Question of the Day #1268

Here is a picture of Arrowhead Lanes from back in the day

From the headline of this article at Smile Politely.

  上記の文で、back in the dayの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "back in 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。
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解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

〈米俗〉ずっと前、昔々◆back in the day when ... の略。

   

Answer

According to the Cambridge Dictionary:

used for talking about a time in the past, usually when you are remembering nice things about that time

 

Examples

1. Back in the day, we had an apartment with a swimming pool.
2. An artist or producer or engineer from back in the day wouldn't think fondly of surface noise on their records.
3. Nevertheless, this was a major accomplishment back in the day.
4. Back in the day, that's what we wanted to sound like when we were younger.
5. The live program featured children in the audience and like most children shows back in the day featured fun, games, safety tips and cartoons.

   

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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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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、

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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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〉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?

  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?

  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. 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。
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】
〈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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