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Author Archives: Confanity
Don’t look a gift friend in the mouth
Turns out that’s kind of rude with humans too, eh 背戸の馬も相口(Sedo no uma mo aikuchi;“Even a back-entrance horse has a friend”) Definition: “Even an unruly horse can be tamed.” Even the most unfriendly, poorly-socialized person can become relatively cooperative if … Continue reading
Press “ko” for “konquer”
Apply to current events as you feel appropriate 遠交近攻en.kou.kin.kou Literally: far – mix / associate – near – attack Alternately: A policy of cultivating good relations with more distant nations while attacking (and attempting to conquer) those nearby. A more … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged attacking neighbors, 秦, divide and conquer, 遠交, 范雎, 近攻, Fan Ju, invasion, strange bedfellows, strategy, 史記, 史记
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Party rockers at the gate tonight
Everybody just have a good time? 門前市を成す(Monzen ichi wo nasu;“A market forms before the gates”) Definition: For a place, especially a home, to be so frequented by visitors that the press of people and vehicles at the entrance to the … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged bustling, 門前, gregarious, many visitors, Party Rock Anthem, 后汉书, 市の如し, 市を成す, 漢書
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Good, evil, and dogfights
Apply to current events as you feel appropriate 黒白分明koku.byaku.bun.mei Literally: black – white – divide / understand – bright Alternately: A situation where it is easy to tell pros from cons, right from wrong, good fromd evil. As easy to … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged a clear choice, しゅんじゅうはんろ, black and white, 白黒, easy to understand, 黒白, good and bad, Ikaruga, right & wrong, 分明, 斑鳩, 春秋繁露
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No rest for the nebbish
The wicked all too often have a surfeit of leisure 貧乏暇なし(Binbou hima nashi;“Poor, no rest”) Definition: The poor have no free time; when you’re poor, you have to work constantly just to meet your needs and stay alive. When you’re … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged 貧乏, free time, hard work, Iroha karuta, poverty, privilege, Sewa tsukushi, work and leisure, 暇, 世話尽
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Archery’s swan song
不失正鵠fu.shitsu.sei.koku Literally: not – lose / error – correct – swan Alternately: To correctly grasp the main point, meaning, or implication of something. To hit the nail on the head; to get a metaphorical bullseye. Notes: This is a compound … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged Book of Rites, bullseye, central concept, circular swans, 礼記, 礼记, 禮記, on target, 弓道, 正鵠, 不失
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Waiting to En-gage
縁と月日は末を待て(En to tsukihi wa sue wo mate;“In relationships and in life, wait for the time to come”) Definition: All things come in their own time; the best strategy is not to rush around in a fluster, but to calmly and … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged 縁, fate, opportunity, patience, romantic destiny, waiting, 時節, 月日, 末を待, 浮世
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Everything is more powerful when it rhymes
元気溌剌gen.ki.hatsu.ratsu Literally: beginning – spirit – vigorous – opposed Alternately: Full of energy. Bursting with pep, vim, vigor. Lively. Notes: This is a compound of compounds. 元気 is a very common term in Japanese, and denotes a broad theme that … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged オロナミンC, energy, hype, small children, vigor, 元気, 溌剌, 溌溂, 潑剌, 潑溂
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The Scrooge of the Orchard
The Marley of the barley? 吝ん坊の柿の種(Shiwanbou no kaki no tane;“The miser’s persimmon seed”) Definition: This phrase is used to criticize people who penny-pinch to an unhealthy extreme. The image is of someone so obsessed with never letting anything go that … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged けちん坊, しわん坊, hoarding, miserly, penny-pinching, Shutsukushi, stinginess, Yawa soji, 出駒子, 吝ん坊, 夜話荘治, 柿の種, 柿ピー
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:|
8^| 真一文字ma.ichi.mon.ji Literally: true – one – sentence – character Alternately: Straight as an arrow; as the crow flies; as straight as the written character for the number one, which is just a straight line. By extension; when a person’s … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged 真, flat mouth, intense focus, straight line, written characters, 一文字
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