Category Archives: Japanese

Bogwood blooming

Posted on February 7, 2016 by Confanity

埋もれ木に花が咲く (Umoregi ni hana ga saku; “Flowers blooming on a buried tree”) Definition: Unexpectedly returning to fame, wealth, power, etc. after an extended time of obscurity, exile, or general misfortune. Just as a tree that has fallen and sunk into … Continue reading →

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The existential chaos of “tide comes in, tide goes out”

Posted on February 3, 2016 by Confanity

右往左往 u.ou.sa.ou Literally: right – travel – left – travel Alternately: Disorder. Moving back and forth without clear aims or results. Much confusion and going to-and-fro. My sources seem to disagree about whether it’s primarily referring to one person in … Continue reading →

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Extrapolator extraordinaire

Posted on January 31, 2016 by Confanity

Sherlock Holmes again! 一を聞いて十を知る (Ichi wo kiite juu wo shiru; “Hearing one; knowing ten”) Definition: Having great powers of reasoning and understanding. Learning one part and understanding the whole. Hearing just a little bit about something is enough for the … Continue reading →

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An apple a day… may help.

Posted on January 27, 2016 by Confanity

医食同源 i.shoku.dou.gen Literally: medicine – food – same – source Alternately: Just as medicine is used to cure diseases, eating well is key to maintaining one’s health. The best defense against ill health is a proper balanced diet (as an … Continue reading →

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Darker than Black… is not a sequel

Posted on January 24, 2016 by Confanity

青は藍より出でて藍より青し (Ao wa ai yori idete ai yori aoshi; “Blue comes from indigo and is bluer than indigo.”) Definition: “The student has surpassed the master.” Alternately, hard work and study can lead to greater levels of ability than innate talent. … Continue reading →

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A scene in every horror movie ever

Posted on January 20, 2016 by Confanity

I’ve done themed posts several times in the past, picking a yojijukugo or kotowaza based on the number of the post, or some event or holiday happening around the same time. This is the start of a new sub-project, in … Continue reading →

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[Star Trek reboot reference]

Posted on January 17, 2016 by Confanity

This is why I check after every post goes up to make sure everything actually went as scheduled. 一寸先は闇 (Issun saki wa yami; “One sun ahead is darkness”) Definition: What lies before us, even an inch away, is darkness (metaphorically). … Continue reading →

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♪ Whatever you want, is fine by me…. ♫

Posted on January 13, 2016 by Confanity

Great for next time you want somebody to choose where to eat, perhaps! 付和雷同 fu.wa.rai.dou Literally: attach – harmony – thunder/lightning – same Alternately: Having no thoughts or opinions of one’s own. Bonelessly going along with whatever other people around … Continue reading →

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Call it the “Holmes Hook.”

Posted on January 10, 2016 by Confanity

鎌を掛ける (Kama wo kakeru; “to catch on a sickle”) Definition: Talking casually to someone in a way that leads them to give you information you wanted, such as their true feelings about a matter, without needing to ask them for … Continue reading →

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Four more seasons; another year

Posted on January 6, 2016 by Confanity

春夏秋冬 shun.ka.shuu.tou Literally: spring – summer – autumn – winter Alternately: Like it says: spring, summer, fall, and winter. All four seasons. A full year. Notes: This one is very old, attested since at least the early 900s, and has … Continue reading →

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