Question of the Day #1397

Pair have other fish to fry

From the headline of this article at The Irish Times.

  上記の文で、have other fish to fryの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "have other fish to fry" 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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Question of the Day #1396

Managing Partner Sam Pond Pays His Respects at Workers’ Memorial Breakfast

From the headline of this article at Pond Lehocky.

  上記の文で、pay one’s respectsの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "pay one’s respects" 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、

敬意を表する、表敬訪問する、弔問に訪れる

 

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

to visit or speak with someone in a polite way as a sign of respect

 

Examples

1. I went up to her after the meeting and paid my respects.
2. I think we should go over and pay our respects to the new neighbors and make them feel welcome to the area!
3. I'm heading to Janet's house after her father's funeral on Sunday to pay my respects to her and her family.
4. 2025 April 21, Devin Watkins, “Pope Francis has died on Easter Monday aged 88”, in Vatican News‎[1]:
   Mr. Bruni told journalists that, as of Monday evening, Pope Francis' closest collaborators have begun to pay their respects to the late Pope.
5. “After all, it’s the usual thing to do, isn’t it, to pay one’s respects to a bride?” - From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier

   

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Question of the Day #1395

Israel’s fait accompli in Gaza

From the headline of this article at Al Jazeera.

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

〈フランス語〉既成事実

   

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

 a thing accomplished and presumably irreversible

 

Examples

1. In some years, the presentation of the best picture prize in the final minutes of the Oscars telecast feels like a fait accompli. - Daniel Arkin, NBC News, 15 Mar. 2026
2. The citizens of New York City will be faced with a fait accompli. - David Donovan, New York Daily News, 22 May 2024
3. That’s not a criticism that this was some sort of fait accompli. — Albert Breer, SI.com, 8 Feb. 2018
4. The policy change was presented to us as a fait accompli, without consultation or discussion.
5. But his promise to review consultant contracts that have been normally regarded as a fait accompli is a good start, some observers say. - From Salon • Mar. 8, 2025

   

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Question of the Day #1394

Maryland becomes first state to ban surveillance pricing in grocery stores

From the headline of this article at the Guardian.

  上記の文で、surveillance pricingの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "surveillance pricing" 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：
英辞郎にこの用語はまだ掲載されていないので、AIツールギャラリー の説明を引用します。

いま、AIを使って一人ひとりに異なる価格を表示する「監視プライシング（Surveillance Pricing）」が、米国を中心に広がっています。
購入履歴、閲覧行動、使っているブラウザやスマートフォンの機種、さらにはバッテリー残量まで分析し、「この人ならいくらまで払うか」をAIが算出して価格を変える仕組みです。

   

Answer

According to Epic.org:

Surveillance pricing is the practice of collecting personal information about consumers and charging different prices to individual (or groups of) consumers for the same goods or services. The goal of surveillance pricing is to infer the highest price that the customer is willing to pay, based on consumers’ personal data and other market data.

 

Examples

1. “Surveillance Pricing” Hurts Consumers, Incentivizes More Corporate Spying on Them
2. There’s no doubt that at core, the kind of leverage that surveillance pricing enables is something that hurts ordinary people — especially those least able to afford it.
3. The Federal Trade Commission’s initial findings from its surveillance pricing market study revealed that details like a person’s precise location or browser history can be frequently used to target individual consumers with different prices for the same goods and services.
4. Have you ever shopped online for a flight, only to find that the price mysteriously increased the second time you checked? Or have you and a friend searched for the same hotel room on your phones, only to find your friend sees a lower price? This isn’t a glitch — it’s surveillance pricing at work.
5. What makes surveillance pricing controversial isn’t just the price difference — it’s that you usually don’t know it’s happening. There’s rarely any disclosure or obvious way to compare your price with what others see.

   

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Question of the Day #1393

FCC Demands Early Review of Disney Broadcast Licenses Amid Kimmel Kerfuffle

From the headline of this article at Yahoo! News Malaysia.

  上記の文で、kerfuffleの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "kerfuffle" 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】
〈英俗〉〔不要な〕ばか騒ぎ、騒動◆可算

   

Answer

According to :

a disturbance or commotion typically caused by a dispute or conflict

 

Examples

1. Allow me also to say one thing about the issue that has created some kerfuffle, namely voting rights.
2. We have all this great kerfuffle over one year—reducing the age from 21 to 20.
3. The kerfuffle comes amid questions about whether Mamdani will go forward with a project that would expand luxury housing at Hudson Yards. — Marcia Kramer, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026
4. A kerfuffle ensued about whether the Africans had the right to take a lunch break. — Namwali Serpell, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2017
5. This has caused, to put it mildly, no end of kerfuffle. — Josef Adalian, Vulture, 14 Sep. 2023

   

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Question of the Day #1392

SOONER OR LATER, WE ALL JUMP THE SHARK

From the headline of this article at My Sun Day News.

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

〈俗〉〔一時は人気があった存在・特にテレビドラマなどが〕落ち目になる、人気回復を狙って悪あがき［やたらと派手なことを］する

   

Answer

According to the Cambridge Dictionary:

(usually of television shows) to reach a point where something stops becoming more popular or starts to decrease in quality

 

語源

英辞郎によると、

【語源】アメリカのテレビドラマHappy Days（1974～1984年）に登場人物が水上スキーで「サメを飛び越える」場面があり、それ以降だんだん話がつまらなくなったという。

 

Etymology

According to Wiktionary:

From Hollywood (Part 3), an episode in 1977 during the fifth season of the American television series Happy Days, in which the character Fonzie jumped over a shark on waterskis. The expression argues that it was at this point that the show bore no similarity to its original form.

   

Examples

1. The show jumped the shark a few years ago.
2. Will Twitter soon jump the shark?
3. Jumping the shark is typically applied to TV shows which are losing their audience, or have run out of creativity.
4. I would define jumping the shark for classic rock as the point when a successful classic rock band, adapted a new, inferior sound in order to increase their audience, to jump on a new musical trend, or simply because they had run out of good song ideas.
5. 2003, Jon Hein, Jump the Shark, book overview (revised edition; Plume; →ISBN, 9780452284104)
   Happy Days infamously jumped the shark when Fonzie literally jumped a shark on water skis. I Love Lucy jumped the shark when Lucy and Ricky moved to the suburbs. The Brady Bunch jumped the shark when Cousin Oliver moved in.

   

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Question of the Day #1391

Nvidia's 'meh' moment

From the headline of this article at Reuters.

  上記の文で、mehの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "meh" 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. 【形】
   〈俗〉別に大したことはない、期待ほどではない、凡庸な
2. 【間投】
   〈俗〉まあ（いいか）、別に◆無関心・投げやり。

   

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

1. not impressive: SO-SO
2. APATHETIC, INDIFFERENT

 

Examples

1. We thought it would sell, but customers are saying “Meh!”
2. My lashes are just kind of meh — dark, but short and straight, with sparse/light bottom lashes. — Karina Hoshikawa, refinery29.com, 18 June 2021
3. My feeling about meh food is that the number one culprit is usually underseasoning. — Molly Baz, Bon Appétit, 20 Apr. 2021
4. In a new interview, the comic — who recently announced the end of his popular and long-lived podcast “WTF” — criticized the current podcast landscape as awash in meh. - From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 13, 2025
5. “It’s a long life to spend doing something you’re only meh about,” I insist. - From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon

   

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Question of the Day #1390

Comms etymology: What’s the scuttlebutt? The origins of words heard around the office

From the headline of this article at Ragan.com.

  上記の文で、scuttlebuttの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "scuttlebutt" 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. 飲料水用のたる◆不可算
2. 〈米話〉うわさ、ゴシップ

   

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

1. 1. a cask on shipboard to contain fresh water for a day's use
   2. a drinking fountain on a ship or at a naval or marine installation
2. RUMOR, GOSSIP

 

Examples

1. Besides, he has no proof that the allegations are true; Washington is full of scuttlebutt.
2. And both the scuttlebutt and spoilers could conceivably conspire to hurt the bottom line. — Chris Lee, Vulture, 2 Apr. 2026
3. For all the scuttlebutt about the Big 12’s new LED glass court, reviews have mostly been positive from players and coaches. — Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 11 Mar. 2026
4. I’ve heard scuttlebutt from the donor community, some of whom are reportedly miffed to have their microscopically printed names out of circulation. - From Washington Post • Jul. 23, 2022
5. Just as the scuttlebutt had it, we men of the First Marine Amphibious Corps were heading for the Solomons to force a landing on Bougainville. - From "Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two" by Joseph Bruchac

   

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Question of the Day #1389

‘A leopard can’t change its spots’ – Norton says as he rehashes APNU’s promises at Bagotsville

From the headline of this article at the NewsRoom.gy.

  上記の文で、a leopard can’t change its spotsの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "a leopard can’t change its spots" 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、

ヒョウは自分で斑点を変えられない。／ヒョウは、いつまでたってもヒョウ柄のまま。／持って生まれた性質は直らない。／性格を変えることはできない。／三つ子の魂百まで。

   

Answer

According to :

used to say that people cannot change their basic personalities, habits, etc.

 

Examples

1. After our breakup, he came crawling back, trying to convince me that he'd changed, but I know that a leopard can't change its spots.
2. You're never going to convince Tom about this—he's too stubborn, and a leopard can't change its spots.
3. A: "Come on, a leopard can't change its spots." B: "I thought so too, but the former president really seems to have changed his views on social welfare since leaving office."
4. He's a conservative, no matter what he says; the leopard cannot change its spots.
5. “I don’t believe he has really gone legit. A leopard doesn’t change its spots.”

   

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Question of the Day #1388

'It's still in shambles': Can Boeing come back from crisis?

From the headline of this article at the BBC.

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

めちゃくちゃで、最悪で

In a shamblesと言うこともあります。

 

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary:

Completely destroyed or wrecked.

 

Examples

1. Many years of neglect have left the house in shambles.
2. After the earthquake, the town lay in shambles.
3. Our economy is in shambles.
4. Under US pressure, she is grappling with leading a country saddled with the world's largest proven oil reserves but an economy in shambles. From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026
5. Experts say these policy shifts have broken a student loan system that was already in shambles, leaving nearly 45 million borrowers, disproportionately women, in financial and emotional distress. From Salon • Mar. 17, 2026

   

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Question of the Day #1387

Why do female leaders keep getting thrown off the 'glass cliff'?

From the headline of this article at The Standard.

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

ガラスの断崖◆失敗の恐れが非常に高い地位。特に、業績の悪い時にglass ceilingを突き破って昇進し、難しい仕事をさせられている女性の地位。

もともと女性対象の言葉で今でも女性の場合が多いけれども、マイノリティーや男性でも対象になることがあります。

 

Answer

According to the Cambridge Dictionary:

a situation in which you are only given a high position in an organization when there are difficult conditions which make you likely to fail

   

Examples

1. Women were often left teetering on a glass cliff after being handed impossible jobs.
2. This lack of support for women and minorities is central to the glass cliff phenomenon.
3. Beware the glass cliff - you'll get a lofty promotion, but failure will be guaranteed.
4. This dynamic, where a talented female leader inherits a collapsing situation, is so common in the business world that experts have a name for it: The glass cliff. From Salon • Sep. 26, 2025
5. The glass cliff theory holds up in business as well as politics, and, according to a 2011 Harvard Business Review report, “does not seem to apply to organizations with a history of female leaders.” From Seattle Times • May 15, 2023

   

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Question of the Day #1386

International Studies Fulbright Awardee Ginger Trask Getting the Lay of the Land in Samoa

From the headline of this article at Johns Hopkins University.

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

地勢、状況、形勢

下記英語の定義にあるように、しばしば比喩的に使用されます。問題の見出しの場合では、対象がサモアなので「地勢」の可能性もありますが「状況」に間違い無いと思います。

 

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

the arrangement of the different parts in an area of land: where things are located in a place
-> often used figuratively

 

Examples

1. She knew the lay of the land from hiking through it daily.
2. It takes time for new employees to get the lay of the land in this department.
3. It’s been happening on a larger scale as well: since launching in 2023, AMC Theatres Distribution has turned to domestic distribution experts Variance Films to get the lay of the land. — Gregg Goldstein, Variety, 10 Nov. 2025
4. So investors may have been waiting to evaluate the lay of the land. From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026
5. "I love turning on terrestrial television in any country that I'm in. It really gives you the lay of the land." From Salon • Jan. 15, 2025

   

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Question of the Day #1385

This just in: And that’s the way the cookie crumbles

From the headline of this article at the Clarion Herald.

  上記の文で、that’s the way the cookie crumblesの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "that’s the way the cookie crumbles” 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〉人生［世の中］、そんなもんさ。／そんなもんだよ、世の中なんて。／それが人世というものさ。／うまくいかないときはそんなもんさ。◆【直訳】クッキーは割れるものだ。◆何かを運命のせいにするときの決まり文句◆【同】That's the way things happen.

That’s how the cookie crumblesとも言います。

 

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

used when something bad has happened to say that someone must accept things the way they are

 

Examples

1. I'm disappointed that I didn't get the job but that's the way the cookie crumbles.
2. High school senior: "I wasn't accepted into my top choice university."
   Father: "Sometimes that's just the way the cookie crumbles."
3. Boy: "My girlfriend and I finally broke up. We had been arguing for weeks."
   Friend: "That's the way the cookie crumbles."
4. I had some bad luck with injuries — that's how the cookie crumbles.
5. The man knows that that’s the way the cookie crumbles and he will be fine.

   

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Question of the Day #1384

Trump toots his own horn, but no deal was reached with Putin

From the headline of this article at Euro Weekly News.

  上記の文で、toot one’s own hornの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "toot one’s own horn" 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、

〈比喩〉〔得意のラッパを鳴らすように〕自慢する

Blow one’s own hornも同じ意味です。

 

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

to talk about oneself or one's achievements especially in a way that shows pride or too much pride

 

Examples

1. We've had a very successful year, and I think we have a right to toot our own horn a little.
2. I can't stand being around Marcus ever since his company became such a massive success. The guy just can't stop tooting his own horn!
3. My father told me never to toot my own horn.
4. Not to toot my own horn, but I already knew all that.
5. Because I didn’t toot my own horn, my particular contribution to the success of the organization was seen as a luxury. (Forbes Magazine)

   

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Question of the Day #1383

UCLA hold off Texas in slugfest to set up title game matchup with South Carolina

From the headline of this article at The Guardian.

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

1. 〈主に米話〉《野球》乱打戦、打撃戦◆可算
2. 〈主に米話〉《ボクシング》激しい殴り合いの試合
3. 〈主に米話〉〔怒り狂った〕激論

問題の見出しでわかると思いますが、今ではslugfestは野球やボクシングに限らず、あらゆるスポーツの激しい試合に使用するようになっています。また、スポーツに限らず、あらゆる激しい競い合いに使用することもできます。

 

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

a fight marked by the exchange of heavy blows
also: a heated dispute

 

Examples

1. The fight was a hard, horrible 12-round slugfest.
2. The race in Oklahoma for the US Senate has escalated into a slugfest in recent weeks.
3. This all leads, of course, to the slugfest promised by the film’s title. — EW.com, 8 May 2025
4. If the third quarter was a slugfest, the fourth quarter was a shootout. — Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 7 Sep. 2019
5. The match was more of a tactical affair than a slugfest. — Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Nov. 2022

   

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Question of the Day #1382

A Brawl On Southwest Airlines Jet Ended With Dogpile On Flight Attendant

From the headline of this article at NDTV World.

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

1. 〈俗〉〔ターゲットの人（被害者）に対して〕集団で飛び掛かって組み伏せる［馬乗りになる］行為
2. 〈俗〉集団でのいじめ、寄ってたかって嫌がらせをすること

【自動・他動】

1. 〈俗〉〔多くの人々が人に〕飛び掛かって組み伏せる、集団で馬乗りになる
2. 〈俗〉〔人を〕大勢で攻撃する、〔人に〕多くの反論を浴びせる◆インターネットの文脈では、集団によるいじめ・嫌がらせ。例えば、ある人の発言に対して「それは間違っている」「ばかなことを言うな」といった大量のコメントを付けること。理性的な批判・建設的な討論ではなく「荒らし」に近い。

問題の見出しの場合は、名詞の1番の訳になります。
上記の訳ではネガティブな意味のようにとれますが、スポーツの試合の勝利の時に選手同士が喜んでお互いに飛び掛かる様子にもこの単語を使用します。

 

Answer

According to :

Noun

1. a mass of people who have piled on top of one another (as in celebrating a sports victory or while fighting)
   lso: the act or an instance of forming a dogpile
2. a barrage of criticism, insults, etc. directed at someone or something by many people

Verb

1. transitive + intransitive: to form a dogpile around someone especially as part of a fight or celebration
2. transitive + intransitive of a group of people: to direct a barrage of criticism, insults, etc. at (someone or something)

 

Examples

1. That was the night that ended in a dogpile around Murray, who drilled a game-winning buzzer beater over Anthony Davis. — Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 1 Feb. 2026
2. His game-winning double led to a huge celebratory dogpile.
3. The kids all jumped on their dad, who was soon practically invisible under a dogpile of shrieking, wriggling bodies.
4. The Beckman dogpile after winning the Division 3 title. From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2024
5. Summer is gone, and the fall has brought a historic dogpile of action. — Jason Gay, WSJ, 8 Oct. 2020

   

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Question of the Day #1381

DOG DAY AFTERNOON: MORE PUNCHLINES THAN PERIL

From the headline of this article at the New York Stage Review.

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

 

---

   

解答

意味：
別つづりの英辞郎の訳は、、

〔ジョークの〕落ち

ちなみに、「〔ジョークの〕」とありますが、下記英語の定義ではあらゆる文の主張・論点・核心の部分です。

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

the sentence, statement, or phrase (as in a joke) that makes the point

 

Examples

1. To the baseball world, and even to many of their own frustrated fans, the Angels have become a punch line. —Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 23 Mar. 2026
2. Catch her mix of bold punch lines and relatable humor in a weekend of 18-and-up shows. —Travis Pinson, Dallas Morning News, 6 Mar. 2026
3. She didn't understand the punch line.
4. He forgot the punchline and the joke fell flat.
5. Professor Ito blinks, shakes his head, then translates my punchline.

   

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Question of the Day #1380

Maine needs an experienced leader who has paid their dues

From the headline of this article at CentralMaine.com.

  上記の文で、pay one’s duesの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "pay one’s dues" 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.

 

---

   

解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

1. 〈俗〉〔苦労して〕権利［地位］を得る［獲得する］
2. 〈俗〉〔過失などの〕報いを受ける
3. 〈俗〉刑期を務める
4. 会費を払う

4番目の訳が、直訳になります。したがって、その訳から他の意味が派生したと思っていいでしょう。
なお、問題の見出しの訳は、「下積みをつんだ」がいいのではないかと思います。

 

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary:

1. Literally, to pay the requisite fees to enter into or remain in an organization.
2. By extension, to work hard, gain the necessary skills or experience, or suffer hardships (in order to earn a position, set of rights, the respect of others, etc.).
3. To serve the sentence given to one upon conviction of a crime.

 

Examples

1. I paid my dues working in the warehouse for 10 years before I got this job in the head office.
2. She'd paid her dues in small-town shows before she finally got a Broadway part.
3. He's paid his dues and deserves a promotion.
4. 2005 August 7, Jeff Leeds, “A Money Scandal That's Rocking Hip-Hop”, in New York Times‎[1], retrieved 17 July 2013:
   [S]he spent some time paying her dues at entry-level jobs.
5. 2005 November 6, Donald Morrison, “Still Enough Wrongs To Write”, in Time‎[2], archived from the original on 30 June 2013:
   He too championed the anti-apartheid cause, paid his dues, had his works banned.

   

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Question of the Day #1379

The Big Tech Regulation Rigamarole

From the headline of this article at Tech News World.

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

 

---

   

解答

意味：
英辞郎では、別の綴りのrigmaroleで掲載されています。

1. 訳の分からない［役に立たない・長過ぎる］話［説明］
2. 無駄な［無意味な・煩わしい・うんざりする］手続き

なお、下記英語の定義では、一つ目の意味は今ではあまり使用されていません。

 

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

1. something (such as a procedure or an explanation) that is long, complicated, and tedious
2. dated: confused or meaningless talk

 

Examples

1. Why the hold-up? There's still a whole bunch of legal rigamarole to work out … — Tristan Hopper
2. We know now … the real reason McDonald's ice cream machines always seem to be broken is because they're not—they just take four hours and an 11-step process to clean. This rigmarole is often what's actually preventing McDonald's employees from serving up your hot fudge sundae. — Megan Scott
3. Passengers departing from here do not have to go through the same security rigmarole as they do in major airports. From Washington Post
4. "I was a journalist for 20 years and I can spot marketing rigmarole and a contrived script. You have to be your crude, authentic self to attract your audience." From BBC
5. The entire rigmarole, I realised, was just a charade.

   

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Question of the Day #1378

Majority of Canadians would pay under the table cash to avoid sales tax: survey

From the headline of this article at Global News.

  上記の文で、pay under the tableの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "pay under the table" 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.

 

---

   

解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

（人）に賄賂［袖の下］を払う［与える］

Pay under the tableは「非合法的」なお金の渡し方に間違いありませんが、「賄賂」と限りません。どちらかというと「裏金」の方が適訳です。例えば、問題の見出しの場合は、「統計によると、カナダ人の大多数は、売上税を回避するために裏金で現金払いを好む」になります。

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary:

To give a worker payment that is not officially documented and has not been taxed.

 

Examples

1. Because the restaurant pays me under the table, no taxes come out of my paycheck.
2. I don't have a visa to work in this country, so I've been nannying for a family who pays me under the table.
3. How should an employer respond to an employee that wants to be paid under the table?
4. However, he asked if he could get paid under the table to save us both a bit of $$.
5. Is being paid under the table a good thing or a bad thing?

   

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Question of the Day #1377

Hold fast: How a nautical phrase inspired the motto of our times

From the headline of this article at CBC.com.

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

 

---

   

解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

【句動】

1. 〔～に〕しがみつく
2. 〔～を〕固守する
3. 〔～を〕堅持する
4. 〔色が〕あせない

   

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary:

1. To remain securely adhered (to something).
2. To remain determined, stalwart, and unyielding, as in one's position or opinion.

 

Examples

1. He held fast to his principles.
2. No, tape won't hold fast in this case—you need to use a stronger adhesive.
3. Though it may be hard, we must hold fast in our pledge to environmental reform.
4. I've held fast to my principles my whole life, and I don't intend to compromise them now with your gang of thugs!
5. ”The strikers held fast at Hicks’s mines, but world events intervened.”
Fannie Never Flinched by Mary Cronk Farrell

   

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Question of the Day #1376

Team USA’s militarism is a big bummer in an otherwise incredible WBC tournament

From the headline of this article at Royals Review.

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

 

---

   

解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

1. 〈話〉嫌な［がっかりする］こと［出来事・体験］、不愉快なこと［出来事・体験・状態・時間］、残念なこと、失望、失敗（作）、駄作
2. 〈米話〉怠け者

   

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

1.              
   1. an unpleasant experience
   2. something that is unpleasant or disappointing
2. FAILURE, FLOP

 

Examples

1. All this goodwill and success are a huge bummer for Jessi’s current husband, Jordan. — Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2026
2. People thought the script was a bummer. — Brent Lang, Variety, 11 Mar. 2026
3. Still, the creators and the cast didn’t want the revival to feel like a bummer. — Alexis Soloski, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2023
4. "I've left my wallet at home." "What a bummer!"
5. Are we to believe that one of pop’s bright new stars was once … kind of a bummer? From Los Angeles Times

   

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Question of the Day #1375

With a finish in the top three of an event required to punch one's ticket to the Tokyo Olympics, some Hokies will look to either take a well-deserved rest this summer or continue training at the professional level.

From the 5th paragraph of this article at HokieSports.com.

  上記の文で、punch one’s ticketの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "punch one’s ticket" 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.

 

---

     

解答

意味：
Punch one’s ticketの和訳は、ほとんどありませんがえいご1日1語にありました。推測で説明しているので、途中までそれなりですが、問題文の意味まで辿り着いていません。
そこで、下記のThe Free Dictionaryの定義を訳すと、

1. 文字どおりの意味は、特にバスや汽車に乗車する時、運賃を払っていることを証明するために切符に改札鋏等で切ってもらうこと。
2. 1番の定義の延長の意味として、（とくに競技等において）前進するために何らかのアクションを起こすこと。

問題文の場合は、この2番の訳が適切です。

 

Answer

  According to The Free Dictionary:

1. Literally, to punch a hole in or otherwise mark one's ticket, especially for a bus or train, to show they have paid the fare to ride.
2. By extension, to perform an action that allows one to proceed, especially in a competition.

 

Examples

1. With a win tonight, they will punch their ticket to the tournament.
2. If this deal goes through, you'll have punched your ticket to the corner office.
3. She has punched her ticket to her second Olympics Games.
4. You have punched your ticket to the final round with this win.
5. In scoring 13 points, they punched their ticket to the Super Bowl in Jacksonville.

   

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Question of the Day #1374

$48M ‘boondoggle’ set to be killed by N.J. gov. ‘Not good enough,’ she says.

From the headline of this article at NJ.com.

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

 

---

 

解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

【名・自動】
〈米話〉〔多大な労力・時間・金を費やす〕無駄［無意味］な仕事［活動・計画・公共事業］（を行う）

ただし、上記の訳に下記英語にある大事な部分が含まれていません。それは、often involving graftつまり「しばしば収賄を伴う」の部分です。

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

a wasteful or impractical project or activity often involving graft

 

Examples

1. Is high-speed rail a valuable addition to infrastructure, or a boondoggle?
2. Republicans called the plan a boondoggle and a drain on federal highway funds.
3. The senator called the new highways proposal "a fraud and a boondoggle that the taxpayer should not tolerate."
4. Why: In a state known for its outlandish mansions, this is the boondoggle that set the standard. — Christopher Reynolds, latimes.com, 21 May 2017
5. The judges were not somebody’s nephew on a boondoggle but were, for the most part, their countries’ best legal minds. — Foreign Affairs, 20 Oct. 2023

   

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Question of the Day #1373

COLUMN: People going bananas for baby macaque online

From the headline of this article at OrilliaMatters.

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

 

---

   

解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

1. 〈俗〉頭がおかしくなる、気が狂う◆【語源】バナナを目の前に出されたサルが騒ぐ様子から◆【参考】go ape
2. 〈俗〉熱狂する、怒り狂う
3. 〈俗〉〔機械などが〕駄目になる、いかれる

   

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary:

1. To become irrational or crazy.
2. To express great excitement about something in an exuberant manner.

 

Examples

1. I'll end up going bananas if I have to work in this cubicle for one more day!
2. The kids are going to go bananas when we tell them about the trip.
3. Confession: I don’t always go bananas for depictions of food in art, but April brings a smattering of excellent and tasty shows. From Seattle Times
4. “Yet it’s not cluttered up; it’s streamlined and simple. Whatever we did was going to be seen in that opening shot of the train going through Asteroid City, so we couldn’t go bananas and let any part of it get too big and out of control.” From Los Angeles Times
5. Students are going bananas over the lack of options available in the cafeteria for lunch.

   

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Question of the Day #1372

Scoot and shoot the breeze for charity

From the headline of this article at defense.gov.au.

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

 

---

 

解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

〈米話〉おしゃべりする、無駄話をする、油を売る◆【直訳】口から風を吹く

   

Answer

According to Dictionary.com:

Talk idly, chat

 

語源

Wiktionaryによると、

1919年に初めて記録されたスラングで、風に向かって話すことを意味する。

 

Etymology

According to Wiktionary:

A slang phrase, alluding to talking into the wind, it was first recorded in 1919.

   

Examples

1. They've been sitting on the porch for hours, just shooting the breeze.
2. We were just standing around shooting the breeze.
3. 1999, The Ninth Gate (motion picture), spoken by Dean Corso (Johnny Depp):
   Listen, I came here to do some business, not shoot the breeze. If you want to expound your personal philosophies, write another book.
4. Catch him after practice and he’s happy to shoot the breeze with a smile on his face. From Seattle Times
5. “It felt like they were just shooting the breeze,” recalled Robinson Chavez, whose aching black-and-white photos anchored the series. From Los Angeles Times

   

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Question of the Day #1371

Coups, colonialism and all that jazz: the film that unravels extraordinary cold war truths

From the headline of this article at the Guardian.

  上記の文で、and all that jazzの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "and all that jazz" 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.

 

---

   

解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

～などなど、～とかいろいろ、それに類したもの

   

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary:

And everything else; and many related things.

 

Examples

1. They sell televisions and radios and all that jazz.
2. I’m fed up with work, meetings, and all that jazz.
3. Yeah, bring in the candy bars, the cookies, and all that jazz.
4. If we're going to paint this weekend, we need rollers, drop cloths, and all that jazz.
5. My sister is involved in so many extracurricular activities—student council, Model UN, the literary magazine, and all that jazz.

   

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Question of the Day #1370

Have an itch to go for a nature walk? Watch for poison ivy on the paths

From the headline of this article at Bradford Today.

  上記の文で、have an itchの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "have an itch" mean?

  答えは、コメントに書いてください。

解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

1. かゆみがある
2. 〔～を欲して〕ウズウズする

問題文の意味は、2番目に訳になります。
なお自動詞の場合、itchだけでも「〔～を〕欲しくてたまらない、〔～したくて〕ウズウズする」の意味があります。  

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary "have an itch for (something)" means:

To have an interest in or desire to do something.

 

Examples

1. He has an itch (= desire) to travel.
2. I have an itch to study abroad.
3. I have an itch for another road trip, but I'm not sure where to go.
4. If you're starting to have an itch for acting again, then you should get back on stage.
5. Every so often, I have an itch for a slower, quieter life in the country.

   

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Question of the Day #1369

Family's chicken lays 'ginormous egg' 3 times the normal size

From the headline of this article at Fox News.

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

 

---

   

解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

【形】
〈俗〉とてつもなく大きい◆【語源】gigantic + enormous

   

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

extremely large : HUMONGOUS

 

Examples

1. Buffett was known to sit on ginormous piles of cash at Berkshire, waiting for the right opportunity to invest. — Luciana Lopez, CNN Money, 31 Dec. 2025
2. Yes, the door is ginormous, to say the least, and appears to be rather heavy, if judged by the photos. — Tj MacIas, Sacbee.com, 8 Apr. 2025
3. Step right up, folks, and feast your eyes on the most ginormous, the most humongous phone known to man! — David Pierce, WSJ, 19 Aug. 2018
4. Billie ate his way through a ginormous ice cream sundae.
5. It will probably reach something like £50 million before the task is finished, which is a ginormous sum.

   

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Question of the Day #1368

'Willy-Nilly'—Singapore Defense Minister Says The US Is No Longer A Stabilizing Force, But A 'Landlord Seeking Rent'

From the headline of this article at Yahoo! Finance.

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

 

---

 

解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

【副】

1. いや応なしに、有無を言わせずに
2. 手当たり次第に、ずさんに、きちんと計画されないで、行き当たりばったりに

【形】

1. なかなか決心できない、決断力のない、ためらう、優柔不断の
2. なかなか決心できない、決断力のない、ためらう、優柔不断の
3. いや応なしの、好むと好まざるとに関わらない、有無を言わせない

   

Answer

According to :

adverb or adjective

1. by compulsion : without choice
2. in a haphazard or spontaneous manner

 

Examples

1. Move, but don’t run willy-nilly or blindly follow a crowd. — Marissa Vonesh, Washington Post, 29 Aug. 2023
2. And yet, Indiana Jones isn’t a franchise to rewrite canon willy-nilly. — Vulture, 30 June 2023
3. Bubbly is also one of those few things that should never be ordered willy-nilly. — Jeff Burkhart, Mercury News, 14 May 2025
4. These men who were thrown together willy-nilly by the Army had nothing in common.
5. She threw her clothes willy-nilly into a drawer.

   

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Question of the Day #1367

Getting all your ducks in a row, or in this case, your crops

From the headline of this article at Reuters.

  上記の文で、one's ducks in a rowの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "one's ducks in a row" 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get one's ducks in a rowの意味は、

〈話〉準備を整える、きちんと［万全の］準備をする、お膳立てをする

   

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster "one's ducks in a row" is defined as:

used figuratively in phrases like have one's ducks in a row, get one's ducks in a row, or put one's ducks in a row to describe being or becoming thoroughly organized

   

Examples

1. The government needs to get its ducks in a row.
2. Wouldn't it be nice to have our ducks in a row and not have to search for the papers every time we needed them?
3. I was sure I had all of my ducks in a row before the event finally arrived. Somehow, it didn't turn out as planned. —Jerry Carlson
4. Her program's 10-week curriculum … uses a budget book to help first-timers get their financial ducks in a row. —Eileen Jenkins
5. They should have had their ducks in a row beforehand, so they were ready to start the job when required.

   

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Question of the Day #1366

Time-on-task and instructions help humans to keep up with AI: replication and extension of a comparison of creative performances

From the headline of this article at Nature.com.

  上記の文で、time-on-task (time on task)の意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "time-on-task/time on task" 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.

 

---

 

解答

意味：
英辞郎等の日本語サイトにこの用語が掲載されていないので、下記Trymataの定義を訳します。

Time on taskとは、個人が特定の仕事や活動に積極的に取り組んでいる時間を指します。教育、生産性研究、ユーザーエクスペリエンス研究など、様々な分野でパフォーマンス指標としてよく用いられます。

非常に簡単に言えば「実働時間」と言うことになりますが、分野によってはもっと広がりがあるようです。

 

Answer

According to Trymata:

Time on Task refers to an individual actively engaging in a specific task or activity. It is often used as a performance metric in various fields, including education, productivity studies, and user experience research.

 

Examples

1. Time-on-task refers to the amount of time students spend actively engaged in learning activities. This concept is crucial for effective classroom management, as maximizing time-on-task can lead to improved student performance and behavior.
2. Higher levels of time-on-task correlate with better academic outcomes, as students who are engaged in learning are more likely to grasp and retain information.
3. By comparison, terms like "time on task" are refreshingly straightforward. Unlike jargon, it’s not just a buzzword; it’s a meaningful performance metric that tells you exactly what you want to know: how much time is spent actively working on a specific task. 
4. Initially devised as a personal learning aid by J.B. Carroll in 1963, the time on task methodology has fast become a workplace staple. 
5. In essence, "Time on task" is a strategy for dedicating focused blocks of times to certain tasks.

   

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Question of the Day #1365

Proof of Concept Proposals due Jan. 23, 2026

From the headline of this article at Virginia Tech News.

  上記の文で、proof of conceptの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "proof of concept" 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.

 

---

   

解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

概念実証、コンセプトの証明◆【略】POC◆前臨床試験から予測した開発コンセプトをヒトで確認すること。

   

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

something that demonstrates the feasibility of a concept (such as a product idea or a business plan)

 

Examples

1. Even if it succeeds, the $5.9 billion reactor will be just a proof of concept, with commercial fusion power still decades away. — Corey S. Powell
2. Malware and virus-writing used to be something hobbyist hackers did for fun, as proofs of concept. Not anymore. — Mat Honan
3. No invention is worth anything without the proof-of-concept prototype. — Shintaro Asano
4. The plan is to use the shoot a proof of concept for a feature film production. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 20 Jan. 2025
5. But the current system serves as a proof of concept for the novel design. — Paul Ridden, New Atlas, 5 Aug. 2024

   

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Question of the Day #1364

How to Choose Dream, Target, and Safety Schools

From the headline of this article at the Princeton Review.

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

 

---

   

解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

1. 《a ～》〔安全運転などの〕安全教育をする学校
2. 《a ～》〈話〉滑り止めの［ほぼ誰でも入れる］大学［学校］

言うまでもないと思いますが、問題文の意味は2番目の訳になります。

 

Answer

According to PrepScholar:

A safety school is a college that you're almost guaranteed to get into. Your GPA should be well above the average student's at that school and your SAT or ACT score should be above the 75th percentile for that school.
In other words: a safety school is one that you have a strong chance of getting into!

 

Examples

1. Safety schools are colleges where admission is likely based on a student's academic profile.
2. Experts say prospective students should look at how they stack up against a college's prior classes to estimate their odds of admission – both at safety schools and other colleges to which they plan to apply.
3. A friendly reminder: safety schools are only those which you are 100% guaranteed admission
4. A safety is a school that you have a near 100% chance of admission, you can afford without any competitive awards and you are willing to go.
5. You should be applying to safety schools because you want to make sure that you have a wide variety of colleges and universities on your list to choose from. 

   

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Question of the Day #1363

A Tiny Endangered Creature That ‘Moves Like Greased Lightning’ Has Been Found in an Unexpected Place

From the headline of this article at the Smithsonian Magazine.

  上記の文で、like greased lightningの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "like greased lightning" 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.

 

---

   

解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

〈話〉電光石火のごとく

   

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary:

Extremely fast.

 

Examples

1. Wow, that car just blew past me—it's moving like greased lightning!
2. When I take tests, I speed through them like greased lightning, so I'm sure I'll be the first one done.
3. Her crochet hook was racing like greased lightning by then. From Literature
4. I went down it like greased lightning and came out at the bottom of it and once again I was on the floor. From Literature
5. Another character “moves like greased lightning and is at the cafe huffing and puffing.” From Washington Post

   

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Question of the Day #1362

‘Bring Your Own Kneepads’: Trump Cabinet Members Butter Him Up After He’s Booed at Commanders Game, But What Jeanine Pirro Does Takes It Over the Top

From the headline of this article at MSN.com.

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

 

---

   

解答

意味：
英辞郎によるとover the topの意味は、

1. 上限を越えて、大げさすぎる◆【略】O.T.T.
2. ひど過ぎる、法外な、無法な、理不尽な、やり過ぎの
3. 《軍事》塹壕の胸壁を乗り越えて（攻撃を開始して）

問題の見出しの訳は、1番が適切だとおもいますが、場合によっては2番の訳でいいかもしれません。

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary, "over the top" is defined as:

1. Beyond a certain limit, threshold, goal, or quota.
2. Excessive, flamboyant, campy, or outrageous, often purposefully so. Often hyphenated.
3. Over the fortification surrounding a trench in trench warfare.
4. Describing entertainment (such as TV shows and movies) that is obtained from sources other than a traditional cable subscription, such as streaming services and a la carte programming.

 

Examples

1. I was already thinking about buying the new car, but having a test drive in one pushed me over the top.
2. Mrs. Patterson's generous donation has put us over the top to reach our $1 million goal!
3. Inspired by the Southern favorite MoonPie, this over-the-top dessert features a graham cracker crust, creamy chocolate filling, and a touch of whiskey. — Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 13 Feb. 2026
4. Here’s where to find the best deals—and the most over-the-top drops—this year. — Stephanie Gravalese, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
5. And everything here is over-the-top, from the pricey entrees to the stylish bar. —
Sarah Blaskovich, Dallas News, 1 Aug. 2023

   

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Question of the Day #1361

China is likely to thread the needle after US attack on Venezuela

From the headline of this article at the South China Morning Post.

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

 

---

   

解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

1. 針に糸を通す
2. 〈比喩〉難事を成し遂げる
3. 〈比喩〉〔球技などでボールを〕狭い所に正確に打つ［投げる］

   

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary:

1. verb Literally, to insert thread through the eye of a needle.
2. verb To pass, or pass something, through a narrow space between two things.
3. noun A children's game in which the participants stand in a line and hold hands. The person at the end of the line then ducks under the others' linked arms, pulling the rest of the line along with them.
4. noun In yoga, a variation of child's pose in which one brings ("threads") one's arm under one's chest, then lowers one's shoulder and ear to the mat.

 

Examples

1. The quarterback really threaded the needle between those two defenders with that pass.
2. 2010, James C. Foster,Bong Hits 4 Jesus: A Perfect Constitutional Storm in Alaska's Capital, University of Alaska Press, published 2010, →ISBN, page 215:
   Were I writing for the Court, I would seek to thread the needle between acknowledging Principal Morse's authority, on the one hand, while respecting student Frederick's rights, on the other.
3. 2021 September 6, Zack Handlen, “Rick And Mortyends its fifth season looking for an escape hatch”, in AV Club‎[1]:It was likely any resolution was going to seem like an anti-climax, and I thought this reveal threaded the needle quite well.
4. 2006 — L. Paul Bremer (with Malcom McConnell), My Year in Iraq: The Struggle to Build a Future of Hope, Simon & Schuster (2006), →ISBN, page 381:
   And I suggested we have the UN resolution endorse the concept of federalism, which the Kurds wanted, and the timetable for the January 2005 elections, as a way to thread the needle between the Kurdish and Sistani demands.
5. 2012 — Samuel L. Popkin, The Candidate: What It Takes to Win - And Hold - The White House, Oxford University Press (2012), →ISBN, page 42:
   Although the Carter campaign managed to thread the needle in that complicated situation in Philadelphia, it ignited a firestorm when Carter addressed the Irish National Congress in Pittsburgh.

   

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Question of the Day #1360

OPEN-HANDED GENEROSITY: GERRY'S STORY

From the headline of this article at Project Open Hand.

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

 

---

   

解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

1. 手に何も持たない
2. 気前［きっぷ］の良い、物惜しみしない

問題の見出しの意味は、当然2番の訳です。

 

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

GENEROUS, MUNIFICENT

 

Examples

1. Being open-handed involves attempting to share your good fortune with those in need.
2. These are times when a fine open-handed generosity at the public expense is all the fashion.
3. After the Democrat prominently backed Vice President Kamala Harris for president during the campaign, Polis has adopted a more openhanded posture toward the incoming Republican administration. — Nick Coltrain, The Denver Post, 9 Jan. 2025
4. The price tag for the expansion is $450 million, more than $200 million of which comes from the estate of David Rockefeller, MoMA’s most openhanded donor, who died in 2017 at age 101. — Terry Teachout, WSJ, 13 Feb. 2019
5. “They’re coming in an open-handed, honest-broker way to people at risk,” he said. From Washington Times

   

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Question of the Day #1359

'Bite me': Alberta baker challenges premier's office over boycott tied to recall

From the headline of this article at Barchart.

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

 

---

   

解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

むかつく！／くたばれ！／放っといて［放っておいて］くれ！／構わないでくれ！／消えうせろ！◆憤りを表す俗語表現

この表現は、間投詞なので、Bite me!と書くことが多い。

 

Answer

According to Dictionary.com:

INTERJECTION
(used as an exclamation of contempt, annoyance, or peeved dismissal).

 

Examples

1. On hearing her latest sob story, all he said as he walked away was, “Bite me!”
2. You’re restructuring our department by getting rid of the best personnel? Bite me!
3. 2009, James Patterson, Maxine Paetro, The 8th Confession:
   She swiped at her tears with the palm of her hand, slipped his front-door key into the breast pocket of his leather suit jacket, whispered to the dead man, "Bite me, asshole."
4. 2006 April 5, Dan Shive, El Goonish Shive (webcomic), Comic for Wednesday, Apr 5, 2006:"I don't know, Tedd; can you sing without soap?" "Bite me."
5. 2005, Ellen Notbohm, Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew, page 37: "We was talking and stuff, and I'm, like, I am SO not going there! And he just went, okay whatever, and I'm like FINE! Like I could care less, and then he goes, like, yeah bite me—"

   

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Question of the Day #1358

Killer driver says he was like a 'bat out of hell'

From the headline of this article at the BBC.

  上記の文で、like a bat out of hellの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "like a bat out of hell" 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.

 

---

   

解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

〈俗〉猛スピードで、大急ぎで◆火がきらいなコウモリと、炎が燃え盛っている地獄を組み合わせた表現。

   

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

very quickly

 

Examples

1. She ran down the street like a bat out of hell.
2. They undoubtedly gave him even greater publicity and notoriety, helping his solo career to skyrocket like a bat out of hell. From BBC
3. My wife shot out of the corner like a bat out of hell and leapt from her truck. From Salon
4. In the show, Joel flies in like a bat out of hell and violently knocks Seth to the ground before telling him to get the hell out. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
5. Nikki Cross ran down to this ring like a bat out of hell, and almost legitimately collided with Carmella. — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2023

   

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Question of the Day #1357

VIDEO: ‘Clean as a whistle’: SC governor says USS Yorktown clear of toxic waste

From the headline of this video at Live 5 News.

  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。
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.

 

---

   

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

   

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

very clean

 

Examples

1. He chopped off the branch, clean as a whistle.
2. When I come to, I’m in the recovery room, head still cloudy, soul unsettled but clean as a whistle. From New York Times
3. I searched online how best to get that area clean as a whistle with no viable results. From Slate
4. One good lather was enough for our tester’s skin to feel as clean as a whistle. — Olivia Rose Rushing, InStyle, 7 Jan. 2026
5. This feels like it was developed for triple-sec, the clear type of orange liqueur, that comes with a pure orange flavor and makes a Jasmine that’s as clean as a whistle. — Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 17 Feb. 2024

   

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Question of the Day #1356

Gun-Shy

From the headline of this article at Comment.com.

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

 

---

   

解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

【形】
〔人が〕銃の音に敏感な［おびえやすい］、弱気の、二の足を踏んでいる、用心深い◆【対】gun-happy

今の米国においては、gun-shyは最初の「[人が]銃の音に敏感な［おびえやすい］」または「銃を恐れている」意味になりますが、一般的には他の三つの意味で使用されることが多い。なお、反対の意味としてgun-happyとなっていますが、この用語は「銃を過度に好み、使用したり、銃による暴力を擁護したりする傾向がある」の意味が強く、他の意味の対語として使用されることは稀です。

 

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

1. afraid of loud noise (such as that of a gun)
2. markedly distrustful, afraid, or cautious

 

Examples

1. After the crash, investors were gun-shy about putting their money into the stock market.
2. After his last suggestion was laughed at by his colleagues, he was gunshy about making another suggestion.
3. After her last relationship ended the way it did, I don't blame her for being gun-shy about dating again.
4. Nintendo has been famously gun-shy of live-action adaptations — or adaptations in general — after the abysmal 1993 Super Mario Bros. film tanked. — Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 28 Mar. 2025
5. The pressure from both the U.S. and China has seemingly made Panama more gun-shy about those ports shifting hands, with numerous officials putting CK Hutchison’s partnership with the Panamanian government under scrutiny. — Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 13 Aug. 2025

   

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Question of the Day #1355

How To Work A Room Like You Own The Place

From the headline of this article at Forbes.

  上記の文で、how to work a/the roomの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "how to work a/the room" 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.

 

---

   

解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

〈俗〉うまく立ち回る、いい雰囲気をつくってくれる

とありますが、これはイディオムのwork the roomの結果であって決して起こす行為ではありません。
このHiNativeの説明の意味の方が適切です。

「work the room」とは、できるだけ多くの人と話し、名刺をもらい、つながりを作り、ゲームに先んじることを意味します。言い換えればネットワーキングです!

なお、下記英語の定義にあるように、仕事関連の集まりに使用されることが多いイディオムです。

 

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary:

To interact with many people at an event or function. Often, but not always, applied to business situations.

 

Examples

1. At networking events, Ben totally works the room, with the goal of meeting as many people as he possibly can.
2. At parties, my dad always works the room and chats with everyone, but I'm too shy for that.
3. As a campaigning politician, he really knew how to shake hands, kiss babies, and work the room.
4. Don’t “manage the floor,” work the room.
5. As you work the room, break out of the mechanical table visit that includes a rushed general question such as “Is everything okay?”

   

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Question of the Day #1354

Hot take: The National Rifle Association agrees with Governor Newsom

From the headline of this article at the Governor Gavin Newsom website.

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

 

---

   

解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

ホットテイク◆報道記者が十分な調査・思考をせずに、急いで書いた記事（または投稿メッセージ）

この訳では、下記英語の定義の"often deliberately provocative or sensational opinion or reaction (as in response to current news)"(「しばしば意図的に挑発的またはセンセーショナルな意見や反応（時事ニュースへの反応など）」)が欠落しています。

 

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

a quickly produced, strongly worded, and often deliberately provocative or sensational opinion or reaction (as in response to current news)

 

Examples

1. They’re too focused on raising families and trying to prosper in these hard times to post a hot take on social media about political personalities they barely know. From Los Angeles Times
2. Frankly, it’s a flaming hot take that’s best kept private, reserved only for the Notes App or a conversation at the dinner party table. From Salon
3. Swoopes has faced criticism in the past over her hot takes on Clark. — Paulina Dedaj, Fox News, 11 Dec. 2024
4. Dwayne Johnson has a hot take on singing in movie theaters. — Tommy McArdle, People.com, 26 Nov. 2024
5. In fact—brace for hot take—sometimes the hair, makeup, and nails are more noteworthy than the attire. — Marci Robin, Allure, 5 May 2025

   

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