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Are you familiar with the word "pet peeve"?

A peeve is something that annoys you. A pet peeve is a minor annoyance that makes you upset or slightly angry whenever that happens.

We all have pet peeves. You may get upset whenever you see someone clipping their nails in public, or speaking with their mouth full, driving slow in the fast lane, or saying "basically" in every sentence. They can be pet peeves.

Pet peeves tend to be small things, like cracking knuckles and tapping a pen. While people speaking loudly without a mask can be a pet peeve, nobody would call pandemic a pet peeve.

Now, would you like to try a quiz? I'll give you three options. Please listen carefully and choose the one that is TRUE. Ready?

A pet peeve is something that causes:
1. embarrassment
2. anxiety
3. irritation

Hi everyone! Thank you for tuning in to Time for English.

When you exercise, you want to make sure to stay well hydrated. And what does that mean? Well, it simply means to drink a lot of water.

The verb "hydrate" means to add water or moisture to something. For example, you can hydrate your body by drinking water. Every time I wash my hands, I use lotion or cream to hydrate my skin.

The opposite word of "hydrate" is "dehydrate". It means to remove water or moisture from something. For example, when you dehydrate apples, you'll get dried apples. Dehydrated skin means that your skin is lacking water. Again, when you exercise, drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration.

Now, let's practice the phrase together, shall we? Please repeat after me:
When you exercise, make sure to stay hydrated.

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If a meteorologist says in the morning "Another hot day is expected today in Tokyo, with highs in the upper 30s", make sure to stay cool and well hydrated.

Today, you're going to learn how to use the phrase "another hot day".

"Another" means "one more". So, "another hot day" is used when you experience a hot day for two or more consecutive days.

Let's say, you had a very hot day yesterday. And today you're having a very hot day again. Then you can say, "it's another hot day today". If a weather reporter says another hot day is expected today in Tokyo, you may talk to your wife in the kitchen, saying, "Hey honey, (it) looks like it's going to be another hot day in Tokyo!"

Now, let's practice the phrase together, shall we? Please repeat after me:
It looks like it's going to be another hot day.

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If you ask me if it pays to be able to speak English, my answer is definitely yes. It pays to be fluent in English. You can enjoy books and movies in English. You can make friends in English. You can help people in English. In my case, it even pays my bills.

When people say it pays to do something, it means it's a good idea to do that; it's worth doing that; and doing that will bring a positive result.

For example, it pays to have your teeth professionally cleaned once every six month or even sooner. In other words, it's worth having your teeth cleaned at the dentist at least twice a year. It pays to review your notes after class. And it certainly pays to improve your English.

Now, would you like to try a quiz? I'll give you three options. Please listen carefully and choose the one that is TRUE. Ready?

When someone says it pays to do something, doing that is:
1. necessary
2. worthwhile
3. imperative

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During the Olympics, I often get this question: Should the Olympics take a singular verb or a plural verb? Singular means one. Plural means more than one.

Actually, you can find a lot of discussions about this topic on the web. They offer different answers and suggestions.

What I do is to use a plural verb for the Olympics. I feel safe and comfortable doing so, because even if I were wrong, I could always blame Cambridge.

If you look up the word "the Olympics" in the Cambridge dictionary, it says the word "the Olympics" is a plural noun to mean a set of international sports competitions that happen once every four years. And one of the example sentences says "The Olympics are held every four years".

The same rule applies to the Paralympics. And also make sure to place the definite article or THE in front of both Olympics and Paralympics.

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Are you familiar with the expression "to have big shoes to fill"?

Let's say, your boss is leaving the company, and you're filling his shoes. It means you're taking over his job or position. And you want to remember this expression is used when your predecessor, in this case your boss, did a good job.

In fact, your boss's been so great, bringing a lot of success to the company. So the CEO wants him to stay, saying "no one could possibly fill your shoes", meaning no one can replace him.

Anyhow, you've taken the position. Obviously, you have big shoes to fill. In other words, it's going to be hard for you to do the job as well as your boss did.

In your first speech to your team, you may say "I know I have big shoes to fill" out of respect for your predecessor.

Now, would you like to try a quiz? I'll give you three options. Please listen carefully and choose the one that best describes the meaning of "fill someone's shoes". Ready?
1. remember
2. replace
3. respect

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Today, I'm going to talk about the words "vaccine", "vaccinate", and "vaccination".

A vaccine is a medicine. It makes you less likely to get a disease or virus. Each vaccine protects you from one illness. For example, the flu vaccine protects you from getting the flu. It doesn't protect you from getting COVID-19.

A vaccination is an act of giving you a vaccine, by actually putting a tiny bit of virus or bacteria into your body.

In the case of COVID-19, when you receive your vaccination ticket, you can get vaccinated either individually at your doctor's clinic or through the mass vaccination program. If you're an employee, workplace vaccination may also be available.

My mother's just got the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine. She is now fully vaccinated. Good for her!

Now, in order to discuss the word "vaccine", I read some documents on the web. I'll ask Kaori to post the links on our website. If you're interested, please come visit. In the meantime, be well and stay safe. See you next time.

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Vaccination rates are definitely rising, but so is the number of infected individuals in Tokyo. Under the circumstances, it seems wearing a mask is still a part of our daily routine.

Now, when we talk about a "mask" to prevent getting and spreading COVID-19, we're talking about a "face mask" in English.

And you want to learn at least four verbs or phrasal verbs to use with the word "mask" so that you can talk about it in English, including put on, wear, remove and take off. Put on is an action, whereas wear is a condition. But you can use take off and remove interchangeably.

For example, make sure to put on your mask before leaving home. You need to wear your mask in public settings. And take off your mask carefully when you're home. And wash your hands immediately after removing your mask.

Well, that's all for today. Come visit our website for more information. See you next time.

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If an event is held no matter whether it rains or the sun shines, it's a "rain or shine" event. Some people say it's raining "cats and dogs" when it's raining very heavily.

These idiomatic expressions "rain or shine" and "cats and dogs" are often called binomial pairs. They are common English phrases that include a pair of words usually joined by "and" or "or". The order of the words are fixed. They're not reversible. In other words, you always say "rain or shine" and not "shine or rain".

Some binomials can be formed by joining two related words, such as "nuts and bolts", "leaps and bounds", "peace and quiet". Others by joining two opposite words, for example, "ups and downs", "love and hate", "more or less".

And you may want to remember one of the best ways to improve your English fluency is to learn this sort of idiomatic expressions.

Well, that's all for today. Please come visit our website for more information. See you next time.

Hi everyone! Thank you for tuning in to Time for English.

I think many of you are familiar with the idiom "When it rains, it pours".

First, let's look at the verb "to pour". To pour in this idiom means to rain heavily. If someone says "it's pouring", it means it's raining very heavily.

When something bad happens, other bad things tend to happen at the same time, or within a short period of time. Then you can use this expression "When it rains, it pours".

For example, you lost your job, your girlfriend left you, and your car got stolen, all in the same week. When it rains, it pours.

According to some dictionaries, this idiom can also be used for something positive. One online dictionary gives this example: After months of looking for a job, I suddenly have three job interviews this week. When it rains, it pours.

Now, would you like to try a quiz? I'll give you three options. Please listen carefully and choose the one that is similar in meaning to "when it rains, it pours". Ready?
1. Every cloud has a silver lining.
2. It's raining cats and dogs.
3. Trouble never comes alone.

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Here's another rain idiom for you:

Last summer all residents of Japan received 100,000 yen cash handouts due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Rather than spending it right away, I guess some people have chosen to save it for a rainy day.

If you save something, mostly money, for a rainy day, you save it for a time in the future when it might be needed unexpectedly. A rainy day fund is essentially another word for an emergency fund.

If you work as a freelancer in particular, you must be ready for a rainy day, because being self-employed means not having steady income or the same amount of income every month. A rainy day here means unexpected expenses or emergency situations.

Now, would you like to try a quiz? I'll give you three options. Please listen carefully and choose the one that is NOT true. Ready?

When someone says they're saving for a rainy day, a rainy day implies:
1. emergency
2. umbrella
3. something unexpected

Hi everyone! Thank you for tuning in to Time for English.

If an event is held regardless of the weather, it's a "rain or shine" event, as you learned last week. For example, you're planning a barbeque party this coming weekend. And it'll go, rain or shine.

In fact, there're quite many rain idioms in English.

Perhaps one of the most famous rain phrases for Japanese learners is "raining cats and dogs". People say it's raining cats and dogs when it's raining very heavily. Likewise, when it's pouring rain, you can also say "it's raining buckets".

Rain is important. It's vital to all life on Earth. At the same time, rain can ruin your holiday. Let's say, you're having good time, and someone comes in and says "I don't mean to rain on your parade". Be prepared to hear some bad news, because to rain on your parade means to spoil your pleasure.

Now, would you like to try a quiz? I'll give you three options. Please listen carefully and choose the one that is NOT true. Ready?

You decide to stay in this evening because:
1. It's raining cats and dogs.
2. It's raining buckets.
3. It's raining on your parade.

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When it rains, some outdoor events and activities, like baseball games, open-air concerts or barbecues, are cancelled or postponed. They are "rained out".

There are other events, however, that won't be cancelled even when it rains. They are "rain or shine" events. For example, you're invited to an outdoor yoga class. The invitation says: All ages and levels are welcomed. Rain or shine. It means anyone can join and it'll be held whether it rains or the sun shines.

The phrase is also used figuratively for "no matter what happens". For example, he is always reliable, rain or shine. You can also say "come rain or shine", instead of just "rain or shine". For example, I'll be there, come rain or shine.

Now, would you like to practice together? Please repeat after me:
The event will be held, rain or shine.

Hi everyone! Thank you for tuning in to Time for English.

When you're watching weather news on TV from the US, especially around this time of year, you're likely to see weather people using the phrase "a chance of rain". Are you familiar with the expression?

Chance of rain is about how likely it is to rain, for example, today in your location.

The word "chance" is sometimes about opportunity, as in not having a chance to say goodbye. But in this case, a chance is a possibility.

Chance of rain is expressed in percentage. For example, when a meteorologist calls for a 60 percent chance of rain, I'll probably take an umbrella. When there's a 20% chance of rain, I think I won't. When it comes to a 40% chance of rain, it's kind of hard to decide.

Anyhow. Would you like to try a quiz? I'll give you three options. Please listen carefully and choose the one that is TRUE. Ready?

The word "chance", when used to say a chance of rain, means:
1. Weather
2. Opportunity
3. Possibility

Hi everyone! Thank you for tuning in to Time for English.

Today, I'm going to talk about the word "lift".

To lift means to move something from a lower to a higher position. For example, you lift your glass to make a toast. You lift your hand to knock on the door. You lift your shoulders in a shrug. You shouldn't lift the lid to stir the rice while it's cooking. And remember, lift is another word for "elevator".

Now, to lift also means to end a rule or law that stopped someone from doing something. When bans, sanctions, or restrictions are lifted, they're no longer effective.

For example, the recent state of emergency over the COVID-19 for Tokyo wasn't lifted as first announced. Instead, it's extended as expected by many. Everyone's hoping it'll be lifted at the end of the month as planned.


Now. Would you like to try a quiz? I'll give you three options. Please listen carefully and choose the one that is TRUE. Ready?

When all coronavirus restrictions are lifted, you're likely to feel:
1. Delighted
2. Angry
3. Disappointed

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I was translating a document and came across this idiom: There's an elephant in the room. Are you familiar with the expression?

Elephants are big animals. In fact, they're the largest land animals on earth. If there's an elephant in the room, it's impossible not to see it. If you don't see it, then that's because you don't want to see it.

So, if someone says there is an elephant in the room, it means there is an obvious problem that people don't want to talk about, because talking about it may be awkward, embarrassing or uncomfortable. For example, you're having a family get-together. Great dinner, great conversation. But you know there is an elephant in the room. Your sister has just separated.

Now. Would you like to try a quiz? I'll give you three options. Please listen carefully and choose the one that is TRUE. Ready?

If someone says there's an elephant in the room, the elephant refers to:
1. a big animal
2. a big house
3. a big problem

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When a meteorologist says there's a 70% chance of rain in Tokyo and 60% in Osaka today, it's a little more likely to rain in Tokyo than in Osaka. That said, you'd better take your umbrella with you when you go out, regardless of whether you're in Tokyo or in Osaka, because rain is likely in either way.

Now, let's look at the word "likely". If something is likely, it will probably happen. For example, if rain is likely, it will probably rain.

When an election is near, it's likely that people talk about who is likely to win. If you're smart, diligent, work hard and learn from mistakes, you're very likely to succeed. Otherwise, success is unlikely. It's unlikely that you're successful.

Now. Would you like to try a quiz? I'll give you three options. Please listen carefully and choose the one that is NOT true. Ready?
If rain is likely,
1. Outdoor events may be cancelled.
2. There's no chance of rain.
3. A rain jacket may be a good idea.

Hi everyone! Thank you for tuning in to Time for English.

Here's a quiz for you: What do the words plumber, bomber and climber have in common? The answer is (that) they all have the silent B in them.

In English, some letters are silent. A silent letter is a letter that is not pronounced in a word, such as the B in plumber, bomber and climber. For example, you spell the word plumber P-L-U-M-B-E-R. You see the letter B in it. But when you say the word "plumber", there's no B sound in it. The letter B just sits between M and E silently.

Likewise, the C in scissors, the D in bridge, the N in autumn, or the W in answer are all silent letters.

There are so many words in English with silent letters. So, be careful when you say or write those words.

Now. Would you like to try a quiz? I'll give you three words. Please listen carefully and choose the one with a silent letter. Ready?
1. Tuesday
2. Wednesday
3. Saturday

Hi everyone! Thank you for tuning in to Time for English.

Are you familiar with the expression "something holds water"?

To hold water literally means to contain water without leaking. But it's also used figuratively as an idiom. Collins Dictionary explains, for example, if an argument or theory does not hold water, it does not seem to be reasonable.

In other words, if something doesn't hold water, it's not convincing; it doesn't seem to be true, or it doesn't make sense.

Let's say, you've got late and you tell me why. I don't buy it. I'm not convinced. In other words, your excuse doesn't hold water with me.

Now, you might want to note that "hold water" is more likely used in a negative sentence than in a positive one. So, it may be more helpful to learn it as "not hold water" rather than "hold water".


Now. Would you like to try a quiz? I'll give you three options. Please listen carefully and choose the one that is correct. Ready?

If something doesn't hold water;
1. it makes no sense.
2. it's convincing.
3. it sounds true.

Hi everyone! Thank you for tuning in to Time for English.

Last week, I talked about synonyms. Today, we're going to look at antonyms. Antonyms are the opposite of synonyms.

If two words are antonyms, they have opposite meaning.

For example, the opposite of HOT is COLD. The words "hot" and "cold" are antonyms. Likewise, "happy" and "sad" are antonyms. "Fantasy" and "reality" are antonyms.

Now, you can often form antonyms by adding a prefix to a word, such as "un", "in", and "dis". For example, "agree" and "disagree", "connect" and "disconnect"; "formal" and "informal", "efficient" and "inefficient"; "able" and "unable", or "user-friendly" and "user-unfriendly".

When you learn a word, learning its synonyms and antonyms together is a great way to improve your vocabulary.


Now. Would you like to try a quiz? I'll give you three pairs of words. Please listen carefully and choose the correct pair of antonyms. Ready?
1. effective and uneffective
2. honest and dishonest
3. important and disimportant

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Last time, I talked about WHY and HOW COME. They mean the same thing. In other words, they are synonymous.

If two words are synonyms, they have the same meaning or similar meanings. For example, the words "pretty" and "beautiful" have similar meanings. They are synonyms. The words "huge" and "enormous" have similar meanings. They are synonyms.

Some synonyms are interchangeable. For example, it's hard to understand and it's difficult to understand. In this case, "hard" and "difficult" are completely interchangeable.

There are some words, though, that are synonymous but different in the degree. For example, if you say you're "starving", you sound like you're "very hungry". If you say you're "exhausted", you sound like you're "very tired". Hungry and starving are synonymous but different in the degree, and so are tired and exhausted.

Now. Would you like to try a quiz? I'll give you three pairs of words. Please listen carefully and choose the pair of synonyms. Ready?
1. exhausted and starving
2. enormous and exhausted
3. tired and exhausted

Hi everyone! Thank you for tuning in to Time for English.

Some people use "how come" to mean "why". "How come" is another way to say "why". In other words, when you want to know the reason for something, instead of saying "why", you can use "how come".

Are there any differences? In terms of meaning they mean the same thing. It's just that "how come" is more informal. So, if you're writing, you may want to use "why". But if you're speaking, you can use both.

That said, perhaps, you want to be careful when you make a sentence.

Let's compare two questions, one using "why" and the other "how come". Why are you here? How come you are here? Why didn't you tell me? How come you didn't tell me? As you can see, how come is followed directly by a subject and a verb in that order.


Now. Would you like to try a quiz? You'll be given three options. Please listen carefully and choose the one that is NOT true. Ready?

1. How come is another way to say "why".
2. How come is more formal than "why".
3. How come is followed by a subject and then a verb.

Hi everyone! Thank you for tuning in to Time for English.

Last week, I used the word "symptom". I want to talk a little more about this word today.

So, what is a symptom?

A symptom is a sign that you have an illness. For example, if you sneeze a lot, your nose is runny, or your eyes are itchy, it's likely that you have hay fever. These are common symptoms of hay fever.

Likewise, a cough is a symptom of a cold, and a toothache is a symptom of a cavity.

Now, it's been a year since the pandemic first hit us, and now we know much more about COVID-19 than a year ago, including its symptoms. We know now that COVID-19 typically produces a range of flu-like symptoms, such as a cough and fatigue, but it can also cause a loss of taste or a reduced sense of smell.

Now. Would you like to try a quiz? You'll be given three options. Please listen carefully and choose the one that is NOT true. Ready?
1. A cough is a symptom of a cold.
2. A toothache is a symptom of a cavity.
3. COVID-19 is a symptom of the flu.