Question of the Day #1343

Why governments think that freedom of information is for nincompoops

From the headline of this article at The Conservation.

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

【名】
〈話・古〉ばか者◆可算

   

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

a stupid or silly person: FOOL, SIMPLETON

 

Examples

1. The people running that company are a bunch of nincompoops!
2. Korda has declared that, because his nine sons are, frankly, nincompoops and rapscallions, Liesl will be the sole heir to his fortune. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 24 May 2025
3. Tom was of course not a nincompoop, but a serious, thoughtful person who hungered to add substance to sketch comedy. From Los Angeles Times
4. But nincompoop or not, she would have to report to him if she worked for the Navy. From Literature
5. It turns out, most of us are social nincompoops. From New York Times

   

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Question of the Day #1342

Slack-Jawed Yokel Proves Need for Nationwide Civics Education

From the headline of this article at TheHumanist.com.

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

【形】
〈俗〉〔驚いて・あきれて〕口をポカーンと開けた◆【同】open-mouthed

   

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

1. having the lower jaw dropped especially in an expression of surprise, amazement, etc.
2. lacking intelligence or sophistication
3. causing an open-mouthed expression (as of shock or surprise)

 

Examples

1. I'm still a bit slack-jawed thinking about this. From Slate Magazine
2. He just gazed at me slack-jawed.
3. The kid was awestruck, delighted and slack-jawed as he held up the keepsake for photos. From Los Angeles Times
4. The arrests at their Miami Beach homes left the luxury real estate industry from New York to South Florida slack-jawed. — Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 10 June 2025
5. At this point, Pip is as slack-jawed as the rest of us. — Fletcher Peters, Vulture, 2 Aug. 2024

   

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Question of the Day #1341

Nixon lawyer explains what's keeping him 'on the edge of his seat' in hush money case

From the headline of this article at AllSides.

  上記の文で、on the edge of one's seatの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "on the edge of one's seat" 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. 椅子の端に座って（身を乗り出して）
2. 〔映画・芝居・人の話などに〕引き込まれて夢中になって、魅了されて、ひどく興奮して、ワクワク［ハラハラ・ウズウズ］して、手に汗を握って

   

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

watching or listening to something with great interest especially because one does not know what is going to happen

 

Examples

1. It's a thrilling movie that keeps audiences on the edge of their seats.
2. It's not going to win any awards, but the film certainly kept us on the edge of our chair from start to finish.
3. I've been on the edge of my chair waiting for my acceptance letter.
4. Saturday night's final had the spectators on the edge of their seats.
5. The book is full of plot twists that really keep you on the edge of your seat. The Guardian (2015)

   

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Question of the Day #1340

Clean slate as new ministers sweep in

From the headline of this article at The Law Society Gazette.

  上記の文で、clean slateの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "clean slate" 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. 《a ～》白紙の状態
2. 《a ～》きれいな［汚れのない・汚点のない・申し分のない・立派な］経歴
3. 《a ～》前科のない人物

   

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

a person's record (as from a school or a job) that shows no evidence of any problems, broken rules, etc. : a clean record

 

Examples

1. Everyone who comes to this school starts with a clean slate.
2. Clear the land, then figure out the best use with a clean slate. — U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Aug. 2025
3. Given how bad last year was though, a clean slate makes a lot of sense. — Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2025
4. We thought it would be better to start with a clean slate than one that had been muddied by a prior decision.
5. It's good for the new CEO to have a clean slate.

   

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Question of the Day #1339

2025 Word of the Year: Slop

From the headline of this article at Merriam-Webster.

  上記の文で、slopの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "slop" 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：
Slopは、他にかなりの数の定義がありますが、この場合は英辞郎によると、

〈俗〉〔AI（人工知能）が生成した〕低品質［無意味］なコンテンツ

厳密にいうと、AI slopが正しい用語ですが、今ではAIを削除するようになっています。

 

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence

 

Examples

1. An AI-enabled social media future also raises concerns around deterring AI slop—mass-produced, junky and superficial content that clogs up the web and social media accounts. —Katelyn Chedraoui
2. Slop can now be found anywhere, from unsettling images on Facebook of Jesus fused with prawns to poorly written Kindle books … —Tess Bennett
3. “Slop” is what you get when you put AI-generated material up on the internet for anyone to view.
4. AI slop AI slop is slowly killing the internet!
5. ... the mass-produced slop that comes out of Hollywood.

   

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Question of the Day #1338

Drew Parker Wears His Heart On His Sleeve on Debut Album ‘Camouflage Cowboy’

From the headline of this article at Shore Fire Media.

  上記の文で、wear one's heart on one's sleeveの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "wear one's heart on one's sleeve" 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、

心の内を露骨［率直］に話す［打ち明ける］

   

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

to show one's emotions very openly

 

Examples

1. “You have to play it cool with a girl like Heidi; you mustn't wear your heart on your sleeve.”
2. When trying to establish a relationship is it better to play hard to get or is it better to wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve? From Scientific American
3. She was not the kind who would wear her heart on her sleeve.
4. How lovely to be young and wear our hearts on our sleeves!
5. My dad was raised to be a manly man, so he couldn’t wear his heart on his sleeves.

   

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Question of the Day #1337

Coronavirus: Mixed messages muddy the waters

From the headline of this article at BBC.com.

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

〔波風を立てて事態を〕混乱させる◆【反】calm the waters

   

Answer

According to :

To introduce something, typically information, to an issue or situation that makes it less clear or more confusing.

 

Examples

1. Bringing up one irrelevant fact after another, he succeeded in muddying the waters.
2. Experts say Beijing is seeking to bring non-Chinese audiences into the dispute about Covid-19 origins to further muddy the waters. From BBC
3. But those messages “work to muddy the waters to the same end — which is to stop action on climate change,” he said. From New York Times
4. Don't muddy the waters with unrelated issues—we need to focus on this one problem.
5. The last witness's testimony has really muddied the water for the prosecution's case against the defendant.

   

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Question of the Day #1336

Sounding off or a sounding board? Comments sections of news websites as interactive spaces

From the headline of this article at Cairn.info.

  上記の文で、sounding boardの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "sounding board" 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. 共鳴板
2. 宣伝手段
3. 〔新しいアイデアなどの良しあしの〕相談役

   

Answer

According to Dictionary.com:

1. a thin, resonant plate of wood forming part of a musical instrument, and so placed as to enhance the power and quality of the tone.
2. a structure over or behind and above a speaker, orchestra, etc., to reflect the sound toward the audience.
3. a board used in floors, partitions, etc., for deadening sound.
4. a person or persons whose reactions serve as a measure of the effectiveness of the methods, ideas, etc., put forth.
5. a person or group that propagates ideas, opinions, etc..

 

Examples

1. My friend is my sounding board for new ideas.
2. Brian Burns was new to the team and seems more like a steady sounding board. — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2025
3. Lila needs a friend and a sounding board at this point, not a life coach. — Jeanne Phillips, The Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2024
4. His parents both played professionally in volleyball, so they’ve been good role models and sounding boards for what to expect in the college journey. From Los Angeles Times
5. Dan said he was in no doubt that his uncle would have been "a sounding board" for his music. From BBC

   

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Question of the Day #1335

Marlene Jennings: Justin Trudeau’s ‘come-to-Jesus moment’

From the headline of this article at The Gazette.

  上記の文で、come-to-Jesus momentの意味は？
In the headline above, what does "come-to-Jesus moment" 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：
英辞郎等にはこれという適訳がないので下記Merriam-Websterの定義を訳すと、

大きな変化をもたらす突然の覚醒・理解・認識

   

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

a moment of sudden realization, comprehension, or recognition that often precipitates a major change

 

Examples

1. Many patients emerge from illness having had a come-to-Jesus moment that reorients their thinking. — James Hamblin
2. Several years ago, Graham had had something of a come-to-Jesus moment of his own after a promising relationship fizzled. — Anna Russell, The New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2024
3. Elon [Musk] is inseparable from Tesla and the brand...If he were to leave or take a lesser role, I think that it would be devastating for shareholders. What needs to happen is just a come-to-Jesus moment for Elon.
4. All politicians are dirty as hell. None of them have ever had a come to Jesus moment.
5. There needed to be a come-to-Jesus moment recognizing everybody can’t do everything. — Peter Biskind, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Nov. 2023

   

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Question of the Day #1334

Samsung says the Galaxy S24 Ultra's washed out display is intended behavior

From the heading of this thread at Reddit.

  上記の文で、washed outの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "washed out" 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】
洗いざらしの、色あせた、くたびれた

   

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

1. faded in color
2. depleted in vigor or animation: EXHAUSTED

 

Examples

1. This carpet is all washed out from the sun.
2. It’s funny how just the grainy, washed-out look of videotape can conjure so much melancholy. From Salon
3. Images generally have washed-out colors and an overall dark tone. — PC Magazine, 25 July 2025
4. In Jamaica, the impact was most severe in the southwestern parish of St Elizabeth, where knee-deep mud and washed-out bridges left towns such as Black River cut off. From BBC
5. She was wearing an old washed-out T-shirt and jeans.

   

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Question of the Day #1333

Don’t Get Out of Sorts: Composing Text

From the headline of this article at the Library of Congress Blogs site.

  上記の文で、out of sortsの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "out of sorts" 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. 元気がない、気分が良くない、意気消沈した
2. 機嫌が悪い、不機嫌な、イライラして

問題の見出しの場合、2番目の訳が正解でしょう。


 

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

1. as in fiery
   easily irritated or annoyed
2. as in bad
   temporarily suffering from a disorder of the body

 

Examples

1. She was feeling out of sorts after such a long day.
2. He woke up out of sorts and decided to stay home from work.
3. I've been feeling tired and headachy and generally out of sorts.
4. And I'll have a huge pang of regret and I'll be out of sorts for a few days and my friends will wonder what's up. Isabel Wolff RESCUING ROSE (2002)
5. They had arrived unannounced, looking concerned and out of sorts. James W. Huston FALLOUT (2002)

   

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Question of the Day #1332

“PROVE ME WRONG”: RAGE BAIT, VIOLENCE, AND MAKING PROGRESS

From the headline of this article at The Phoenix News.

  上記の文で、rage baitの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "rage bait" 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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Rage baitは、2025年のOxford Word of the Yearです。（日本の「流行語大賞」みたいなもの。）
本年の候補に挙げられた三つの用語は、age baitとaura farmingとbiohackだったですが、三日間にわたって3万人以上の投票や意見を加味しつつ、Oxford University Pressの有識者が選んだ単語はrage baitでした。  

解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

レイジ・ベイト、怒りを誘う［あおる］餌◆人々の怒りや反感を意図的に引き出すためのコンテンツや投稿を指す。

   

Answer

According to the Cambridge Dictionary:

information, images, videos, etc. that are put on the internet to deliberately make people angry and to encourage them to reply online

 

Examples

1. Some of those police brutality articles are pure rage bait.
2. The AI-generated ragebait has been watched by millions of people.
3. Rage-bait content has become a lucrative field.
4. West’s song is a bleak cut even beyond the ragebait title. — August Brown, The Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2025
5. Rage bait article worked, and giving it more traffic by sharing. Bump up that click through rate for ad revenue — Reddit.com, 20 Mar. 2025

   

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Question of the Day #1331

Downer News Bums Out Women But Not Men

From the headline of this article at the Smithsonian Magazine.

  上記の文で、downerの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "downer" 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. 鎮静剤◆可算◆通例、downers
2. 気をめいらせる［精神的に落ち込ませる］ようなこと［出来事・経験］◆可算

この単語は上記の両方の意味でしばしば使用されますが、例文の場合は2番の訳になります。

 

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

1. a depressant drug
2. someone or something depressing, disagreeable, or unsatisfactory
3. a weak, sick, or lame domesticated animal (such as a cow or pig) that is down and cannot get up

 

Examples

1. You lost your job? That's a real downer!
2. However, there are two enormous downers.
3. Of course, the downer is that the schedule gets much tougher down the stretch. — J.p. Pelzman, Forbes, 13 May 2021
4. The one visual downer is the stage, which is no longer wood. — Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2024
5. Europe and Asia are closing out the week on a downer note. — Bernhard Warner, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2021

   

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Question of the Day #1330

Baffling interstellar object 'Oumuamua could be a 'dust bunny'

From the headline of this article at Fox News.

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

〈米話〉ほこり［ちり・糸くず］の塊、綿ごみ

   

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

an aggregate of dust

Examples

1. The robot vacuum cleaner sweeps up pizza crumbs and dust bunnies with minimal human effort.
2. Learn to love dust bunnies, and stop doing housework once in a while; you'll have a lot more time.
3. But for the most part, nothing bad will happen if a couple of dust bunnies gather in the corner. — Annie Midori Atherton, Washington Post, 15 Jan. 2024
4. Men walk into a room and apparently can’t see the dust bunnies gathering on the floor or the piles of laundry stacked up on the couch. — The Conversation, oregonlive.com, 7 July 2019
5. The best gifts are the ones that solve a problem: These hangers help store longer garments on shorter closet bars to keep everything tidy and dust bunny free. — Alesandra Dubin, Woman's Day, 18 Sep. 2022

   

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