Question of the Day #1267

What is a career grand slam in golf? Two players on the verge of history

From the headline of this article at RadioTimes.com.

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

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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、

今にも～しようとして

Verge自体に「ふち、境界線、瀬戸際、寸前等」の意味がありますが、この句で一番よく耳にする単語です。

 

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

at the point when (something) is about to happen or is very likely to happen

 

Examples

1. on the verge of collapse/success/tears/death/disaster/war
2. Her husband's violent and abusive behaviour drove her to the verge of despair.
3. The clock is ticking, and your draft is on the verge of being late. — Harvard Business Review, 17 Oct. 2024
4. His sculptures seem to be on the verge of movement: the glazes are caught in flux. — Lee Sharrock, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2024
5. At least one big mystery seems to be on the verge of being resolved. — Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY, 14 Apr. 2023

   

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Question of the Day #1266

Bikers are in hog heaven at Long Beach swap meet

From the headline of this article at The Orange County Register.

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

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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、

〈俗〉至福［絶頂・最高］の時［状態・状況］

   

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

an extremely satisfying state or situation

 

Examples

1. We had plenty of food, good wine, and beautiful weather. We were in hog heaven.
2. Roslyn has got to Chile and she is in hog heaven. F. O'Connor, Letter 23 November in Habit of Being (1980)
3. He puts his jazz on loud, pours himself a stiff whisky and settles down in an armchair with a porn mag. He is in adolescent bachelor hog-heaven. Times (Nexis) 28 July
4. Today should be considered hog heaven: The economy is purring. — Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2019
5. Pictured grinning on the big screens, Perazzo looked to be in hog heaven. — Chris Willman, Variety, 19 May 2024

   

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Question of the Day #1265

‘A crying shame’: Harris rips Trump's remarks about Springfield

From the headline of this article at NBC News.

  上記の文で、a crying shameの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "a crying shame" mean?

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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It's a crying shameの意味は、

非常に残念です。

A crying shameだけの意味は、下記の英語の定義にあるように「人を悲しませるまたは残念に思わせる状況」。  

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

a situation that makes one feel sad or disappointed

 

Examples

1. That struck me as both a crying shame and wholly unsurprising. — Chris Weatherspoon, The Athletic, 18 Mar. 2025
2. It's a crying shame that she's paid so little for what she does.
3. And that, apparently, was a terrible failure and a crying shame. Times, Sunday Times (2015)
4. That poor kid was finally having a breakout year—it's a crying shame he got injured.
5. A: "I really think this gap in my resume from caring for my mom is the only thing keeping me from getting hired." B: "Well, that's a crying shame."

   

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Question of the Day #1264

Low hanging fruit: Energy efficiency weaves the path towards a green, circular economy

From the headline of this article at the UNDP.

  上記の文で、low hanging fruitの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "low hanging fruit" mean?

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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. 低い位置にぶら下がっている果実
2. 〈比喩〉〔大きな努力をしなくても〕簡単に達成できる目標［目的・仕事］、容易に解決できる問題

   

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

the obvious or easy things that can be most readily done or dealt with in achieving success or making progress toward an objective

 

Examples

1. The truth is, there's always a way to find the low-hanging fruit. — Ellevate, Forbes, 11 Nov. 2021
2. Choose your moves wisely and don't go for the low-hanging fruit. — Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE.com, 6 June 2022
3. How to get rid of that barrier is sort of the low-hanging fruit. — Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY, 9 May 2021
4. What has happened, instead, is ICE agents appearing at immigration hearings, faces covered as if they were members of a paramilitary organization and not taxpayer-funded public servants, and making a big show of arresting the low-hanging fruit. From Salon
5. Andreas Østhagen, a senior fellow at the independent Fridtjof Nansen Institute, describes the Arctic as "low-hanging fruit" for Russian-Chinese collaboration. From BBC

   

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Question of the Day #1263

Hubble’s Double Take on a Spiral Galaxy

From the headline of this article at NASA.gov.

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

《a ～》〈話〉〔驚くべきことなどについて〕少ししてから驚く［気付く］こと、「ふーん…えっ？」という反応、ダブルテイク、二度見◆最初は驚きの核心に気付かず、少ししてから気付きハッとして見直すこと。結果的には「驚いたので2回見る」ことだが「1回目に見た瞬間はあまり驚かなかった」というニュアンスがある。
一般的に、慣用句のdo a double takeで使用されることが多い。

   

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

a delayed reaction to a surprising or significant situation after an initial failure to notice anything unusual —usually used in the phrase do a double take

 

Examples

1. His parents did a double take when he came home with a tattoo.
2. Get ready to do a double take because most of the styles are under $100. —
Alexandra Domrongchai, Travel + Leisure, 16 Feb. 2024
3. There were a couple of men next to me staring and doing double takes. — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 26 Nov. 2024
4. He'd arrived at the road adjacent to the tree and had to "double take" as he saw it for the first time lying on its side. From BBC
5. “When you’re walking one way, everyone walking the other way gives the look and double take. It’s entertaining,” he said. From Los Angeles Times

   

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Question of the Day #1262

Trump’s former barn burner gives a one-on-one interview to The Free Press’s Ben Kawaller.

From the lede of this article at The Free Press.

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

【名】
〈米俗〉白熱した［ワクワクさせる］試合

ただし、上記の見出しの訳として「白熱した［ワクワクさせる］試合」はおかしいので、下記英語の定義の「多くの関心や興奮を集める人・モノ」の方がいいと思います。

 

Answer

According to :

one that arouses much interest or excitement

 

Examples

1. The game should be a real barn burner.
2. This is a pull-out-all-the-stops over-the-top barn burner of a sandwich that will knock anyone's socks off. — Christopher Michel, Country Living, 17 May 2023
3. It’s anything but a barn burner, although the violinist does gets some soaring lines and nimble double stops. — Dallas News, 8 Jan. 2022
4. Well, what a barn burner the debate tonight turned out to be!
5. The speech to her supporters wasn't exactly a barnburner.

   

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Question of the Day #1261

"I Wish I Could Be Normal": People With Low IQs Are Opening Up About Their Deepest Hardships In Life, And It's Absolutely Gut-Wrenching

From the headline of this article at BuzzFeed.

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

【形】
断腸の思いの、心が張り裂けそうな、大きな苦痛を伴う、胸をえぐられるような、はらわたがちぎれるような、衝撃的な

   

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

causing mental or emotional anguish

 

Examples

1. The past week has been gut-wrenching for our town, like all the worst parts of the Bible at once. — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 14 Jan. 2025
2. And the gun sellers knew or should have known that these guns would lead to gut-wrenching murder. — Rayna Reid Rayford, Essence, 18 July 2023
3. The gut-wrenching feeling, the weight on his chest, and the lack of desire for anything became too much to bear. — Anna Guaracao, BostonGlobe.com, 24 Aug. 2023
4. Adam Peaty was not immediately convinced he would return to competitive swimming after his emotional, gut-wrenching week at the Paris Olympics last summer. From BBC
5. The "gut-wrenching" flashes of wondering what her mother's last moments were. From BBC

 

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Question of the Day #1260

You'll Never Suspect What Sweetbreads Actually Are

From the headline of this article at The Takeout.

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

〔子牛・子羊の〕胸腺、膵臓◆可算

ちなみに、sweetbreadとsweet breadは全く違うモノです。後者は、ブリオッシュやシナモン・ロールのような甘いパンのことです。

 

Answer

According to Live Science:

Sweetbreads are culinary names for the thymus or pancreas glands of (typically) a calf or lamb."

 

Examples

1. If you've ever encountered sweetbreads at a restaurant, your first clue that the little-known food isn't what it sounds like was probably the fact that you didn't find it on the dessert menu.
2. Not to be confused with pan dulce, the Mexican treat that translates to "sweet bread," the former is neither sweet, nor is it bread.
3. While it is certainly not sweet, it could be that sweetbread is much more mild-tasting (therefore, technically sweeter) than other types of offal and traditional cuts of meat.
4. Sweetbreads have been consumed since ancient times and have been found to be particularly healthy.
5. While sweetbreads contain vitamins, minerals and good fats, they shouldn't be considered health foods and eaten a lot.

   

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Question of the Day #1259

14 Ways Nonprofit Leaders Can Prevent ‘Mission Creep’

From the headline of this article at Forbes.

  上記の文で、mission creepの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "mission creep" 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〉ミッション・クリープ、終わりの見えない展開◆本来は米軍事用語で任務を遂行する上で目標設定が明確でなく当初対象としていた範囲を拡大したり、いつ終わるか見通しが立たないまま人や物の投入を続けていかなくてはならなくなった政策を意味し批判的に使われる言葉

   

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

the gradual broadening of the original objectives of a mission or organization

 

Examples

1. Expanding our objectives will only result in mission creep and huge amounts of extra expense.
2. It is a case of mission creep gone wildly over the top.
3. In the end, the case for staying is a case to wait for more mission creep. — Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 16 Apr. 2021
4. Over time, the risk of mission creep will rise, as will the temptation to invest in riskier assets. — The Economist, 28 Oct. 2017
5. The pursuit of a decisive win by Ukraine and Putin’s decisive loss would constitute another example of mission creep. — Michael Krepon, Forbes, 2 May 2022

   

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Question of the Day #1258

“I am absolutely sure of this one thing: this vote will haunt anyone who votes for him. They will rue the day they did it,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat.

From the 11th paragraph of this article at City News Everywhere.

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

〔過去の出来事について〕悔やむ、後悔する

   

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary:

To curse or bitterly regret a point in time (in which something happened or one did something).

 

Examples

1. I swear to you now, you will rue the day you ever crossed me!
2. Men, if their soldiers advance upon us, we must ensure that they will rue the day!
3. She'll rue the day (that) she bought that house.
4. He will rue the day he betrayed his friends.
5. They will rue the day they underestimated her.

   

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Question of the Day #1257

Serious thinkers might pooh-pooh all this as guru talk, driven by media hype and ‘thought leaders’ hawking their latest books.

From the 1st paragraph of this article at Aeon.co.

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

【他動】
〈話〉〔～を〕あざける、あざ笑う、鼻で笑う
【自動】
〈話〉軽蔑の態度を示す

   

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

intransitive verb
: to express contempt or impatience
transitive verb
: to express contempt for or make light of : PLAY DOWN, DISMISS  

 

Examples

1. LaRoche tried to pooh-pooh the notion, and certainly did not wish Agent McGee to alarm his wife. — Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 14 Apr. 2025
2. No wonder his officers pooh-pooh Haiti’s gangs as amateurs compared to their previous foes, like Al Shabaab – though the al Qaeda affiliate hasn’t been entirely vanquished back home in Kenya. — Caitlin Stephen Hu, CNN, 10 Aug. 2024
3. Some seemingly reasonable people go on holiday and pooh-pooh the idea of wearing sunblock.
4. When we pooh-pooh the subjective, the love of the fans, we are giving power to people that already have it. From Los Angeles Times
5. In the past he has pooh-poohed suggestions that he might succeed Isaacs.

   

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Question of the Day #1256

Though she’s always known she was destined to be an artist, Ana initially led with acting and kept her songwriting close to the chest.

From the 4th paragraph of this article at NewJerseyStage.com.

  上記の文で、keep (something) close to the chestの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "keep (something) close to the chest" 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

英辞郎にあるように表現パターンがplay/keep (something) close to the/one's chest/vestとなります。  

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary:

To keep one's plans, intentions, or tactics secret from everyone else. Refers to holding one's playing cards close to one's chest in a card game, so as not to allow other players to see one's hand.

 

Examples

1. We're all curious about what the boss has been discussing in those meetings with the lawyers, but she's keeping it close to her chest.
2. Sorry for not being more straightforward about my plans, but I'm keeping this one close to the chest for the time being.
3. "He is very cautious. He plays his cards close to his chest."
4. "You seem to be playing your cards close to your vest.
5. "To play one's cards close to one's chest is not nice etiquette"

   

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Question of the Day #1255

How Baby Boomer ‘Boommates’ are beating inflation and loneliness: ‘I’m happy as a clam’

From the headline of this article at the New York Post.

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

とても幸せで［満足して

なお、英辞郎はas happy as a clamの定義です。文法的にこの方が正しいと思いますが、口語ではhappy as a clamで使用することが多いように感じます。

 

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

very happy

 

Examples

1. She spent the afternoon reading and was (as) happy as a clam.
2. The carpenter got the job, completed it in two weeks, and the woman was happy as a clam. — Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 29 Mar. 2025
3. Get as happy as a clam at one of Northeast Ohio’s seasonal clambake dinner events this weekend. — Anne Nickoloff, cleveland, 14 Oct. 2021
4. “Once I get Mittens back, I’ll be as happy as a clam, and my life can get back to normal. I just need my baby back.” From Washington Post
5. “I was happy as a clam,” Kaiser told me, “just sitting up there, just being where he was.” From New York Times

   

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