play on

つけ込む、利用する

相手の恐れや希望、弱みを利用して、その人を動かそうとすること。

やさしい英語で： To use someone’s fears, hopes, or weaknesses to influence them.

• He played on her fears.
• These adverts play on our wish to look younger.
• Are you trying to play on my guilt?

使い方： play on someone’s feelings (The advert plays on parents’ fears.)

類義語： exploit, take advantage of

よく使う表現： play on fears, play on someone’s guilt

プレーを続ける、演奏を続ける

競技や演奏をそのまま続けること。

やさしい英語で： To continue playing a game or making music.

• The band played on.
• Despite the rain, both teams played on.
• The referee told us to play on.

類義語： keep playing, continue

反対語： stop

よく使う表現： play on quietly, play on despite something

言葉遊びをする

似た音や言葉の別の意味を使って、冗談や面白い表現を作ること。

やさしい英語で： To use similar sounds or different meanings of words to make a joke or create an effect.

• The joke plays on two meanings of “light”.
• Her slogan played on the company’s name.
• This poem plays on words that sound alike.

使い方： play on something (The title plays on the word “spring”.)

類義語： make a pun on

よく使う表現： play on words, play on a name

頭から離れない、良心を苦しめる

頭から離れず、不安や罪悪感を抱かせ続けること。

やさしい英語で： To keep troubling someone’s thoughts or making them feel guilty.

• The mistake played on my mind.
• Her lie has been playing on her conscience for weeks.
• Does that memory still play on your mind?

使い方： play on someone’s mind/conscience (The unanswered question played on his mind.)

類義語： weigh on, trouble, haunt

よく使う表現： play on someone’s mind, play on someone’s conscience

相手をオンサイドにする

自分の位置によって、相手選手をオフサイドにしないこと。

やさしい英語で： To stand where your position keeps an opposing player within the rules rather than offside.

• The defender played him on.
• Your position played their striker on when the pass was made.
• Who played the attacker on before that goal?

使い方： play someone on (The last defender played the striker on.)

類義語： keep onside

よく使う表現： play someone on, play the striker on

繰り返し取り上げる

文章や話の中で、同じ考えや主題を繰り返し取り上げること。

やさしい英語で： To return repeatedly to a particular idea or theme in writing or speech.

• The poem plays on the theme of loneliness.
• His speech played on the idea of national unity.
• Several chapters play on the conflict between duty and desire.

使い方： play on a theme/idea (The novel plays on the idea of lost identity.)

類義語： return to, revisit

よく使う表現： play on a theme, play on an idea