いい人

Some people are good people. We want to say they are great. There is an idiom to describe good people:

• the salt of the earth

Examples:

• He's a really nice person; he's the salt of the earth.
• She's kind to everybody; she's the salt of the earth.
• He's always helping people; he's the salt of the earth.

Some people are passive; they never use violence or behave aggressively. We say:

• wouldn't hurt a fly

Examples:

• Hiro hates violence; he wouldn't hurt a fly.
• I've never seen Miki angry; she wouldn't hurt a fly.
• Ryou has never hit anyone; he wouldn't hurt a fly.

スタッフ

The word staff is uncountable. We need to use the word member to count staff.

Examples:

• A member of staff ＝　１名のスタッフ
• Two members of staff　＝　２名のスタッフ
• Nine members of staff　＝　９名のスタッフ

There is another pattern with the same meaning:

• A staff member ＝　１名のスタッフ
• Two staff members ＝　２名のスタッフ
• Nine staff members ＝　９名のスタッフ

This is wrong:

• A staff X
• Two staffs X
• Nine staffs X

Similar words:

• employee (countable)
• worker (countable)

高い買い物

Splash out =

• spend a lot of money
• buy something expensive

Examples:

• I splashed out on a pearl necklace for my girlfriend's birthday.
• The boss is going to splash out on champagne at the office party.
• Naoko has splashed out on a new Gucci handbag.

Note:

• subject + splash out + on + object (+ extra information)

傘

I've heard the rainy season is over in Kanto; it was short and not so rainy this year. There is still a risk of sudden downpours so you may need your brolly.

• brolly = umbrella = 傘
• sudden downpour = 突然豪雨

日傘

Today is a real scorcher. The sun is beating down and the humidity is high. In weather like this we should be careful of dehydration, sunburn and heat stroke.

Minor ailments may include prickly heat (also called heat rash) and muscle cramp.

Lots of Japanese ladies use parasols to shade themselves from the sun. A hat and sunglasses are also recommended.

• a scorcher = とても暑い日
• the sun is beating down = 強い日光がある
• humidity = 湿度
• dehydration = 脱水症
• sunburn = 日焼け
• heat stroke = 熱射病
• prickly heat = 汗も
• muscle cramp = 筋痙攣
• parasol = 日傘