Bowling Alley

Vocabulary from the SA Class:

bowling alley: ボーリング場

• There is a new bowling alley in my town called Lucky Strike Bowling Lanes.

Valentine's Day (バレンタインデー)

• I bought my wife some flowers on Valentine's Day.

Valentine (バレンタインの相手)

• I asked Sarah to be my Valentine when we were in elementary school.

Valentine's Day card (バレンタイン・カード)

• Bobby didn't get any Valentine's Day cards this year. Poor Bobby!

gummed flap (封筒の折りぶたの裏側は糊付けされている)

• Many people in the States lick the gummed flap on an envelope.
  

chalk (チョーク)

• Bart Simpson wrote "I will be quiet in class" with chalk. (チョークで書いた)
• a piece of chalk　1本のチョーク
• three pieces of chalk　３本のチョーク

Kayaking

Vocabulary from the SA Class:

• kayak: （名詞）カヤック
• kayaking:（動詞）カヤックに乗る［で行く・で旅する］
  

Previously I was asked about camping on the Oshika Peninsula - one of my favorite places in Miyagi and one of the best sea kayaking destinations in Japan. [Link]

• sailboat:（名）ヨット、帆船
• sailing:（自他動）航海する、航行する、出帆する、帆走する
  

Hayama Sailing College offers a fun way to meet people and enjoy sailing. [Link]

• rowboat:（名）漕ぎ舟、漕艇
• rowing:（自動）ボートを漕ぐ、船を漕ぐ
  

• canoe:（名）カヌー
• canoing:（自動）カヌーをこぐ
  

• heavy:（形）重い、激しい　many kilograms or pounds

I hurt my back when moving the heavy gray steel filing cabinet in my office.

• Showa Era:　昭和時代 (1926-1989) The reign of the Emperor Hirohito (1950s to the 1970s)

• heavy → lose one's appetite: 胃もたれ

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References:

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Unpredictable

Vocabulary from the IK Class:

Unpredictable: 予測できない

1. The major topic of a conversation in Seattle is always about the weather because it is so unpredictable. （シアトルで会話の主なトピックになるのは常に天気の話しで、それは何でかって言うとかなり予想しにくいものだから。）
2. The earthquake was an unpredictable natural disaster.（地震は予測できない自然災害だった。）
3. The phrase "When the wind blows" also connotes pinning one's hopes on unpredictable events.（「風が吹けば……」には、「あてにならない期待をする」という意味もある。）
4. I wasted the whole afternoon. The delivery guys are so unpredictable.（午後を無駄にしちゃったわ。配達の人たちって本当にいい加減なんだから。）
5. My husband is so unpredictable.　(husband 夫、so とても）
   
6. The yen-dollar rate is unpredictable.　（yen-dollar rate 円対ドルの相場）
   

Of course...: 当たり前

1. Of course I would like to see the movie, but today it is impossible. （もちろん映画を見たいけれど、今日は無理だ。）
2. "I can't get this tape recorder to work. No wonder! The pause button is pressed down."このテープレコーダー、動かないわ。当たり前だよ。ポーズボタンを押してるんだもん。
   

platypus: カモノハシ

• Platypus! (Step Into Reading. Step 2)
• A Platypus, Probably (ハードカバー)
• A Platypus, Probably (ハードカバー)
• Platypus Creek (Amazing Animal Adventures)
  

Dialogs & Sentences from the IK Class:

A: If I visited your house, do you have a place to park or would I have to park on the street?
B: Well, we only have enough space for one car, so you'd have to park on the street.

• 駐車場： parking lot 数台分 parking space 一台分

My shop rents two park spaces for our customers.

• At Kounandai Station:

A: Which bus goes to Ichinomiya?
A: Which bus is the Ichinomiya-bound bus?
A: At which platform can I catch the Ikebukuro-bound train?

• 何曜日 what day
  

A: What day is today?
B: It is Monday.

A: What day is today?
B: It is Labor Day.

A: What day is today?
B: It is your birthday.

• 何日 what date
  

A: What is the date today?
B: It is September 28th.

• お昼寝

A: Were you taking a nap in the car?
B: Well, I was just on the verge of falling asleep. // I was just about to fall asleep.

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References:

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You vs Your Day, Horns, and When!

Dialogs from the KT Class:

A: How was your day yesterday? (昨日はどうだったか？) *主語は「your day」
B: It was very tiring. (とても疲れちゃったよ。)*主語は「it」
A: Really? How come? (本当に？どうしたの？)
B: I was very busy at work! (仕事がとても忙しかった。)

A: How were you yesterday? (昨日はどうだったか？)*主語は「you」
B: I was very tired. (とても疲れちゃったよ。)*主語は「I」
A: Really? How come? (本当に？どうしたの？)
B: I was very busy at work! (仕事がとても忙しかった。)

A: Say "when"!
B: Stop!

• (ちょうどいい（分量になった）時にそう言ってください。◆人のグラスに酒などを注いであげながら言う言葉。相手は好きな分量になった時にStop!と言う。)
• A: Say when (you want me to stop pouring beer in your glass.)の命令を省略された。
• B: Stop (pouring beer in my glass, please).
  

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Vocabulary from the KT Class:

かゆい：　itchy

• My arm is itchy. I think a mosquito bit me.
• My hand is itchy. The air is very dry today.
  

かけっこ：foot race

• Amanda ran in a foot race at her school's sports day festival.
• Amanda was in a foot race at her school's sports day festival.
  

とても頑張った： tried very hard; gave it all he/she/I had; made a great effort;

• Amanda tried very hard. (勉強・仕事など)
• Amanda gave it all she had.（スポーツ・チェス等の試合）
• Amanda made a great effort. （障害の闘い等）
• Amanda ran very hard. / Amanda ran her hardest.
  

一位になった: took first place; took first prize

• Amanda took first place in the foot race.

horns (cow, goat, unicorn, devil, etc.): 角
antlers (deer, elk, moose, etc.): 枝角

thick: 厚い（電話帳等）
thin: 薄い　（紙等）

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References:

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Higher and Higher

Phrases and Some Examples:

• more and more
• Gasoline is getting more and more expensive.　（ガソリンはますます高くなる.
• More and more people are buying DVD players these days.　（DVDプレイヤーを買う人が最近ますます増えている.）
  

• faster and faster
• Influenza is spreading faster and faster.（インフルエンザはますます素早く広まる。）
  

• slower and slower　(どんどん遅くなって)

• richer and richer & poorer and poorer
• The rich are getting richer and richer and the poor are getting poorer and poorer.（金持ちはますます裕福になり貧乏人はますます貧しくなる。)
  

• cooler and cooler　(だんだん冷たくなる)

• colder and colder
• Day by day it's getting colder　(日を追ってだんだん寒くなってくる。)
  

• hotter and hotter
• It's getting hotter and hotter. (暑くなってきたなあ。)
  

• tougher and tougher
• steadily get tougher and tougher (次第により困難なものになる)
  

• older and older
• I am getting older and older. (私はどんどん年を取る。)
  

• higher and higher
• Every month, my phone bills seem to get higher and higher. (毎月、電話料金がどんどん高くなるみたいだ。)

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Oh, My Gosh!

I have heard Japanese adults and children say, "Oh, my God!" in a a very light manner. This phrase should be used with care. There are some persons who might me offended by this phrase. （日本人がこれを言うと、不愉快に感じる人がいる。）

Here are some safe alternatives:

• Oh, my gosh!
  
• Oh, boy!

• 信じられない！・ まあ！・ あれ！・ えっ！・ しまった！・ 困った！・ 何てことだ！・ ヒャー！

duster vs 雑巾

• duster: a kind of long coat worn by cowboys during bad weather (The J. Peterman Company still sells dusters at this website.)

(Click on the image for a larger view.)

• 雑巾： dustcloth; rag
  

a few vs a couple of

• a few: two or three of something
• a few hours 二三時間
• a few hours 数時間 | 二三時間
• a few words 一言所感
• a few words 2言3言
• Please wait for a few minutes. (少々お待ち下さい。)
  
• a couple of: two of something, but sometimes two or three of something
• a couple of days 二、三日・ 数日
  
• a couple of hours 2～3時間・ 2時間｛じかん｝で
• a couple of weeks 2～3週間
• in a couple of months 2～3カ月して
• 
  

a few vs several

• several: more than two or three of something but not many　いくつか(の)(*a few より多いが, many ではない), それぞれの, 別々の
• for the first time in several years 数年ぶりに
• over several times 数回にわたって
• the project has been underway at Carnegie Mellon for several years このプロジェクトはカーネギーメロン大学で数年来進められてきた
• I have been there several times. （私は数回そこへ行ったことがあります。）
  

1,500 vs 1,523

• 1,500: one-thousand five-hundred / fifteen hundred
• 1,523: one-thousand, five-hundred twenty-three / Do not say "fifteen hundred twenty-three"
  

Other numbers:

• 5,000 = five grand / five thousand / fifty hundred
• 50,000 = fifty grand / fifty thousand
  

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