No. 29 (July 22, 2011)
An array of
An impressive number of(驚くべき多くの)
→“At the museum we saw an array of artifacts from ancient Greece.”
→“Her library has an array of world literature.”
Bristle
To show anger or displeasure(憤慨やいら立ちを表す)
→“The homeless person bristled at the policeman’s rough treatment.”
→“She was hurt and bristled when her husband ignored her complaints.”
→“The student bristled at the teacher’s criticism.”
Canvass
To discuss in detail(詳細に渡って話し合う)
→“The directors got together to canvass the options.”
→“After the event, its details were canvassed by those who had attended it.”
Droves
A large group or gathering of people(大勢の群衆)
→“Every year droves of international students enroll at New York University.”
→“Shoppers came in droves when the new department store opened in Ginza.”
Flunk
To fail to pass a test or to meet a set of requirements(試験に落ちる、資格を満たすのに失敗する)
→“When he flunked the final exam, he chose to drop out of high school.”
→“Eight major banks flunked the new requirements set by the government.”
A litany of
A long list of; a group of(延々としたリスト、集合体)
→“He came late for the date and started offering her a litany of excuses.”
→“A litany of factors contributed to the accident.”
Muzzle
To silence(口を塞ぐ、黙らせる)
→“The media were muzzled by the authoritarian regime.”
→“The dissident was finally freed but was muzzled by the government from speaking out.”
Neophyte
A beginner; a novice(新米、新しいメンバー)
→“A 6-year-old neophyte got on the stage and started dancing a Tchaikovsky piece.”
→“As a neophyte of the religious order, she had to wake up at 4 every morning.”
Poppycock
Nonsense(ナンセンス)
→“When I told my wife I had been delayed by traffic, she did not believe it, screaming, ‘Poppycock!’”
→“That’s a lot of poppycock you got there.”
Respite
A temporary reprieve; a short break(一時的な息つく暇)
→“The president and his family got a respite from a hectic schedule in a small island.”
→“I have been swamped today, working without respite since the morning.”
Snag
(As verb) To successfully grab; to attain some difficult objective(何かを巧みに手中にする、難しいゴールを達成する)
→“Our son snagged a home run ball and was ecstatic.”
→“The aircraft manufacturer snags another record order.”
Talk up
To speak about something in such a way as to make it appear better or more important; to promote something extravagantly(実際より良いという印象を与えるために少し誇張・脚色した話し方をする)
→“The manager attempted to talk up the early retirement package, but the employees remained skeptical.”
→“The carmaker is talking up their new vehicle to the young market.”
→“It was revealed that a high-ranking government official was behind the talk-up about the new nuclear power plant.”
Veneer
Appearance or surface that hides a deeper reality(秘められた真相を覆う表層)
→“A veneer of gentlemanly sophistication hides his rude and unrefined nature.”
→“With the proposed reform, the faltering government has acquired a veneer of legitimacy.”
Wield
To activate or leverage; to take a weapon or tool in one’s hand with an intent to use it(発揮する、武器や道具などを使う意図で手に取る)
→“Europe is wielding influence in the direction of world economy.”
→“He was arrested for wielding a wooden sword in public.”