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To the gills
Phrase: To the gills Considering that Japan is an island and seafood plays a central part in Japanese cuisine, to the gills is a phrase all Japanese should at least be familiar with, even if they don’t use it often. First, you need to know that gills are the organs fish have on either side…
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Holistic
Word of the Day: Holistic These days meditation, the slow life and holism are catchwords indicating society’s desire to change the way we live and do things. As a result of this way of thinking, people try to take a holistic approach to solve their personal issues and life’s problems in general. This means not…
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Half-baked
WotD: Half-baked To many Japanese, travelling around with your possessions in a backpack seems a half-baked idea that hasn’t been thoroughly thought through. They wonder how you will pay for it, where you will stay and say it’ll ruin your chances for a promising future. It goes against the life plan of grade school, university,…
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Wanderlust
WotD: Wanderlust The world is a fantastic place. After backpacking around half of it during my 20s, I know what I’m talking about. Initially, I left home for Vancouver, BC, to find work so I would be able to continue paying for university. That was a fantastic time. That’s when I caught the wanderlust from…
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A place for everything
Saying: A place for everything and everything in its place Clutter or clarity – which do you prefer? I try to follow the philosophy of a place for everything and everything in its place. When there are kids in the house, or even just one kid, trying to keep the place tidy is a full-time job.…
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On second thought
Phrase: On second thought Are you an indecisive person? If not, have you ever made a decision only to change your mind later? If you have had that experience, then I hope you could use the phrase on second thought. This little phrase is used when you’ve made up your mind about something only to…
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Talk down to
Phrase: Talk down to (someone) Knowledge is power. However, it’s wrong to misuse that power and talk down to someone. No matter how much you know, there is always someone who knows more than you do. Unless you want them to treat you like an idiot for not knowing what they do, you should not…
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Have your say
Phrase: Have your say In a democracy, people need to have their say in the decision-making process or on some critical issue. That means everyone must have an opportunity to give their opinion on whatever matter is at hand. Before you can do that, you must first have an opinion to begin with. While teaching…
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The pen is mightier than the sword
Saying: The pen is mightier than the sword When will we ever learn that the pen is mightier than the sword? Humans are a violent race of beings. There’s no doubt about it. We have been fighting and killing each other for millennia, though writings and thoughts have had a larger and longer-lasting influence on…
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Lose your shirt
Idiom: Lose your shirt At first glance, you may look at this idiom and wonder how the heck someone can lose their shirt. Of course, sometimes you can see a sad pair of shoes in a parking lot or a single, lonely shoe on the side of a road, but how often do you see…
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