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Free-range
Word of the Day: Free-range Free range describes animals allowed to roam in a vast, open space and not confined in a small cage. You’ll often see this in grocery stores where you can buy free-range eggs and chicken. If you see free-range written on a package, it will usually mean that the food is…
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Suck a lemon
English Idiom: (Go) suck a lemon In the English language, there are rude words that people can use when they get angry. Go suck a lemon is a family-friendly way to tell someone to go away if you are mad at them. Naturally, you could always use the infamous F**k o**. Here at ArtisanEnglish.jp, I…
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Gavel
Word of the Day: Gavel You’ve seen them or perhaps heard them used on TV before. A gavel is a little wooden mallet and a symbol of authority at a meeting. Judges, chairpersons of meetings or auctioneers use it to get attention, bring order to a meeting, or finalize a sentence or deal. As you can see…
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Drown your sorrows
English Idiom: Drown your sorrows People have problems. Some people can healthily handle these issues, while others feel they have to drown their sorrows. You see, when people take this course of action, it means that they drink a lot of alcohol to help them forget their problems. In other words, they try to find…
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The fold
Word of the Day: The fold The fold is a place, such as your home or an organization, where you feel comfortable or belong. For example, if you are a North American university student living away from home, you probably return to the fold every long holiday when everyone is happy to see you. Once…
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Ulterior motive
WotD: Ulterior motive An ulterior motive is a secret or not-so-obvious reason for doing something. Some people may try to curry favour with their boss, not because they like their boss, but because they want the next promotion to marketing manager; they have another reason which is in their best interests. Being suspicious is not a good thing, but…
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Rub elbows
English Idiom: Rub elbows/shoulders Sometimes, your kooky boss, who is also a fantastic old hand at the BBQ, may hold an event and offer everyone a great chance to rub shoulders. We have all heard about the importance of networking, exchanging business cards, etc. When we network or socialize, we rub elbows/shoulders with people. Talking…
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Gurney
Word of the Day: Gurney A gurney is a portable bed with wheels used in care facilities to quickly move patients from one place to another. This type of bed can be found in hospitals, clinics, and even ambulances. I don’t know if you have ever been on one before. But I can tell you,…
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Make ends meet
English Idiom: Make ends meet Many people suffer a lot of headaches trying to make ends meet. Some people have been very successful in life, and the only thing they have to worry about is tall poppy syndrome. Whether they became successful by currying favour by working hard or a combination of both is not…
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