-
Middle-age spread
Expression: Middle-age spread Unfortunately, it is a fact of life that many people will experience middle-age spread. As we get older, our waistlines will begin to expand. Yes, we will start getting fat around our waist as we age. Middle-age spread is not a rude expression. It’s a humorous expression. As we get older, we…
-
Ponder
Word of the Day: Ponder If you ponder something, you think about it or consider it carefully. Now, it may be a good idea to carefully consider the future. Where are we going? Why are we working? What is the meaning of our life? Am I happy? Are my loved ones happy? What do I want…
-
Jump through hoops
English Idiom: Jump through hoops Believe it or not, we are all jumping through hoops every day. You may not see them, but they are there. We have to jump through a few hoops to do most things in life. This means there are many steps to take to buy a car, publish a book,…
-
Red tape
WotD: Red tape Red tape is a term for all the official rules and regulations we must follow. It also ties things up and slows things down. Of course, if we are jumping through hoops, we are doing that because of all the red tape, including business, tax, and import rules. The next time you cannot…
-
Less is more
English Cliché: Less is more These days, people are moving towards a minimalist lifestyle. The idea is that having less stuff gives us more time to enjoy the simple things in life: less is more. Many people do not purchase a car, house or other expensive consumer goods. They don’t spend their money on these…
-
Jack up
Word of the Day: Jack (something) up Jack up is a phrasal verb that means to increase the price or the height of something. As the demand for oil rises, gas stations jack up the price of gasoline. I’m sure we’ll feel the effects of jacked-up vegetable prices in Japan. Four typhoons hit Hokkaido this fall…
-
On a shoestring
English Idiom: On a shoestring When a person does something on a shoestring, they do it with a tiny financial budget. Think about the life of a college or university student. They have no steady job, little money in their pockets, and spend a lot of time studying. It’s a very frugal lifestyle. There’s also…
-
Sticker shock
Word of the Day: Sticker shock If you live on a shoestring, you will experience sticker shock almost every day. Sticker shock is the surprise and sadness you feel when you see the price of something you want to purchase, mainly because you think it is overpriced. Flesch-Kincaid Readability Test This post is understandable by…
-
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree
English Proverb: The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree is a proverb which is very similar to the Japanese proverb 蛙の子は蛙. It means children are very much like their parents. Of course, each person has unique characteristics, but often, children have similar physical features, mannerisms, and preferences to…
-
Mannerism
Word of the Day: Mannerism Mannerisms are how a person moves their body, such as facial expressions or gestures. People have distinct ways of smiling or moving their eyes, for example, that others do not. It could be the particular way that a person stands while waiting for a bus or their gestures while having…
Got any book recommendations?