Monthly Archives: June 2018

Cosmic triage

Posted on June 27, 2018 by Confanity

悪人正機 aku.nin.shou.ki Literally: evil – person – correct – loom / machine Alternately: No matter how evil a person is, the Buddha’s wish is for them to be saved. Or perhaps, the worse a person is, the more important it … Continue reading →

Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Not just hermits

Posted on June 24, 2018 by Confanity

Buddhist tzaddikim? 仏千人神千人 (Hotoke sennin kami sennin; “A thousand Buddhas, a thousand gods”) Definition: The world may be full of bad people, but there are also many good people as well, including people good enough to be compared to bodhisattvas … Continue reading →

Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

A day for lying in

Posted on June 20, 2018 by Confanity

虚誕妄説 kyo.tan.mou.setsu Literally: empty – birth / arbitrary – delusion – explanation Alternately: Groundless remarks. False statements. Talking nonsense; making irresponsible comments; shooting off at the mouth. Notes: This is another two-two-character-compound-compound: 虚誕 refers to not just falsehoods but exaggerated … Continue reading →

Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Wer anderen eine Grube gräbt

Posted on June 17, 2018 by Confanity

fällt zusammen hinein? 人を呪わば穴二つ (Hito wo norowaba ana futatsu; “If you place a curse, [dig] two holes”) Definition: If you try to harm others, harm will come (back) to you. More literally, if you curse someone to death, their dying … Continue reading →

Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

More likely when the person at the center is rotten

Posted on June 13, 2018 by Confanity

朝蠅暮蚊 chou.you.bo.bun Literally: morning – fly (the insect, not the verb) – evening – mosquito Alternately: A troublesome situation or gloomy atmosphere caused by an assemblage of narrow-minded, trivial people. Like being surrounded by clouds of flies in the morning … Continue reading →

Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Has, shoots, and leaves

Posted on June 10, 2018 by Confanity

雨後の筍 (Ugo no takenoko; “Bamboo shoots after the rain”) Definition: The same thing, or similar things, popping up one after another. Repetition. Recurrence. Like a profusion of bamboo shoots sprouting after the rain. Like mushrooms after the rain, in Western … Continue reading →

Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

A dangerous game when your name starts with “hundred”

Posted on June 6, 2018 by Confanity

I guess birds are illiterate? 百舌勘定 mo.zu.kan.jou Literally: hundred – tongue – compare – determine Alternately: Arranging things so that others end up paying your costs for you. Especially at a restaurant, manipulating the bill in a way that divides … Continue reading →

Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Paul Ryan’s next plan for American health care

Posted on June 3, 2018 by Confanity

Nah, it would still cost rich people a bit of money. 二階から目薬 (Nikai kara megusuri; “Eye medicine from the second floor”) Definition: A frustrating situation where things don’t go as you want. Alternately, a roundabout way of doing things that … Continue reading →

Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment