Categories
- Japanese (824)
- Kotowaza (413)
- Yojijukugo (409)
- Long Fiction (6)
- Meta (11)
- Nonfiction (74)
- Poetry (13)
- Short Fiction (20)
- Uncategorized (13)
- World-Building (176)
- Miscellaneous (24)
- Rules (127)
- Setting (69)
- Japanese (824)
Archives
-
Recent Posts
Category Archives: Yojijukugo
What you don’t know CAN kill you
夏虫疑氷 ka.chuu.gi.hyou Literally: summer – insect – doubt – ice Alternately: A person of extremely limited experience, knowledge, and discernment. Someone ignorant, doubtful, or distrustful of everything that falls outside of their own (meager) personal experience. Like an insect that … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged bugs, 疑冰, 疑氷, experience, 荘子, ignorance, limits, Zhuangzi, 夏虫
Leave a comment
Power is small things in large numbers
一粒万倍 ichi.ryuu.man.bai Literally: one – particle – ten thousand – times (as in multiplication) Alternately: From something tiny, a huge profit. By extension, an admonition not to look down on small or simple things, because even the most humble appearance … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged accumulate, Buddhism, goodness, layers, power, profit, rice, 報恩経, 一粒, 万倍
Leave a comment
An open heart in your pocket
虚心坦懐 kyo.shin.tan.kai Literally: empty – heart/mind – wide/level – pocket/heart Alternately: Open-minded and open-hearted. Without any bias, hangups, or pent-up bad feelings. Notes: In this compound of compounds, 虚心 refers to a lack of prejudice or preconception, while 坦懐 is … Continue reading
Sorry about all the words
暴言多罪 bou.gen.ta.zai Literally: violence – word – many – guilt/sin/crime Alternately: This is a polite, formulaic phrase to use at the close of a letter, apologizing to the recipient for being overlong, going too far with its content, or anything … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged apology, epistolary, formula, letter, 多罪, 手紙, 暴言
Leave a comment
A garde for vants
斬新奇抜 zan.shin.ki.batsu Literally: behead – new – strange – extract Alternately: Completely new. Unprecedented. Often used to describe a novel idea or unconventional way of thinking. Notes: Compare and contrast this compound with prior entry 奇想天外. It is an error … Continue reading
The actual cruelest month
…would be September, then, I guess. 秋霜烈日 shuu.sou.retsu.jitsu Literally: autumn – frost – intense – sun Alternately: Stringent severity – of intent, or of some expression of authority such as discipline, punishment, etc. Strictness as harsh as a lethal late-fall … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged blazing sun, 烈日, 秋霜, hard frost, harsh, severe, strict, The Wasteland
Leave a comment
Keeping the mood, and the pocket, light
軽薄短小 kei.haku.tan.shou Literally: light – dilute – short – small Alternately: Of a thing: small and light. By metaphorical extension, a person whose character is shallow; a hollow person with no substance to them. Notes: The physical meaning has apparently … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged スカーゲン, 短小, electronics, 軽薄, light, shallow, small
Leave a comment
Gettin’ biblical before the match
緊褌一番 kin.kon.ichi.ban Literally: tense – loincloth – one – [ordinal counter] Alternately: To brace yourself mentally for something. To prepare to face difficulty or hardship, or at least a high-level competition of some sort. Literally, to gird one’s loins. Notes: … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged ふんどし, 炭坑, 緊褌, gird loins, history, preparedness, underwear, 一番, 一丁
1 Comment
On the up and up and away
立身出世 ri-.sshin.shu-.sse Literally: stand up – person – go out – society Alternately: Success in society; specifically, establishing oneself in a high (and well-paid) position. Achieving fame and fortune. Notes: This is a repetition-type compound; both risshin and shusse refer … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged 立身, Fame, Magic The Gathering, society, success, 出世
Leave a comment
landofnudotcom 