unanimous, deliberation, toughen, tighten, purse strings, light touch

Ohio Looms Large in Both Races on Tuesday By TRIP GABRIEL A primary victory by Gov. John Kasich in his home state would toughen Donald J. Trump's path to the Republican nomination, while Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders seeks a repeat of his Michigan upset.

U.K. Market Regulator Toughens Approach

Britain's markets regulator is becoming more demanding and may impose costlier rules on banks, abandoning its previous light touch.

U.K. Rescue Fails to Spur Loans

U.K. banks sharply tightened credit to households and companies, intensifying worries that a bank-rescue plan is failing to get money flowing.

China Sentences Ringleaders Of Software-Counterfeiting Gang
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 31 -- The alleged ringleaders of a Chinese counterfeiting gang that sold at least $2 billion worth of bogus Microsoft software were sentenced Wednesday to prison terms of up to 6 1/2 years, in what is believed to be the harshest penalties yet under China's tightened piracy laws.
(By Jordan Robertson, The Washington Post)




U.S. to Toughen Jet Fuel-Tank Rules
Federal regulators are expected to adopt contentious and potentially costly rules designed to prevent fuel-tank explosions on commercial airliners. The new rules come after nearly a decade of deliberation.


Environmental Agency Tightens Smog Standards

WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency announced a modest tightening of the smog standard on Wednesday evening, overruling the unanimous advice of its scientific advisory council 科學諮詢會 for a more protective standard.

The standard, stated in terms of average concentrations of ozone 臭氧 at ground level over an eight-hour period, is now 84 parts per billion. Mr. Johnson’s decision, if it survives court review, would lower that to 75, although implementation could be decades away. Late last year a scientific advisory panel recommended 60 to 70 parts per billion.




smog━━ n. スモッグ, 煙霧.
parts per billion 十億分之"幾"

unanimous Show phonetics
adjective
If a group of people are unanimous, they all agree about one particular matter or vote the same way, and if a decision or judgment is unanimous, it is formed or supported by everyone in a group:
The jury returned a unanimous verdict of guilty after a short deliberation.
After a lengthy discussion we reached a unanimous decision on the proposal.
The new format has unanimous support and could be introduced next season.

unanimously Show phonetics
adverb
All four proposals to the committee were unanimously approved.


deliberate (CONSIDER) Show phonetics
verb [I or T] FORMAL
to think or talk seriously and carefully about something:
The jury took five days to deliberate on the case.
The committee has deliberated the question at great length.
[+ question word] He's deliberating whether or not to accept the new job that he's been offered.

deliberation Show phonetics
noun [C or U] FORMAL
consideration or discussion of something:
After much deliberation, she decided to accept their offer.
After five days of deliberations, the jury decided on a verdict of not guilty.



Idioms: purse strings

Financial resources or control of them, as in His mother doesn't want to let go of the purse strings because he may make some foolish investments.

This expression is often extended to hold or tighten or loosen the purse strings, as in As long as Dad holds the purse strings, we have to consider his wishes, or The company is tightening the purse strings and will not be hiring many new people this year.


The purse strings in this idiom are the means of opening and closing a drawstring purse. [Early 1400s]

tight (FIRMLY TOGETHER) Show phonetics
adjective, adverb
(held or kept together) firmly or closely:
I can't untie the knot - it's too tight.
This lid is on very tight.
The people stood talking in tight groups.
Hold on tight when we go round this corner.
Check that windows and doors are shut tight (= completely closed) before you leave.
The plastic cover was stretched tight (= stretched as much as it could be) across the tank.
See also airtight; watertight.

tight Show phonetics
adjective
1 If you have a tight feeling in your chest you have an uncomfortable feeling of pressure, caused by illness, fear, etc.

2 Controls or rules that are tight are ones which severely limit what can happen.

3 If time or money is tight, there isn't enough of it:
I'm sorry I can't stop, time's really tight.
They're raising three kids on one small salary so money is very tight.

4 Clothes or shoes that are tight fit the body too closely and are uncomfortable:
That jacket's too tight - you want a bigger size.

tightly Show phonetics
adverb
firmly or closely:
The baby was clutching his dummy tightly in his grubby fist.
Many commuters are forced to stand, tightly packed in, like sardines.

tightness Show phonetics
noun [U]

tighten Show phonetics
verb [I or T]
to become tighter or to make something become tighter, firmer or less easy to move:
Tighten the straps so they don't rub.
As he struggled, the ropes tightened even more.


 toughen

音節

 

tough • en

 

発音

 

tʌ'fən

1. [他動詞], [自動詞] 堅くする［なる］，強靭きょうじんにする［なる］；たくましくする［なる］；強情にする［なる］；困難にする［なる］
   • Adversity was toughening him rapidly.
   • 逆境によって急激に彼はたくましく鍛えられていった
   • The parents tried to toughen up their son.
   • 両親は息子を鍛え上げようとした.