Surprise fall in inflation in UK

Lower airfare!
[quote]Airfare prices for domestic, European and long-haul flights normally fall after the summer rush, but they fell more than normal last month.[unquote]

Surprise fall in inflation paves way for interest rate cuts
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czxde3779lxo

[quote]UK inflation fell unexpectedly to 1.7% in the year to September, the lowest rate in three-and-a-half years.[unquote]

paving the way
mortgage repayment
nailed on
food pantry [Cambridge]a place where food is given to people who do not have enough money to buy it, for example by a charity
once in a blue moon
lecky [Wiktionary](British, slang) Electricity.

BrewDog reveals losses doubled

The incentive to the shareholders of the company are beneficial. You always get 10% off at the brewery owns pub, even in Roppongi, if you declare.
I liked the company and the products and I've visited the HQ in Ellon, Aberdeenshire.
I felt sad when I find the co-founder's bad reputations. He supports Reform now. It's good he's not CEO anymore, but he's still influencer to the company.

BrewDog reveals losses doubled to £59m in final year under co-founder
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/oct/16/brewdog-losses-double-to-59m-final-year-co-founder-james-watt-budget

broadside [quote]Watt firing a broadside at the government over its plans for this month’s budget.
lash out [quote]The brewery entrepreneur lashed out at Labour amid reports the chancellor intended to raise capital gains tax (CGT) and reclassify debt to allow more spending on public services.
write-down[Collins]a reduction made in the book value of an asset
preside [Collins]If you preside over a meeting or an event, you are in charge.
rail [Collins]If you rail against something, you criticize it loudly and angrily.
float [Collins]If a company director floats their company, they start to sell shares in it to the public
B Corp certificate

counterfeit wine

This is considerably valuable article.

[quote]According to fraud experts, one fifth of all wine currently circulating the globe is fake.[unquote]
[quote]China is reportedly at the centre of a $3billion (£2.2bn) worldwide scam.[unquote]

Fake vintage wine floods London as police in France and Italy raid £1.67m fraud gang
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/fake-vintage-wine-gang-london-police-europol-raids-france-italy-b1188447.html

fraud words
pass off [Collins]to be or cause to be accepted or circulated in a false character or identity
masquerade
tamper [Collins]If someone tampers with something, they interfere with it or try to change it when they have no right to do so.
infringe [Collins]If someone infringes a law or a rule, they break it or do something which disobeys it.
adulteration < adulterate
zero tolerance zone - zero tolerance + tolerance zone

wine words
Liv-ex - London International Vintners Exchange - Liv-ex Fine Wine 1000
punt - Does a wine bottle punt mean better quality?
https://www.decanter.com/learn/advice/wine-bottle-punt-ask-decanter-330517/
sediment [Collins]Sediment is solid material that settles at the bottom of a liquid
capsule
What Is the Meaning Behind Wine Bottle Capsules?
https://www.atelierduvin.com/en/meaning-behind-wine-bottle-capsules/?srsltid=AfmBOorDyVvgf8BJdoecAo7TCAgm3H_eamSc8Xt_ea4LQGBg2NSlUvJC

[quote]We would always advise people to do their research, look for inconsistencies in the bottle and buy from a trusted source.[unquote]

I don't buy wines at chain wine shops (off-licence) , such as Majestic (Oddbins's gone), Enoteca, Vinos Yamazaki.
Yamaya, Kakuyasu or supermarkets are out of the question. I even don't trust Kinokuniya, Meijiya or department stores.
I only buy wines at small serious wine shops which I can make relationships with the owners who tastes wines by themselves.
I've been very careful choosing restaurants and bars, but I have to be more cautious.

Paddington in Peru

I used to lived near Primrose Hill. It's already been very busy on weekends.
My neighbourhood in Tokyo is also busy on weekends. I can understand the concerns of the residents in Chalcot Crescent.

Primrose Hill residents complain about street being 'pimped' ahead of Paddington-themed AirBnb event
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/primrose-hill-paddington-bear-airbnb-chalcot-crescent-windsor-gardens-b1188352.html

hit out [Collins](journalism)If you hit out at someone or something, you criticise them strongly because you do not agree with them.
Mary Portas
pimp
influx
inundate
upkeep
exacerbate

Hunting for Paddington: How to find statues of the beloved bear in London
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/hunting-for-paddington-how-to-find-statues-london-b1186803.html

It's interesting that some locations are isolated place such as Land’s End or John O’ Groats.

resignation proxies in Japan

It may be the first time to pick a Japanese article in the blog. I read it because it was ranked fifth of the most read articles in Guardian.

‘They refused to let me go’: Japanese workers turn to resignation agencies to quit jobs
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/19/japan-workers-resignation-agencies-quit-job-work-life

have had enough
legion
despondent
summon
to be at your wits' end
rip up
myriad
rock the boat (informal)
en masse - pronunciation
contrition
reflective

[quote]One in six workers in Japan used resignation agencies to change their jobs in the 12 months to June this year according to Mynavi[unquote]
One in six? I've never heard someone who used resignation agencies. I don't want to have anything to do with GenZs at work.

Actually I was impressed by the photo more than the article. None of the commuters are seeing phones!
It says "Commuters at Shinjuku station, Tokyo". It looks Marunouchi line. It's an old car, not a recent red one.
Three of standings are reading paper books. One of them is reading an English paperback. I can see Dian Mott Davidson on the cover.
Another one is checking his paper planner. One of sittings is reading a news paper. It's not a tabloid, it's probably Nikkei.
One man who is standing on the right hold something. It might be a phone, but it's thick and small. It doesn't look like a recent phone. It might be a planner or a bunko bon.
The others are just standing without seeing something.
When was this photo taken? Was it 1990s?

Badenoch or Jenrick

Blimey! Tory is no more conservative. It's sunk to a right wing party as Reform.

Kemi Badenoch or Robert Jenrick will be Tory leader as Cleverly is eliminated
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/oct/09/kemi-badenoch-or-robert-jenrick-will-be-tory-leader-after-cleverly-eliminated

I predicted that one of these would win eventually, not Cleverly. but I haven't expected that he had lost before the final ballot.
I think Jenrick will win by process of elimination. Jenrick is right enough but Badenoch is far more right.

no words.

amateurish intel

He was also young and unwise. I've waited follow-up about him.

Ex-British soldier Daniel Khalife ‘gathered names of special forces personnel’
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/daniel-khalife-trial-iran-woolwich-crown-court-british-army-b1186805.html

<words>
covertly < covert
Fort Hood
vetting [Collins]the act of making a prior examination and critical appraisal of (a person, document, scheme, etc)
intel = intelligence assessment
search warrant
elicit

He dreamed to become a double agent, but he wasn't capable.
He was lucky to be arrested. He was too amateur to be eliminated.

Gaza protesters target Picasso painting

I thought it's not only Just Stop Oil to target famous art works, but Youth Demand is a sister environmental activist group of Just Stop Oil according to Wiki.

Gaza protesters target Picasso painting and spill paint on floor at National Gallery
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/national-gallery-picasso-motherhood-gaza-protest-youth-demand-israel-palestine-b1186831.html

<words>
in a bid to [Cambridge]in order to try to get or do something
embargo [quote]they were taking the action in a bid to force ministers to implement an arms embargo on Israel.
carrot and stick
displacement
apprehend

The youths cannot stop doing protest activities, even they understand that they will be jailed for certain years. Because they are young and unwise.

safety rules in a deer park

World is changing. People go anywhere without thinking to take photos or videos for social media.
Stags are scary, but I'm afraid Lyme disease more in deer parks.

Richmond Park's urgent warning after toddler held up within feet of stag
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/richmond-park-royal-park-police-met-police-deer-antlers-attack-b1186485.html

<words>
deer rutting season - between late September and early November
back away
mean business [Collins]If you say that someone means business, you mean they are serious and determined about what they are doing.
in the way
roam > free-roaming
red dear / fallow deer
mow down [Collins] If someone is mown down, they are killed violently by a vehicle or gunfire
mow-mown-mown
think twice
gore
stroll
maul
ram

Don't go to deer parks in Autumn!!

12 things you should know about the deer rutting season
https://www.royalparks.org.uk/read-watch-listen/12-things-you-should-know-about-deer-rutting-season

It's a nice finding of 'Fenton' in the comments!

Fenton! Internet hit raises dog chasing deer problem
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-15864761

How Fenton the dog went from viral video to marketing moneyspinner
https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/shortcuts/2012/sep/16/fenton-viral-video-marketing-moneyspinner

Lime bike

It's absolutely shocking. Poor the victim. But it could happen to me.
If the dogs had been hit by the e-bike, they might have been killed.

Shocking moment dog walker sent 'flying' after being struck by Lime bike in north London
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/lime-bike-crouch-end-north-london-crash-hit-and-run-b1186540.html

This article contains useful daily expressions.

<words>
zebra crossing
onlooker - accent
go flying
sprain [quote]Ms Collins sprained her ankle during the collision
collision
limp [quote]I was limping home basically
basically
tetanus [quote]she was forced to get a tetanus jab
a good few [quote]I was limping for a good few weeks
hypervigilant [Cambridge]always paying a lot of attention and trying to notice possible dangers, often more than is reasonable
fraudulent
come to light

The rider used anonymous email address and a fraudulent bank card. It's horrible. I don't trust the riders of Lime and Luup. They are nuisance.

I really don't like Lime and Luup. E-bikes, e-scooters and mopeds. I hate them because the riders don't understand traffic rules.
I might be biased but they even don't have common sense and enough money. It looks many of them are young, immigrants or tourists.

Jellycat

This article is about Jellycat. It's a successful private company. I hadn't known that.
They have started their business since a quarter of a century ago, but their amuseables line and social media turned it into a global brand.

‘I have to have one of those’: plushie super-fans explain the appeal
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/oct/06/i-have-to-have-one-of-those-plushie-super-fans-explain-the-appeal

Easy reading but many basic daily words and some consumer marketing words.

<words>
plushie < plush
avid - avid fans
intrigued
enthusiast
descending - little legs descending from the egg white
egg white
at- at 14cm tall
crop up
substantially
gear [Collins]If someone or something is geared to or towards a particular purpose, they are organized or designed in order to achieve that purpose.
[quote]Others seem geared towards an adult audience, like the amuseable coffee-to-go [..] with dangly legs and a smiley face
dangly < dangle
uplifting
taxidermy
upmarket
go from strength to strength
showcase (verb)
bombard
slick [quote]he brand has a slick social media strategy, too
Charlie Bears - they are not cute
stuck ハマる [quote]The only one that’s really stuck.
stalk
aesthetic [Collins]Aesthetic is used to talk about beauty or art, and people's appreciation of beautiful things.
[quote] Day likes the aesthetic of the newer toys [quote]collecting Jellycats goes beyond their pleasing aesthetic and cute
inanimate
outer space
Beanie Baby - they are not cute
paralyse
take the edge off [quote]I like stroking the rabbit’s ears – it takes the edge off things.[unquote]
witness
balloon (verb)
envision [US, also British, literary]
dysregulation
cot
soothe
bracket [quote] TikTok shows you all the different age brackets of people watching
weirdo < weird
reprieve
chime
blank > blankly

down
[quote]The rise of Jellycat’s fans in recent years is partly down to social media, [unquote]
[quote]That’s down to the variety of toys, the new product launches (four times a year) and being able to hunt down rare items. [unquote]
[quote] She has severe anxiety [..], and has also been left paralysed down one side after having two strokes aged 33[unquote]

One of the collectors in the article was right. The advantage of the new line of Jellycat is smiling face. It's great invention.
I don't think I'm buying such pricy plushies for myself, but I admit some of them are cute. The boiled egg one is attractive. I might buy it impulsively, If I encounter it in a shop. I'm not confident.

Note to self - the interview with one of the founders.
https://www.thembsgroup.co.uk/internal/making-beautiful-things-that-people-remember-in-conversation-with-william-gatacre-co-founder-and-md-at-jellycat/

Battle of Holbeck Moor

It's a last week's article. I was very busy last week to read articles. I only listened to news briefing or midnight news.

Search for memories of day Leeds stood up to Oswald Mosley in 1936
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/sep/29/search-memories-day-leeds-oswald-mosley-battle-holbeck-moor

<words>
outnumber [quote]when a rally of 1,000 Blackshirts were outnumbered thirtyfold by anti-fascists
pelt [quote]Mosley and his supporters were pelted with stones by the counter-protesters
mounted [Collins]Mounted police or soldiers ride horses when they are on duty.
written all over someone's faces [quote] she remembered the hate written all over the faces of the young Blackshirts
sport [quote]Mosley famously himself sporting an injury visible the following week at Cable Street in London.
defiance - basic word!
sheer

<history>
Battle of Holbeck Moor
Battle of Cable Street
British Union of Fascists (BUF)
Blackshirts
Oswald Mosley

[quote]“When the far right try to divide us and turn people against those seeking asylum or who are of particular religions they should be given the same message today. Let’s commemorate the past and ensure that Leeds remains fascist free now and in the future.”[unquote]

That's certainly true. It's not only the past. It was happened several months ago in Leeds. It's not only Leeds. It's everywhere in the world.
We can say that far right is a deliberate attempt to create a divide.

Japaneses Akita

This article doesn't have words to memorise. I've been watching the news of dangerous dogs.
I thought Akita is a banned dog in the UK, but it was Tosa.

Woman arrested after akita dog bites girl, 6, in West Sussex
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/oct/05/woman-arrested-after-akita-dog-bites-girl-6-in-west-sussex

The dog bit the chest of the girl!
[quote]She sustained a chest wound and was taken to hospital for treatment.[unquote]

I wonder if the dog will be destroyed. It's all the owner’s fault, not the dog.

Tipping in the UK

Tip is always anxiety when I travel alone. Cash is used only for tipping (or aid to street performers or homeless people) nowadays.
I'm always annoyed to find a place to change big bank notes which I withdraw from an ATM in the airport to smaller bank notes or coins.
If my tip work out, my trip turn out to be funner and more comfortable. Money works usually.

Should you tip even if the service wasn't worth it?
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz7jr4125wzo

[quote]A tip is "an uncalled for and spontaneous payment offered by a customer,” according to the government, whereas a service charge is "an amount added to the customer’s bill before it is presented”.[unquote]

<words>
faint
wrath
no hard and fast rules
on top of [Collins]in addition to [quote]tip on top of the service charge that is added to the bill
uncalled for [Collins]unnecessary or unwarranted
discretionary [Collins]Discretionary things are not fixed by rules but are decided on by people in authority, who consider each individual case.
withhold
resentful
less of
prevalence
earshot - within earshot/out of earshot
front of house
loose change

Blitz

It's promising. The Blitz and Sir. Steve. And Paul Weller.

‘I wasn’t interested in Churchill’: Steve McQueen on the ‘ordinary people’ in his film Blitz
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2024/oct/04/steve-mcqueen-ordinary-people-film-blitz-war

<words>
grimy
raid
pick over
blitz spirit
abundance [quote]The blitz spirit is here in abundance [Collins]Food was in abundance.
pull together
namecheck
poignancy
brink [quote]There’s Somalia, which is on the brink of war now, which doesn’t get a lot of headlines.
warden
Benjamin Clémentine
munitions
chore (noun)
in [quote]I thought to myself, that’s my ‘in’ - I cannot find the meaning
desensitise
turn a blind eye
deem

‘Not many people know what happened’: covered up London Blitz tragedy is inspiration for Steve McQueen’s new film
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/sep/15/not-many-people-know-what-happened-covered-up-london-blitz-tragedy-is-inspiration-for-steve-mcqueens-new-film

Blitzkrieg
Bethnal Green
Balham
Bianca Stigter
stairwell

I didn't know about Bethnal Green tube disaster.


What the director says hits home as his films. I want to watch Occupied City, too.
But I'm also interested in Churchill and Monty. Hitler and Goring are more than that.