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Category Archives: Japanese
Cheap is dear, but deer don’t cheep
For those counting, this is the 200th kotowaza! To celebrate, we’re… doing nothing special! 安物買いの銭失い (Yasumonogai no zeniushinai; “Losing money by buying cheap”) Definition: Especially cheap things tend to be poorly made; they fail to perform their functions properly, or … Continue reading
Think well, go Dan
熟慮断行 juku.ryo.dan.kou Literally: ripen – thought – sever – go Alternately: Thinking over a matter fully and carefully, and then taking decisive action. Instead of jumping the gun with rash action or dithering in eternal indecision, taking the best of … Continue reading
If I have seen further it is because a dwarf was standing on my shoulders
Like so. 負うた子に教えられて浅瀬を渡る (Outa ko ni oshierarete asase wo wataru; “Crossing shallows with guidance from the child you carry”) Definition: Sometimes there are things you can learn from people who are younger and less experienced. “Out of the mouths of … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged guidance, knowledge, shallows, shoulders of giants, youth
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The most erudite possible yarble garble harble garble
珍紛漢紛 chin.pun.kan.pun Literally: rare – astray – Han China – astray Alternately: Dense jargon. Gibberish. Nonsense. Incomprehensible, unintelligible, incoherent. Notes: This phrase will usually be written in phonetic kana characters rather than kanji. Even when they are used, the kanji … Continue reading
All come from Yodo, and to Yodo all return
No, not “Yoda” 遅牛も淀早牛も淀 (Osoushi mo yodo hayaushi mo yodo; “Both the slow ox and the fast ox (arrive at) Yodo”) Definition: Although there are definitely differences in being early versus late, or slow versus quick, when the end result … Continue reading
Ka mate, ka ora
生殺与奪 sei.satsu.yo.datsu Literally: life – kill – give – rob Alternately: Controlling people according to one’s whim. Having absolute power over others – to keep alive or kill; to give them things or take things away. Notes: The order of … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged absolute power, 生殺, 荀子, life and death, Owarimonogatari, 与奪
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Someone who can see through the shell game
亀の甲より年の劫 (Kame no kou yori toshi no kou; “Better the wisdom of years than a tortoise-shell”) Definition: Pun time! Japanese is actually full of puns, and here’s one that made it into a kotowaza. The phrase itself means that one … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged こっくりさん, divination, experience, Kokkuri, wisdom, 年の劫, 亀の甲
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Knockout poor
器用貧乏 ki.you.bin.bou Literally: vessel – use – poverty – scarcity Alternately: Someone gifted with relatively good across-the-board skills… who, because of this, fails to develop any one skill to its full extent and ends up doing things only halfway. A … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged 菩薩, 貧乏, Jack of all Trades, master of none, no recognition, 器用
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Soryaa, ii kamo?
鴨が葱を背負って来る (Kamo ga negi wo shotte kuru; “A duck comes bearing a green onion on its back”) Definition: A confluence of almost-too-good-to-be-true convenience. Often used when somebody you’d been planning to use or con comes to you with a get-rich-quick … Continue reading
War and Weft
合従連衡 ga-.sshou.ren.kou Literally: join – vertical – lead – horizontal Alternately: This compound commonly refers to diplomacy based on calculations of profit and loss; of making and breaking alliances based on the convenience of the moment. Originally, it referred to … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged alliances, Chinese history, diplomacy, 連衡, 荀子, Records of the Grand Historian, Warring States, Xun Kuang, 史記, 合従
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