Play it safe

A young man wearing a mask.
(Photo: Samuele Giglio/Unsplash | Text: David/ArtisanEnglish.jp)

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Phrase: Play it safe

There are times to take risks and times when it is best to take precautions.

In other words, there are times to throw caution to the wind and others when it is best to play it safe.

Concerning the coronavirus, this is a time to play it safe.

I am a Canadian, and when I first came to Japan, I thought it strange to see so many people wearing surgical masks at any time of year in any weather.

North Americans generally have an aversion to masks for cultural reasons.

We don’t want to be seen as weak or looking stupid.

That’s probably the main reason why good ol’ Trumpy doesn’t wear one.

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is no time to worry about fashion or opinion.

We all have to play it safe, be cautious, take precautions and wear a mask.


When you play it safe, you do not take risks but instead take precautions against something bad happening. Play it safe – wear a mask.


The professionals say one of the reasons Japan has not experienced a massive spike in deaths is the cultural acceptance of masks.

I think another factor is that the Japanese do not like to take risks.

Riding a packed commuter train in the morning without a mask is similar to walking out in a Canadian winter without a winter coat – it’s very risky.

If you don’t die, you are guaranteed to become sick.

Initially, North American medical authorities told people not to wear masks.

We all now know that was a huge mistake.

I mean, why tempt fate with a potentially deadly disease?

In matters of life and death, it’s best to play it safe.

You may look silly, but at least you’ll still be healthy and alive.


Flesch-Kincaid Readability Test

This post is understandable by someone with at least a 7th-grade education (age 12).

On the Flesch-Kincaid reading-ease test, this post scores 74.

The easier a passage is to read, the higher the score on a scale of 0 – 100.



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