No. 1 (December 24, 2010)
About-face
A radical change in one’s thinking or behavior(考えや行動の顕著な変化)
→ She used to be a vegetarian and then made an about-face. Now she only eats lamb chops.
Bag
To score; to earn; to win; to catch(得る、勝ち取る、確保する、逮捕する)
→ The Japanese team bagged a victory over the Brazilian team at the World Cup.
→ Leave home early so you can bag a good seat at the Hanami.
→ The new law will bag many offenders.
Crossroads
An intersection of roads; A point where a decision must be made(分岐点、決断の瞬間)
→ With the major Republican victory in the elections, the US politics is at a crossroads.
→ With an unexpected job offer, she is at a crossroads in her career.
Debacle
A collapse, breakup, downfall (崩壊)
→ There are widespread fears of a debacle resulting from the economic downturn.
→ The sex scandal resulted in the politician’s debacle.
Eye
To take an interest in; to try to get(関心を持つ、目をつける)
→ Sarah Palin is eying the presidency.
→ The monkey eyed my ice cream.
Ferret out
To search and find(探し出す)
→ The source of the info leak must be ferreted out.
→ She ferreted out lipstick from her bag.
Graft
Corruption; getting advantage or money through illegitimate means(汚職)
→ Graft is rampant in politics.
→ The Prime Minister was never involved in graft.
Harness
To firmly put in place; to fasten(確固たるものとする)
→ I will harness the skills I acquired in this class to score high on TOEFL.
→ You should harness your talent and experience at your new job.
Hype
Attempts to promote an idea or product by talking about it a lot(大袈裟な宣伝)
→ The new TV program turned out to be media hype.
→ Organic food is marketing hype.
→ The much-hyped rock star was arrested on a drug charge.
Jockey
To compete for the best position or most power(地位や権力を目指して競争する)
→ LDP and DPJ are jockeying for control of the Diet as the election approaches.
To skillfully maneuver; to trick(要領よく動かす、騙す)
→ He jockeyed her into paying for both of them at the restaurant.
Legion
A military force; an army(軍隊、軍団)
Large in quantity(莫大な量)
→ In the ongoing recession, unemployment is legion.
→ Complaints against the government are more legion than praises.
Maven
An expert(専門家)
→ She is a fashion maven.
A person with special insight(洞察力のある人)
→ How did you know so much about me? You must be a maven.
Nix
To cancel; to ax (キャンセルする)
→ Because of the rain, we nixed our plan.
Panoply
An impressive collection of things(集合)
→ Life is a panoply of surprises.
A large gathering of people(群衆)
→ A panoply of runners showed up at the Tokyo Marathon.
Rap
To hit swiftly and sharply(すばやく叩く)
→ The teacher rapped the desk irritably.
To criticize(批判する)
→ Arizona was rapped for its immigration policy.
Set to
To be ready or willing to(~する用意がある、~をする寸前である)
→ Chinese tourists are set to spend lots of money in Japan.
→ I am set to deliver my speech.
Tout
To proudly announce; to openly praise; to advertize strongly(誇らしげに公言、称賛、又は宣伝する)
→ The machine was touted as a new invention.
→ The school touts the benefits of weekend classes.
Unnerve
To weaken psychologically; to make nervous(心理的に弱める、緊張させる)
→ Seeing his angry face unnerved her.
Vex
To irritate; to annoy; to frustrate; to worry(苛立たせる、心配かける)
→ Pakistan’s relationship with the Taliban vexes the Obama Administration.
→ His wayward living is a source of vexation for his parents.
Warm to
To be receptive to; to support(受け入れる、支持する)
→ China warms to the idea of the regional free trade zone.
→ World media is warming to the new US President.