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Author Archives: Confanity
Nine and nine of ten and ten
In honor of September, a yojijukugo with some nines in it! 九分九厘 ku.bu.ku.rin Literally: nine – part – nine – smaller part [1/10 of a bu] Alternately: 99%. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred. Almost certainly. Notes: There is some … Continue reading
On how to make a mountain
A variation on a theme: 塵も積もれば山となる (Chiri mo tsumoreba yama to naru; “Even dust, if it builds up, becomes a mountain”) Definition: Small things, allowed to accumulate, become large. Multiple sources reference the English saying “Many a little makes a … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged accumulate, dust, Iroha karuta, Japanese, mountain, 塵も, 山となる
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When you eat like a horse, you get thirsty
牛飲馬食 gyuu.in.ba.shoku Literally: cow – drink – horse – eat Alternately: To drink like a cow and eat like a horse; to eat and drink a huge amount. Note: The first half can also be 鯨飲 (gei.in; “to drink like … Continue reading
Directions, part III
(Story begins here. Continued from Part II) The next time Seth heard Thea’s voice was a week later, in the library carrel spaces. He was spending his lunch break with his CD player and a pile of books that might … Continue reading
The good kind of erosion?
A kotowaza for students in the new semester: 雨垂れ石を穿つ (Amadare ishi wo ugatsu; “Raindrops drill through stone”) Definition: Mere drips of rainwater, falling from the eaves of a house, again and again in the same spot, will wear a hole in … Continue reading
Godot. Guffman. Superman. The Man.
Hoping for fall – and cooler weather – to come soon. 一日三秋 ichi.jitsu.san.shuu Literally: one – day – three – autumn(s) Alternately: A single day seems like three years. Each moment seems to drag on. Waiting impatiently. Notes: The first … Continue reading
Directions, Part II
(Continued from part I) It was that private smile—sometimes tired, sometimes bitter, sometimes pleased, but always incomprehensible—that won. Seth had given up trying to see how his roommate could find amusement in random situations, even in their most vicious arguments. … Continue reading
A silver lining, at ground level
雨降って地固まる (Ame futte ji katamaru; “The rain falls, and the earth hardens”) Definition: Before the rain, soil may be loose and crumbly. When the rain falls, it turns the ground soft and muddy. But after the rain has ended and … Continue reading
With single solitary blade, the samurai his entrance made
単刀直入 tan.tou.choku.nyuu Literally: simple/single – sword – direct/frankness/repair – enter Alternately: Charging into a mass of enemies with just one sword to protect you. Getting straight to the point. Being direct instead of roundabout. Saying something point-blank without niceties or … Continue reading
Directions, Part I
As a grad student taking two translation workshops and teaching two drill sections (first-year Japanese ), I don’t have a lot of time for writing. What I can do, and have been doing since A Flight of Words, is put … Continue reading
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