Uncle George made all that milk

Holy Cow! 丑年の今年もモオ今日で終わり。 そこで牛の話で私の英語日誌を締めることにします。（リーダーズダイジェスト11月号のKidsコーナーにあった記事です。）
When a distant relative of mine passed away recently, I thought it was time to introduce the concept of death to my five-year-old daughter, Amy.
I reminded her of the time we spent at his farm and the loss we face now.
"It's very sad, your Uncle George is dead," I said. "Now when you go to the farm you won't be getting any fresh milk."
Amy, with a look of utter disbelief, replied, "Wow! You mean Uncle George made all that milk? I thought it was the cows."

upshot

リーダーズダイジェスト11月号の "See red could be good" と題された記事の最後のパラグラフです。
The upshot: need to concentrate on the finer points? Find a red room or use a red background on your computer. Want to brainstorm? Then choose a blue background.
"upshot" は簡単そうな単語ですが私は初めて（多分）見る言葉です。　辞書を見ます。
・Dictionary.com:
1. the final issue, the conclusion, or the result: The upshot of the disagreement was a new bylaw.
2. the gist, as of an argument or thesis.
語源を調べると：
・Online Etymology Dictionary: originally, the final shot in an archery match, hence the fig. sense of "result, issue, conclusion"
なるほど、これなら一度で覚えられそうです。　ハリウッド用語の "denouement" と共通する意味もありますね。

squib

Reader's Digest, ９月号のWord Power、ハリウッド映画用語特集にあった問題です。
ハリウッドの映画業界での "squib" の意味は次ぎのどれでしょう？
A: short documentary
B: artificial snow
C: fake gunshot wound
答えはCで、RDにあった例文は：
The twins rigged up squibs, complete with ketchup, under their shirts for the climactic scene.
でした。　辞書にこのような用例があるか調べてみます。
・Movie Terminology Glossary: A small explosive device, which - when detonated - will simulate the effect of a bullet/puncture wound or small explosion. When worn by actors, they typically include a container of blood which bursts upon detonation
普通の辞書に載っている "squib" の意味でハリウッド用語に近いのは次ぎのような意味です：
・Dictionary.com: 1) a small firework, consisting of a tube or ball filled with powder, that burns with a hissing noise terminated usually by a slight explosion. 2) a firecracker broken in the middle so that it burns with a hissing noise but does not explode.
上記は名詞としての意味ですが、 "squib" は動詞（to explode with a small, sharp sound.）としても使われます。

supplant

今年はダーウィン生誕２００周年、また「種の起源」 の発表から１５０周年と聞き、"The Origin of Species" を読みたいと思いました。　しかしながら結構量的にページ数が多そうなので、とりあえずPrefaceとIntroductionだけをダウンロードして読んでみました。
Introductionの文に "supplant" が何度も出てきます。
With respect to existing forms, we should remember that we have no right to expect (excepting in rare cases) to discover directly connecting links between them, but only between each and some extinct and supplanted form.
...
New and improved varieties will inevitably supplant and exterminate the older, less improved and intermediated varieties; and thus species are rendered to a large extent defined and distinct objects.
"supplant" を辞書で調べます。
・OneLook Quick Definitions: take the place or move into the position of ("The computer has supplanted the slide rule")
・American Herritage Dictionary: To displace and substitute for (another): The word processor has largely supplanted electric typewriters. See Synonyms at replace.
"The Origin of Species"は下記のＵＲＬから無料でダウンロードできます。
http://www.literature.org/authors/darwin-charles/the-origin-of-species/

The winter will be cold

東京の冬はまだそれ程厳しくはありませんが、ニュースで見る北国は雪が降って本当に寒そうですね。大分昔ですが、シカゴに２年間住んでいた事があるので厳しい寒さの感覚は今でも覚えています。と言うわけで今日のジョークは今年の冬の寒さを予想するジョークで、RD (Sept. Issue) 6th Annual Humour SpecialにあったMexicoからのジョークです。
Indians ask their new chief whether the winter will be cold or mild. Since the young chief never learned the ways of his ancestors, he tells them to collect firewood, then he goes off and calls the National Weather Service.
"Will the winter be bad?" he asks.
"Looks like it," is the answer.
So the chief tells his people to gather moe firewood. A week later, he calls again. "Are you positive the winter will be very cold?"
"Absolutely."
The chief tells his people to gather even more firewood, then calls the Weather Service again: "Are you sure?"
"I'm telling you, it's going to be the coldest winter on record."
"How do you know?"
"Because the Indians are gathering firewood like crazy!"

montage

Reader's Digest, ９月号のWord Power、ハリウッド映画用語特集にあった問題です。
ハリウッドの映画業界での "montage" の意味は次ぎのどれでしょう？
A: costume collection
B: camera set on a crane
C: rapid succession of images
答えはCで、RDにあった例文は：
The movie opened with a montage of the twin's various shenanigans.
Note. shenanigan: (reckless or malicious behavior that causes discomfort or annoyance in others; the use of tricks to deceive someone (usually to extract money from them))
でした。　辞書にこのような用例があるか調べてみます。
・American Herritage Dictionary:
a) A relatively rapid succession of different shots in a movie.
b) The juxtaposition of such successive shots as a cinematic technique.
・ArtLex Lexicon of Visual Art Terminology: A single pictorial composition made by juxtaposing or overlapping many pictures or designs. The art or process of making such a composition. Also, a rapid succession of different images or shots in a movie.
・Dictionary of Film and Digital Photography: A number of photographs, cut out and glued together on a single sheet of paper. Sometimes montages are made by projecting different negatives together onto the same paper. Often intended to achieve a surreal effect. Very trendy and avant garde in 1965, montages are now usually done in photo editing programs.
映画の前に写真で使われていた手法名を流用している事が分かります。

science

O. Henryの短編 The Higher Pragmatism からです。
It didn't make any difference how big they were, or how much science they had, I got away with 'em.
元ボクサーの話で上の文に出てくる "science" はこの後にも次ぎのように出てきます。
The other guy had a lot of science, but it only took me about six minutes to lay him out.
どう考えてもこの "science" はアカデミックなものではなく体育会系の言葉のようです。辞書で確認します。
・Dictionary.com: systematic knowledge of the physical or material world gained through observation and experimentation.
・Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary: something (as a sport or technique) that may be studied or learned like systematized knowledge science
・WordNet 1.7 Vocabulary Helper: ability to produce solutions in some problem domain; ``the skill of a well-trained boxer"; "the sweet science of pugilism''（この "pugilism" は "fighting with the fists" の事です。）
"science" ＝ 「科学」 の意識しかなかったのですが、 "science"には技術やボクシングのようなスポーツの（修得した）技・術の意味もあるのですね。

gaffer

Reader's Digest, ９月号のWord Power、ハリウッド映画用語特集にあった問題です。
ハリウッドの映画業界での "gaffer" の意味は次ぎのどれでしょう？
A: editor who corrects continuity mistakes
B: chief electrician
C: on-set medic
答えはBで、RDにあった例文は：
Uncle Larry, who'd been named gaffer, blew a fuse, and the rented bounce house collapsed.
bounce
でした。　辞書にこのような用例があるか調べてみます。
・OneLook Quick Definitions: an electrician responsible for lighting on a movie or tv set
・Dictionary.com: the chief electrician on a motion-picture or television production.
語源は "godfather" がなまったそうで、それを知ればこの単語は覚えられそうです。
・Online Etymology Dictionary: 1589, "elderly rustic," apparently a contraction of godfather; originally "old man," it was applied from 1841 to foremen and supervisors, which sense carried over 20c. to "electrician in charge of lighting on a film set."

yellow cling

O. Henryの短編 "Hostages to Momus" の一節です。
Antelope steaks and fried liver to begin on, and venison cutlets with chili con carne and pine-apple fritters, and then some sardines and mixed pickles; and top it off with a can of yellow clings and a bottle of beer.
色々な食べ物が並べられていますが "yellow clings" が何だか見当が付きません。　辞書で調べても分からなかったのでGoogleで調べると "yellow clings" は "yellow cling peach" を示している様です。　そうすると "cling" は "cling stone"（= fruit (especially peach) whose flesh adheres strongly to the pit） の意味である事に気が付きました。そして"stone fruit" は "drupe" とも言えることを "truck and drupe" と題して以前話題にした事を思い出しました。 "stone" と言うと "leave no stone unturned" も思い出しますが、分からない事を徹底的に調べると結構分かってくるものです。

looping

Reader's Digest, ９月号のWord Power、ハリウッド映画用語特集にあった問題です。
ハリウッドの映画業界での "looping" の意味は次ぎのどれでしょう？
A: repeating a joke for effect
B: rolling the final credits
C: adding sound after filming
答えはCで、RDにあった例文は：
Dad later changed the clown's response with looping.
でした。　辞書にこのような用例があるか調べてみます。
・Dictionary.com: Movies. the process of fitting speech to film already shot, esp. by making a closed loop of the film for one scene and projecting it repeatedly until a good synchronization of film and recorded speech is achieved.
・American Herritage Dictionary: To add or substitute (words) in a film by altering the sound track.