Categories
- Japanese (823)
- Kotowaza (413)
- Yojijukugo (408)
- Long Fiction (6)
- Meta (11)
- Nonfiction (73)
- Poetry (13)
- Short Fiction (20)
- Uncategorized (13)
- World-Building (176)
- Miscellaneous (24)
- Rules (127)
- Setting (69)
- Japanese (823)
Archives
-
Recent Posts
Author Archives: Confanity
The impossible wisdom
…of, you know, not deliberately endangering people. 明哲保身yui.itsu.mu.ni Literally: bright – clear / philosophy – preserve – person Alternately: The wise and rational person avoids danger and thus remains safe. Alternately (through a common misinterpretation of 保身), this phrase may … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged Chinese literature, Classic of Poetry, 防身, 詩経, 詩經, 诗经, safety, wisdom, 明哲, 保身
Leave a comment
Riker, to Picard
He was always calling him “number one” even though the captain is the actual #1 officer in a ship. So…. 唯一無二yui.itsu.mu.ni Literally: only – one – not – two Alternately: Unique. “The one and only.” There’s nothing else like it … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged 無三, 無二, TNG, unique, value from scarcity, 唯一, 不二
Leave a comment
Somebody remind the CEOs
Isaac Newton: “If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants.”A plutocrat: “… I went to space. Best day ever!” 一将功成りて万骨枯る(Isshoukou narite bankotsu karu;“A general achieves glory; ten thousand bones dry out”) Definition: For each … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged Chinese Antiquity, Chinese literature, classical Japanese grammar, 黄巣, large small, pyramid schemes, sacrifice, the cost of glory, 功成る, 己亥歳, 曹松, 枯れる, 一将, 万骨
Leave a comment
For acting poetry
起承転結ki.shou.ten.ketsu Literally: wake up – receive – revolve – bind Alternately: The four phases of a text, according to traditional analysis: “introduction, development, turn, and conclusion.” In other words, the setup, development, climax (or major change, twist, etc.), and resolution … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged Chinese literature, classical poetry, 絶句, 起承転結, 起承転合, four-act structure, literary analysis, poetry, story structure
Leave a comment
You kiss your mother with that mouth?
“No, but I do eat reptiles.” あの声で蜥蜴食らうか時鳥(Ano koe de tokage kurau ka hototogisu;“With such a sweet voice, do you devour lizards, o lesser cuckoo?”) Definition: You can’t judge a book by its cover. People and things often have aspects that … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged appearance versus reality, トカゲ, ホトトギス, carnivores, cuckoo, don't judge, Enomoto Kikaku, 蜥蜴を食らう, haiku, perception, songbirds, Takarai Kikaku, 宝井其角, 時鳥, 榎本其角
Leave a comment
Make like a tree and endure
Of course, the way things are going, extreme-heat resistance is probably going to be more valuable than cold resistance. 歳寒松柏sai.kan.shou.haku Literally: year-end – cold – pine tree – cypress tree Alternately: Seeing one’s convictions through even when times are bad. … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged Analects, endurance, 雪中, 論語, 论语, hardship, perseverance, trees, 松柏, 歳寒
Leave a comment
Verweilst du in der Welt, sie flieht als Traum
(Goethe) 京の夢大阪の夢(Kyou no yume Osaka no yume;“Capital dreams; Osaka dreams”) Definition: Dreams are mysterious and one can’t expect them to make any sense. Alternately, dreams are where one’s desires are most easily manifested; or by extension, a statement that different … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged differences, different dreams, dream logic, dreams, Iroha karuta, 大阪の夢, 京の夢, 京都
Leave a comment
Wouldn’t it be nice
Imagine 安穏無事an.non.bu.ji Literally: peace – calm / quiet – no – thing Alternately: Peace and quiet; safety and calm. Uneventful, in a good way. This phrase evokes the pleasant side of mundane day-to-day life, on both the personal and the … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged calm, 無事, ideals, peaceful, quiet, uneventful, 安穏, 平穏, 平和
Leave a comment
Squeezed by one’s vices
Crunch crunch crunch 粋が身を食う(Sui ga mi wo kuu;“Worldly pleasures devour the man”) Definition: Too much pleasure will destroy you. A man, specifically, who spends all his time and money on dissolution with geisha (i.e. entertainers who provide music, song and … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged 粋, dissolution, entertainment, excess, 芸, 身の仇, 身を食う, Iroha karuta, pleasure, self-destruction, 大通どらの巻, 洒落本
Leave a comment
landofnudotcom 