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Category Archives: Japanese
Je n’ai pas eu le loisir de la faire plus courte
Pascal, not Twain 下手の長談義(Heta no nagadangi;“The long discourse of the unskilled”) Definition: A rambling talk or story characteristic of people who aren’t very good at clear and organized speaking. To drone on in a poorly-paced, unengaging way, especially in a … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged bad at, conversational skill, 無布施経, 長話, 長談義, 長口上, long-winded, rambling, unskilled, 下手
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Horizon-spanning hostility
A puffer-fish, going out of business? 不俱戴天fu.gu.tai.ten Literally: non – together – “be crowned with” / “live under” – sky Alternately: A hated enemy; deep and abiding antipathy toward someone. Someone you despise so much that you can’t bear to … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged Book of Rites, 礼記, 礼记, 禮經, 禮記, enmity, hatred, Liji, my father's foe, 呪胎, 呪術廻戦, 戴天, 不同, 不俱, 俱不
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A Scandanavian problem
惚れたが因果(Horeta ga inga;“The lover’s lot is karma”) Definition: For someone who has fallen in love, suffering because of it is an unavoidable part of human existence. When one is in love, pain is an inevitable result – in part due … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged Buddhism, Iroha karuta, karma, love is sad, suffering, 因果, 惚れた
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Mooning over those who are absent
風月玄度fuu.getsu.gen.taku Literally: wind – moon – (mysterious) – (degree) Alternately: Thinking of someone you haven’t seen in a long time; missing a good friend due to long separation. By extension, thinking about or even mourning the death of someone exceptional. … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged beauty of nature, Chinese Antiquity, 玄度, 風月, missing the absent, poetic melancholy, 劉焉, 世説新語
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Not applicable to Bāguázhǎng practitioners
(The “eight trigrams palm” art is 八卦掌, Japanese hakkeshou.) 握れば拳開けば掌(Nigireba kobushi hirakeba tenohira;“When clenched, a fist; when opened, a palm”) Definition: A given thing can change dramatically depending on the circumstances or even on how one thinks or feels. The … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged attitude, ba gua zhang, 開けば掌, psychological relativity, 八卦掌, 握れば拳
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Act now!
Supplies will likely last; we’d just like to skip the slow, grinding attrition phase. 速戦即決soku.sen.so-.kketsu Literally: quick – battle – instant – decide Alternately: In war, striking right away at the enemy’s main force in an attempt to end things … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged act quickly, Blitzkrieg, decisive action, 速戦, first strike, sketchy pills, strategy, 即決
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Why the rich have a limited point of view
針の穴から天を覗く(Hari no ana kara ten wo nozoku;“To peer at the heavens through the eye of a needle”) Definition: Attempting to solve big, complicated problems or deal with issues requiring expertise, despite only having a small supply of knowledge. Trying to … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged Dunning-Kruger, eye of the needle, 針の穴, installing Linux, Iroha karuta, limits, mansplaining, overconfidence, 天を窺う, 天を覗く
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Belly full of sap, head full of sky
Brood X certainly has wings, and they fly like they’re drunk, but I wouldn’t call them immortal. 羽化登仙u.ka.tou.sen Literally: wing – change – climb – hermit Alternately: Feeling as if one has grown wings and ascended into the skies… often … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged brood X cicadas, 登仙, 羽化, drunk, eclosion, 苏轼, 蘇軾, soaring feeling, Su Shi, 前赤壁賦
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Even Perlman?
論より証拠(Ron yori shouko;“Proof over theory”) Definition: The proof of the pudding is in the eating. Things tend to be clarified more by evidence than by arguing or philosophizing about them. Concrete examples are the first step and foundation when trying … Continue reading
The great insulator
Second only to sudden bereavement – Joan Aiken 一攫千金i-.kkaku.sen.kin Literally: one – take – thousand – gold Alternately: Making a large profit at one stroke without much effort. Note that the instantaneous and easy nature of the wealth in question … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged easy money, Records of the Grand Historian, sudden wealth, the American Dream, windfall, 千金, 史記, 史记, 一獲, 一攫
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