Words April 2026 Week 3

It is debatable if abortions should be illegal. (Some people say yes but others say no.)

Japan has the highest number of vending machines per-capita. (Per-capita means per person.)

He couldn’t find the coin slot. (A slot is a narrow opening usually describing where to insert a coin or letter.)

The quality and taste of the melons were bad. (They looked tasty from the outside, but they were low quality.)

She apologized for interrupting my gardening. (To interrupt means to stop an activity that was in progress.)

I had a pain in my lower back. (Maybe it was caused by lifting something heavy or from old age.)

A news "scoop" is an exclusive story reported before competitors. (“To scoop” was slang for grabbing something quickly.)

NIE stands for Newspapers in Education. (Newspapers are useful for teaching many things.)

Synonyms for a newspaper writer include journalist, reporter, correspondent and columnist. (News reporter is probably most common but correspondent sounds more formal.)

Did you travel alone? (Did you go there by yourself?)

The food was yummy. (It was tasty.)

Wazzup? (Synonyms for "wazzup" are wassup, 'sup, what's up, yo, hey, what's happening, how's it going, what’s new, holla, and howdy.)

Rhinestones originated in the 13th century as natural rock crystals (quartz) found in Europe's Rhine River. (They are used as imitation diamonds.)

Memorial diamonds are lab-grown diamonds produced from carbon from cremated ashes. (You can carry your parents on a chain around your neck after they pass away.)

I borrowed a pair of tweezers. (The Japanese word “pinsetto” comes from the Dutch word “pincet.”)

I sat in the fourth row of the upper level. (The upper level in a theater is commonly called the balcony or gallery. 

I often wore my older brothers’ hand-me-downs. (I wore their old clothes when they grew out of them.)

One theory about the origin of nattō is that it was made by samurai under Minamoto no Yoshiie.

They were attacked while boiling soybeans for their horses, so they put the beans in straw sacks and escaped.

Another story says Prince Shotoku wrapped leftover boiled soybeans in straw bags for his horse. (And yet, another story is that natto came from China during the Yayoi Era.)

She picked me up and drove me to the mall. (Her friend gave her a ride from her house to the mall.)

She pointed her finger at him. (We use our index fingers to point.)

I’ll get the test results on Monday. (It was a physical exam.)

There is a 24-second shot clock. (They must shoot the basketball within 24 seconds after possessing the ball. This is to speed up the game.)

He has pancreatic cancer and diabetes. (The pancreas produces insulin so the cancer prevents his pancreas from producing it and he must inject insulin into his body.)