Not “an idle and most false imposition,” for once

一体何者なんだ!?

名実一体
mei.jitsu.it-.tai

Literally: name / reputation – reality – one – body

Alternately: A thing is as it is said to be. The truth of a matter matches its reputation. Title and substance are as one. For example, when a famous storyteller really can captivate an audience, or when a man said to be an incompetent pathological narcissist turns out to actually be an incompetent pathological narcissist even after being given lots of power and responsibility, instead of magically “pivoting” into the dignity of the office.

Notes: There are several non-yojijukugo variants of this phrase, such as 名実共に (meijitsu tomo ni), “reputation and substance together” and 名実相伴う (meijitsu aitomonau), “reputation and substance accompany each other.”

MeiJitsuKuruma

Whatever they said about this car, it sure looks like it’s true!

About Confanity

I love the written word more than anything else I've had the chance to work with. I'm back in the States from Japan for grad school, but still studying Japanese with the hope of becoming a translator -- or writer, or even teacher -- as long as it's something language-related.
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1 Response to Not “an idle and most false imposition,” for once

  1. Pingback: Melting pot, ethnic stew | landofnudotcom

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