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Tag Archives: caution
Fences within fences
I heard you like chumrot so I put a chumra in your chumra. 念には念を入れよ(Nen ni wa nen wo ireyo;“Put thought into thought”) Definition: An exhortation to be extra meticulous or cautious in a given task or situation. Make absolutely certain … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged admonitions, caution, Huainanzi, redundancy, yo dawg, 念には念, 念を入れ, 淮南子, חומרה
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Dotted Is and red E
用意周到 you.i.shuu.tou Literally: use – mind – circumference – arrive Alternately: Thorough preparations, without any oversights. Being incredibly careful; doing everything possible to get ready for something. A good way to be, if you can manage. Notes: This is a … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged cargo pants, caution, 用意, good advice, preparation, 周到
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A skeleton in every closet
A monster under every bed 人を見たら泥棒と思え (Hito wo mitara dorobou to omoe; “When you see someone, think them a thief”) Definition: Don’t blindly trust strangers. A proverb advising the listener to protect themselves by doubting and confirming, rather than naively … Continue reading
Hasty digging in the Mines of Morai
慌てる乞食は貰いが少ない (Awateru kojiki wa morai ga sukunai; “A beggar in a hurry receives little alms”) Definition: Haste makes waste; slow and steady wins the race. Rushing about or fighting to get in the door first, especially in pursuit of profit, … Continue reading
Treating shallow as if it were deep
Good with rivers; bad with ideas 浅い川も深く渡れ (Asai kawa mo fukaku watare; “Even in a shallow river, cross deep”) Definition: Take care even with things that seem easy, or trivial in scope. It’s better to be safe than sorry. Even … Continue reading
A tip for an umbrella
濡れぬ先の傘 (Nurenu saki no kasa; “(Opening) an umbrella before getting wet”) Definition: Thorough advance preparation. Like opening an umbrella before any rain has even started falling. Prevention is better than cure; better early than late. Breakdown: We begin with the … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged baby gate, caution, preparedness, safety, umbrella, 傘, 濡れ
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If this post is too long, I can’t say I wasn’t warned
雉も鳴かずば撃たれまい (Kiji mo nakazuba utaremai; “Even the pheasant, if it doesn’t cry out, won’t be shot”) Definition: Said in response to times when someone caused problems for themselves by speaking when it would have been prudent not to. An admonition … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged caution, classical Japanese grammar, 雉, 鳴かず, outspoken, tact, 撃たれまい
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But does a triple thing happen five times?
1123581321345589? 二度あることは三度ある (Nido aru koto wa sando aru; “Something that happens twice, happens three times”) Definition: Things tend to repeat. If something has happened before, especially more than once, then it should be assumed that it can and will happen … Continue reading
When in doubt, carry a jackhammer
石橋を叩いて渡る (Ishibashi wo tataite wataru; “Striking a stone bridge and crossing”) Definition: Doubling and redoubling one’s precautions. Being extremely careful, especially in terms of safety. Like someone who comes to a sturdy stone bridge and still takes the time to … Continue reading
Ah, ha, ha, ha, activity seeds, activity seeds
Whether you’re a mother or whether you’re a brother, activity seeds, activity seeds. 命あっての物種 (Inochi atte no monodane; “Stuff you can do thanks to being alive”) Definition: Anything is possible if – and only if – you are actually alive … Continue reading
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