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Cut the cheese
English Idiom: Cut the cheese Hello there. Today’s idiom is a very informal one. You do not want to cut the cheese in an elevator. It would help if you did not cut the cheese on a date with your girlfriend. Never cut the cheese in your wife’s futon. Cutting the cheese is not a…
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Waste not, want not
English Cliché: Waste not, want not The meaning of this cliché, waste not, want not, is very similar to the Japanese もったいない (mottainai). It means that if you do not waste anything, then you will always have enough. Flesch-Kincaid Readability Test This post is understandable by someone with at least a 7th-grade education (age 12). On…
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Have time on your hands
Idiom: Have (a lot of) time on your hands This idiom is good for when you are bored or have nothing to do. If you have a lot of time on your hands, then you have extra time or spare time. With the busy lifestyles many people lead today, having a lot of time on your…
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Lapdog
Word of the Day: Lapdog Over the last few years, the popularity of small pets in Japan, such as lapdogs, has boomed. Many people get a pet as a companion animal. If you’re an empty nester, your children have moved out and started a family, and your home is empty and quiet. What better way…
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Big time
Idiom: Big time Many amateur performers struggle for many years before they hit it big time. Performers, whether singers, musicians, stage actors, or movie actresses, must work long and hard before making it. When they do, they become successful and famous. Big time means to become successful at the top level of your profession. It usually…
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Pocket
Word of the Day: Pocket Of course, everyone understands that jeans and jackets have pockets and are handy for carrying things. That’s not the meaning I’m introducing today. The word pocket can also refer to an area or a group of people. Think of any big cities in North America—Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, San Francisco, Los…
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The time of your life
Phrase: The time of your life Today is Friday! For most people, the week is over, and the weekend is here. Now you can have the time of your life! Until you have to wake up before the birds on Monday morning and go to work. If you have the time of your life, you…
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Magic bullet
Word of the Day: Magic bullet Back on September 30th, I talked about silver bullets, and by the way, with Halloween around the corner, a silver bullet could come in handy. So, what the heck is a magic bullet? Will it always hit the target? Is it reusable? Well, a magic bullet is a simple solution…
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Time is of the essence
English Expression: Time is of the essence When something must be done immediately, you can use the expression time is of the essence. Perhaps you are starting to notice a little bit of middle-age spread and are thinking about going on a diet or limiting how many empty calories you consume. Well, time is of…
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Empty calories
Word of the Day: Empty calories Recently, some of my students and I discussed childhood obesity and the possibility of a soda tax to help reduce cola consumption. This kind of tax may decrease childhood obesity caused by the intake of too many empty calories. The term refers to calories we intake from food such…
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