Question of the Day #503

"Michael Gove, Dominic Raab and Iain Duncan Smith have all weighed in amid loose talk of a “reckoning”."
From the 5th paragraph of this article at The Guardian.

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

しまりのない話、雑談、詰めの甘い議論

とありますが、もっと深いニュアンスもあります。
下記英語の定義にあるように、「軽率な会話で、気付かずに個人または機密情報を他人に漏らす」という意味が含まれることがあります。

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary:

Uninhibited, indiscreet talk or conversation, especially as might unintentionally lead to revealing private or sensitive information to others.

Examples

• The details of this project are extremely confidential, so there can't be any loose talk about it whatsoever.
• There is a very popular phrase about loose talk which goes like this ‘Loose talk costs lives’.
• Two things can bring the dollar down: loose talk from America’s Secretary of the Treasury, or a sharp deterioration in America’s relative economic performance compared to the rest of the world.
• There has also been loose talk of going ahead with contracts for nuclear power reactors with countries such as Russia and France, while proceeding cautiously with the US.
• Loose talk can ruin people.

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Question of the Day #502

"10 travel shows and movies to avoid coronavirus cabin fever"
From the headline of this article at USA Today.

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

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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、

〈話〉〔屋内に長期間閉じ込められることによって生じる〕閉所性発熱、ストレス、イライラ

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

extreme irritability and restlessness from living in isolation or a confined indoor area for a prolonged time

Etymology/語源

Dictionary.comによると、

1915~1920年ごろにできた米英語。

According to Dictionary.com:

An Americanism dating back to 1915–20

Examples

• Some cities have adopted a new strategy to let community members relieve their cabin fever while remaining the necessary six feet apart: closing streets to cars and opening them up to pedestrians. — Colin Beresford, Car and Driver, "Making Room for Social Distancing, Some City Streets Go Car-Free," 31 Mar. 2020
• And cabin fever is real, so getting a little space from everybody is always a good thing. — Eben Weiss, Outside Online, "In Trying Times, Rediscover the Joy of Riding Alone," 27 Mar. 2020
• The rain had kept me indoors all weekend and I was beginning to get cabin fever.
• I've got cabin fever. I've got to get out of here. 
• She suffered from cabin fever during the long winter.

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Question of the Day #501

"Coronavirus outbreak: How to avoid going stir-crazy during self-quarantine"
From the headline of this article at Today.

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

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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、

〈俗〉同じ所に閉じ込められて気が変になって◆このstirは「刑務所」の意。

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

distraught because of prolonged confinement

Etymology/語源

Dictionary.comによると、

初めて使用されたのは、1935〜40年。stir+crazy

According to Dictionary.com:

First recorded in 1935–40; stir + crazy

Examples

• I've been laid up for two weeks with this broken leg and I'm beginning to go stir-crazy.
• I was stir-crazy after just two months of keeping house.
• After so many days of rain, the kids started to get a bit stir-crazy.
• I was going stir-crazy after being stuck in the house all week.
• I'm going to go stir-crazy if I stay in all weekend!

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Question of the Day #500

"When Johnson started running to succeed David Cameron as Tory party leader ten years ago, his campaign was defined by his extraordinary ability to butter up the press. "
From the 5th paragraph of this article at GQ.

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

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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、

〔気に入られようとして〕（人）のご機嫌を取る、（人）におべっかを使う、（人）をおだてる、（人）にごまをする

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

to charm or beguile with lavish flattery or praise

Etymology/語源

Merriam-Websterによると、

初めて使用されたのが、1819年。

According to Merriam-Webster:

First Known Use of butter up:
1819

Examples

• a flunky who shamelessly butters up the boss
• The bank has to butter up investors because it is in a fiercely competitive market.
• I tried buttering her up. 'I've always admired people with these sorts of talents.'
• A company wishing to influence the government must butter up both parties in the House and the Senate.
• Alice is good at buttering up her superiors and that's how she mostly gets promoted.

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Question of the Day #499

"It’s not a matter of looking at the world through rose-colored glasses, it’s about creating resilience."
From the 2nd paragraph of this article at The New York Times.

上記の文で、look at ~ through rose-colored glassesの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "look at ~ through rose-colored glasses" mean?

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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、

～をバラ色の眼鏡で見る、～を楽観視する［楽観的に見る］

see ~ through rose-colored (rose-tinted) glassesとも言います。

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary:

To assume a generally optimistic and cheerful attitude (toward something); to focus on the positive aspects (of something). Primarily heard in US.

Examples

• I know nostalgia can be misleading, but I really look at my childhood through rose-colored glasses.
• It seems like Mary only looks through rose-colored glasses, like she's in incapable of dealing with the negative things in life!
• She's always looked at life through rose-tinted glasses.

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Question of the Day #498

"Coronavirus - Black Swan Or Red Herring"
From the headline of this article at .

上記の文で、black swanとred herringの意味は？
In the sentence above, what do "black swan" and "red herring" mean?

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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、black swanは、

希少品、非常にまれなもの

そしてred herringは、

（人）の気をそらすもの［情報］、おとり

Answer

According to the Macmillan Dictionary, "black swan" means:

an event which is extremely rare and unexpected but has very significant consequences

and according to Merriam-Webster "red herring" means:

something that distracts attention from the real issue

Etymology/語源

Black swanDictionary.comによると、

オーストラリアで黒鳥が発見されるまでは、白鳥しかいないと思われていたから。

Red herring は英辞郎によると、

【語源】猟犬を訓練するときに、獲物が通り過ぎた匂いの残っている道と交差するように、匂いのきつい薫製ニシンを引きずっておいた。そうすることによって、猟犬が正しい匂いと間違った匂いとをかぎわけられるように訓練した。そこから、draw a red herring across someone's pathという表現が使われるようになった。つまり、「人が進むべき道に、薫製ニシンを引きずっておく」ことにより、「人の注意を他にそらす」のである。

According to Dictionary.com "black swan" got this meaning because of the following:

from the belief that all swans were white, before the first sighting of Australian black swans

According to the Online Etymology Dictionary "red herring" got this meaning because of the following:

Supposedly used by fugitives to put bloodhounds off their scent (1680s), hence metaphoric sense (1864) of "something used to divert attention from the basic issue;"

Examples

Black swan

• The problem with black swan events is that very often they are never repeated.
• 'September 11, 2001 is a classic example of a Black Swan. It was only a failure of imagination by most Americans (including myself) to never have contemplated beforehand the possibility of such a dreadful day.' CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR, 22ND NOVEMBER 2012
• 'His story is now one that many people want to hear; how he and his crew averted disaster when one of the A380 Airbus engines blew up in flight, something he describes as a Black Swan Event.' ABC, AUSTRALIA, 30TH NOVEMBER 2012
• In recent years there has been much focus on the so-called black swans in relation to risk management and decision making under uncertainty.
• ‘Black Swan’ events are by definition very difficult to anticipate, yet they are very much part of risk management.

Red herring

• The police investigated many clues, but they were all red herrings.
• The argument is a red herring. It actually has nothing to do with the issue.
• The plot of the mystery was full of red herrings.
• As Dr Smith left he said that the inquiry was something of a red herring.
• The unfollowed leads could, of course, be red herrings, as is true with all leads in any investigation. — cincinnati.com, "Death, lies and uranium: How an Ohio man’s mysterious disappearance in 1984 still haunts family, friends," 17 Mar. 2020

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Question of the Day #497

"At a global level, our lives and legacy hang in the balance — for good or ill, future generations will judge and draw lessons from our response."
From the 1st paragraph of this article at the Vancouver Sun.

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

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Write your answer in the Comments.

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解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

〔運命などが〕懸かっている、〔状況・結果などが〕どちらに転ぶか分からない、〔生命・存続などが〕危機にひんしている◆【直訳】（運命の）てんびんに乗って中ぶらりんだ（ゆらゆらしている）

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary:

To be perilously close to failing, depending on the outcome of something.

Examples

• The court is just about to issue its verdict, and our company's future is hanging in the balance.
• Her life hung the balance as medics rushed her to the hospital.
• World leaders are meeting to discuss the situation, with peace in the region hanging in the balance.
• The possibility of a nuclear exchange continued to hang in the balance.
• But because public health hangs in the balance, experts are already seeking changes in food policy.

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