Category Archives: Yojijukugo

Of petards and self-inflicted hoisting

Posted on December 14, 2016 by Confanity

自縄自縛 ji.jou.ji.baku Literally: self – rope – self – bind Alternately: Falling into your own snare. Painting oneself into a corner. Suffering because you’ve locked yourself into a (bad) situation through your own words and actions. Stripping away your own … Continue reading →

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Male and female, he folded them

Posted on December 7, 2016 by Confanity

In order to pour drinks prettily! 雄蝶雌蝶 (o).chou.me.chou Literally: male – butterfly – female – butterfly Alternately: This noun phrase describes a pair of origami “butterfly” shapes sometimes attached to the decanters used for pouring sake during traditional Japanese wedding … Continue reading →

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Like installing screen doors in a sub

Posted on November 30, 2016 by Confanity

(sandwich) 縁木求魚 (e)n.boku.kyuu.gyo Literally: connection / border – tree – request – fish Alternately: An unreasonable or impossible implementation of a goal. A methodology so flawed that it cannot possibly succeed. For example, climbing a tree in order to catch … Continue reading →

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A rank fragrance

Posted on November 23, 2016 by Confanity

位階勲等 (i).kai.kun.tou Literally: rank – stair / story – meritorious deed – quality / (first) class Alternately: Court rank; honors; accolades. Decorations and rank awarded by the government in return for achievement or service. 位階 refers to ranks within the … Continue reading →

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What we could all use a little more of

Posted on November 16, 2016 by Confanity

和気藹藹 wa.ki.ai.ai Literally: harmony – spirit / mood – harmonize / flourishing – harmonize / flourishing Alternately: Full of serenity and stillness. Overflowing with tranquility. Congenial. People getting along well together. Notes: 和気 is a feeling of harmony; 藹藹 is … Continue reading →

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The natural phrasing for a cat to use

Posted on November 9, 2016 by Confanity

老若男女 rou.nyaku.nan.nyo Literally: old – young – man – woman Alternately: All people. Absolutely everybody, regardless of age or sex. Notes: While it is not entirely wrong to read this phrase with the more standard character pronunciations rou.jaku.dan.jo, the all-Ns … 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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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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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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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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