Words of the Week November 2025 Week 1

The stick that is used for making yakitori is called a skewer. (Long metal skewers are used to make shish kebab.)

Someone broke into my father-in-law's house. (The person entered the house to steal things.)

He said that I would make a mountain out of a molehill. (He said that I would make a big problem out of a small problem.)

The glass ceiling describes the invisible barrier that prevents women and minorities from advancing to senior leadership positions. (Prime Minister Takaichi broke the glass ceiling in Japan.)

“Good hackers” help to find the “bad hackers.” (Internet fraud in Japan cost people 72,150,000,000 yen in 2024.)

I was short of breath. (She was breathing heavily when she reached the top step.)

I couldn’t breathe. (“Breath” is a noun and the “th” sounds like the “th in” with. “Breathe” is a verb and the “th” sounds like the “th” in “mother.”)

I have bad posture. (I don’t stand or sit with my back straight.)

I paid the taxi fare using my “my number” card. (Ome city government will pay up to three thousand yen for taxi fare for people 65 and older.)

He was very kind. (He treats people with respect.)

We should teach children about kindness. (“Kind” is an adjective and “kindness” is a noun.)

I live about a five-minute walk from here. (She lives very near the community center.)

Cataracts are the clouding of the eye's lens, which is like looking through a foggy window.

Glaucoma is the buildup of pressure in the inner eye. (These two eye problems are common with elderly people.)

They are excavating the land to build a distribution center. (This huge piece of land is near the Ome entrance to Keno expressway.)

It was a single-vehicle accident. (The car hit a light pole.)

To huddle up means to gather closely for warmth or to talk privately. (After each play, the team huddles up to discuss the next play.)

To bundle up means to dress warmly. (It’s cold out today so let’s bundle up.)

The Hikawa Maru made frequent voyages between Japan and Seattle in the 1930s and 40s. (You can take a tour on the ship in Yokohama.)

You should say “on that day” or “at that time” rather than “on that time” or “at that day.” (This is a common mistake.)

The tea bushes are in bloom. (They are tea bushes, not tea trees.)

At first, I made a rough sketch and then I filled in the details.  (He drew the outline of the flower then later he added the petals, stamens and the pistils.)