Question of the Day #496

"Musk posted a condescending response to Jalopnik that called the publication 'not sharpest tool in shed,' and linked to the Wikipedia page on autopilot. "
From the 5th paragraph of this article at The Drive.

上記の文で、not [the] sharpest tool in the shedの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "not [the] sharpest tool in the shed" 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：
Weblioによると、

《フレーズ》「物置の中で一番切れのよい道具ではない」＝頭の冴えない；頭の回転がよろしくない

違う例えで同じ意味のイディオムに下記のものがあります。 


• Not the sharpest knife in the drawer.
• Not the sharpest tool in the box.
• Not the brightest crayon in the box.
• Not the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree.

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary:

Not intelligent; dim-witted or prone to stupidity.

Etymology/語源

The Idiomsによると、

同じ意味の似たようなイディオムは、たくさんあります。（例えべ、not the sharpest knife in the drawer.）このようなイディオムは、1990年代に流行り多数ありますが、なかにもっと以前からあったものがあるかもしれない。

According to The Idioms:

There are many phrases of a similar format which  convey the same meaning as this one. e.g.  not the sharpest knife in the drawer. These types of idiom became popular around the 1990s, when many variations were coined. Some may be older. 

Examples

• His new boyfriend isn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but he's pretty good looking!
• I wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed in school, but I still managed to find a profession I loved.
• Joe doesn't seem to understand that we're working to a different schedule now, since the workload has doubled.  He's not the sharpest tool in the shed.
• My brother's not the sharpest tool in the shed.  I think he might have been dropped on his head as a baby.
• I knew she wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but honestly - I didn't know she was THAT dense.

このサイトが役に立つと思ったら、ぜひ英語に関心のある知り合いとシェアしてください。

Question of the Day #495

"Now the lab, which is housed at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, is on the leading edge of the coronavirus response."
From the 2nd paragraph of this article at KNEB.com.

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

～の最先端

なお、at the leading edgeともいいます。

また、on the cutting edgeも同じ意味で、最最先端の意味のon the bleeding edgeというイディオムもあります。

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary:

Having or knowledgeable of the most advanced technology in a given area, activity, or endeavor.

Examples

• The local university's laboratory is on the leading edge when it comes to cancer research.
• Their latest smartphone is truly on the leading edge.
• To survive, companies must stay on the leading edge of technology.
• Somehow, he accomplishes it and keeps doing work at the leading edge.
• Software companies are on the leading edge of technology in very competitive markets.

このサイトが役に立つと思ったら、ぜひ英語に関心のある知り合いとシェアしてください。

Question of the Day #494

"Retailers of all sizes are in now in the cross-hairs."
From the 10th paragraph of this article at Fortune.

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

照準を当てられる

cross hairsとは、照準器の中で見える十字線のことを言います。

ただし、このイディオムの比喩的に使われることが多く、その場合には、下記英語の意味になります。
「他人が非難や攻撃する立場にいること」

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary:

In a position in which other people are eager to criticize or attack.

Examples

• The CEO has been in the cross hairs of politicians and businesspeople alike for his recent comments on immigration.
• The man was in the cross hairs from the very beginning of the interrogation.
• I was in the cross hairs when I visited my sister while she was having a fight with her husband.
• The film is in the cross hairs because of its use of historical events even though the director has made it clear that it has been made based on a poem and is not supposed to be historically accurate.
• My mother is in the cross hairs when my granny visits us.

このサイトが役に立つと思ったら、ぜひ英語に関心のある知り合いとシェアしてください。

Question of the Day #493

"Reality stars might seem down to talk about anything on TV, but in real life, when reporters are recording their every word, they often clam up or only get chatty when it’s about the product they’re promoting."
From the 2nd paragraph of this article at Elite Daily.

上記の文で、clam upの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "clam up" 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〉黙り込む［こくる］、口をつぐむ［閉ざす］

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

to become silent

Examples

• The teacher asked who had thrown the eraser, but the class clammed up.
• He just clams up if you ask him about his childhood.
• As soon as I told her my name, she clammed up.
• Naturally, everyone clammed up as soon as the check came.
• Our usual informant clammed up when he realized there was a mole in the department.

このサイトが役に立つと思ったら、ぜひ英語に関心のある知り合いとシェアしてください。

Question of the Day #492

"'We were soulmates—kindred spirits,' says Betty Catroux...."
From the first paragraph of this article at Vogue.

上記の文で、kindred spiritの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "kindred spirit" 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. 同趣味の人、気［気心］の合う人
2. 《kindred spirits》気の合う者同士

Answer

According to Cambridge Dictionary:

a person who has the same opinions, feelings, and interests as you

Examples

• We recognized each other as kindred spirits as soon as we met.
• When I saw his work for the first time, I recognized a kindred spirit.
• He told her they were kindred spirits and were fated to fall in love.
• "I saw her life: married to a man she loved, a kindred spirit whose priorities exactly matched hers." Harris, Elizabeth TIME OF THE WOLF 
• "I truly feel that Andy will find a kindred spirit in Karl Marks." David Cavanagh MUSIC FOR BOYS (2003)

このサイトが役に立つと思ったら、ぜひ英語に関心のある知り合いとシェアしてください。

Question of the Day #491

"If I expected that Trump’s affinity for Goldman Sachs bankers and Exxon executives would rub the wrong way among people who have been at the short end of every corporate merger, acquisition, and outsource decision, I was sorely disappointed."
From the next to last paragraph of this article at Vanity Fair.

上記の文で、rub the wrong wayの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "rub the wrong way" 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）の神経［感情・気持ち］を逆なでする

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

1. to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts
2. to make angry

Examples

• Those customers really rubbed their server the wrong way.
• The whole situation just rubbed him the wrong way and he began to shout.
• The way she smiles all the time really rubs me the wrong way. It seems so fake.
• He's always talking about how those commercials rub him the wrong way, but I think they're cute.
• I would always rub the teacher in the wrong way and end up in trouble.

このサイトが役に立つと思ったら、ぜひ英語に関心のある知り合いとシェアしてください。

Question of the Day #490

"2019 BMW M2 Competition Review – Still Waters Run Deep>"
From the headline of this article at The Truth About Cars.

上記の文で、still waters run deepの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "still waters run deep" 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：
この諺は、英辞郎に掲載されていないのでWeblioによると、

《諺》 静かな川は水が深い

ですが、あまりにも直訳すぎるので、下記英語の定義を訳すと、

1. 落ち着きの裏にある情熱や興奮
2. 穏やかに見える物でも、危険なものを隠しているかもしれない
3. 水面が穏やかでも、水面下に危険が潜んでいるかもしれないので、安心できる状況と限らない
4. もの静かな人でも、仲良くなると実は深い感情や面白い性格の持ち主かもしれない

のようになります。

したがって、問題の見出しの訳はこんな感じになると思います。
「2019 BMW M2 Competitionのレビュー：落ち着いたデザインの裏に情熱的な走りが隠れている」

Answer

According to The Idioms:

1. to have passion or furore underneath a calm
2. a placid exterior covering a something that can be dangerous
3. external calm does not mean that the situation is safe since there may be a danger under the water
4. a quiet person may have deep feelings or an interesting personality when one gets to know them

Examples

• She did not talk to me that day and I knew that something is wrong, still waters run deep.
• He didn't express his opinion in the meeting but still waters run deep.
• You should not talk with that gang, they're too quiet and still waters can run deep.
• He's extremely shy and withdrawn, though it may be that still waters run very deep.
• "But the numbers indicate that still waters run deep." Globe and Mail (2003)

このサイトが役に立つと思ったら、ぜひ英語に関心のある知り合いとシェアしてください。