2010-08-17

Tumultuous

1. Characterized by tumult; noisy and disorderly: tumultuous applause.
2. Tending to cause tumult.
3. Confusedly or violently agitated.

Tumult:
1. The din and commotion of a great crowd.
2. a. A disorderly commotion or disturbance. b. A tempestuous uprising; a riot.
3. Agitation of the mind or emotions: 的 spend much time in a tumult of anger and disbelief・(Scott Turow).

Commotion:
1. A condition of turbulent motion.
2. a. An agitated disturbance; a hubbub: heard a commotion in the hall. b. Civil disturbance or insurrection; disorder.

2010-07-24

Our habits are worn like garments on our personality.
- Dr. Max Maltz

2010-06-05

Sturgeon General

Sylvia Earleがブッシュ政権の仕事をしていたときにSturgeon Generalと呼ばれていたとのこと。

2010-05-17

deliberate, feign, confabulate, relativistic

deliberate: v. To think carefully and often slowly, as about a choice to be made.
Some decisions are the result of logical deliberation.

feign: a. To give a false appearance of: feign sleep. b. To represent falsely; pretend to: feign
authorship of a novel. See synonyms at pretend.
We feign accuracy in mapping our feeling onto numbers or dollars.

confabulate:
1. To talk casually; chat.
2. Psychology. To replace fact with fantasy unconsciously in memory.
The ability to confabulate -- to tell stories smoothing over the rough edges of experience -- is part of being human.

relativistic: Of or relating to relativism.
One is the relativistic nature of money.

2010-05-15

deviant, venereal, ersatz, monstrous, gullible, hardy

deviant:
Differing from a norm or from the accepted standards of a society.

venereal:
a. Transmitted by sexual intercourse. b. Of or relating to a sexually transmitted disease.
perhaps I have an incurable venereal disease.

ersatz:
Being an imitation or a substitute, usually an inferior one; artificial: ersatz coffee made mostly of chicory.
Durham was on the sixteenth floor, but the building was hemmed in on all sides by ugly late-twenties office towers, blue and pink ersatz-marble monstrosities; no expensive harbor views here.

monstrous:
Shockingly hideous or frightful.

gullible:
Easily deceived or duped.
For someone who was ripping off gullible millionaires -- or even someone who merely sold them insurance -- Durham didn't seem to have much to show for it.

hardy:
Being in robust and sturdy good health.
It's not intrinsically hardier; it's just better protected by the ocean.

2010-05-14

cranial, oyster

cranium(n), cranial(adj): the skull
an oyster of a man: 無口な人

2010-05-13

tenacious, unrepentant

tenacious: Holding or tending to hold persistently to something, such as a point of view.
Those hunches are amazingly tenacious.

unrepentant: Having or exhibiting no remorse.
When the matter was explained at length, many subjects remained unconvinced, uncertain, or unrepentant.

2010-05-11

morbid, excrement, poignant, egregious, exert

morbid:
a. Of, relating to, or caused by disease; pathological or diseased. b. Psychologically unhealthy or unwholesome: "He suffered much from a morbid acuteness of the senses" (Edgar Allan Poe).
2. Characterized by preoccupation with unwholesome thoughts or feelings: read the account of the murder with a morbid interest.
3. Gruesome; grisly.

excrement:
Waste material, especially fecal matter, that is expelled from the body after digestion.

poignant:
a. Physically painful: "Keen, poignant agonies seemed to shoot from his neck downward" (Ambrose Bierce). b. Keenly distressing to the mind or feelings: poignant anxiety. c. Profoundly moving; touching: a poignant memory. See synonyms at moving.

egregious:
Conspicuously bad or offensive. See synonyms at flagrant.

conspicuous:
1. Easy to notice; obvious.
2. Attracting attention, as by being unusual or remarkable; noticeable. See synonyms at noticeable.

exert:
To put to use or effect; put forth: exerted all my strength to move the box.

2010-05-08

craven, despicable, deplore, impasse

craven: Characterized by abject fear; cowardly.
abject:
1. Brought low in condition or status. See synonyms at mean2.
2. Being of the most contemptible kind: abject cowardice.
3. Being of the most miserable kind; wretched: abject poverty.
despicable: Deserving of contempt or scorn; vile.
deplore:
1. To feel or express strong disapproval of; condemn: "Somehow we had to master events, not simply deplore them" (Henry A. Kissinger).
2. To express sorrow or grief over.
3. To regret; bemoan.
impasse:
1. A road or passage having no exit; a cul-de-sac.
2. A situation that is so difficult that no progress can be made; a deadlock or a stalemate: reached an impasse in the negotiations.

I find Hatoyama's behavior craven and despicable, but I deplore even more the U.S. government's arrogance in forcing the Japanese to this deeply humiliating impasse.

2010-04-15

ultracrepidarian

One who speaks above his level of knowledge, experience or expertise. From Latin Ultra=above & beyond + crepis-idis=sole,keel.

2010-04-11

lucubrate

To write in a scholarly fashion; produce scholarship.
[Latin lucubrbre, l昱ubrat-, to work at night by lamplight.]

2010-04-10

seigniorage

Revenue or a profit taken from the minting of coins, usually the difference between the value of the bullion used and the face value of the coin.

2010-01-28

Smart.fm SAT verbal advanced, lesson 5

obviate: to effectively dispose of; to make unnecessary; avert, forestall, prevent
One of the advantages of having a bald head is that it obviates the need for a haircut.

decipher: to read or interpret; convert from a code; decrypt
It took a team of experts years to decipher the message on the scroll.

consternation: great fear or shock that makes one feel helpless or bewildered
bewildered: to confuse or befuddle, especially with numerous conflicting situations, objects or statements
They felt great consternation when they realized they were lost.

abate: to diminish in intensity, violence, amount; to subtract
They were relieved that the violent thunderstorm had finally abated.

forage: search for food or provisions
provisions: a stock of necessary supplies, especially food
Panda bears spend most of their time foraging for food.

duress: constraint by threat; imprisonment
Her father put her under great duress to apologize.

fissure: a long, narrow, deep cleft or crack
cleft: a crack, crevice, or split
These huge fissures in the glacier were attributed to the effects of global warming.

restitution: return to a former condition or situation
He was ordered to make restitution to the company he had stolen money from.

forlorn: without hope; desperate
She was deeply forlorn over the death of her husband.

conciliatory: tending to reconcile
The counselor encouraged the couple to adopt a more conciliatory approach.

2010-01-27

Smart.fm SAT verbal advanced, lesson 4

inexorable: not to be moved by entreaty; unyielding; relentless
entreaty: an earnest request or petition; a plea
In the boxing ring, he was an inexorable opponent.

proliferate: to quickly reproduce or spread
Wildflowers proliferate in the meadow outside our home.

recalcitrant: stubbornly resistant to and defiant of authority, discipline or guidance
defy: to oppose or resist with boldness and assurance
The recalcitrant child refused to listen to his teacher.

treachery: perfidy, disloyalty, or treason
perfidy: deliberate breach of faith; calculated violation of trust
His treachery was eventually discovered.

grouse: complain; grumble
He frequently groused about his computer's poor performance.

waft: float, as on the wind
With a gentle puff, she sent the seeds wafting into the summer breeze.

caustic: corrosive; that which can destroy tissue by chemical action
Caustic substances should be safely stored in sealed containers.

pundit: actual or self-professed authority
The former journalist was now a political pundit on a cable television talk show.

exhort: urge
The energertic cheerleaders exhorted their team to win.

2010-01-24

Smart.fm SAT verbal advanced, lesson 3

recalcitrant: stubbornly resistant to and defiant of authority, discipline or guidance
The recalcitrant child refused to listen to his teacher.

inexorable: not to be moved by entreaty; unyielding; relentless
entreaty: an earnest request or petition; a plea
In the boxing ring, he was an inexorable opponent.

proliferate: to quickly reproduce or spread
Wildflowers proliferate in the meadow outside out home.
meadow: a tract of glassland, either in its natural state or used as pasture or for growing hay
pasture: glass or other vegetation eaten as food by grazing animals
tract: an expanse of land or water

treachery: perfidy, disloyalty, or treason
perfidy: deliberate breach of faith; calculated violation of trust; treachery
His treachery was eventually discovered.

grouse: complain; grumble
He frequently groused about his computer's poor performance.

occult: secret; esoteric
esoteric: intended for or understood by only a particular group
She takes her passion for the occult a little to seriously

waft: float, as on the wind
With a gentle puff, she sent the seeds wafting into the summer breeze.
puff: a short, forceful exhalation of breath

caustic: corrosive; that which can destroy tissue by chemical action
Caustic substances should be safely stored in sealed containers.

pundit: actual or self0professed authority
profess: to affirm openly
The former journalist was now a political pundit on a a cable television talk show.

exhort: urge
To urge by strong, often stirring argument, admonition, advice or appeal
admonition: mild, kind, yet earnest reproof
reprove: to voice or convey disapproval of
The energetic cheerleaders exhorted their team to win.

2010-01-24 smart.fm

incursion: a raid or invasion; the act of entering another's territory or domain
What was at first an incursion had become a lengthy occupation.

impeccable: without defect or error; flawless

requiem: a religious or musical service for the dead

intractable: difficult to manage or govern; stubborn
The businessman found himself struggling with an intractable situation.

seminal: of reproduction; germinal; originative
on AHDEL: highly influential in an original way; constituting or providing a basis for further development
The discovery of electricity was a seminal development in the history of science.

serene: calm, peaceful, tranquil
The newborn baby girl has a serene expression on her face.

din: loud confusing noise
It was hard to hear anything above the din of the crowd.

antidote: a remedy to counteract a poison
People can die from the bite of a black widow if the antidote is not given in time.

propriety: the quality of being proper; suitableness, appropriateness
The young manager felt that his assistant lacked a sense of propriety.

flout: show scorn or contempt
She makes great effort to flout society's rules.

From 2010-01-18 episode of A Way with Words

get one's goat
condescending: Displaying a patronizingly superior attitude
smarmy: Hypocritcally, complacently, or effusively earnest
oily: Excessively suave in action or behavior; unctuous
rearing/raring to go
champing/chomping at the bit
cesspool: A covered hole or pit for receiving drainage or sewage, as from a house

2010-01-23

Echinacea

ムラサキバレンギク。米国では民間療法の風邪薬として使われるようだ。研究によると、効果が認められないばかりか、子供に対しては呼吸器感染のリスクを増す。

2010-01-11

stratigraphy

The study of rock strata, especially the distribution, deposition, and age of sedimentary rocks.

credence

1. Acceptance as true or valid; belief.
2. Claim to acceptance; trustworthiness.

apex

The highest point; the vertex

heirloom

A valued possession passed down in a family through succeeding generations.

flagellum

A long, threadlike appendage, especially a whiplike extension of certain cells or unicellular organisms that functions as an organ of locomotion.

2010-01-10

facultative

a. Capable of occurring or not occurring; contingent. b. Not required or compulsory; optional.

eukaryote

A single-celled or multicellular organism whose cells contain a distinct membrane-bound nucleus.
eukaryotic adjective

From Quiz Guy on 2009-12-14 episode of A Way with Words

previvor
scronsonants
poinsettia
Christmas chrysanthemums
schadenfreude school
shtetl shtick
scrumptious scrapple
Lent
Shrovetide shrimp
sprocket spreadsheed
threescore thriftshops

2009-10-07

philtrum

infranasal depression

2009-09-13

Atonement

Amends or reparation made for an injury or wrong; expiation.

2009-08-22

condescend

1. To descend to the level of one considered inferior; lower oneself. See synonyms at stoop1.
2. To deal with people in a patronizingly superior manner.

2009-08-05

Convalescent

〈患者が〉回復期の;回復期患者の
a ~ ward  回復期患者病棟.

2009-05-24

Words in Mary Roach's presentation

in-utero
pungent
sow
vulva
inseminate
titillate
conceive
copulate

2009-04-28

Cease and desist

A cease and desist (also called C & D) is an order or request to halt an activity, or else face legal action. The recipient of the cease-and-desist may be an individual or an organization.

entomophilous, anemophilous

entomophilous
Botany.
Pollinated by insects.
entomophily noun

anemophilous
Pollinated by wind-dispersed pollen.
anemophily nous

2009-04-10

Banjax

(rare, primarily Irish) To ruin or destroy.

2009-04-09

salacious

1. Appealing to or stimulating sexual desire; lascivious.
2. Lustful; bawdy.

2009-04-07

Bunionectomy

これをやったあとの痛みは出産より激しい場合もあるという。くわばらくわばら。

2009-04-06

Pulmonic ingressive

Mentioned in the second topic of the episode distributed on 2009-03-23 of A Way with Words.
Wikipedia entry is here.

2009-03-08

“Crown play time” puzzle

From the episode “Tweet, Tweet! Polly Wanna Cracker!” of the radio program “A Way with Words”.

Guess a word that could logically go before or after each of a trio of words. For example, if the three words are “nest,” “calories,” and “suit,” the answer is “empty,” as in “empty nest,” “empty calories,” and “empty suit.”

Q0: crown, play, time
Q1: blue, six, throat
Q2: bending, game, reader
Q3: bullet, gravy, toilet
Q4: actor, flaw, witness
Q5: office, spring, turtle
Q6: sea, center, weight
Q7: guest, Lincoln, master

A0: triple
A1: deep
A2: mind
A3: train
A4: character
A5: box
A6: dead
A7: bedroom

Extra question: Guess the “crown play time” word for A1 through A7.
Answer: set

2009-01-23

Three's a charm

Find a word making phrases by being in front the the three or four words given.

Q: standard, bed, boiler
A: double

Q: weight, wheel, fishing
A: fly

Q: ball, pin, trigger
A: hair

Q: surgery, history, exam, thermometer
A: oral

Q: note, stone, ring
A: key

Q: wind, string, coming
A: second

Q: beef, zero, floor
A: ground

Q: job, ball, man, leopard
A: snow

2009-01-17

腹式呼吸

一般的にはそのままabdominal breathingで、専門家はdiaphragmatic breathingと呼ぶようだ。

2009-01-15

petrichor

(from Greek petros, "stone" + ichor) the name of the scent of rain on dry earth

2009-01-08

From "As they say in Zanzibar"

When two elephants tussle, it's the glass that suffers.
It is the pot that boils, but the dish gets the credit.

2008-12-14

circumscribe

1. To draw a line around; encircle.
2. To limit narrowly; restrict.
3. To determine the limits of; define. See synonyms at limit.
4. a. To enclose (a polygon or polyhedron) within a configuration of lines, curves, or surfaces so that every vertex of the enclosed object is incident on the enclosing configuration. b. To erect (such a configuration) around a polygon or polyhedron: circumscribe a circle around a square.

abdicate

To relinquish (power or responsibility) formally.

empathy

1.Identification with and understanding of another's situation, feelings, and motives. See synonyms at pity.
2.The attribution of one's own feelings to an object.

self-fulfilling prophecy

心理学用語で、日本語訳は「自己充足的予言」のようだ。

absolve

1. To pronounce clear of guilt or blame.
2. To relieve of a requirement or an obligation.
3. a. To grant a remission of sin to. b. To pardon or remit (a sin).

abomination

1. Abhorrence; disgust.
2. A cause of abhorrence or disgust.

lumber

1. a. To cut down (trees) and prepare as marketable timber. b. To cut down the timber of.
2. Chiefly British. To clutter with or as if with unused articles.

moniker

A personal name or nickname.

hackney

1. To cause to become banal and trite through overuse.
2. To hire out; let.

shibboleth

1. A word or pronunciation that distinguishes people of one group or class from those of another.
2. a. A word or phrase identified with a particular group or cause; a catchword. b. A commonplace saying or idea.
3. A custom or practice that betrays one as an outsider.

hat in hand

In a humble manner; humbly.

Hat in hand the U.S. Auto Industry lined up for their slice of government aid and it appears as of this posting that they will get the money they are asking for.

2008-12-06

misogynist

One who hates women.

2008-11-23

by no means

In no sense; certainly not

2008-11-11

acatamathesia

Loss of the faculty of understanding.

2008-10-27

clean someone's clock

In American English, To clean someone’s clock means to trounce one’s opponents in a game (“We’ll clean the Dodgers’ clocks today”) or generally to inflict a severe reverse (“Republicans got their clocks cleaned in November’s elections”).

2008-10-26

corroborate

To strengthen or support with other evidence; make more certain.

2008-10-22

Yo-yo quiz

A quiz from the Oct 20, 2008 episode of A Way with Words.
Find a verb making phrasal verbs with the prepositions 'up' and 'down' with given meanings.

Example 1
~ up: to appear
~ down: to reject
Answer: turn

Example 2
~ up: to save all the data on your computer's hard drive just in case
~ down: to retreat, no longer threaten
Answer: back

Q1
up: to withstand
down: to apply yourself to a problem

Q2
up: to be overcome emotionally
down: to suppress

Q3
up: to laugh uncontrollably
down: to become more strict about an issue

Q4
up: to rise from a seated position
down: to boogie-woogie-woogie

Q5
up: a satire or parody
down: to suspend from university (chiefly British English)

Q6
up: to improve usually in a small but perceptible way
down: to land after a flight

Q7
up: to maintain a required pace
down: to prevent from progress through force or intimidation

Q8
up: reverse parasitosis
down: to begin a fight

A1: bear
A2: choke
A3: crack
A4: get
A5: send
A6: touch
A7: keep
A8: throw

2008-10-14

Blank the Blank

A puzzle named "Blank the Blank" or "Verb the Noun" was presented on the 2008-10-11 episode of "A Way with Words." Here are the clues and answers:

C1. Tony and Angela have been enemies for years, but they finally decided to Blank the Blank.

C2. Tony and Angela have been close friends for years, they finally decided to Blank the Blank.

C3. Tony said "I don't believe I cheated on you, Angela. Therefor I didn't cheat on you." But he's just Blank the Blank.

C4. If you thought cheating Angela was bad, Tony has also been Blank the Blank in his job as an accountant.

C5. After the way he cheated her, I can't say I'm surprised at Angela would Blank the Blank to the Feds.

C6. Wow, in a fair indictment there's no way for tony to run now, he's just gonna have to Blank the Blank.

C7. Wow, it really stinks in here. Hey Tony, did you Blank the Blank?

C8. I think the whole show is finally running out of ideas and adding dumb plot elements. They've really Blank the Blank.

C9. Let's turn off the TV, call a few friends and have them come over, play the naughty game Blank the Blank.

A1. bury the hatchet
A2. tie the knot OR jump the broom
A3. begging the question
A4. cooking the books
A5. spill the beans
A6. face the music
A7. cut the cheese
A8. jumped the shark
A9. spin the bottle

2008-10-12

circuitous

Being or taking a roundabout, lengthy course. See synonyms at indirect.
Buying mortgage related securities from banks is a very circuitous way to solve the problem.

2008-10-08

Resistentialism

A Way with Wordsで紹介された単語。
修理に持って行ったら直ったとか、子供を病院に連れて行ったらなんともなくなったとか、そういう場合に使ってはどうかと。この言葉はそれとはやや違う意味なのだが、近い単語として。

2008-10-05

数字が2つ入った四字熟語

本のしおりに日能研の広告が載っていて、それが以下の四字熟語の問題だった。
次の■に漢字を入れて、それぞれの四字熟語を完成しなさい。
  1. 三■四■
  2. ■三■四
  3. 三■九■
  4. 十■十■
  5. 千■万■
はずかしながら、2番が分からなかった。日能研のウェブサイトに回答があると書いてあったので見に行ったがみつからない。
再三再四あるいは朝三暮四だろう。
3は三々九度かと思ったが、それだと■の1つに数字が入ることとなり、あまりよろしくない。
三拝九拝のほうがいいのだろう。

2008-10-03

否定形しかない英単語

Grammar GirlのWhy Isn't “Gruntled” a Word?で取り上げられた。
  • disgruntled
  • disheveled
  • out of whack
  • disaster

2008-09-16

mitosis, meiosis

mitosis: The process in cell division by which the nucleus divides, typically consisting of four stages, prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase, and normally resulting in two new nuclei, each of which contains a complete copy of the parental chromosomes

meiosis: The process of cell division in sexually reproducing organisms that reduces the number of chromosomes in reproductive cells, leading to the production of gametes in animals and spores in plants.

2010-01-11

2008-08-24

paralinguistic restitution

emoticonや、強調のためにすべてを大文字で書くなどのことを指す。

2008-06-24

prochlorococcus

日本語では原核緑藻類というのが正しいようだが、プロクロロコッカスとすることもある。

2008-06-10

cognitive dissonance

Cognitive dissonance is a psychological state that describes the uncomfortable feeling when a person begins to understand that something the person believes to be true is, in fact, not true. Similar to ambivalence, the term cognitive dissonance describes conflicting thoughts or beliefs (cognitions) that occur at the same time, or when engaged in behaviors that conflict with one's beliefs. In academic literature, the term refers to attempts to reduce the discomfort of conflicting thoughts by performing actions that are opposite to one's beliefs.
-- from Wikipedia
日本語では「認知的不協和」というようだ。

2008-06-07

debilitate

To sap the strength or energy of; enervate.
Having "the flu" is something of a generic complaint. Other common and less debilitating diseases are often mistaken for influenza. As a result, people tend to regard flu in casual terms, and to take it less seriously than they should---at least until they actually get the real thing!

2008-05-09

wither

it seems to me that the history of corporate acquisitions is littered with takeovers in which the shareholders may have profited, but the corporation's life and creativity withered.

2008-05-07

mycelium

The vegetative part of a fungus, consisting of a mass of branching, threadlike hyphae.
hypha (pl hyphae): 菌糸

tenacious

1. Holding or tending to hold persistently to something, such as a point of view. See synonyms at strong.
2. Holding together firmly; cohesive: a tenacious material.

2008-05-04

get under (one's) skin

1. To irritate or stimulate; provoke.
2. To become an obsession.

scrounge

v.t. せびり取る.
v.i. あちこちあさる.

2008-05-03

have A to show for B

Bに対する成果としてAを得ている

2008-05-01

2008-04-26

Burkholderia cepacia

その道の人はB cepaciaと呼ぶようだ。
正式にはBurkholderia cepacia complexで日本語ではバークホルデリア・セパシア菌群のようだ。
そしてセパシア菌と呼ぶことが多いよう。

2008-04-23

類義語パズル

A Way with Wordsでやっていたパズル。
単語Aと単語Bが類義語で、かつ単語Bと単語Cが類義語であるとする。
単語Aと単語Cが与えられた場合に、単語Bを当てるパズル。
以下の例では答えはすべて動物。
  1. 問題: imp, mess around
    答え: monkey
  2. 問題: school, angle
    答え: fish
  3. 問題: deliver, stomach
    答え: bear
  4. 問題: coward, showdown
    答え: chicken
  5. 問題: highway, weapon
    答え: pike

2008-04-14

Too much catsup can ruin the fries

Too many cooks spoil the brothの変形というところか

2008-04-13

時を表す節で完了形を使う例

By the time you've finished this book, you will have learned not only the language itself, but also how to apply well to your day-to-day asks.

2008-04-11

barefaced, bald-faced, bold-faced

いずれも、厚かましい・ずうずうしい、という意味で、この順に古い。barefacedはシェークスピアも使っているそうだ。bold-facedはボールド体の活字でという意味にもなるし、比較的新しく、bald-facedを使うのが無難なようだ。

2008-03-17

Staphylococcus aureus

黄色ブドウ球菌。Graig Venterが講演の中でStaphylo. aureusと略していた。

2008-02-06

Thucydides

Greek historian. Considered the greatest historian of antiquity, he wrote a critical history of the Peloponnesian War that contains the funeral oration of Pericles.
日本語ではツキディデス

2008-01-14

Raynaud's phenomenon

A circulatory disorder that affects the hands and feet, caused by insufficient blood supply to these parts and resulting in cyanosis, numbness, pain, and, in extreme cases, gangrene.

2008-01-12

toot one's horn

I know he's going to be too bashful to toot his own horn, so I'll take on the job.

2007-12-26

agathocacological

Composed of both good and evil
agathakakologicalとも綴る。
ギリシア語のagatho(良い)+caco(悪い)+形容詞の接尾辞logicalより

2007-12-25

enology

ワイン醸造学
oenologyとも綴る

viticulture

ぶどう栽培

2007-10-04

philtrum, tragus

philtrum:
the vertical groove on the surface of the upper lip, below the septum of the nose.

tragus:
1. The projection of skin-covered cartilage in front of the meatus of the external ear.
2. Any of the hairs growing at the entrance to the meatus of the external ear.

2007-10-01

stupefy

1.To dull the senses or faculties of. See synonyms at daze.
2.To amaze; astonish.

No meetings, ever. “I find them stupefying and useless.”

2007-09-24

perspicacious

洞察力のある, 明敏な, 透徹した
He made a perspicacious comment on a mailing list.

2007-09-16

androgynous

1 両性具有の;両性の特徴をもつ.
2 男女の区別のない;男女共通[共用]の
ということで、男女共通に使える名前はandrogynous nameと言われる。

2007-07-29

ENSO

El Niño/Southern Oscillation

dipterocarp

tree of the family Dipterocarpaceae
フタバガキ科(Dipterocarpaceae)
二つの羽根が生えた実(di=2, ptero=羽根, carp=実)をつけるdipterocarpus属に由来する。
東南アジアの熱帯雨林で最も優占している種類。特にボルネオ島に多いが、ニューギニア島では少ない。優良な材を作り、ラワン材として日本にも沢山輸入されている。

2007-07-12

魚の名前

flounder: カレイ
snapper: フエダイ
鯛を和英辞典で引くと「a sea bream」と出ている。

2007-07-11

metathesis

1 音位[字位]転換:語の中の文字・音節・音が入れ替わること;ax→ask, clapse→claspなど.

2007-07-01

仮定法の例

Do you really think American foreign policy after 9/11 would have been different, had there been a higher standard of religious literacy?

2007-06-11

hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia

The fear of long words.
Wikitionaryにはhippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobiaは誤りであるとされているが、そちらのグーグル力は38000に対し、p1つのほうは1070しかない。

exaltation

A flight of larks. See synonyms at flock.
e.g. an exaltation of larks