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Author Archives: Confanity
Magic Monday – Bookworm book
Philliden’s Walking Knowledge This is a heavy book of uncountable vellum pages in a sturdy leather cover. Each page contains a wall of text and illustrations that crowd into the margins, detailing accumulated knowledge in a given field. The Walking … Continue reading
Posted in Rules, World-Building
Tagged book, cannibalism, digest, Magic Monday, walking knowledge
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Like taking candy from a baby…
…by beating it in a game of chess 暖簾に腕押し (Noren ni ude-oshi; “arm-wrestling a curtain”) Definition: A deed with no resistance, therefore requiring no real effort, and therefore giving no thrill or satisfaction for the accomplishment. A waste of effort. … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged arm wrestling, curtain, 腕相撲, 腕押し, no resistance, wasted effort, 暖簾
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America Food for America Day!
For the Fourth of July, we didn’t do anything special. There was some sort of musical event downtown starting at dusk, capped off with fireworks at about 10pm. But the kid’s bedtime is at 8:00, so it was unclear whether … Continue reading
Still better than a frog?
喉元事案 nodo.moto.ji.an Literally: throat – origin – think – plan Alternately: Superficial thinking. Rash and hasty ideas. Notes: Derived from the belief that one’s deepest thinking was done in the chest. The throat is more “shallow” than the chest, so … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged rash idea, superficial, throat thinking, 喉元, 事案
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Magic Monday – Slavery is freedom
Lawless Lock A cylinder of rough cast iron (invulnerable to harm from the mortal plane) with an oddly-shaped keyhole on each end. It comes without any accompanying key, though: the lock is sentient and capable of speaking and understanding any … Continue reading
Cat, hat; in French chat, chapeau
猫を被る (Neko wo kaburu; “To play the cat”) Definition: To hide one’s true (wild or willful) nature and pretend to be quiet and obedient. Alternately, to pretend not to know about a situation that one is actually involved in or … Continue reading
TFW you see the universe in a flower through a flower in the universe
拈華微笑 nen.ge.mi.shou Literally: twist (with the fingers) – flower – delicate/minute – laugh/smile Alternately: Communicating “heart to heart,” without words or writing. Subtle, unspoken communication. Plucking or toying with a flower, and a smile. Notes: In other contexts, 微笑 can … Continue reading
Magic Monday – Physical Magic – Goodnight, fall
Foshdani Hahd Physical adepts of the Fells engage in long training missions out in the mountains. Snowstorms in the Fells can strike with little warning during more than half of the year. It should come as no surprise, then, that … Continue reading
Like taking cereal from a baby!
Don’t ask why the hand is wet, though. 濡れ手で粟（を掴み取る） (Nurete de awa (wo tsukamitoru); “(grasping) millet with a wet hand”) Definition: Profit without hard work. Easy money. If you stick a wet hand into a container of fine grains such … Continue reading
Brandy Bundt, meet your match
盗人上戸 nusu.bito.jou.go Literally: steal – person – up – door Alternately: Someone who likes both alcohol and sweets. Alternately, someone who doesn’t show any outward signs even after consuming a large quantity of alcohol. Notes: The first pair of characters … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged alcohol, 甘党, 盗人, 辛党, Hobson's Choice, sweets, 上戸
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