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Offhand
Word of the Day: Offhand Now and then, I choose a word that is very hard to write about. Offhand is one of those words. I don’t know why I chose it other than it came up in a lesson, and I write about words that students ask me about. When you make an offhand…
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Peach fuzz
WotD: Peach fuzz If you like fruit, Japan is an excellent country in which to live. I love to eat Wakayama peaches when they are in season. The peach is a funny fruit because although it kind of looks like an apple, it is covered in soft peach fuzz. Another funny thing is that peach…
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Read between the lines
Idiom: Read between the lines Math, Biology and Physics are all sciences. English is not a science; it’s an art. As with all art forms, you can only have a genuine appreciation and unravel the mystery once you learn to read between the lines. If you can read between the lines, you can understand the…
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Short-term pain for long-term gain
Phrase: Short-term pain for long-term gain Dreaming of a better future is something all humans have in common with each other. All of us are, to some extent, willing to accept short-term pain for long-term gain. With that said, the reason so many of us fail to attain what we dream of and are unable…
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Green thumb
WotD: Green thumb I was having a conversation with a student the other day about Biophilic Design. She told me she doesn’t have a green thumb because every potted plant she has had has died. This lady must remain anonymous to protect her identity because she may be charged with planticide. {It’s a joke. Homicide…
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Lift your spirits
Phrase: Lift your spirits Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to make an announcement. Today is Sunday! If that doesn’t lift your spirits, I don’t know what will. Something that lifts your spirits causes you to become more cheerful or happy. Isn’t it strange that the best day of the week comes right before the worst…
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In its infancy
Phrase: In its infancy Change is the only constant in the world. For that reason, there is always technology that is in its infancy. The challenge for you today is to keep up with that technology. Japan’s major issues are that it is an old country with valuable ancient traditions and not a greying but…
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History repeats itself
Proverb: History repeats itself When you live to be as old as I am, you realize that most proverbs from our ancestors are not necessarily words of wisdom but simply observations made over time. History repeats itself is one of those wise phrases that anyone over forty has witnessed. Let me tell you a secret.…
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Point of no return
Phrase: Point of no return Any project you work on will progress to a certain point beyond which it is impossible to stop and when you cannot prevent or avoid its effects from taking place. We call this the point of no return. Climate change is one of the things affecting our lives that has…
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Pivot
Word of the Day: Pivot Today, boys and girls, we’re going to talk about the word pivot. This is one of the keywords for the pandemic. In many cases, companies and individuals who pivoted during lockdown were able to lessen their losses or perhaps even thrive. To pivot means to move on a point. A…
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