No. 24 (June 17, 2011)
Make allowance(s)
To give special consideration or provision(大目に見る、非常時に備える)
→“She is under a lot of stress from work. When she is irritable, you must make allowance.”
→“A rush hour train is extremely crowded. You must make allowances for occasional inconveniences.”
→“Our basement makes allowance for an emergency shelter.”
Brash
Excessive in confidence, voice or color; attention-getting(自信過剰な、音・色などが過度で注目を集める)
→“We got a new office manager. We are all having a hard time getting used to his brash management style.”
→“The audience was turned off by the speaker’s brash manner.”
→“Some say Lady Gaga is trashy but others like her brash ways.”
Cajole
To persuade(説き伏せる、言いくるめる)
→“She succeeded in cajoling the company into interviewing her.”
→“I wanted to quit the swim team but was cajoled into staying by the coach.”
Comprise
To consist of; to be made up of; to constitute(~から構成されている、全体で~を占める)
→“This lecture comprises an introduction, the main argument and some concluding remarks.”
→“The committee is comprised of the chairman, 2 executives and 5 staff.”
→“The homeless comprise a large percentage of welfare recipients.”
Defuse
To troubleshoot by improving a difficult situation(難局を打開する、鎮める)
→“The wage raise helped to defuse the labor union’s anger.”
→“He has a special gift of defusing awkward situations.”
Elicit
To draw out(引き出す)
→“At the end of my presentation, I asked the attendees for some feedback, but my request elicited no response from them.”
→“The new president elicits both admiration and fear from the employees.”
Foray
A brief journey to some place for a specific purpose; a short attempt at something(特定の意図で目的地に出向くこと、何かを少しの間試してみること)
→“I make occasional forays into the countryside for fresh air.”
→“It was her first foray into post-modern art.”
Impale
To pierce(突き刺す)
→“We went to this new restaurant, but I lost my appetite when I saw a pig’s head impaled on a stick.”
→“I had such a wonderful experience that it is impaled in my memory.”
Launch
To start a new undertaking or project(新しい事業やプロジェクトを開始する)
→“With the freshly earned MBA from Harvard, she launched a new business in the center of the city.”
→“The regulatory agency has launched a panel on improving nuclear disaster control.”
Perdition
Utter destruction; a total failurew(壊滅、全くの失敗)
→“The junk car was consigned to perdition.”
→“The scandal-plagued politician is on the road to perdition.”
A plethora of
A large number of(数多くの)
→“I went to the lost and found counter at the station and saw a plethora of umbrellas.”
→“There is a plethora of resort hotels on the beach.”
Sashay
To walk in a stately and proud manner(威厳を持ってこれ見よがしに歩く)
→“The boxer, after successfully defending his world championship title, sashayed down the aisle.”
→“We were having a merry chat in the living room when our daughter sashayed in, wearing the new dress.”
Tweak
To touch up and make a little better(少し手を加えて改善する)
→“If you show me your draft before sending it to the publisher, I will gladly tweak it up for you.”
→“With some editorial tweaking, the essay became quite readable.”
A wealth of
A bountiful of(豊富な)
→“The library is a wealth of knowledge.”
→“The Upper East Side of Manhattan hosts a wealth of museums and galleries.”