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Category Archives: Japanese
Even super-firm
豆腐に鎹(Toufu ni kasugai;“A wood-clamp in tofu”) Definition: Attempting something that’s guaranteed to produce no meaningful response or results. An utterly ineffectual action, like using a construction-strength fastener on an ultra-soft material like tofu. Like talking to a brick wall, or … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged かすがい, 鎹, 豆腐, futility, ineffectual, Iroha karuta, 仮名文章娘節用
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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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landofnudotcom 