Frasers Group

This is a good reading to learn business words.

What next for Mike Ashley’s patchwork retail empire?
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/mar/15/mike-ashley-patchwork-retail-empire-starting-to-fray-frasers-group

flux
span
lush
splendour
football boots
awe
see off
de facto - spelling and pronunciation
thwart
call the shots
console
far-reaching
distressed [Collins]in financial straits; poor - distressed asset
amass
ditch
cut-price
snap up (BR)
down-at-heel / down at heel
array - array of brands
ailing
zero-hours / zero-hour contract
squarely
well-off / well off
lag - lag behind
flotation
acquisitive
tilt [Collins]A tilt at something is an attempt to win or obtain it
wad - a wad of
underpin
admonish
impish
lieutenant [Collins]If you refer to someone as a person's lieutenant, you mean they are that person's assistant, especially their main assistant, in an organization or activity.
out in the cold
fallout
spearhead
burn a bridge


Sports Direct
Boohoo
Evans Cycles
AO
Marks Electrical
Asos
St James’ Park
Michael Murray
JJB
JD Sports
Donnay
Dunlop Slazenger
Flannels
Findel / Studio Retail
Blue

Frasers Group
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frasers_Group

Advanced Data Protection

I haven't noticed Advanced Data Protection which was a feature of iOS 16.2. It's about two years ago... iOS is now 18.3...

Apple pulls data protection tool after UK government security row
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgj54eq4vejo

gravely disappointed
on a point of principle
hinder [quote]end-to-end encrypted services can hinder child safety and protection efforts
CSAM - child sexual abuse material
zero-sum
callous

I cannot use ADP for one of my iPhones, but I should enable the feather for another iPhone and Apple devices.

Why You Should Enable Apple’s New Security Feature in iOS 16.2 Right Now
https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/how-to-set-up-apples-new-icloud-encryption-security-feature/

toxic Apple Watch straps

I cannot go out without Apple Watch. I take it off at home, though.
It's second AppleWatch and the strap is made by polyester and silicone threads. I used the first AppleWatch for more than two years and the strap was synthetic leather. I hope it was not made by fluoroelastomer.

Smartwatch bands can contain ‘major’ levels of toxic PFAS, study finds
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/16/smartwatch-bands-pfas-study

[quote]PFAS are a class of about 15,000 compounds typically used to make products that resist water, stains and heat. They are called “forever chemicals”[unquote]
class [Collins]A class of things is a group of them with similar characteristics.
startle
build-up
fluoroelastomer
PFHxA
under-researched [wiktionary]Insufficiently researched
PFOA
EPA - Environmental Protection Agency??

Just avoid fluoroelastomer.

AI may not be able to be trained by internet

Journalists of 'old media' are always checking Musk's tweets or live-streaming. He is successful to controls 'old media'.
It looks Musk didn't say something strange on AI. It's not a gossip.

Elon Musk says all human data for AI training ‘exhausted’
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jan/09/elon-musk-data-ai-training-artificial-intelligence

synthetic data [wikipedia]Synthetic data are artificially generated data rather than produced by real-world events. Typically created using algorithms, synthetic data can be deployed to validate mathematical models and to train machine learning models.
array
in effect = in fact
exhaustion
trove [Collins]treasure trove [Cambridge] a large amount of something good, useful, or valuable, or a place where this can be found
thesis
hallucination < hallucinate [Collins]When an artificial intelligence hallucinates, it produces information that is false.
nonsensical
tally [Collins]If one number or statement tallies with another, they agree with each other or are exactly the same. You can also say that two numbers or statements tally.
deteriorate - remember!!
diminishing - remember!!
absorbed - remember!!

xAI
GPT-4o [wikipedia]"o" for "omni" - Open AI
Llama - Meta
Phi-4 - MS
Stagwell / Mark Penn
Alan Turing Institute

It is obvious that AI is much smarter than monkeys. Monkeys are not able to be trained like as AI.
Monkeys don't have good memory, as you know. And they have nothing to do.
They are just killing their time for something unnecessary, such as reading gossips in English. That's a monkey.

Nick Clegg leaves Meta

It was about a month ago that I took him in my blog. He's resigned.

Nick Clegg, former UK deputy prime minister, leaves Meta
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jan/02/nick-clegg-meta

societal
norm [Collins]A norm is an official standard or level that organizations are expected to reach.
voice [Collins]an agency through which is communicated another's purpose, policy, etc
shakeup / shake-up [Collins]A shakeup is a major set of changes in an organization or a system.
vacillate [Collins] If you vacillate between two alternatives or choices, you keep changing your mind.
The Daily Caller

Meta has turned to right-wing due to the coming Trump government.

Minecraft enters real world

It's interesting article but no words. That's the shame.

Minecraft enters real world with $110m global theme park deal
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/nov/19/minecraft-theme-park-deal-uk-us-merlin-entertainments

Merlin Entertainments
Alton Towers - since 1860!
tn = trillion? [quote]there are more than 1.3tn videos posted by game players on YouTube[unquote]
crown jewel
Duplo - Lego Duplo
Kirkbi - Denmark
CPPIB - Canada

[quote]Last year, Minecraft became the first single video game to pass 300m sales, well ahead of other top-selling global titles including Grand Theft Auto V (205m), Nintendo’s Wii Sports (83m) and PUBG: Battlegrounds (75m) [unquote]

I've enjoyed watching short TikTok videos of Minecraft played by AI generated UK politicians chiefly Starmer, Farage, Boris and Sunak, plus some regular guests such as King Charles, David Cameron and sometimes cameos like Liz Truss, Jeremy Clarkson, or even Count Binface. it's so funny.

rethink cashless society plans

I'm reading past news articles to catch up with the world.
My concerns are always Russia, China and scary dogs and bears - not the US presidential election. Reading the news doesn't affect to the results of the election. People who support Trump are just gullible （情弱）. I cannot help them.

Sweden and Norway rethink cashless society plans over Russia security fears
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/30/sweden-and-norway-rethink-cashless-society-plans-over-russia-security-fears

warfare
preparedness
denomination - don't forget!!
backpedal - back-pedal [Collins] If you back-pedal, you express a different or less forceful opinion about something from the one you have previously expressed.
fast track [Collins]To fast track something means to make it happen or progress faster or earlier than normal.
ubiquitous
market stal - don't forget!!l
overhaul - don't forget!!
adversary - accent
porous
legal tender
prolonged
weaponise
standstill
mandate

Vipps - Norway
MobilePay - Denmark and Finland
Vipps MobilePay - above plus Sweden
e-krona
Swedish Defence University

[quote] In a brochure with the title If Crisis or War Comes that will be sent to every home in Sweden next month, the defence ministry advises people to use cash regularly and keep at least a week’s supply in various denominations as well as access to other forms of payment such as bank cards and digital payment services. “If you can pay in several different ways, you strengthen your preparedness,” it says. [unquote]

My Finnish friend who recently visited Tokyo was stubborn not to carry cash. Scandinavians should understand how cash is useful in time of emergency and in Japan.

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.

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?

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/

a fall in US inflation

Business English is American English.

Stock markets hit record highs after news of a fall in US inflation
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/sep/27/stock-markets-hit-record-highs-after-news-of-a-fall-in-us-inflation

<words>
pave the way to (US) [quote]A fall in US inflation expected to pave the way for further cuts in interest rates pushed stock markets to record highs on Friday.
veritable / a feast of [quote]A veritable feast of economic stimulus measures
markedly < marked [Collins]A marked change or difference is very obvious and easily noticed.

STOXX 600 / DAX (40) / CAC 40 / FTSE 100
Fed = The Federal Reserve System
The Conference Board

[quote]Recent reports by the International Monetary Fund and the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) have shown global growth being held back by a sharp slowdown in the US and China. Some analysts have predicted that without extra measures to boost borrowing and investment, there could be a recession in the US next year and a sharp drop in China from the 5% growth rate target set by premier Xi Jinping.[unquote]

UK economy to grow faster than Japan, Italy and Germany this year, says OECD
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/sep/25/uk-economy-to-grow-faster-than-japan-italy-and-germany-this-year-says-oecd

Amazon had been a winner of super-deduction tax break

Should this article be classified into business or politics? It's about the change of the corporate tax policy.

Amazon UK pays corporation tax for first time since 2020
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/sep/26/amazon-uk-pays-corporation-tax-for-first-time-since-2020
[quote]Amazon’s main UK division has paid corporation tax for the first time since 2020 after the end of a “super-deduction” tax break introduced by Rishi Sunak.[unquote]

<words>
rein in [Collins]To rein in something means to control it.
[quote]Analysts said the corporation tax payment was likely to have been prompted by lower capital spending by Amazon, as it has reined in warehouse expansion[quote]

tax break (US) = tax concession = tax incentive
offset [quote]Fewer government tax breaks and lower historical losses to offset against tax had also increased the bill, they said.
surmise [Collins]If you surmise that something is true, you guess it from the available evidence, although you do not know for certain.
sizeable [Collins]Sizeable means fairly large.
chunk [Collins]A chunk of something is a large amount or large part of it.
shunt [Collins]If a person or thing is shunted somewhere, they are moved or sent there, usually because someone finds them inconvenient.
GMB - general trade union

I don't like online shopping, because it's time consuming. Especially Amazon, because of its greedy way of management.
I don't like Furusato Nozei for the same reason, but I should be refunded some from government.
I pay tax too much to my local government and Japan. They are greedy, too. They should collect tax from Amazon, not me!

Tupperware

My mother has used Tupperware for about 50 years. It has quite long life.

Historic food container brand Tupperware files for bankruptcy in US
https://www.standard.co.uk/business/business-news/historic-food-container-brand-tupperware-files-for-bankruptcy-in-us-b1182724.html

macroeconomic environment
[Investopedia] The macro-environment refers to the broader condition of an economy as opposed to specific markets. The macro-environment can be affected by GDP, fiscal policy, monetary policy, inflation, employment rates, and consumer spending.

<words>
afloat [Collins]If a person, business, or country stays afloat or is kept afloat, they have just enough money to pay their debts and continue operating.
secure [quote]it was trying to secure financing from investors as it was at risk of going bust.
emulate [Collins]If you emulate something or someone, you imitate them because you admire them a great deal.


[quote]
Tupperware was developed by Earl Tupper
Tupperware, the food container company founded 78 years ago
the late Queen Elizabeth II, had been trying to secure a funding lifeline
The brand was well known for its Tupperware Parties, first held in 1948
“party plan” marketing scheme
[unquote]

It's multi-level marketing, but my mummy hasn't thought she was targeted. She's happy having them. Maybe the late Queen, too.

Lloyd's of London reported a sharp rise in profit

Business English.

Lloyd's of London half-year profit up by £1 billion in boost for the City
https://www.standard.co.uk/business/lloyds-of-london-halfyear-profit-up-by-1-billion-b1180298.html

<words>
consecutive
buck [Collins] If you buck the trend, you obtain different results from others in the same area.
offset
botched [Collins] bungled or mishandled [quote]the global IT outage caused by the botched update rolled out
lapse [Collins] 48 hour lapse in policies [Collins]A lapse of something such as concentration or judgment is a temporary lack of that thing, which can often cause you to make a mistake.
elapse [Collins]When time elapses, it passes.

job of work
[Longman] British English something that you have to do even if you do not enjoy it
[Wiktionary]A required job or task; a job that requires a substantial amount of effort
[quote] improvement came after “a job of work” during which Lloyd’s “cut out the underperforming stuff [to] focus more on the outperforming things.” [unquote]
This stuff sounds it includes staff...

<insurance words>
Gross written premiums
payout
D&O insurance [quote]D&O insurance covers directors and officers for liability that may arise during their duties.

D&O insurance! Who pays?