Words January 2026 Week 3

I was off for six consecutive days for the New Year holiday. (I was off six days in a row.)

I soaked the bean overnight. (The beans will cook faster if you soak them.)

Nobody was home. (It is ok to say, “everybody or somebody is not” but it’s better to say, “nobody is.”)

She was using a walker. (A walker is a frame with four legs used to help people walk safely.)

I’m clumsy sometimes. (I drop or spill things sometimes.)

Every cloud has a silver lining. (This means that even in a bad situation, something good can happen.)

Norwegian farmers wore casual shoes in the "loafing areas" where cattle rested. (To loaf means to rest or to be lazy. When farmers were around the cows in this situation, they wore casual shoes, so this style shoes were called “loafers” in English.)

I bought one of each. (She bought one small and one large lucky bag.)

I bought two New Year “lucky bags” at the Hamura Open Gate Bakery. (The bags cost three thousand yen each and the small bag had bread and a four-thousand-yen coupon, and the large bag had bread and a five-thousand-yen coupon. Those were lucky bags.)

Close friends sometimes say “chill” instead of goodbye, take it easy or take care. (I usually say, “take care” or “see ya later alligator.”)

They are in their mid and late 80s. (One person is about 84 and the other about 88 years old.)

You should think on your own. (You should make your own opinions and not just follow other people’s ideas.)

“To put yourself in one’s shoes” means to imagine how you would feel or act if you were in the same situation as that person. (We should have empathy for others.)

He has cancer of the esophagus. (The doctor said that he has only one or two months to live.)

Curiosity is a strong desire to know or learn something, but beware, curiosity killed the cat. (Curious people want to learn, but sometimes being too curious can be dangerous.)

I prefer boiled or steamed Brussel sprouts to roasted. (Brussels sprouts originated in the Mediterranean area but became popular in Brussels, Belgium.)

The snakes are venomous. (The Habu is a venomous, or poisonous, snake.)

They milk the poisonous snakes to get the venom to make anti-venom medicine. (To milk a snake means to remove venom from the snake.)

I will have surgery to repair a clogged tear duct. (Usually, a light massage and warm compress can clear the duct, but in severe cases, surgery is required.)

I sold the item on consignment. (When you sell something at a store and the store keeps a percentage of the money you received, it is called “on consignment.”)

I didn’t have an appointment. (We make “appointments” with people and “reservations” for places.)

The doctor gave me local anesthetic. (A local anesthesia prevents pain in a small area of the body, and a general anesthesia puts the body to sleep during a major surgery.)

The sports newscaster said he was unconquerable. (He is said to be unbeatable – but he lost two matches so far.)

Some people are upset that Takaichi cozied up to Trump. (She is friendly with him.)

The government’s lower house may be dissolved and there will be a snap election. (All of the members will be reelected or replaced in the new election.)

I test drove the new car. (He likes the car but decided not to buy it at this time.)

For here, there and home, do not say “go to.” (You should say “go there” not “go to there.”)

He did janitorial work at our company. (He was a janitor at our company.)