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Zest
Word of the Day: Zest How are things going for you this summer? It kind of sucks, doesn’t it? Life doesn’t have much zest at the moment. Not many of us are having the time of our lives this year, for sure. Usually, summer is when we can break out of the rut, we get…
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Be on your guard
Phrase: Be on your guard Try not to let yourself be fooled by what seems innocent. Be on your guard because you never know when you’re going to find yourself in a dangerous situation or on the verge of being tricked. I always tell my wife to lock her car door when driving. She used…
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Same old same old
WotD: Same old same old Don’t you think it’s weird how we all want something novel, but when things change, we crave the same old same old of our previous lives? Same old same old is used to describe someone or something that doesn’t change and, because of that, is boring or uninteresting. Whether you…
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Quit while you’re ahead
Phrase: Quit while you’re ahead We, humans, are amazing creatures. I say that because we are so driven to achieve perfection that, on an individual basis, we often forget or refuse to quit while we’re ahead. By that, I mean you can’t improve on perfection, but we try anyway and risk ruining our achievement. An…
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Let bygones be bygones
Phrase: Let bygones be bygones As a white guy living in Japan for such a long time, it is impossible not to form an opinion about Japan’s relationship with Korea. For the most part, somehow, Europeans have been able to let bygones be bygones since the Second World War. Canadians and Americans have done the…
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Go postal
English Slang: Go postal The United States of America has the world’s highest rate of mass murder. The term ‘go postal‘ arises from many incidences of postal employees becoming angry and upset with their employer or coworkers. Beginning in the mid-80s, there were yearly occurrences of post office shootings. As a result, go postal entered…
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Stiff upper lip
Phrase: Stiff upper lip If you are Japanese, this is a perfect expression to know how to use. I often think of British stoicism when I think of this phrase. During the bombing of London in the Second World War, the British made it a point to live life normally. They refused to become emotional…
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Long face
WotD: Long face A horse walks up to a mirror and says, “Why the long face?” The mirror says, “It’s OK. I’m just a bit reflective today.” Ha, ha, ha, that’s a funny joke. It’s OK. I know you’re only laughing because everyone else is. The thing is, everyone else is smiling because you are.…
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Turning point
WotD: Turning point A turning point is a point at which something turns. Thank you for reading, and have a beautiful day. No, wait! A turning point is when a significant change takes place. Often we don’t know we’ve reached a turning point until it has happened. I’m only kidding. It’s a little more complicated…
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Sweet talk
Word of the Day: Sweet talk You don’t have to feel too bad about it because we have all fallen victim to a sweet-talking salesperson a time or two. Surely there is an image in your brain of what I mean. While browsing in a clothing store with no intention of purchasing anything, a salesperson…
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