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金曜日はTucker先生ブログ☆彡

今日はTucker先生の母がよく使っていた表現や慣用句をご紹介します！

Dear readers,

Today I'd like to tell you about some of the phrases I often heard during my childhood. My mom has quite a way with words, as you'll see. Some of these are fairly common phrases, but others are probably unique to my family. You're sure to sound like a native if you can use them correctly in conversation!

#1: "Make a mountain out of a molehill"

My mom would often say this when talking about people who made trivial matters seem like big problems. A "molehill" is the small mound of dirt that appears when a mole is burrowing near the surface. By "making a mountain out of a molehill," you are treating that small amount of dirt like it is something much bigger.

Example sentence: "She told me she hadn't talked to her boyfriend in three days, but I said she was making a mountain out of a molehill."

#2: "Add insult to injury"

I often heard this phrase when my mom was talking about her work struggles. The phrase brings up the image of a person hurting someone else and then insulting them afterwards, which is just unnecessary and mean. You can use it when talking about something that makes matters worse.

Example sentence: "And then, just to add insult to injury, he told me to come in to work on Saturday too."

#3: "Let's not and say we did"

My mom loved to use this phrase to refuse suggestions, particularly if it was something reckless or dangerous. In the end it's just a humorous way to say "Let's not."

Example sentence:

A: "Let's go skydiving this weekend!"

B: "Let's not and say we did!"

#4: "Six of one, a half dozen of the other"

I think I've heard this phrase more than any of the other ones on this list. The basic meaning is that two seemingly different choices will have the same result. It comes from the fact that a dozen means 12 of something, so a half dozen and 6 are the same amount. You can use it when making a choice won't affect the outcome.

Example sentence: "Whether I attended or not, it was six of one, half dozen of the other."

#5: "I'm not proud, just very well aware"

This is a phrase that I've started using myself. My mom used it when talking about something negative about herself as a form of self-deprecating humor. It also expresses that you know what you are sharing isn't a good thing, and that it might be something you are trying to work on.

Example sentence: "I was late to work every day this week. I'm not proud, just very well aware."

Thank you for reading! What was your favorite phrase? Please tell me next time you see me in the lobby! Next time, I'll talk about this year's speech contest. Look forward to it!