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Better Late than Never 遅れてもやらないよりはまし

Hello and greetings one and all. I hope that you are all doing well today. Last week introduced you to a number of idioms that are commonly seen and even used when speaking English. Today I want to show you a couple more for your enjoyment and enrichment.

みなさん、こんにちは。お元気でしょうか。先週、英語でよく使われるイディオムを紹介しました。今日もいくつか見ていきましょう。


Once again, I want to give you an example of what an idiom is. Please consider visiting EF's website for more examples.

再度、イディオムとは何なのかを説明したいです。また、例を見たい方はこちら見れます。


English idioms, proverbs, and expressions are an important part of everyday English. They come up all the time in both written and spoken English. Because idioms don't always make sense literally, you'll need to familiarize yourself with the meaning and usage of each idiom. That may seem like a lot of work, but learning idioms is fun, especially when you compare English idioms to the idioms in your own language. -EF
英語のイディオム、箴言、表現は英語の大事な部分です。英語を書いても話していてもよく見られる話し方です。実際的にはありえないことが多いいので、それぞれのイディオムを勉強して裏の意味をしらないといけません。大変に聞こえるかもしれませんが、自分の言葉で使われるイディオムと比べる時にとくに面白くなります。-EF

Let's get started, rather, let's get the ball rolling. (This one is not included on the website.)

さて、始めましょう!それか、let's get the ball rolling!


Get the ball rolling > To get things started. If you think about any number of games where a ball is used, once the ball is in motion, things can begin. Alright, let's get the ball rolling for this blog.

Get the ball rolling 「ボールを転がそう」> 何かを始めること。多くのゲームを考えると、ボールが動き始めた瞬間からゲームが始まります。


The elephant in the room > This is an idiom that should be used with some caution. It is primarily used to tell someone or a group of people that you wish to discuss a subject that might be difficult to talk about. Perhaps in a meeting where the topic being discussed is a steep decline in revenue, one might say, "Let's discuss the elephant in the room, are we to expect job cuts as a result of these numbers?"

The elephant in the room 「部屋にいるゾウ」> こちらのイディオムは気をつけて使うべきです。主に、数人の人たちにちょっと言いづらいことを話したいと言う意味です。例えばですが、仕事の会議で最近の総収入の低下について話しています。そこである人は人員削減について聞きたい。みんなは考えていることですが言いづらいので、「Let's discuss the elephant in the room...」と始めてもいいでしょう。


You can't judge a book by its cover > This is one of my favorite ones personally. In my hometown, there was a Thai restaurant that honestly looked quite run down. At least it wasn't anything I'd write home about (Let's talk about this idiom next). Once you get past the questionable decore and peeling paint outside, the inside was quite pleasant and the food was amazing. Thinking about it is making my mouth water. I know this isn't YELP, but a 4.6 out of 5 is nothing to sneeze at. (I know, I know, there are tons of idioms used in English.) Back to the explanation. If you were to drive by the restaurant, you would be skeptical about entering, but once you step in, it's a magical experience. So, don't judge a book by its cover.

You can't judge a book by its cover 「本は裏紙で判断するな」 > 私はこの表見をとくに気に入っています。私の実家の近く、外側からですとボロボロに見えるタイレストランがありました。でも少し怪しい外面を乗り換えたら、中は非常に居心地の良い場所で、食事も最高でした。考えるだけで食べたくなります。もしレストランの前をただ通り抜けたらちょっと不安と感じるかもしれません。でも一歩貼ったら魅力的な変化で素晴らしい経験になります。と言うことで、「Don't judge a book by it's cover」。



It wasn't anything I'd write home about > Back in the days before the implementation of email when people wrote letters to friends or loved ones about their doings, one would need to think twice about what they were writing. Mailing a letter is expensive, and it takes time to send things, so you wouldn't want to fill your letter with needless details, and write about events that have no real importance to what you did. "Dear mother, today I had to blow my nose three times this morning, after that, I got dressed and went down to the kitchen and made a bagel and brewed a pot of coffee..." Your mom probably doesn't want to read about your morning routine.

It wasn't anything I'd write home about 「家族に知らせるほどの価値はない> Eメールなどの前に、人は手紙を書いて家族や友達と連絡をとったり、色々を知らせたりしました。この場合、何を書くべきかをじっくり考えてたと思います。手紙を郵送で送るのはお金もかかったし、届くのに時間がかかるので、関係ない知らせやニュースで手紙をいっぱいにしても意味がなかったです。「お母様とお父様へ、今日は3回も鼻をかんで、着替えたらキッチンにはいってベーグルを食べてコーヒーも飲んで...」お母さんは多分そこまで知らなくてもすんだでしょう。


Take this with a grain of salt > This means to not take something too seriously. "Take this with a grain of salt, but I think that your necktie is too big." The person wearing the tie might very well be worried about their appearance, rather than saying that the tie doesn't look good, the final decision is left up to the person with the tie.

Take this with a grain of salt 「一粒の塩と一緒に受け取ってください」> この表現は、ある者をそれほど何かを真剣に受けるべきではないと言う意味です。「Take this with a grain of salt, but I think that your necktie is too big.」ネックタイを付けている人は少し不安を感じるかもしれませんが、「そのネックタイは似合わないよ」と言うより、最終的にはネックタイを付けている人が決められます。


Thank you all once again, and I hope you are all going well.

いつもありがとうございます!みなさん、お元気で。

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