガクして］（しっかり立てないで）

なお、weak at the kneesとも言います。

 

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

so nervous or powerfully affected that it is difficult to stand

 

Examples

• Hearing the news of my father's sudden death, I went weak in the knees and could barely remain standing.
• Just thinking about Samantha makes me feel weak in the knees.
• And now the Nittany Lions are playing a schedule that might make others weak in the knees. —Kat Cornetta, BostonGlobe.com, 30 Nov. 2022
• Falco has some emotionally searing moments that left me weak in the knees with admiration for both the writing and the performance. —Marilyn Stasio, Variety, 3 Nov. 2021
• Tobacco and gambling interests also went weak at the knees thinking of women’s power at the polls to interfere with carousing and corruption. —Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2022 See Less

   

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Question of the Day #1109

U.S. economic growth slows as consumers tighten their belts

From the headline of this article at CBS News.

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

1. 〔腹が減ったときに空腹感を紛らわすために〕ベルトをきつく締める
2. 〈比喩〉〔収入が減ったので〕出費を抑える、生活を切り詰める、倹約する、耐乏生活をする、経費を節減する

問題の見出しの場合の意味は、当然2番の比喩のようになります。

 

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary:

To reduce, restrict, or limit one's budget; to live more modestly or make financial sacrifices.

 

Examples

• A: "I don't know what we'll do now that you lost your job." B: "Don't worry, we just need to tighten our belts for a while."
• Living on my own during college taught me how to tighten my belt and get by on not very much.
• I have a feeling my son will be tightening his belt this semester since we decided to give him a strict allowance rather then sending him money every time he asked.
• I've decided to move to a warmer place so I'm going to tighten my belt over the next year and save as much money as possible before I leave.
• I've been tightening my belt for a year and I've just paid off one credit card—only four more to go.

   

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Question of the Day #1108

'Spaving' Is Not a Smart Financial Hack

From the headline of this article at Lifehacker.

  上記の文で、spavingの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "spaving" 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：
Spaving は、あまりにも新しい造語なので紹介している日本語のページが見つかりません。したがって、下記英語のページの説明を使用します。

Spavingは、spendとsaveの混成語です。その意味は、「より多くのお金を使うことによって節約する」になります。しかし、場合によっては節約しているのではなく無駄遣いをしている可能性があります。

   

Answer

According to The Week:

The term — literally a mashup of the words spending and saving — is defined as the act of "spending more to save more," said CNBC, and it's a sneaky yet "common pitfall" that many people unwittingly fall for.

 

Examples

• “Spaving is the act of spending money to save money,” Andrea Woroch, a consumer finance and budgeting expert, told HuffPost.
• The other trap with spaving is that you may end up purchasing through sales that "often come with limited or nonexistent return policies," said HuffPost.
• Steering clear of the trap of spaving largely comes down to interrupting the impulse.
• About six in 10 Americans (58 per cent) admitted to spaving in a 2020 survey of 3,000 respondents by personal finance management website Mint.
• However, spaving can make sense sometimes, she says.

   

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Question of the Day #1107

Jimmy Fallon’s ‘Password’ Renewed For Season 2 At NBC, But Production Pushed Due To Writers Strike

From the headline of this article at Yahoo! Movies.

  上記の文で、passwordはテレビのゲーム番組名ですが、日本語の適訳は？
In the sentence above, "Password" is the name of a game show. What is the equivalent Japanese name?

  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：
答えは、

「連想ゲーム」

です。

なお、今のところこの答えを裏付けてくれるのはWikipediaだけです。

アメリカCBSのクイズ番組『Password』をヒントに得て、製作された[3]。

   

Answer

The only source I can find that verifies the answer is the Japanese Wikipedia page for 連想ゲーム(rensoh game):

Translation: This program was based on the American CBS quiz show "Password."

   

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Question of the Day #1106

The meme stock party is over already

From the headline of this article at Quartz.

  上記の文で、meme stockの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "meme stock" 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：
日経ビジネス によると、

ミーム株（Meme Stock）とは、オンラインコミュニティーにてもてはやされる「はやりの株」のことを指す。「はやり」を意味するミームとは、ネットスラングとしてかねて使用されており、コラージュを施した画像を「ミーム画像」と呼ぶなどされていた。ミーム株は、こうしたネットスラングの文化が投資の世界へと流入したことによる産物である。

   

Answer

According to Investopedia:

A meme stock refers to the shares of a company that have gained viral popularity due to heightened social sentiment. This social sentiment is usually due to activity online, particularly on social media platforms.

 

Examples

• Though some believe meme stock communities coordinate efforts to influence the prices of those shares, meme stock shareholders are often an unorganized set of independent individuals, each with their own investment views and preferences.
• Meme stocks, in their present form, arose in the year 2020 out of the subreddit r/wallstreetbets.
• Companies that become meme stocks have usually performed poorly in recent years, and attracted attention from short-sellers – investors who effectively bet on the price of a share going down further.
• Part of the meme stock’s appeal is the opportunity to battle such institutional short-sellers by backing what’s perceived as a plucky underdog.
• Meme stocks may also hold an element of nostalgia for Millenial and Gen Z investors, now in their 20s and 30s, as brands such as GameStop, AMC and Nokia, which are often considered meme stocks, were childhood staples for these generations.

   

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Question of the Day #1105

What's in a name? A game of Broken Telephone

From the headline of this article at DW.com.

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

〔ささやき声で伝える〕伝言ゲーム◆運動場やパーティーなどで行う子どもの遊び。物語を伝えたり、絵を見てその内容を伝えたりする。最後の子どもは聴いた物語を再現したり、元の絵を描こうとしたりする。

なお、broken telephoneの他にRussian scandal, Chinese whispers, whisper down the lane, operator, grapevine, gossip, don't drink the milk, secret message, the messenger game, pass the messageとも言う。

 

Answer

According to raamdev.com:

For those who are not familiar, broken telephone, also called Chinese Whispers, is a game in which one person whispers a message to another and the message gets passed through a line of people until the last player announces the message to the entire group.

 

Examples

• You have probably played a version of the “broken telephone game” as a child, either at a party, in a classroom, or at home.
• No matter where you live or what you call it, the broken telephone game is wonderful for engaging your preschoolers and learning while playing.
• Hello…? The broken telephone game and its implications for effective knowledge sharing
• Have you ever participated in the broken telephone game?
• What “Broken Telephone” Teaches Us About Effective Brand Strategy.

   

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Question of the Day #1104

CBS News Biden-Trump poll finds concerns about Biden finishing a second term, and voters' finances also weigh on Biden

From the headline of this article at CBS News.

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

1. ～に重くのしかかる、～の重荷になる
2. 〔経営などを〕圧迫する
3. 〔価格などを〕下落させる

   

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

to make (someone or something) sad, depressed, or worried

 

Examples

• He's under huge pressure at work and it's really weighing on him.
• She knew she had been unfair to him and it weighed heavily on her mind for a long time.
• It feels good to finally get that off my chest. The guilt has weighed on me for years.
• And there are still negative views of the economy that now, as then, weigh on the 2024 incumbent, President Biden. —Anthony Salvanto, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2024
• Scrutiny on the commissions system comes as housing affordability weighs on consumers. —Aaron Gregg, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2024

   

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Question of the Day #1103

Tesla Cybertruck Frunk Gets Safety Update After ‘Alarming’ Viral Video

From the headline of this article at Forbes.

  上記の文で、frunkの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "frunk" 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：
英辞郎にこの単語は掲載されていないのでMerriam-Websterの定義を訳すと下記のようになります。

Frunkは、frontとtrunkの混成語で、自動車の後ろではなく前にある荷物室のことを言います。なお、trunkという荷物室は自動車の後部でも前部でも使用できる単語なので、frunkをtrunkと言っても間違いではありません。

 

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

Frunk is a blend of front and trunk referring to cars that have their storage spaces in the front rather than in the rear, as is more typical. It should be noted that our definition of trunk does not require it be located in the back of a vehicle.

 

Examples

• The “frunk” that comes standard with most electric vehicles is proving the best kind of marketing engine: one that runs on its own.
• Open the electric frunk, called the ‘Powergate’, and there’s space to tailgate (frailgate?) there too, or cram a few more big bags in, but the star of the show in the load bay cover.
• With the proliferation of EVs out there, “frunk” will likely soon go from a sort-of-joke term to something as commonly used as Kleenex (or hoovering with our UK friends).
• All Teslas, for example, have frunks. This means that while a Porsche 911 frunk might be useful for toting around a small piece of luggage, a Tesla Model S can offer SUV-like cargo capacity. — Matthew DeBord, Business Insider, 12 June 2020
• Ford has publicized that the frunk, or front trunk, of its all-new EV, the Mach-E, is built to be used as a cooler. It has a drainage hole at the bottom and a plastic liner, and with 4.8 cubic feet—or 36 gallons—of storage, it’s big enough to hold a carry-on-size suitcase or 1000 chicken wings, according to the manufacturer. — Colin Beresford, Car and Driver, 3 Feb. 2020

   

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Question of the Day #1102

Teachers being handed pink slips as summer arrives

From the headline of this article at WBRC.com.

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

〈米〉解雇通知

   

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

a notice from an employer that a recipient's employment is being terminated

 

Examples

• Management started issuing pink slips yesterday.
• The sales department has been told to pink-slip 20% of its staff.
• This forced many startups to close their doors—pushing thousands of employees out the door with a pink slip and stalling late-stage exit strategies. —Haresh Bhungalia, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
• These are difficult conversations, but, if done correctly, professionally and with tact, their employees will not be so surprised when they are handed a pink slip. —Harriette Cole, The Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2024
• Five months ago, Meta Platforms Inc. finished handing out the last of more than 20,000 pink slips to employees, part of a year-long effort to rein in costs and become more efficient. —Naomi Nix, Washington Post, 25 Oct. 2023

   

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Question of the Day #1101

Mystik Dan wins 150th Kentucky Derby by a nose in the closest 3-horse photo finish since 1947

From the headline of this article at the Associated Press.

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

写真判定（が必要な際どい勝負）

なお、実際の写真判定がなくても、僅差の勝負をa photo finishということがあります。（下記例文参照）

 

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

1. a race or finish in which contestants are so close that a photograph of them as they cross the finish line has to be examined to determine the winner
2. a close contest

 

Examples

• But as the tallies were counted, official results reflected a photo finish — in part because of the extraordinary inroads made by the far right. —Catarina Fernandes Martins, Washington Post, 11 Mar. 2024
• What followed was a nit-picking, photo finish of a taste test. —Sam Stone, Bon Appétit, 3 Nov. 2023
• Scientists behind the project say the reactor could come online by early 2026, setting up a photo finish with Commonwealth to be the first to launch a working fusion reactor. From Singularity Hub
• Santorum wins three states and is battling Romney to a photo finish in Ohio. From The Daily Beast
• Howard Kurtz on what the photo finish means for the Republican race. From The Daily Beast

   

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Question of the Day #1100

  上記のmemeで、That's cap!の意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "That's cap" 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、

それはうそだね。◆【使い方に注意】cap 〈俗〉

なお、capの10番の訳は下記のようになります。


〈俗〉うそ、がせ、大ぼら、いんちき◆正確な語源は不明だが「帽子をかぶせる」＝「覆い隠す・真実の隠蔽・粉飾」とも解釈可能。インターネット上では、2010年代から一般的に使われ始めた。不可算名詞のように扱われる。

・That's cap. : それはうそだね。
・No cap. : うそじゃないってば。／（これは）真面目な話。

 

Answer

According to the Urban Dictionary:

a lie or a way to say “no way” when you don’t believe something

 

語源

A Way with Wordsによると、

現在の使用法は、Future & Young Thugの曲No Capからきています。しかし、この使い方は、1500年代の言葉遊びに遡ります。1800年代には他の人より面白いjokeを言うことを意味し、1940年代アメリカ黒人の間では仲間と冗談で大袈裟な侮辱の言い合いをするときに使われていました。

 

Etymology

According to A Way with Words:

A Nevada high-schooler wonders about the slang terms cap meaning “to lie” and no cap, meaning I’m not lying. Many people associate it with the Future & Young Thug song “No Cap.” However, the expression goes back to the 1500s, when you might cap an anecdote, quotation, or verse as part of a verbal jousting game. By the 1800s, capping was a way of competing by telling a better joke than someone else, and by the 1940s, Black Americans were using the verb to cap when trading ever more exaggerated insults, otherwise known as the dozens or the dirty dozens.

   

Examples

• "Jim said he's going to the gym today, I think he's capping"
• “No cap, if Julia calls me again and she doesn’t have my money, it’s going to be a problem.”
• “People think I’m a pushover, but I’ll throw down if I need to and that’s no cap.”
• “He told me it was just a boys night, but I know he’s capping.”
• “She always pretends to like everyone but she’s a capper.”

   

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Question of the Day #1099

The fancy-free life that the song’s narrator has been living has been at a cost, taking him over the edge and now his eyes are finally open to the fact that he’s gone one toke too far.

From the 9th paragraph of this article at American Songwriter.

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

無邪気な、自由奔放な、恋を知らない

なお、問題文にあるtokeとは、マリフアナたばこを吸うことの意味です。

 

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

1. free from amorous attachment or engagement
2. free to imagine or fancy

 

Examples

• It is not a loose and fancy-free way in which we have proceeded.
• There is therefore no question of the industry being footloose and fancy-free to do as it likes.
• He has come to New Orleans in a haphazard, fancy-free way, making a trip toward Mexico.
• But one fateful morning in a hotel room in Dubai puts a dead stop to Cassie’s fancy-free lifestyle. - Washington Post Mar 9, 2018
• Everyone in America should have the opportunity to set out in their car seeking the fancy-free feeling that comes with the best of road trips. - Seattle Times Jun 30, 2020

   

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