Tag Archives: back to the

The one before the Metal Friend

Posted on March 8, 2020 by Confanity

元の木阿弥 (Moto no mokuami; “The former Mokuami”) Definition: Back to square one; ending up where you started. For something, or a situation, to revert to a previous (worse) state after temporarily improving. The ur-example is of a poor person who … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What if you have your back to the future?

Posted on April 19, 2015 by Confanity

Today’s kotowaza, in English terms, is more of a set phrase than a “saying,” but it’s a kotowaza in Japanese none the less. 背水の陣 (Haisui no jin; “An army with its back to the water”) Definition: Having your back to … Continue reading →

Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza | Tagged , , | Leave a comment