Category Archives: Japanese

You’ve got to really “stick” it in?

Posted on November 6, 2016 by Confanity

連木で腹を切る (Rengi de hara wo kiru; “To cut one’s belly with a wooden pestle”) Definition: An impossible event or task. By extension, attempting to achieve the impossible. Attempting a task that is as daunting as slicing one’s belly open with … Continue reading →

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Squirtle used Waterfall!

Posted on November 2, 2016 by Confanity

Because as anime shows, all Japanese people are connected to interdimensional reservoirs of fluids. 冷汗三斗 rei.kan.san.to Literally: cold – sweat – three – to [a unit of measure] Alternately: Breaking into a cold sweat due to extreme fear or embarrassment. … Continue reading →

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Rui-san calls her friends?

Posted on October 30, 2016 by Confanity

類は友を呼ぶ (Rui wa tomo wo yobu; “Like calls unto like”) Definition: People will naturally self-sort. People who are similar will tend to find each other, group together, and become close. “Birds of a feather flock together.” Nerds sit at lunch … Continue reading →

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Spinning everyone’s wheels

Posted on October 26, 2016 by Confanity

and spinning and spinning and spinning and spinning and 縷縷綿綿 ru.ru.men.men Literally: thread – thread – cotton – cotton Alternately: Someone speaking, talking, or just generally carrying on in a long-winded, verbose, wordy way, possibly with lots of repetition or … Continue reading →

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Never trust anything strawberry-flavored

Posted on October 23, 2016 by Confanity

In fact, when in doubt, just go with the most masochistic option available. 良薬は口に苦し (Ryouyaku wa kuchi ni nigashi; “Good medicine is bitter in the mouth”) Definition: Good advice is hard to listen to. The advice that we most desperately … Continue reading →

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Apple tree turning yellow

Posted on October 19, 2016 by Confanity

（林檎黄変） 臨機応変 rin.ki.ou.hen Literally: meet – opportunity – reply – change Alternately: Adapting to the current situation. Playing things by ear. “Facing the current situation and responding to changes.” Specifically, responding appropriately to changing situations, with the knowledge that it … Continue reading →

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They’ll let you have next Tuesday, though

Posted on October 16, 2016 by Confanity

来年の事を言えば鬼が笑う (Rainen no koto wo ieba oni ga warau; “Oni laugh when you talk about next year”) Definition: Nobody can accurately predict the future, so there’s no use in trying to say what’s going to be happening next year. People … Continue reading →

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Ah, spring

Posted on October 11, 2016 by Confanity

…When love shoots you with arrows of ruination? 落花流水 ra-.kka.ryuu.sui Literally: fall / drop – flower – flow – water Alternately: Today’s yojijukugo is interesting because it has a series of seemingly unrelated meanings. The image invoked is of falling … Continue reading →

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The problem with oboes

Posted on October 9, 2016 by Confanity

葦の髄から天井を覗く (Yoshi no zui kara tenjou wo nozoku; “To peer at the ceiling through a reed.”) Definition: Forming opinions and making decisions on a topic based on one’s narrow views and pre-formed beliefs rather than any sort of breadth or … Continue reading →

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If you want to get away from it all but hate cabbages

Posted on October 5, 2016 by Confanity

羊裘垂釣 you.kyuu.sui.chou Literally: sheep – [clothing made of animal skin and/or fur] – dangle – fishing Alternately: To avoid the vulgar world of common society and live as a hermit. To live wearing animal skins and fish in streams for … Continue reading →

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