Hey everyone, long time no see!  HOLD YOUR HORSES!  I know my page was down for a long time last year, but it's back, and so am I.  I'm looking forward to enjoying English conversation with you this year.   Happy New Year 2026!! So, 2026 is the year of the horse. Let's learn some common English horse idioms.  I'm looking forward to learning some Japanese 馬　idioms also.

1. Strong as a horse.  (Very strong.) Those sumo wrestlers are as strong as a horse!
2. One horse town.  (A small town. ) I come from a one horse town, so to me, Akita is a big city.
3. Change horses in midstream. (Change plans after a decision has been made and started.)  It's too late to change horses in midstream; the election is next week, and we need to stick with our current campaign manager.  
4. Hungry enough to eat a horse. (Very hungry.)  After snowshoeing for four hours, I was hungry enough to eat a horse!
5. A dark horse. ( Someone who unexpectedly wins.)  Do you think Prime Minister Takaichi was a dark horse candidate?
6. Beat (flog)  a dead horse.  (Keep focusing on something after it has been settled.)  Talking about how terrible President Trump is, is only beating a dead horse!
7. Horse around. (Goofing off).  Can you tell the kids to quit horsing around, they need to finish their homework by tomorrow!
8. A Trojan horse.  (Something that seems okay but is actually bad, or a trap.)  Many investment schemes are actually only Trojan horses.
9. Hold your horses. (Don't get too excited. Be patient.)  Just hold your horses until they read the last number of the lottery!
10. Look a gift horse in the mouth (Don't be ungrateful about a gift or a favor.)  Complaining about the taste of the cake is looking a gift horse in the mouth.

Today's BGM: America, A Horse With No Name (1971)

On the first part of the journey I was looking at all the life There were plants and birds and rocks and things There was sand and hills and rings The first thing I met was a fly with a buzz And the sky with no clouds The heat was hot and the ground was dry But the air was full of soundI've been through the desert on a horse with no name It felt good to be out of the rain In the desert you can remember your name 'Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain La, la ...After two days in the desert sun My skin began to turn red After three days in the desert fun I was looking at a river bed And the story it told of a river that flowed Made me sad to think it was dead You see I've been through the desert on a horse with no name It felt good to be out of the rain In the desert you can remember your name 'Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain La, la ... After nine days I let the horse run free 'Cause the desert had turned to sea There were plants and birds and rocks and things There was sand and hills and rings The ocean is a desert with its life underground And a perfect disguise above Under the cities lies a heart made of ground But the humans will give no love You see I've been through the desert on a horse with no name It felt good to be out of the rain In the desert you can remember your name 'Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain La, la ...

Happy New Year!

 I hope you all had a wonderful new year.

 

This year is the year of the snake, let's learn a few of the many English idioms about snakes.

1.  a snake in the grass

Long time no see!  I have been off this page since JULY!!!  Sorry!   I'm doing all right, but a week after my last post (Are we over the hump?), a huge rainstorm and flood hit Akita.  It was devastating for many people.  We were safe  by 3 cm, but many in our neighborhood and Akita were not so lucky.  I kind of lost my drive to put up new information.  I hope this year will be better. I was born in the year of the dragon 辰年です。I will turn 60 this year.  I can't believe it! I was surprised for how symbolic the dragon is, how few idioms there are.  I will post a few here for you:

1. Dragon breath or dragon mouth:  bad breath.  I always wake up with dragon breath after a long drinking party.  What should I do?
2. Chase the dragon: use illegal drugs i.e. heroin.  Too much talent has been lost due to chasing the dragon.  We need to find help for these people.
3. Feed the dragon: send manufacturing jobs to China.  We have fed the dragon for so long that there are no jobs left here.
4. Here be dragons: there is something dangerous and unknown here.  This year seems so unstable and risky, in economics, politics, and weather.  The only thing we can say for certain is "here be dragons".
5. Tickle the dragon's tail: do something risky or dangerous.  Why do you continue teasing your wife?  You're just tickling the dragon's tail.  You'd better be careful, she could explode at any time.

Well, I think that's enough for today.  I'm looking forward to hearing some of your Japanese dragon sayings.

Video and song of the week;

Puff the Magic Dragon

Peter Paul & Mary

https://youtu.be/Y7lmAc3LKWM?si=ZnDuiftVLIGABoT0   I hope we all have a good year this year.  I will do my best to help you improve your English, I hope you will too!

Is the worst of Covid-19 over?  What do you think?  I hear news about the "9th wave" coming soon, but at the same time, mask mandates have stopped, most of the kids in school aren't wearing masks, and many countries have declared that the worst is over.  I'm not so sure. How about inflation?   While it is still going up in Akita:  higher gas prices, taxi fares, food, electricity etc,  It has started to go down in the USA for the first time in three years.  It gives me hope that Japan will follow soon. Today I want to teach you a few phrases about "over the hump":

1. out of the woods
2. over the hump
3.  turned the corner.
4. over the worst of it, or over the worst part
5. on the road to recovery
6. on the mend
7. on the way up
8. in the clear 
9. out of danger
10. on the comeback trail
    

Today's BGM:

Out of the Woods

Taylor Swift

https://youtu.be/FEzj8K1cL6w

Looking at it now It all seems so simple We were lying on your couch I remember You took a Polaroid of us Then discovered (then discovered) The rest of the world was black and white But we were in screaming color And I remember thinking... [Chorus 2x:] Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods? Are we in the clear yet? Are we in the clear yet? Are we in the clear yet? In the clear yet? Good Are we out of the woods? Looking at it now Last December (last December) We were built to fall apart Then fall back together (back together) Your necklace hanging from my neck The night we couldn't quite forget When we decided (we decided) To move the furniture so we could dance, Baby, like we stood a chance Two paper airplanes flying, flying, flying And I remember thinkin' [Chorus 2x] (Are we out of the woods?!) Remember when you hit the brakes too soon? Twenty stitches in the hospital room When you started cryin', baby, I did, too But when the sun came up, I was lookin' at you Remember when we couldn't take the heat I walked out and said, "I'm settin' you free," But the monsters turned out to be just trees And when the sun came up, you were lookin' at me You were lookin' at me You were lookin' at me, I remember, oh, I remember [Chorus 4x]

I'm still on the fence about what to replace our old fence with. In the meantime, as promised, here are a few idioms about hedges.

1.   Hedge your bets.  Do something to prevent or prepare for future damage or loss.  With the banks failing in the US, it's a good idea to hedge your bets by putting half your money in gold.
2. Hedge in.  To make a border or barrier around something.  When I came out of AEON, I discovered my car had been hedged in on all sides by other cars!  I was stuck.
3. Hedge fund.  A high risk high return investment. In 2011, his hedge fund had a return of 50 percent.
4. Dragged through a hedge backwards.  Look messy or disheveled.  What happened to you??? You look like you  got dragged through a hedge backwards.
5. A hedge between keeps friendships green.  Privacy is important for good friends also. I didn't ask too much about his children.  You know what they say;  A hedge between keeps friendships green. 

おまけ：  Hedgehog ハリネズミ I have a family of hedgehogs living in my hedges! Little hedgehog song:   https://youtu.be/UmbgykJLavY How was your Golden Week?  I spent  three days in Tokyo, visiting my grandkids.  It was wonderful.  Then I was very busy for the rest of the week, but I did find time to finish some projects, and enjoy spring a little. [caption id="attachment_2558" align="alignnone" width="853"] My new sign. New classes start Monday.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2559" align="alignnone" width="853"] I finally finished repairing and staining my terrace. I'm satisfied with the results.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2560" align="alignnone" width="853"] Visited Inokashira Park Zoo with my grandkids. Surprised to see a カモシカ　in the zoo![/caption] [caption id="attachment_2561" align="alignnone" width="853"] Had dinner at Sizzler restaurant in Mitaka City. It was delicious![/caption] [caption id="attachment_2563" align="alignnone" width="853"] Enjoyed beautiful azaleas at Senshu park.[/caption]