Categories
- Japanese (415)
- Kotowaza (212)
- Yojijukugo (201)
- Long Fiction (6)
- Meta (11)
- Nonfiction (61)
- Poetry (10)
- Short Fiction (16)
- Uncategorized (7)
- World-Building (146)
- Miscellaneous (18)
- Rules (111)
- Setting (64)
- Japanese (415)
Archives
-
Recent Posts
Author Archives: Confanity
When the juice hits your eye like a tiny pizza-pie…
…that’s-a karma 天に向かって唾を吐く (Ten ni mukatte tsuba wo haku; “To face the heavens and spit”) Definition: To attempt to harm others is to invite misfortune on yourself. What goes around, comes around. If you try to dirty the sky by … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Leave a comment
Samazama na arisama
三者三様 san.sha.san.you Literally: three – person – three – manner Alternately: Everybody is different. If you look at three people, you’ll find three different ways of thinking, three different ways of doing things. Notes: The number three may be replaced … Continue reading
A useful skill for adulting
It’s easy, there’s a trick to it. 心頭を滅却すれば火もまた涼し (Shintou wo mekkyaku sureba hi mo mata suzushi; “When you empty your mind, even fire is cool.”) Definition: The Buddhist teaching than any kind of pain or hardship can be endured with … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged concentration, Du Xunhe, Kaisen, mind over matter, Zen, 快川, 杜荀鶴
Leave a comment
The old razzle-dazzle
歌舞音曲 ka.bu.on.kyoku Literally: sing – dance – sound – melody Alternately: Song and dance. Especially, a public performance of singing and dancing. More generally, performance or play using any of the flashy arts.
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged げんない, 音曲, music, performance, song and dance, 劇団, 歌舞
Leave a comment
Can’t squeeze water from a boiling stone
焼け石に水 (Yakeishi ni mizu; “Water on a hot stone”) Definition: A situation where you shouldn’t expect much. A drop in the bucket. A negligible amount of aid or effort, like a little splash of water against a hot stone, which … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged 焼き石, 焼け石, hotshot, Kefukigusa, negligible, nothing gained
Leave a comment
Work, save, work, go!
More effective but less fun than “eat, pray, love”? Nah, just parallel. 勤倹力行 kin.ken.ri-.kkou Literally: diligence – frugality – power – go / carry out (an action) Alternately: Frugality and hard work. A modest lifestyle supported by copious elbow grease. … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged hard work, modest living, Ninomiya Kinjiro, Ninomiya Sontoku, 力行, 勤倹, 二宮金次郎
Leave a comment
The sunny ant of the high seas
待てば海路の日和あり (Mateba kairo no hiyori ari; “If you wait, there will be ideal weather on the sea-routes”) Definition: Good things come to those who wait. Do your best to endure when things are bad, because they will get better. Even … Continue reading
