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Lanyard
Word of the Day: Lanyard I used to see people wearing lanyards all the time in Japan. I don’t see them so much anymore. A lanyard is a cord or strap with a connector at the end for attaching nametags, whistles or other small things. You wear it on your neck. Mostly, a businessperson would…
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Tall Poppy Syndrome
Expression: Tall Poppy Syndrome Tall poppy syndrome, which is used in Australia and New Zealand, refers to the tendency of people to discredit or show disrespect for wealthy or successful people. The meaning is similar to the Japanese expression: the nail that sticks up gets hammered down. In our Western culture, we put a lot…
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Curry favour
Word of the Day: Curry favour If you try to curry favour, you praise your boss or someone else in authority in an insincere manner. In slang terms, we’d say it’s a nice way to say kiss ass. You are insincere because you have an ulterior motive. That ulterior motive could be a desire to…
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Drink the Kool-Aid
English Idiom: Drink the Kool-Aid You’ve probably heard of brainwashing. Well, the meaning of being brainwashed is the same as drinking the Kool-Aid. If you drink the Kool-Aid, you believe and follow someone unquestioningly or show complete obedience to a group or person. It’s a term that may seem quite weird to you because it uses a…
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A tempest in a teapot
English Idiom: A tempest in a teapot/a storm in a teacup Any day when ‘covfefe’ creates a tempest in a teapot must be a slow news day. Once again, I will refer to President Trump’s now infamous “Despite the constant press covfefe” tweet on May 30th. The press/media went wild about this tweet. Many questions…
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Shenanigans
Word of the Day: Shenanigans Shenanigans are activities that are secretive or, in some way, dishonest. They’re often funny, foolish or downright silly. Things such as an illicit affair, accepting political donations, or even merely sending out a stupid tweet. I’m thinking of President Trump’s tweet, “Who can figure out the true meaning of ‘covfefe’”???…
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Write-off
Word of the Day: Write-off If something is a write-off, it can no longer be used, or it was a complete waste of time. The car in the accompanying picture was caught up in a tornado. As you can see, it is no longer drivable. Therefore, it’s a complete write-off. The only thing that the…
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Shot in the arm
Idiom: Shot in the arm A shot in the arm is anything positive that makes you feel happier, lifts your spirits, or encourages you. Yes, we could look at it literally as a shot of influenza vaccine you receive in your upper arm. I am, however, introducing the idiom today, so the first meaning stands…
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Prolific
Word of the Day: Prolific Prolific means to produce a considerable amount of something. Writers such as Charles Dickens (my favourite) or Jules Verne were prolific authors who continuously wrote and published throughout their lives. Animals also can be prolific. Rabbits, mice and even wild boar are famous for being prolific breeders. Rabbits can give…
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Off the beaten track
Phrase: Off the beaten track When we get off the beaten track, we take a way that few people travel. The path is rough, and it’s not easy to move forward. That is a literal description of the phrase. A beaten or well-travelled track is one that people use regularly. Therefore, it is relatively smooth and…
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