No. 50 (Dec 22, 2011)
Awry
Out of order; messy(混沌とした、目茶目茶な)
→“There was utter chaos in the village. It was a world gone awry.”
→“I finally made it to the office through the violent winds, my freshly permed hair totally awry.”
Bulwark
A strong defense(強固な防護・防衛)
→“A separation of powers between executive, legislature and judiciary is meant to be a bulwark against the abuse of power.”
→“Consumers and investors serve as a bulwark against credit default.”
Dig in (past and past participle: dug)
To prepare oneself for a long and difficult battle or problem(長期に渡る難解な闘争や問題に腰を据えて取り組む)
→“As the recession continues, we have to dig in and patiently wait for things to start improving.”
→“Clashes turned violent as the government forces dug in.”
Frisky
Energetic, lively and full of fun(エネルギーと活気に満ち溢れた、はしゃいだ)
→“He is a frisky young boy.”
→“You are just recovering from a long illness. Don’t be frisky now, all right?”
Island
A small, isolated area(小さな隔離された地域)
→“Poland is the last island of economic stability in the European sea of instability.”
→“Most of the continent was struck with the plague except for a few scattered islands of relative health.”
Juice
Power; energy(電力、エネルギー)
→“The innovative firm invented a machine to get juice from paper shreds.”
→“The AKB48 concert really got my juice going.”
Morass
A complicated and difficult situation(複雑で困難な状況)
→“I am in a morass of legal problems over my immigration status.”
→“The new company is thriving where others find themselves in a labor morass.”
Push
To pressure or persuade someone to comply with one’s wish or intent; to strongly encourage(自分の望みや意図に迎合するよう圧力をかける、強く勧める)
→“We don’t believe in pushing our values on people. We disseminate facts so they can make informed decisions.”
→“The government is pushing the opposition parties to let it pass a new tax law.”
→“The secret of my success is that I have always pushed myself to do my very best so I wouldn’t have any regrets later.”
→“We of course encourage our children to study diligently, but we are very careful not to push them too hard.”
Rivet
To fasten someone’s attention with strong interest or fear(誰かの関心を強く引き付け釘づけにする)
→“The audience was riveted as the magician made the young lady disappear.”
→“This book offers a riveting peek at the Tokyo underworld.”
Sustain
To support the continued existence or operation of something or someone; to experience some injury or illness or loss(維持する、持続させる、ダメージなどを被る)
→“He keeps changing his jobs because he is incapable of sustaining good relationships with his coworkers.”
→“President Obama is trying to hammer out a new fiscal policy that would sustain the nation’s economic recovery.”
→“The football player sustained serious damage to his left shoulder.”
→“After the nuclear leak, it was found that some residents sustained exposure to unusually high levels of radiation.”
Tinsel
A sparkling decorative strip used for Christmas and other occasions; something that appears valuable or important but in fact not so(クリスマスの時などに使用するキラキラ光る装飾用の紐・糸、外見は高価・重要に見えるが実はそうでない物)
→“During the Christmas season, I love sitting back and listening to tinsel stories on the radio.”
→“Behind all that publicity and tinsel, the school is only a second-rate institution.”
Twist
An unlikely feature or change that was unexpected(予想しなかった意外な特色や進展・結末)
→“It is an economic miracle with a socialist twist.”
→“The mystery writer gave a surprising, spectacular twist at the end of the story.”