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Author Archives: Confanity
Yes elephant plus no elephant
Equals EVERYTHING 有象無象 u.zou.mu.zou Literally: exist – shape – nothing – shape Alternately: All things; a Buddhist phrase combining “things with physical forms and things without physical forms” to denote the entirety of existence. By extension, “A large number of … Continue reading
Actual Cannibal Actual Play
Before you read further, please stop and take a few minutes to watch this video. The song and the amazing stage production that accompany it are lots of fun on their own, of course. But did you know that you … Continue reading
Where the money may be sticky
…but where it doesn’t stick 悪銭身に付かず (Akusen mi ni tsukazu; “Ill-gotten money doesn’t stick with you”) Definition: Money acquired by means other than honest work is often spent quickly on trivial things. Easy money is easy come, easy go. People … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged easy come easy go, easy money, ill-gotten, Kabuki, spending, 悪銭
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A galling surfeit of gall
大胆不敵 dai.tan.fu.teki Literally: big – liver/gallbladder / courage – non – enemy Alternately: Being, or at least acting, completely unafraid. Acting as confident as someone without any (meaningful) enemies. Notes: This is another compound comprising two near-synonyms. 大胆 is “brave(ry),” … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged brashness, courage, Crayon Shin-chan, self-confidence, 大胆, 不敵
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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