by Stephen Andrews (単語・表現リスト by Shigeri Nishide)
Sun, sea, sand and surf …
When summer comes, there’s nothing British people love more than heading for the seaside.
And, especially since Covid-19, people are flocking* to their favourite English resorts instead of travelling abroad.
Some of the most popular seaside towns in England are St. Ives in Cornwall, Torquay in Devon, Blackpool in Lancashire and Scarborough in Yorkshire. Closest to London are Southend-on-Sea, Brighton and Bournemouth.
So what do British people love to do when they hit the beach?
Having a paddle is top of the list. It just means taking off your socks and shoes and strolling along at the edge of the water. It’s perfect for toddlers (little children) and older family members like grandma and grandpa. Or, if someone loves swimming, they’ll head out into the waves to take a dip.
Another fun activity that children love is building sandcastles. All that’s needed is a spade and a small bucket. Fill the bucket with sand, turn it over and the towers of a castle start to take shape.
Some seaside resorts often have an amusement arcade or funfair, featuring all sorts of scary rides and games. Some of the most popular are dodgems (mini-cars designed for bumping into each other); the Big Dipper (a breath-taking roller-coaster ride); and the Ghost Train, a terrifying train-ride where all sorts of scary ghosts and ghouls* pop-up to scare the passengers.
But a day at the seaside is also about tucking into (eating enthusiastically) some delicious food.
The most popular, of course, is fish ‘n’ chips. A day at the seaside wouldn’t be complete without cod* and chips accompanied by mushy peas (peas which have been mashed-up and seasoned with salt and pepper). Shellfish are also a big favourite. You’ll often find a small shop or stall* at the seaside, selling cockles*, mussels*, oysters* and even jellied eels*.
For dessert, how about an ice cream? Some popular ones are a 99, Strawberry Split and Choc-Ice. And, when it’s tea time, British people adore a cream tea (a pot of English tea with scones and jam and cream).
Because it’s such a popular activity, you’ll find lots of interesting words and phrases to do with the seaside. One traditional tongue twister (something that’s tricky to say) is this one, based on an old English seaside song:
She sells seashell on the seashore …
Why not* have a go* at saying that!
単語・表現リスト:
本文に説明がないもの（*がついている）
Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside
このブログのタイトルは、有名な子供向けの歌です。
flock 群がる 人にも使え、動物の場合は、羊・ヤギ・鳥に使う
ghoul お墓の死体の肉を食べる悪霊
cod タラ（魚）Fish & chipsの魚はこのCodを使っている場合が多い
stall 露店・売店
cockles 貝（ザルガイ）
mussels 貝（イガイ）
oysters 貝（カキ）
jellied eels ウナギ料理 ストックでゆでて冷ますと、ゆで汁がゼリー状になる
99 アイスクリームの種類
Cadburyの Flake 99 Chocolateをソフトクリームに突っ込んだもの
Strawberry Split イチゴソースでコーティングしてあるアイス
Choc-Ice チョコレートでコーティングしてあるアイス
why not… 「やってみて（ください）」「やったら？」とすすめている感じ
why don’t you …も同じ意味
have a go やってみる
何をやってみるかを言いたい時にはat の次にやってみる事を言う
本文に説明があるもの（本文で斜体でになっている）
have a paddle 裸足で浅い水の中に入って歩いたりする
toddler ちょうど歩き始めたくらいの子供
take a dip 泳ぐ ’dip’ に「a quick swim」という意味がある
sandcastles 砂でお城の形をつくったもの 浜辺でよく見かけます
amusement arcade ゲームセンター イギリスでは海辺や桟橋の上でよく見かける
funfair 遊園地
Big Dipper ジェットコースター アメリカではroller coasterという
Ghost Train レールの上を走る乗り物に乗って巡るお化け屋敷
tuck into intoの後に来る食べ物を「食べる」
ただ食べるのではなく、喜んだり、ワクワクしながら食べる
料理家ジェイミー・オリバーが、テレビに出始めた頃、
作った料理を友達に出して「Tuck in！（食べて！ ）」と言って
ました
mushy peas エンドウ豆をゆでてつぶして味付けしてあるもの
cream tea スコーン、ジャムとクリーム、紅茶のセット
tongue twister 早口言葉
She sells seashells on the seashore … 有名な早口言葉 以下が全文:
She sells seashells by the seashore, The shells she sells are seashells, I'm sure,
(または、The shells she sells are surely seashells) So if she sells seashells on the seashore, Then I'm sure she sells seashore shells.