Words December 2024 Week 1

He is a serial killer. (He committed a series of murders.)

She had a stroke. (It is called “nosotchu” in Japanese.)

We must pay attention. (We must be careful and focus on what we are doing.)

There are many cypress trees in Okutama. (This tree is called “hinoki” in Japanese.)

We had the maple tree removed. (This old tree was dying.)

Don’t count your chickens before they hatch. (Means it's better to wait and see the actual results before getting excited and making plans.)

There is frost on the tall grass. (Frost where water vapor in the air changes directly into ice without first becoming a liquid. It is called “shimo” in Japanese.)  

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. (This means that people have different opinions of what is beautiful.)

The suffixes -ive, -ative, -itive all have the same meaning: the quality of something or about something. (The main purpose of these suffixes is to turn nouns and verbs into adjectives. Here are some examples: representative, argumentative, interpretive, administrative, unappreciative.)

The suffix “y” changes a noun into an adjective, such as healthy, dirty, and salty. (Christmasy means “like Christmas.”)

They produce their own condiments. (These are things you add to a dish to make it tastier.)

Hydroponics is a method of growing plants in a nutrient-rich water solution instead of soil. (This style of farming is becoming popular.)

The medicine is administered by a nasal spray. (This is less painful than a hypodermic needle.)

 Kasuzuke is a type of Japanese pickle or tsukemono made with sake lees. (Lees is what is left over from making Japanese rice wine.)

“Learning” music is ok, but if you have a teacher, it is better to say, “taking lessons.” (“Learning” something means that you gained knowledge of something. You can say that you are learning how to play the piano. Maybe you are self-taught or maybe you have a teacher. But if you join a class or have a teacher, it is more common the say “taking lessons.”)

There was a dead stink bug on the windowsill. (You can also say “window ledge.”)

The peelings were very thin. (I use a peeler, but many people just use a knife.)

I cooked them with fried tofu. (I think that this is called “agedashi dofu” in Japanese.)

I’m optimistic. (I try to think positive.)

You can buy a twin-tub washing machine on Amazon for $200. (One tub is for washing and the other is for the spin cycle.)

It is rude to shake hands with someone while you are sitting. (It is polite to stand while shaking hands.)