Category Archives: Kotowaza

Failure to plan is planning to…

Posted on March 29, 2020 by

…murder thousands of your own citizens, if one of the things you’re supposed to plan for is an emergency situation! 遠慮なければ近憂あり (Enryo nakereba kin’yuu ari; “Without forethought, worry is forthcoming”) Definition: If you don’t act and plan with an eye … Continue reading →

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Be prepared!

Posted on March 23, 2020 by

And be clean in word and deed. 備えあれば憂いなし (Sonae areba urei nashi; “If yes prep, no worries”) Definition: If you habitually take the time and effort to make sure you’re prepared for a worst-case scenario, then you’ll be a lot … Continue reading →

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Barrelsplaining!

Posted on March 15, 2020 by

空き樽は音が高い (Akidaru wa oto ga takai; “An empty barrel makes a loud noise”) Definition: If you strike an empty barrel, the sound it produces is high-pitched, sharp, and loud instead of the muted thump you’d get from a full one. Similarly, … Continue reading →

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As recently as this morning

Posted on February 23, 2020 by

(This.) 坊主憎けりゃ袈裟まで憎い (Bouzu nikukerya kesa made nikui; “If you hate a priest, even the priestly robe is loathsome”) Definition: If you hate somebody or something, then all too often you also start to dislike neutral things that you associate with … Continue reading →

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Nothing but boss fights

Posted on February 16, 2020 by

(Pun) 人の振り見て我が振り直せ (Hito no furi mite waga furi naose; “Observe the behavior of others; correct your own”) Definition: An admonition to grow and improve by observing those around you. When you see good behavior, you should copy it; when you … Continue reading →

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The best defense is a good stylin’

Posted on February 9, 2020 by

眉に唾を付ける (Mayu ni tsuba wo tsukeru; “to rub spit on your eyebrows”) Definition: To be on one’s guard against lies and trickery. A catchphrase meaning that somebody is likely to try to fool or deceive you in some way. Breakdown: … Continue reading →

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A journey of 10,000 coughs starts with a single sniffle

Posted on February 2, 2020 by

風邪は万病のもと (Kaze wa manbyou no moto; “A fever is the root of ten thousand diseases”) Definition: Even if a disease seems to be mild (“just a cold”), don’t just brush it off. Things can get bad if complications arise, so … Continue reading →

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