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Author Archives: Confanity
Spread your tiny wings
And fire the FBI director if the investigation scares you? 小心翼翼 shou.shin.yoku.yoku Literally: small – heart – wing – wing Alternately: Timid; nervous; fearful. Notes: As always the doubled character can be replaced by the doubling mark 々. 小心 refers … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged Classic of Poetry, 翼翼, fearful, small heart, timid, wings, 小心
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Magic Monday – Red Light
Dazayn Lock (Slow; Hold Person) This complicated spell exerts the caster’s will through the Shadow to place a target into a dreamlike state; their minds are trapped as their bodies become sluggish or even immobile. This spell has a base … Continue reading
Like taking candy
Not from a baby, you monster お茶の子さいさい (Ocha no ko saisai; “Alright; tea candy!”) Definition: Something super simple and easy; just a little thing. Words of encouragement. Something as effortless as picking up and eating a bit of some snack-food. … Continue reading
A danger of focusing solely on PR
有名無実 yuu.mei.mu.jitsu Literally: exist – name – no – fruit / substance / truth Alternately: Something’s substance doesn’t match its reputation. Well-known but unable to deliver. For example, when you have laws on the books designed to protect people from … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged 無実, no substance, PR only, unenforced laws, 国語, 有名
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Don’t try to be a profit prophet
捕らぬ狸の皮算用 (Toranu tanuki no kawa zan’you; “Calculating the pelt of an uncaught tanuki”) Definition: Making over-optimistic calculations. Building unreliable assumptions into your plans for the future. Making a budget that includes estimated profit from the sale of the fur of … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged とらぬ狸, counting chickens, 皮算用, jumping the gun, pelt, tanuki
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What distant deeps or skies
Don’t you ever look away. 虎視眈眈 ko.shi.tan.tan Literally: tiger – look – watch intently – watch intently Alternately: Vigilantly awaiting an opportunity. Watching intently for an opening. Like a tiger, lying still and staring down its intended prey as it … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged 眈眈, 虎視, I Ching, tiger, tyger, watch intently, 易経
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GIGO
A potty mouth is a force multiplier 病は口より入り禍は口より出ず (Yamai wa kuchi yori iri wazawai wa kuchi yori izu; “Disease enters from the mouth and disaster exits from the mouth”) Definition: Disease enters the body through your mouth when you eat … Continue reading
I grind my bones to make my bread
粉骨砕身 fun.kotsu.sai.shin Literally: powder – bone – smash – body Alternately: To work as hard as you can. To give your all. In English we may work our fingers to the bone, but in Japanese you work until your bones … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged bones to dust, 砕身, 粉骨, 霍小玉傳, Huo Xiaoyu zhuan, life and limb, work hard
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Not applicable to salamanders
飛んで火に入る夏の虫 (Tonde hi ni iru natsu no mushi; “A summer bug that flies into a flame”) Definition: Continuing forward even though doing so means rushing, or at least preceding, headlong into danger. Recklessly inviting danger. “Like a moth to a … Continue reading
Pretty words, pretty face, ugly heart
巧言令色 kou.gen.rei.shoku Literally: skill – word – command – color Alternately: Flattery. Blandishment. Pretty words and ingratiating facial expressions, usually backed by a desire to deceive or manipulate. Making nice with someone but hiding ill intent. Notes: This yojijukugo comes … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged Analects, 論語, flattery, ill intent, ingratiating, pretty words, 巧言, 令色
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