frisk/frisky

少年向けの物語 "Sea Pup" から引用します。
When he got to the beach the seal's head popped up fifty yards from the landing. He rose until his shoulders were out of water and made frisky motions with his head, telling Clint to come on in. Then he dived, to reappear in the shallow water almost at Clint's feet. He came out, frisking and beaming good will; Clint couldn't even scold him for having made so much trouble.
上の引用文の "frisky"、"frisking" は何でしょう？ まず "frisk" で調べます。
・Compact Oxford English Dictionary:
1 [with object] (of a police officer or other official) pass the hands over (someone) in a search for hidden weapons, drugs, or other items
2 [no object, with adverbial of direction] skip or leap playfully; frolic: spaniels frisked around me
・Wordnik:
1.To move about briskly and playfully; frolic.
2.To search (a person) for something concealed, especially a weapon, by passing the hands quickly over clothes or through pockets.
飛行場でたまに身体を触られての所持品検査を受けることがありますがその時の "frisk" とは違って引用文の "frisking" は楽しい方の意味ですね。 "frisky" は "frisk" の形容詞形だと思いますが一応意味を辞書で確認しておきます。
・Compact Oxford English Dictionary: playful and full of energy: he bounds about like a frisky pup
・Wordnik: Energetic, lively, and playful: a frisky kitten.
動物や人間の子供の動作表現に使われる事が多いのでしょうね。

back order

先日ＮＨＫの首都圏ネットワークで、モロッコ料理で使われるタジル鍋が流行っているという話題を取り上げていて、鍋のメーカーの人が「バックオーダーが増えている」と発言していたのを「繰り返し注文が増えている」と字幕にいれていました。　「繰り返し注文」は "repeat orders" で "back order" は普通「注文残」のはずと思い辞書で確認すると：
Dictionary.com:
"back order": noun: an order or part of an order waiting to be filled
"back-order": verb: to treat as a back order: We have to back-order your sofa until the new fabric arrives.
動詞の場合の "back-order"は商社/商店などで在庫がなくなった場合にメーカーに発注する必要が出てきた場合に使いますね。
発言者が「バックオーダー」を「注文残」の意味で言ったのか「繰り返し注文」の意味でいったのか、あるいはＮＨＫが発言者は「注文残」の意味で言ったことを「繰り返し注文」とした字幕を付けたのか定かではありませんが、何れにせよ外来語を本来の意味と異なる意味で使うのは外来語学習者にとって迷惑はなはだしいのでやめて欲しい。ルーシー大柴のようにタレント/コメディアンが使うなら聞く方も怪しい英語と分かって聞いているので余り被害はないと思いますが、天下のＮＨＫが誤った外来語の使い方をするのは困ります。

nail goes home

昨日話題にした "driving nails" の文の一寸後に次ぎの文があります。
"It's almost--" The last nail went home.
この "nail went home" は釘がしっかりと最後まで打ち込むまれた事だと想像しますがこの様な用例が辞書にあるか調べます。 中々適当な例は見つからなかったのですが "home" の項でやっと次ぎの二つの説明を見つけました。
・Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary: completely; to the place, position etc a thing is intended to be He drove the nail home;
・WordNet 3.0: to the fullest extent hammer the nail home
やはり "nail went home" は釘がしっかりと打ち込まれたと解釈できるようです。

drive a nail

今日話題にする単語は日本の中学生でも知っている単語ですが、この様な使い方・意味がある事は知りませんでした。
少年向けの物語 "Sea Pup" からです。
Clint had never seen a woman who was any good at driving nails, but Mom managed to get them started; then Dad took the hammer with his free hand.
"driving nails" は釘を打つ事だと容易に推測できますが、釘を打つのに "drive" が使える事は知りませんでした。　
釘を打つと言うと、単純に "hit the nail" が頭に浮かんでしまいます。
・Dictionary.com: hit: to deal a blow or stroke to: Hit the nail with the hammer.
"hit the nail" と言うと次ぎの慣用句もお馴染みですね。
hit the nail on the head: to say or do exactly the right thing; be accurate or correct: Your analysis really hit the nail on the head.
"drive a nail push, propel, or press with force ("Drive a nail hit very hard and straight with the bat swinging more or less vertically ("Drive a ball strike with a driver, as in teeing off ("Drive a golfball cause to move rapidly by striking or throwing with force ("Drive the ball far out into the field")
そう言えばゴルフでは "driver"を使いますし、ゴルフの練習場は "driving range"でまた卓球やテニスでもドライブという打ち方がありますね。釘を打つのに "drive a nail" と言えるのを知りましたが考えてみればネジを回すのに（スクリュー）ドライバーを使うのは日本語になっているのでネジにも当然 "drive" が動詞として使われるはずですが実際に英語でその様な文を読んだ事はありませんでした。 でも "Sea Pup" には次ぎの様にネジを回す文もありました。　
・After that Len drilled holes through the new planks into the frames, and supervised the driving of the bronze screws.
・Before the last screw was driven the twins came out to the shop to say that it was time to eat again; and there was another big meal in the Deckers' kitchen.
釘を打つのには "drive" や "hit" の他に "nail" を動詞として使う事もできます。
・attach something somewhere by means of nails ("Nail the board onto the wall")

scientist

What did one lab rat say to the other?
I've got my scientist so well trained that every time
I push the buzzer, he brings me a snack.

with bated breath

Reader's Digestに本を紹介するコーナー、Guide Booksがあり、その 8月号のGuide Booksにあった文です。
You've read just about every John Grishman book on the face of the planet and wait with bated breath for every new book. Now, your tweens (http://blog.alc.co.jp/blog/3302827/archive/2009/04/11) can too. Grisham's first children's series for Penguin Young Readers Group kicks off with the legal thriller Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer, which shot to #1 on the New York Times bestseller list when it was released this May.
弁護士から人気作家になったジョン・グリシャムが子供向けに初めて書いた小説の紹介ですが、最初の文にある "bated breath" を調べます。
・Wiktionary: (idiomatic) Eagerly; with great anticipation.; We are waiting with bated breath for the release of the new version.
・Phrase Finder: Breathing that is subdued because of some emotion or difficulty.
Origin: Which is it - bated or baited? We have baited hooks and baited traps, but bated - what's that? Bated doesn't even seem to be a real word, where else do you hear it? Having said that, 'baited breath' makes little sense either. How can breath be baited? With worms?
この後にシェークスピアのベニスの商人からの引用等があり、引用するには説明が長くなるので省略しますのが、興味のある方は（"megillah" を苦にしない方は、cf.http://blog.alc.co.jp/blog/3302827/186454）次ぎのＵＲＬを見てください。
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/bated-breath.html
"Don't give me the whole megillah." と思っている方のためにはPhrase Finderの結論を紹介します。
Bated is just a shortened form of abated (meaning - to bring down, lower or depress). 'Abated breath' makes perfect sense and that's where the phrase comes from..

gallivant

Sea Pup は中学生向けの小説なので難しそうな単語は余りありませんが、簡単な単語でも意味が直ぐにピンとはこない使用法・表現は結構あります。しかし今日取り上げる単語は難しそうな単語の方です。
"Sit down and drink this, Clint, while I get you something to eat. You've got a chill, and no wonder, gallivanting around on the water at night with a seal!"
"gallivanting" の原形は "gallivant" と思うので "gallivant" で辞書を見ます。
・Compact Oxford English Dictionary: go around from one place to another in the pursuit of pleasure or entertainment:
she quit her job to go gallivanting around the globe
・Cambridge Advanced Learner's English Dictionary: to visit or go to a lot of different places, enjoying yourself and not worrying about other things you should be doing; Well you won't be able to go off gallivanting around like this when there's a baby to be taken care of.
・Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary: to travel, roam, or move about for pleasure;
They've been gallivanting all over town.
He's been gallivanting around the country when he ought to be looking for a job.
遊び回るというところでしょうか。 "around" が付く場合が多い様です。　ネイティブなら中学生でも知っている単語の様なので何とか覚えたいものです。

World Standards Day

明日は朝早く家を出なければならないので明日の分のトピックを今日投稿します。
From the pages of Open Systems Today - October 13, 1994:
"The International Standards Organization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) designated October 14 as World Standards Day to recognize those volunteers who have worked hard to define international standards.... The United States celebrated World Standards Day on October 11; Finland celebrated on October 13; and Italy celebrated on October 18."
ちなみに日本での世界標準の日を調べると、１０月１４日となっていました。　皮肉な事実です。

have it in

中学生向けの読み物 Sea Pup で主人公の少年 Clintが海岸で親が帰ってくるのを待っているアザラシの子を見つけ、何時間経っても親が戻ってこない場面です。
The seal had turned and was butting and nuzzling Clint's ankles again, making little coaxing sounds. It seemed to think Clint was its mother.
"That's the way it is, Buster," Clint went on. "People have it in for seals, because they like salmon and they're smart.
BusterはClintがSea Pupに呼びかける時に言う名前です。　"have it in for" の意味が分からないので調べます。
・Dictionary.com: to plan or wish to do something unpleasant to; hold a grudge against: She has it in for intelligent students who fail to use their abilities.
・American Heritage Dictionary: Intend to harm, especially because of a grudge. For example, Ever since he called the police about their dog, the neighbors have had it in for Tom.
・Wiktionary: To be very angry at; to have a grudge against; to have little tolerance for.; My boss must really have it in for me; that was the third lecture this week!
意味は分かりましたが何故この様な意味になるのか不思議です。

rosehip

A large rosebush sits at the entrance to the park, when it's in bloom, we always stop to sniff it. In April last year, I noticed Meg taking a great interest in the rosehips left on the branches after the roses had shed their petals.
"rosehips" と言う単語は知りませんでしたが、この文を読むだけでバラの実である事が分かります。
一応辞書を見ます。
The fruit of a rosebush, especially of the English dog-rose (Rosa canina); called also rose hip. [Written also hop, hep.][1913 Webster]
Online Etymology によると元々"hip" に "seed pod" (especially of wild rose) の意味があるとありました。