-
Nut job
Word of the Day: Nut job Today’s Word of the Day has been in the news recently. Apparently, according to the ‘fake’ news, President Trump told the Russians that the former director of the FBI, James Comey, was a ‘…real nut job…’ So, what does that mean? Well, first of all, calling someone a nut…
-
On the books
English Phrase: On the books If you’re on the books, you’re officially enrolled as a member of an organization such as a school, company or sports team. As a simple example, all of my students are on the books as being current students at ArtisanEnglish.jp. Even though my company is entirely digital, and there are…
-
Segway
Word of the Day: Segway I would suppose that most people know that a Segway is a battery-powered, personal vehicle. However, have you ever heard the word used with a different meaning? Unofficially, the word Segway can be used when someone wants to change the direction of a conversation. Quite often, a person will go…
-
In the books
English Phrase: In the books If someone tells you something is in the books, they mean that that activity is finished and recorded as completed. At the end of my post about meld, I said, “So, that’s another one in the books.” By saying that, I meant this is the end of the post, and…
-
Meld
Word of the Day: Meld Most people enjoy listening to some genre of music. I find it amazing how the sound from different instruments can combine or meld together to form beautiful music. When two or more things combine, mix, merge or integrate to form one thing, they meld. It’s cool how the different sounds…
-
On automatic pilot
English Idiom: On automatic pilot (autopilot) Have you ever had one of those days where you were at work but were not thinking about it? If you have had a day like that, you were working on automatic pilot. When on automatic pilot or autopilot, you’re not thinking about what you’re doing. Your mind is…
-
Rejuvenate
Word of the Day: Rejuvenate It’s 5:30 on Monday morning, time to wake up and smell the flowers! I was thinking about what word I could introduce today, and I believe that rejuvenate is the best one. I want to start the week off on the right foot and make a positive beginning. I feel…
-
You name it
English Phrase: You name it Instead of giving a very long list of items, when talking informally, a person may provide a few examples and then say you name it. Imagine you have a Netflix subscription, and your friend asks you what kind of movies or shows they have. You: I just signed up for…
-
Hunt-and-peck
Hunt-and-peck reminds me of some teachers I’ve worked with in the past. WotD: Hunt-and-peck What kind of typist are you? Are you a hopeless typist who needs to hunt-and-peck? Or are you a speedy touch typer? These days, being able to type is a must. Even if you do not work in an office or use computers,…
-
All too
English Phrase: All too The phrase all too is used in negative situations. It’s used before an adjective or adverb and emphasizes a negative meaning. As an example, in my post about rubbernecking, I wrote, “Anyone who commutes to work by car will know that accidents on the highway are all too common.” Common is…
Got any book recommendations?