Puffer-fish lined up
(Boy, if you got that one, massive points. You win.)
(出ん出らりゅうば出て来るばってん
出ん出られんけん出て来んけん
来ん来られんけん来られられんけん
来ん来ん;
“If it’s the case that if it tries to come out then it will be able to come, then it will come out, but it can’t come out, so it won’t come out. Even if it tries to go it can’t go, so it can’t go, so it won’t.”)
Definition:
It ain’t comin’ out.
Breakdown:
We begin with the verb 出る (deru), “to come out,” in volitional form, then again, in hypothetical potential form, then again in conjunctive form attached to the verb 来る (kuru) in sentence-final form, marking the end of the clause. This is followed by ばってん (batten), “but.”
Next comes 出る again, in volitional form followed by negative potential form, with けん (ken), “therefore,” separating it from the same verb for a sixth time, appearing for the second time in conjunctive form which again connects it to 来る, which appears here in negative form, followed by a second けん.
This is followed by the verb 来る in volitional form, negative potential form, then after another けん another, different, negative potential form, and then after another けん, again twice more, for emphasis presumably, in negative sentence-final form.
Notes:
In some cases, the ば of the initial hypothetical formation is replaced by が (ga), apparently without any change in meaning, for no apparent reason.
This whole thing is in deep, thick, gooey, rich Nagasaki dialect, in which – among other things – 来る can also be used to mean its exact opposite 行く (iku), “to go.” Good luck telling apart your comings and your goings!
Today’s offering is probably inextricably linked to Nagasaki’s famous dragon dances, famously performed during the Kunchi festival, in which at least a dozen people team up to play a dragon chasing after its egg. The dragon, unfortunately, is famously sulky and will repeatedly give up the chase and curl into a ball, so that the audience is repeatedly called upon to yell at it until it acquiesces and resumes the chase/dance. Animal-rights organizations have thus far had no more luck in ending this subtropical equivalent to bear-baiting than they’ve had in ending the more infamous practice of whale-hunting. At any rate, sometimes the dragon just doesn’t want to come out, you know?
Happy April first, by the way. Look for an update tomorrow!
Example sentence:
But what comes from a lyre?
In Rome, a big fire?
噓つきは泥棒の始まり
(Usotsuki wa dorobou no hajimari; “A liar is the beginning of a thief”)
Definition:
Someone who becomes capable of lying glibly will also be able to calmly steal or rob. Lies are the first step on a path to more serious wrongdoing. Becoming accustomed to lying also prepares you psychologically for other bad deeds or crimes.
Breakdown:
We begin with the noun 嘘 (uso), “falsehood,” to which is appended the verb つく (tsuku), “to tell (a lie),” appearing in conjunctive form and functioning as a noun: an usotsuki is a liar, and the liar is marked as the topic being discussed with the particle は (wa). The comment is 始まる (hajimaru), “to begin,” also acting as a noun in conjunctive form. The particle の (no) associates this “beginning” with the noun 泥棒 (dorobou), “thief,” “robber.”
Notes:
Note that this saying technically doesn’t apply to social “white lies,” childish fibbing, or even people who lie but feel nervous about it: it focuses on the presumably crime-prone sociopathy that allows someone to lie fluently and without remorse. That said, it’s still commonly used as an admonition against all sorts of lying.
The tsuki may also be written with kanji as 吐き, although this is rare.
Example sentence:
「嘘つきは泥棒の始まりと子供に戒めて五分も経たないうちに、隣の奥さんに罪のない嘘だとはいえ、嘘をついた自分はどうかな。アハハ」
(“Usotsuki wa dorobou no hajimari to kodomo ni imashimete gofun mo tatanai uchi ni, tonari no okusan ni tsumi no nai uso da to wa ie, uso wo tsuita jibun wa dou ka na. Ahaha.”)
[“I warned my kids that lying is the first step toward stealing, and then before five minutes had passed I lied to the lady next door. Even if it just a little white lie, what does that say about me? A ha ha.”]