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
Doing the wave
人海戦術 jin.kai.sen.jutsu Literally: person – ocean – war – technique Alternately: Human-wave tactics. Assaulting enemy lines with an unsupported mass infantry charge in the hopes of overwhelming them with sheer numbers. By extension, any strategy of throwing large numbers of … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged brute force, human wave, military analogy, people power, strength in numbers, 戦術, 人海, 作戦
Leave a comment
And the Wild Things gnashed their terrible teeth
And clenched their terrible arms? 切歯扼腕 se-.sshi.yaku.wan Literally: cut – tooth – dominate / obstruct – arm Alternately: Convulsive rage (or frustration, or other negative emotion). Grinding the teeth and clenching the arms against one’s body. Being so worked up … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged anger, bad mood, teeth, Where the Wild Things Are, 切歯, 史記, 史记, 扼腕, 搤腕
Leave a comment
It didn’t work for stoicism
一子相伝 i-.sshi.sou.den Literally: one – child – mutual – transmit Alternately: A traditional system where the inner, secret, or ultimate teachings of an art, craft, school of thought, etc. are passed on to exactly one heir (usually from a father … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged 父子, 相伝, inheritance, Marcus Aurelius, sake brewing, secret teachings, ultimate technique, 一子
Leave a comment
Look at me, look at me, LOOK AT ME NOW!
(And pay no attention to the man behind the curtain) 自己顕示 ji.ko.ken.ji Literally: self – self – appear – indicate Alternately: Making oneself apparent. Speaking up, standing out, catching attention; making oneself conspicuous or unignorable; working to advance one’s own … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged attention, cat in the hat, 自己, 自己顕示欲, 顕示, limelight, social media, standing out, Wizard of Oz, 大統領振りの奴
Leave a comment
When you write the right rite
温柔敦厚 on.juu.ton.kou Literally: warm – soft – kind – thick / kind Alternately: Kind and gentle, considerate and loving. Notes: This is a compound of compounds. 温柔 expresses a warm, mild disposition; 敦厚 is humanity and kindness. Similar terms include … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged Classic of Rites, 礼記, ducks, human kindness, Liji, Raiki, warm, 敦厚, 温柔
Leave a comment
Fly, cow, fly; cow, fly, cow
蚊虻走牛 bun.bou.sou.gyuu Literally: mosquito – horsefly – run – cow Alternately: Something powerful being defeated by something weak; the great overthrown by the small. Literally, a cow being driven to run away by the onslaught of tiny biting flies. Alternatively, … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged biting flies, 牛羊, David and Goliath, 虻, 蚊, 說苑, 説苑, 走牛, large small, mosquito
Leave a comment
I know why the caged monkey sings
籠鳥檻猿 rou.chou.kan.en Literally: cage – bird – (jail) cell/pen – monkey Alternately: Unfree; specifically, having had one’s freedom taken away. Living like a bird – or monkey – in a cage, unable to do what you want. Notes: This phrase … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged Bai Juyi, bird, cage, circumscribed, 白居易, 籠鳥, exile, monkey, poetry, unfree, 元稹, 檻猿
Leave a comment
Wild horses could, in fact, drag it out of me
意馬心猿 i.ba.shin.en Literally: mind – horse – heart – monkey Alternately: This Buddhist phrase expresses how it is difficult to control oneself and detach from the illusory material world because worldly desires, false beliefs, and mental pollution such as hatred … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged Buddhism, 維摩経, difficulties, klesha, Tun‐huang, worldly desires, Zhouyi cantong qi, 参同契, 心猿, 意馬, 敦煌偏文集, 橋本関雪
Leave a comment
Spear-spine spirit
首尾一貫 shu.bi.i-.kkan Literally: neck / head – tail – one – pierce Alternately: Seeing something through from beginning to end without any change in attitude. Consistency in principles, execution of a project, etc. Although the idea might seem negative to … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged consistency, consistent, 首尾, head, self-help, tail, unwavering, 一貫
Leave a comment
Balanced on the head of a hinpin
文質彬彬 bun.shitsu.hin.pin Literally: style – substance – refined – refined Alternately: (A person in whom) external beauty and internal substance are in balance and harmony. Someone unbalanced in favor of their “interior” is crude, plain, unrefined. Someone unbalanced in favor … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged Analects, balance, 羽生結弦, 論語, figure skating, harmony, inside, outside, refinement, sophistication, 孔子, 彬彬, 文質
Leave a comment
landofnudotcom 