Words November 2023 Week 4

A human instinct is a newborn baby swimming underwater. (You do not have to teach the baby to swim, it just “knows.”)

The word “doozy” came from the slang word “daisy” which meant “best” in the late 1800s. (Doozy means extraordinary or one of a kind.)

She was fed up with her husband’s “backseat driving” so she gave up driving. (She was tired of her husband criticizing her driving, so she quit driving.)

My grandson played the xylophone (zai la fone). (This is a percussion musical instrument.)

They stood in line for a long time. (It was a long line.)

The two-day softball competition is held every year. (The teams come from six towns around Mizuho and Fussa.)

I got lost twice while driving there. (She has no sense of direction.)

I stopped and asked for directions. (At least she wasn’t afraid to ask for help.)

I have a dual AC/heater. (Air conditioner means cooler.)

I have a dual microwave/conventional oven. (It can be used as a microwave oven or a regular oven.)

You can make gluten by “washing” the starch out of the dough. (I heard that fried gluten is tasty.)

He told the parents to not scold the children for being noisy. (The families got together for the holidays and grandpa wanted the kids to have fun.)

The booklet handed out or sold at a stage performance or sporting event is called a “program.” (It gives information about the athletes or actors.)

She had osteoporosis. (Her backbone is bent.)

A traditional pirate’s flag has a skull and cross bones. (The skull is the head bone.)

He sells chiffon cakes from a two-wheeled pull cart. (He is famous in Ome and other nearby cities and towns.)

In addition to apple leather, people in Nagano are making mushroom leather. (It almost feels the same as real leather.)

I like very ripe persimmons. (She likes soft persimmons.)

A grain of salt is about 0.03 cm in size. (That is very tiny.)

I raised two children. (Two children grew up in her house.)

His voice was very weak. (He is 85 and has several health problems.)

She is very energetic. (She is 94 years old but has a lot of energy.)

I don’t get enough deep sleep. (About 25 percent of our sleep should be deep sleep.)

I feel lousy every morning when I wake up. (I feel awful when I get up.)

The number of elderly is quickly increasing. (We should say, “the number of ____ is increasing.”)