Author Archives: Confanity

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About Confanity

I love the written word more than anything else I've had the chance to work with. I'm back in the States from Japan for grad school, but still studying Japanese with the hope of becoming a translator -- or writer, or even teacher -- as long as it's something language-related.

Try walking a mile in *these* shoes!

Posted on March 8, 2015 by Confanity

金の草鞋で探す (Kane no waraji de sagasu; “Seek with iron sandals”) Definition: Searching for something tirelessly. Patiently looking everywhere. Normal straw sandals break down with use, but iron sandals will endure – as will the person whose search is described with … Continue reading →

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Even uniquer! (Yes, I know that that’s not a word.)

Posted on March 4, 2015 by Confanity

This should look a little familiar, but there’s a twist: 空前絶後 kuu.zen.zetsu.go Literally: empty – before – cut off – after Alternately: Unique in all of history. Never before, and never again. Something so amazing, or so horrible, that the … Continue reading →

Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Magic Monday – opening thoughts

Posted on March 2, 2015 by Confanity

So my current “fantasy heartbreaker” is YAOSC. As a grad student with a baby, I don’t have time to do more than take it out and putter around with it a little every now and then. But recently* this post at … Continue reading →

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No spoonfuls of sugar for you today

Posted on March 1, 2015 by Confanity

忠言耳に逆らう (Chuugen mimi ni sakarau; “Good advice hurts your ears”) Definition: When someone is truly trying to help you, they acknowledge your faults and failings and give you good advice based on that honest assessment. But it can be hard … Continue reading →

Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Melodious Rap Saga of Slimy Nim

Posted on February 26, 2015 by Confanity

(To be chanted with maximum energy) The Melodious Rap Saga of Slimy Nim My brother had a waffle! Its name was Slimy Nim! And every time he threw it out it came on right back in! He covered it with … Continue reading →

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Epoch-marking uniqueness!

Posted on February 25, 2015 by Confanity

史上空前 shi.jou.kuu.zen Literally: history – above/up – empty – before Alternately: Unprecedented. Unheard of. History-making. The very first ever. Notes:In cases like this, the 上 character refers to a vague scope of the topic under discussion. It can also be … Continue reading →

Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

On spicing up your dungeon crawl with… sensory output!

Posted on February 23, 2015 by Confanity

Noisms just put up a thought-provoking post about “consequences” in the dungeon. Not the social consequences of PC actions within the fictional world, though (although that would be an excellent topic to explore in depth, if you’re up for a certain kind … Continue reading →

Posted in Miscellaneous, Musing | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Literally half the plot of the Tale of Genji

Posted on February 22, 2015 by Confanity

壁に耳あり障子に目あり (Kabe ni mimi ari shouji ni me ari; “The walls have ears, the doors have eyes”) Definition: If you’re talking about something that you want to keep secret for any reason, be careful. Keep in mind how much of … Continue reading →

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Blang blang blang

Posted on February 18, 2015 by Confanity

丁々発止 chou.chou.has-.shi Literally: *chou – *chou – emit – stop Alternately: The sound of clashing swords; an argument as fierce as if it were a life-or-death sword fight. Notes: 丁 has a number of meanings, such as a street or … Continue reading →

Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

On achieving clarity

Posted on February 15, 2015 by Confanity

Here’s our fortieth kotowaza: 四十にして惑わず (Shijuu ni shite madowazu; “At forty, no doubts”) Definition: This extremely optimistic saying asserts that by the time you reach forty years old, your ability to reason is well-developed, your studies have given you a … Continue reading →

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